Before the season began, the Oregon State baseball team got one step closer to finishing in the top ten.
For the fourth time this season, the Beavers made it into the top 10 of a poll on Monday, debuting at No. 7 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 30.
In addition, the Beavers have received preseason rankings from Perfect Game (No. 10), Baseball America (No. 9), and D1Baseball (No. 7). Later this week, the USA Today Coaches Poll is anticipated to be made public.
Like the polls that came before it, the NCBWA poll is rife with ACC and SEC clubs.
The poll includes eleven SEC teams, five of whom are ranked in the top 10. In contrast, the ACC features seven teams in the poll, four of which are in the top 10.
The only club in the top 10 that does not participate in one of the two conferences this season is Oregon State, which is playing on an independent schedule.
The Beavers are the only independent in the preseason poll and the top-ranked team on the West Coast. The Oregon Ducks, who are making their Big Ten debut, started at number twelve.
Texas A&M holds the top spot, followed by Tennessee at number two, Virginia at number three, LSU at number four, and Arkansas at number five. Only three West Coast teams are included in the poll: No. 22 UC Santa Barbara, Oregon State, and Oregon.
The Beavers lost a lot of veteran talent, including seven MLB draft picks, when they lost to the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Kentucky, despite making it to the super regionals the previous season. Travis Bazzana, an All-American second baseman, was selected first overall in the draft.
The Beavers, however, are a team full of talent, with five players listed by MLB.com as among the top 100 MLB draft prospects: left-hander Nelson Keljo (89), junior outfielders Gavin Turley (84) and Dallas Macias (60), junior shortstop Aiva Arquette (No. 6), and sophomore third baseman Trent Caraway (21).
In his six years as coach, Mitch Canhama seems to have assembled the best group of arms, and team insiders are confident in the lineup’s strength, quickness, and depth.
On February 14, Oregon State plays Xavier in Surprise, Arizona, to start the season.
Joe Freeman | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | [email protected] | For the most recent news and top stories, subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts.
