Oregon State baseball enters the 2024 season with a roar, already securing two top-10 preseason rankings. Debuting at No. 7 in the D1Baseball Top 25 and No. 9 in Perfect Game’s list, the Beavers are the undisputed Pac-12 and West Coast kings, trailing Wake Forest, Florida, Arkansas, LSU, TCU, and Vanderbilt in D1Baseball’s poll.
Fueling their lofty expectations is a talented roster boasting six returning starting position players from the Baton Rouge Regional squad. All-America hopeful, and projected as a top-five draft pick, Travis Bazzana (1.112 OPS in 2023) returns along with all three outfielders Gavin Turley (1.102), Micah McDowell (.936), and Brady Kasper (.985), designated hitter Mason Guerra (.987), and catcher Tanner Smith (career .998 FLD %).
Fifteen-game starting pitcher Jacob Kmatz (4.71 ERA) and 5th-year senior AJ Lattery (4.05 ERA) are back along with senior starter Jaren Hunter (3.03 ERA), who is coming back from an injury-shortened 2023. Joey Mundt, missed two years due injury, finally returns. Nelson Keljo is a big-time lefty building off his freshman season. AJ Hutcheson , Aiden Jimenez, and Ian Lawson look to bolster the deepest staff Oregon State has seen in a decade.
But the Beavers’ bite isn’t limited to seasoned vets. Head Coach Mitch Canham and recruiting maestro Ryan Gipson pounced, landing the No. 8 freshman class and No. 19 transfer haul in the nation, according to D1baseball. SS Elijah Hainline (from Washington State), SP Aiden May (from Arizona), and P Kyle Scott (from Cal Poly) headline the transfer influx, while highly-touted freshman Trent Caraway should see immediate action.
This potent blend of returning veterans, promising freshmen, and impactful transfers has Oregon State poised for a memorable season. The season opener on Feb. 16 against New Mexico in Surprise, Arizona, is just the first pitch of a daunting but thrilling schedule. After warming up in Surprise, the Beavers head to the Kubota College Baseball Series in Arlington, Texas, where they’ll face off against powerhouse No. 3 Arkansas, No. 21 Texas Tech, Michigan, and Oklahoma State.