WATCH: Beavs begin quest for Omaha today

IF ALL THE SUNSHINE around the Beaver State and the Northwest has you a little down that you're spending the last day of the work week indoors, we have the answer. Oregon State opens play in the NCAA baseball championships today at noon -- and you can watch it, live and free, on your computer. Just don't let the boss see..

RADIO/INTERNET BROADCASTS

First pitch is Friday, May 29 at 12:00 PM PST.

Oregon State (35-17) vs. Texas A&M (36-22) is not being televised but a live, free webcast is available. Point your browser to osubeavers.com HERE.

On the radio, you'll find the Beavs at  KICE 940-AM (Bend, Ore.), KEJO 1240-AM (Corvallis), KKNX 840-AM (Eugene-Sat. only), KAGO 99.5-FM (Klamath Falls-weekends), KMED 1440-AM, (Medford-weekend only), KPAM 860 (Portland-weekends), KKAD 1550-AM (Portland-weekdays), KSKR 1490-AM (Roseburg) and KBZY 1490-AM (Salem).  Pre-game begins 30 minutes before first pitch. 

The radio call is also live on the net at osubeavers.com and Yahoo! Sports. Mike Parker is behind the mic to call play-by-play GameTracker is also available at osubeavers.com.

 

FOR AN EXTENDED write-up on Oregon State from the opponent's perspective, Aggie Websider offers this preview. (subscription required, see 7-day free trial button at the top of this page)

 

Oregon State is the third seed in the four-team Fort Worth Regional, Texas A&M the No. 2 seed. The other two teams, No. 4 Wright State and top-seeded TCU, play at 5 p.m..

 

The winners from today's game play at 5 p.m on Saturday, the losers meet at noon Saturday in an elimination game. The regional is a double loss elimination format. Sunday's schedule --  Game 5 at 12 p.m: Winner G3 vs Loser G4; Game 6 at 5 p.m: Winner G4 vs Winner G5. If necessary, Monday's game Game 7 is scheduled for 5 p.m: same teams as G6.

 

The Beavs are going with a freshman on the mound today -- right-hander Sam Gaviglio has wins in his last six decisions including a complete-game, three-hit shutout of Stanford in Oregon State's final regular season series win over Stanford.

 

NOTES:

• Oregon State comes in 10-5 over their last 15 games while Texas A&M was 8-7.

• Texas A&M began the season ranked No. 1 in most of the polls to start the season. The Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll, the oldest college baseball poll in the nation with it's first poll published in 1957, ranks Oregon State No. 25, Texas A&M No. 29. A&M is ranked No. 25 in the latest USA TODAY/ESPN poll while the Beavs are slotted at No. 26.

• Texas A&M hit 80 home runs in 58 games this season.

• Probable starting pitchers for Texas A&M:  

   FRI: Brooks Raley (So., LHP, 7-2, 3.74)

   SAT: Ross Hales (Fr., LHP, 6-2, 3.98)

 

 

Oregon State by the numbers:

• 3rd in NCAA in hits allowed per nine innings (7.84)
• 7th - earned run average (3.69)
• 11th - fielding percentage (.976)
• 11th - sacrifice bunts (59)
• 18th - walks overall (283)
• 32nd - winning percentage (.673)
• The Beavers are 20-5 in non-conference games this season.
• OSU has won 12 straight non-league games.
• Oregon State is 10-6 against left-handed starters this season. 
• OSU is 4-1 over its last five games with its pitchers posting a 2.45 ERA and .188 batting average against.

 

Texas A&M by the numbers:

• Oregon State comes in 10-5 over their last 15 games.

• 6th in NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings (9.6)

• 15th in fewest walks per nine innings (2.8)

• 16th in fewest hits allowed per nine innings (8.8).

• A&M averages seven runs per contest.

• A&M is 24-4 when recording 10 or more hits in a game.

• A&M went 10-3 on 13-game homestand that wrapped up May 8.

• Nine of A&M’s 13 Big 12 losses in regular season were by two runs or less.