The Missouri State baseball team (4-9) travels west this weekend for a three-game series with 2006 and 2007 national champion and 23rd-ranked Oregon State (7-3). The Bears and Beavers will hook up at PGE Park in Portland at 8 p.m. Central Friday, with Saturday's game scheduled for 4 p.m. and Sunday's start time set for 3 p.m.
THE OPPONENT
Oregon State is 7-3 on the season and ranked 23rd in the latest Baseball America poll. The Beavers have won two in a row entering this weekend's Pap Grand Slam, and hit .308 as a team, led by shortstop Joey Wong's .444 average. Stefen Romero has a team-high 16 RBIs to go with a .381 average.
The OSU pitching staff has a 4.97 ERA while allowing teams to hit .260. The Beavers will pitch a likely weekend rotation of Tyler Waldron (0-1, 6.75 ERA), Greg Peavey (1-0, 5.56) and Jorge Reyes (2-0, 3.86). Reyes was the 2007 College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
The Beavers field .963 as a team.
THE SERIES
Missouri State is 0-2 all-time against Oregon State, losing 17-3 in a 1993 contest in Norman, Okla., and falling 5-4 in the third game of the 2004 season in Arlington, Texas.
LIVE STATS INFORMATION
Live stats for most Missouri State baseball games will be available at www.missouristatebears.com. Go to the “Fan Central” link on the left side of the page and select “Live Stats.”
AUDIO COVERAGE
Missouri State will not broadcast any games from Portland this week. The Oregon State broadcast can be accessed on the baseball schedule page at www.osubeavers.com.
COACH KEITH GUTTIN
Missouri State head coach Keith Guttin (Missouri-St. Louis, 1978) is in his 27th season as head coach of the baseball Bears and has a career record of 908-562 (.618). Guttin became the first coach at Missouri State (in any sport) to reach the 900-win mark with the May 11, 2008, win over Middle Tennessee at Hammons Field. In 2003, Guttin led the Bears to the NCAA Division I College World Series for the first time in school history. Guttin has been a conference Coach of the Year 10 times with four of those coming in the Valley and six coming during the Bears’ years in the Mid-Continent Conference. During Guttin’s tenure, the Bears have made seven Division I NCAA Tournament appearances -- six in the last 14 years.
LAST WEEK
The defense struggled in two home losses to South Dakota State, committing eight errors in two games. On Tuesday, the Jackrabbits grabbed a 10-5 win after five MSU miscues. Ben Carlson smacked two solo homers and Dallas Hord added another in the loss.
Then on Wednesday, Missouri State had a 6-3 lead in the ninth, but a leadoff error opened the door for a two-out, three-run homer to tie it. The three unearned runs sent the game to extras, where SDSU won 7-6 in the 12th.
QUICK HITS
Brayden Drake is currently on a 21-game hitting streak, the fourth longest in school history and longest since Nick Kays completed his school record streak of 24 games in February 1999.
Drake had two separate 15-game hitting streaks and an 11-gamer in 2008, and has at least one hit in 56 of his last 63 games. He notched his 200th career hit March 11 versus South Dakota State.
Missouri State has allowed 33 unearned runs through 13 games, an average of 2.54 per contest. The Bears are only being outscored by nine runs for the season however, a minus-0.69 runs per game scoring margin.
In terms of earned runs, the Bears have outscored the opposition 87-72 this year.
Tim Clubb suffered his first loss since April 22, 2007, in the opener at Middle Tennessee, a streak of 18 appearances, 16 starts and 13 winning decisions.
Clubb has left 18 of his last 20 starts in line for the victory.
Buddy Baumann has started the 2009 season with 11 scoreless innings and has allowed just three singles thus far for an .086 opponent average. No baserunner has advanced beyond second base on Baumann this season.
Aaron Conway ended a 10-game hitting streak March 11 and already has 14 RBIs in 56 at bats, compared to seven RBIs in 74 at bats a year ago.
Missouri State has not been shut out since a visit to Creighton on May 17, 2007, a stretch of 75 consecutive games.
Opposing starters have posted an 7.61 ERA against the Bears this season.
