Oregon State at USC
Where: Dedeaux Field (Los Angeles)
When: 7:05 p.m.
On air: Pac-12 Network
Records: Oregon State (30-18, 11-13 Pac-12) at USC (24-25, 12-12 Pac-12)
Pac-12 standings: Oregon State is in a four-team tie for seventh with California, Stanford and UCLA. USC is tied for fifth place with Oregon.
RPI: Oregon State: 60. USC: 99.
All-time series: USC leads 51-28.
Last 5 years: Oregon State leads 8-7.
Last year: Oregon State won the series in Corvallis (3-11, 3-2, 9-6).
Last 10 games: Oregon State: 3-7. USC: 6-4.
Potential pitching matchup (OSU starters have been released): Travis Eckert (5-4, 3.82 ERA) vs. Joe Navilhon (5-3, 3.34 ERA)
Team ERA: Oregon State: 3.75. USC: 4.69.
Team slash line (batting average/on-base/slugging): Oregon State: .286/.374/.422. USC: .295/.382/.433.
Oregon State player to watch: KJ Harrison. The first baseman drove in six of the Beavers’ 13 runs in last week’s Civil War series. Harrison leads the Pac-12 in home runs (8) and RBI (28) during conference play.
USC player to watch: Jeremy Martinez. The junior from Fountain Valley, California has been named a Johnny Bench Award semifinalist, as has OSU catcher Logan Ice. Martinez is hitting a Pac-12 best .409 in conference play, one of two players in the league with an average above .400 during that stretch.
Briefly: The primary goal of Oregon State’s season has quickly changed.
As recently as two weeks ago, the Beavers still had the hope of hosting a regional. But after losing six of their last seven games to fall from the national top 25, their streak of seven consecutive NCAA Tournament berths at risk.
The pitching staff has yet to produce a quality start this month and will be in for one of its toughest challenges against USC, which owns the best batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage against conference opponents.
“USC has an offense that is relentless,” college baseball analyst Wes Clements said. “You’re going to have to score runs to beat them.”
OSU’s batting average has dropped to .239 in Pac-12 play, but USC’s weakness has been its pitching staff and the Trojans’ Saturday and Sunday starters both have earned run averages over five.
“It’s all or nothing,” Oregon State outfielder Kyle Nobach said. “I think it’s just a time where you really need to dig deep.”
An important question heading into the series is the status of freshman second baseman Nick Madrigal, who missed the Beavers’ last series against Oregon with a left shoulder injury. He is hitting a team-high .314 in Pac-12 play.
They said it: “We’ve got to win some games. I don’t know how many, but we’ve got to win some games.” – Oregon State head coach Pat Casey
Links: Oregon State drops out of national top 25 after rocky stretch
What’s been ailing Oregon State baseball? Pat Casey says it all starts with pitching
College baseball: Stunning rise of Utah could make Beavers, Ducks NCAA Tournament hopes more difficult
Injured Oregon State second baseman Nick Madrigal taking ground balls, not batting practice
Beaver Banter podcast: Is Oregon State baseball in danger of missing NCAA Tournament?
Logan Ice, Oregon State Beavers catcher, named Johnny Bench Award semifinalist
— Danny Moran
