Oregon State looked exactly like a potential champion in Game 1 against Minnesota. A dominant performance on the mound, and a lot of early hitting, gave the Beavers an early cushion that the Golden Gophers didn’t get close to erasing. BEAVERS WIN 8-1! And we're up 1-0 in the Corvallis Super Regional! pic.twitter.com/MkF0JEJ0Km — Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) June 9, 2018 Luke Heimlich pitched a near complete game, only leaving the mound before the final out, keeping the bullpen fresh for the rest of the series. Heimlich finished the day with nine strikeouts, and seven hits. He only allowed one run, a solo home run in the eighth inning. Pretty good outing for his last career start at Goss. pic.twitter.com/RhDM4rjWEr — Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) June 9, 2018 On the batters’ side of things, the offense got started early. After Steven Kwan and Cadyn Grenier ground out and struck out, respectively, Nick Madrigal reached the bases on a single. Trevor Larnach followed up Madrigal’s hit with an even bigger one, launching a home run deep into left field. Not to be outdone, Adley Rutschman followed up with a homer of his own giving the Beavers a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Beavers added one more run in the second, with a walk, a beaned batter, and two back to back bunts. In the fourth, back to back doubles from Jack Anderson and Zak Taylor, and a single from Steven Kwan, added two more runs. That gave Oregon State a 6-0 lead before the game was half over. Finally, in the seventh, an Adley Rutschman double and a Michael Gretler triple added the final two runs of the game. Rutschman was the standout hitter today, with 2 hits and 2 RBI, both of them monsters, but the team as a whole kept their bats hot after their success in the regionals. Trevor Larnach and Steven Kwan also had 2 hits, and Nick Madrigal, Jack Anderson and Zak Taylor each had 1. Tomorrow, Bryce Fehmel should get the start, and if the Beavers can keep up the pace they’ve had all postseason, a trip to Omaha should be coming soon.<doc-sep>Saturday, June 9th - 6:30 PM PT After an incredible game 1 win in Friday’s match, the Beavers will get their first chance to punch a ticket to Omaha in tonight’s game against Minnesota. Oregon State will send Bryce Fehmel to the bump to get them back to the College World Series. We’ve got a ton of baseball content from the past week that you should check out. As you watch this game, feel free to leave any comments, thoughts, or memes in the comments section below. How To Watch The game will be televised on ESPN 2. You can also stream the game on WatchESPN. How To Listen To see all local broadcast stations, check out the game notes presented by OSU Athletics. Listen to the audio of today’s game on TuneIn Radio. Lineups<doc-sep>The Oregon State Beavers continue their march to Omaha this weekend hosting the Minnesota Golden Gophers for a best of three series. The winner officially gets their ticket to the College World Series punched and a new banner in the outfield. Minnesota reaching this stage of the tournament is something that hasn’t happened in several decades, so Gopher fans are obviously pretty excited. To help us get a sense of what folks in the land of 10,000 lakes are thinking about their team and this weekend’s series, we chatted with a fellow college baseball blogger with the handle GopherNation from SB Nation’s Minnesota blog The Daily Gopher. 1. It’s been a while since Minnesota was back in the super regionals. What’s so special about this team? GN: Technically Minnesota has never been to a Super Regional. The last time they made the CWS, it was before the Supers were a thing. Coming into the season, we knew this team was going to be very good at the plate and in the field. Of everyone who hit over .250 last year (10 guys), only one did not return. Much was expected of this lineup and they performed as expected. But they lost 60% of their total innings pitched. Their Friday and Saturday starters were gone as well as their dominant closer. While the lineup instilled confidence in this team, the pitching had some major question marks. And a few guys answered those questions beyond what anyone can imagine. Patrick Fredrickson locked down the Saturday starter role and went on to be the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year. Just this week he awarded as the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year by Collegiate Baseball. Then Max Meyer, also a true freshman locked down the closer role, also earning himself Big Ten and national awards. With Reggie Meyer returning and locking down as the Friday starter, then these two freshmen stepping up in big ways, this team became dangerous in all facets of the game. 2. What did that regional win mean to Minnesota fans as a whole? GN: It is interesting because there is a long and successful tradition of Gopher baseball, but there really isn’t much fan interest in the program. So getting to host the regional, playing so well in what were entertaining games in front of a packed stadium was really great for the program. I’m not sure what it means to the fans, but I think it means a lot for the program. Hopefully, it translates into more interest. But it is a northern team, so things are different here for college baseball than it is on the west coast or the south. Thank you to all of the fans that came out to support @GopherBaseball this weekend. This is a special group who EARNED this opportunity. Our success is a result of the hard work and commitment of countless alumni over the years that have helped build this program. #family pic.twitter.com/x12o2ldLAb — Ty McDevitt (@TwhymcD) June 4, 2018 3. Which aspects of OSU’s game are you most concerned about? GN: Everything. I really see them and Minnesota as similar teams with two elite starters, good defense and a deep lineup. Of course, Beaver players are being drafted in the first round and this talent is really good. Also worth noting that this program is used to being here. 4. Who are Minnesota’s biggest weapons at the plate? GN: At the plate, the Gophers are led by Terrin Vavra. The junior was just drafted by the Rockies in the third round and his father has been an assistant coach with the Twins and now Detroit for Ron Gardenhire. While he’s the most accomplished hitter, what makes this lineup dangerous is that there are few holes. Watch out for Toby Hanson who hits 9th, was expected to be one of the best hitters in the middle of the order before mid-season injuries slowed him. But he’s heating up. Much like Oregon State, this team has a deep lineup that can beat you from anywhere. And collectively they manufacture runs incredibly well. 5. Minnesota’s got some decent talent on this roster from the Pacific Northwest. To what do you attribute that? GN: Well the first one to note is Eli Wilson, that one is easy to explain. His father is Dan Wilson who was the long-time catcher for the Mariners and also played his collegiate career for Minnesota. While on a recruiting trip to visit Eli, the Gopher coaches saw Fredrickson pitching. According to interviews with skipper John Anderson, Fredrickson was a bit of a late bloomer and by the time he bloomed many of the west coast teams had filled up their scholarships. He took a visit to the Twin Cities and decided to be a Gopher. 6. Who do you predict wins this series and in how many games? GN: The obvious prediction is Oregon State, I’d be foolish to predict otherwise. But I’ll lay out how the Gophers can do it. Game one is interesting because likely Heimlich is starting that game. He’s a dominant lefty and the Gopher lineup has an inordinate amount of lefties. But you know what? This team has been really good against left-handed starters. So, can they get to Heimlich? It is possible, but I am not pinning my hopes on this one. I think Minnesota loses this one and it wouldn’t surprise me if it one that isn’t super close. Game two is where we really put out our best pitcher though and this team is resilient. I think they bounce back and win this one in a low-scoring affair. Then it gets to Game three and all bets are off. OSU hasn’t had a great record in “game threes” and are 1-3-1 in their last 5 “game threes.” Go check out TheDailyGopher.com for more on University of Minnesota sports.<doc-sep>CORVALLIS, Ore. — To reach their first College World Series since 1977, the Minnesota Gophers face a daunting task. They must win two consecutive games against No. 3 Oregon State. On a rainy Friday afternoon, the Gophers appeared overmatched in Game 1 of the best-of-three Super Regional, falling 8-1 to Oregon State. In front of 3,960 at Goss Stadium, things started poorly for the Gophers and got worse. Oregon State’s Trevor Larnach — the Minnesota Twins’ first-round draft pick — homered to left-center field in the first inning, driving in Chicago White Sox first rounder Nick Madrigal. “I was ready for the fastball, and he threw me another one that was a little bit up, middle away. And I hit it where it was pitched,” the smooth-swinging lefty said of his 18th home run of the season. Adley Rutschman immediately followed with a replica blast, and the Gophers trailed 3-0, a deficit which they could not overcome. “I think it was an uphill climb after it was 3-0 for us against a great pitcher,” Minnesota coach John Anderson said. Oregon State started ace Luke Heimlich on the mound. Heimlich has been a subject of national controversy for the past year, after it was revealed that he pled guilty to molesting his 6-year old niece when he was 15 years old. He went undrafted in the past two MLB drafts. On Friday, in front of a supportive home crowd, Heimlich pitched eight and two-thirds innings, striking out nine and allowing seven hits. With a lineup of six lefties against the southpaw Heimlich, the Gophers could muster only a lonely run, coming on an eighth inning solo shot from designated hitter Toby Hanson. The distinct turning point of the game came in the third inning, when Minnesota trailed 4-0 but put two runners on with two outs. Terrin Vavra — a Colorado Rockies third-round draft pick — tattooed a ball to right field that looked like it might score two. But it was tracked down by Larnach, ending the threat. “He squared one up in the gap and (Larnach) made a great play out there in right field. That was our chance to get back in the game, and the right fielder made a great play on that ball. If that goes in there, it’s back to a 4-2 game, and maybe we can get back in the thing and make a more competitive game out of it,” Anderson said. Said Vavra: “Give the guy credit, he made a great play. Sometimes that happens.” Larnach’s play was one of many impressive flashes of leather in what was a display of defense. Neither team committed an error. The Gophers’ best defensive play came in the fifth inning, when Rutschman sent a ball to deep left field. Minnesota left fielder Ben Mezzenga stalked the long fly ball, leaping and extending to make the snag against the wall. Gophers starting pitcher Reggie Meyer was hit hard, but he lasted six innings, allowing six runs and nine hits. Reliever Nick Lackney allowed two runs in two innings. The loss snapped a 12-game winning streak for Minnesota, highlighted by last weekend’s NCAA regional championship at Siebert Field. Game 2, an elimination game for the Gophers, will begin at 8:30 p.m.Saturday. Minnesota likely will start freshman Patrick Frederickson; Oregon State’s probable starter is Bryce Fehmel. The last eight times the Gophers have lost this year, they’ve come back to win the next game. “That’s kind of been our M.O.,” Anderson said. “The guys have been great at resetting and preparing for the next day and being able to put the last day behind them and move on and not get stuck on what happened yesterday. They’ve done it all year.” Hanson echoed the sentiment. “Obviously, it was a tough day today. Good news is it’s best out of three. Tomorrow’s a new day. We’re gonna get back to work,” Hanson said. “They’re a good team, but we are, too.”.<doc-sep>
The Beavers are going to Omaha. Good lord that is fantastic to write. Oregon State will be returning to the College World Series after a come-from-behind victory against a tough Minnesota Golden Gophers team. From the beginning of the game, it was evident that this would be a tight game, as the electric freshman pitcher Patrick Fredrickson weathered an impending Beavers rally to just one run after Oregon State put two runners on with just one out. Bryce Fehmel and Fredrickson dueled throughout the entirety of the game and propelled an intense matchup between two titanic baseball programs. Beavers Bite First! Trevor Larnach blasts one to right and brings Grenier home. Top 1 | Org St. 1 | Minn 0 pic.twitter.com/T88qcr4qvZ — NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 10, 2018 The tight pitching matchup would continue until the third inning; when Minnesota took advantage of Fehm to tie up the game. Minnesota would tack on another run in the following fourth inning to take the lead. However, this lead would be short-lived, as Steven Kwan drove in Kyle Nobach to tie the game at two a piece in the fifth. Then, Minnesota struck again to reclaim the lead in the bottom of the fifth. This 3-2 score would persist throughout several more innings until Kyle Nobach laced a single to drive in Trevor Larnach in the eighth inning to tie the game at three each. At that point, Oregon State smelled blood. The Beavs managed to retire the Golden Gophers with no score in the bottom of the eighth before a game-changing, and season-changing, ninth inning. Oregon State managed to load the bases quickly in the ninth. Then, with two outs, Adley Rutschman delivered the biggest hit of the season for Oregon State with a two-RBI single to give Oregon State a 5-3 lead. The Beavs would then reload the bases only to drive in another run on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. That 6-3 lead would be all the Beavers needed, as Jake Mulholland made quick work of the Gophers offense in the bottom of the ninth to punch Oregon State’s ticket to Omaha. Rutschman DELIVERS in the 9th! Grenier HOME Kwan HOME@BeaverBaseball leads 5-3!! !#RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/3fdGvF0YhT — NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 10, 2018 On the biggest stage of the season, Oregon State delivered one of its most convincing wins. Not a win where they pummeled a team into submission, but a come from behind victory against a quality opponent. A win such as tonight’s is what championship teams are able to do on any given night. Tonight is a great night for Oregon State and should be celebrated as such. Say it with me: “we’re going to Omaha.” However, come Monday, get ready. For Oregon State has a date scheduled with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels next Saturday.