NCAA Regional Profile: #8 National Seed Oregon State hosts in Corvallis, OR

(NCAA photo/CBC image)

By College Baseball Central writers Micah Beutell, Bo Carter, Noah Darling, Caleb Donnelley, Mark Garland, Andrew Kube, Doug Kyle, Jake Mastroianni, Jake McKeever, Andrew Riedell, and Colton Watson

Host: Oregon State Beavers (Goss Stadium)

1. Oregon State (41-12-1, Independent)

2. TCU (39-18, 19-11 Big 12 Conference)

3. Southern California (35-21, 18-12 Big Ten Conference)

4. St. Mary’s (35-24, 15-9 West Coast Conference)

#1 Oregon State

RPI* 7 SOS 42  Record vs Q1: 11-11 Q2: 9-0-1

The Beavers have a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball. While the first year of being an independent was navigated throughout, the season had its ups and downs, ultimately culminating in a National Seed. This team is lead by Mitch Canham, and Goss Stadium is one of the premier ballparks in the college game, having been a great host to a huge number of Regionals. OSU begins its quest for Championship number four in the last 20 years!

Key players: SS Aida Arquette is on the Golden Spikes semifinalist list. OF Gavin Turley has the career home run record for the Beavers. Nelson Keljo out of the bullpen is an elite high power lefty arm, Dax Whitney is a freshman weekend rotation piece with 1-1 potential in the 2027 Draft.

Keys to success? Going out and getting a win on Friday at home and setting the pitching up for the rest of the weekend. Winning at home hasn’t been an issue for Oregon State, going 17-2. They are tough in Regionals at Goss.

Possible Weaknesses? A lack of consistency in plate appearances and run depletion. As of late, the offense has been rolling, but can they keep up the momentum heading into the postseason after not playing for 13 days?

#2 TCU

RPI* 18  SOS 18  Record vs Q1: 8-8 Q2: 12-7

The Horned Frogs have had an interesting mix in these days of mass transfer portal entries of sterling freshmen and three- or four-year players. The Horned Frogs led Arizona 1-0 in the top of the ninth of the Big 12 Championship game but fell after yielding a solo homer in the ninth and a bloop single in the 10th inning to fall 2-1. Head coach Kirk Saarloos is no stranger to NCAA Regional and World Series activity as assistant coach to Jim Schlossnagle (now at Texas) when the Frogs made four NCAA appearances in the 2010s. TCU was hoping that a win in the Big 12 finals might gain the Frogs a host's role, but they just might have been the 17th team on the scheduling board.

On the mound, TCU is led by starters Tommy LaPour (8-2, 2.89 ERA) and Mason Brassfield (5-1, 3.56 ERA), and their two top closers, combining for 35 appearances and 9 saves, are  Kade Eudy (1-1, 3.80 ERA, 6 saves) and Braeden Sloan (3-4, 4.02 ERA, 3 saves).  

At the plate, the Frogs have a .300 team batting average, with six regulars over that mark, led by double-digit home run hitters Chase Brunson (.323, 46 RBI, 12 HRs), Noah Franco (.325, 49 RBI, 11 HR), and Sawyer Strosnider (.354, 50 RBI, 10 HRs). 

#3 Southern California

RPI* 45  SOS 51  Record vs Q1: 5-6 Q2: 13-7

In the long, storied tapestry of college baseball, the Southern California Trojans once stood as giants upon the diamond. A program as familiar in Omaha as the warm California sun. But the years since 2015 have been a winding road. That summer, nearly a decade ago, was dominated by the infectious beat of “Uptown Funk.” It was also when Virginia shocked the college baseball world in Omaha, toppling a USC team that was making its first tournament appearance in ten years. 

Now, 10 years later that same program finds its way back into the tournament 

Much like the stadium the Trojans call home, the 2025 Trojans find themselves in the midst of transformation. They are a team not yet fully formed but brimming with quiet promise. With Dedeaux Field cloaked in scaffolding and silence, they have taken to other LA fields at UC Irvine’s Great Park and Loyola Marymount’s Page Stadium, playing far from their fanbase.

In a regional crowned by the host Oregon State and marked by the sting of a hosting snub to TCU, few fans beyond the Trojan locker room place their faith in this scrappy band. Yet with a record of 35 wins against 21 defeats, this team has already defied expectation, rising from the shadows of a predicted tenth-place finish in the Big Ten to shatter a decade-long drought, carrying the hopes of a proud program still reaching for glory.

Ethan Hedges is the unquestioned leader A mainstay since arriving on campus  A Mater Dei product, Hedges anchors the lineup at third base, leading the team in homers, batting average, and games started (all 56). He’s a consistent, reliable presence in a lineup that’s often flown under the radar.

Leadoff man Brayden Dowd has also been key, hitting .322 with 10 homers, giving USC a strong top-of-the-order presence. On the mound, Cayden Aoki and Caden Hunter form a solid one-two punch that should eat innings and keep the Trojans competitive. Mason Edwards turned heads with a strong showing in the Big Ten Tournament, while Brodie Purcell has been a bullpen stalwart, pitching in 25 games with a 2.11 ERA.

USC might not be the favorite in this regional, but this group has shown resilience and enough talent to make a statement. They’re a program rebuilding with purpose, ready to prove that they belong back among college baseball’s elite.

#4 St. Mary’s (CA)

RPI* 90  SOS 142  Record vs Q1: 1-7 Q2: 3-0

The Gaels had a terrific postseason run on route to winning the WCC title. Eric Valenzuela is the man in charge of leading the Gaels to postseason success defeating a hot San Diego squad. While St Mary’s was not picked to win the postseason title they came through with timely hitting and pitching and earned this postseason #4 seed.

Key players. Eddie Madrigal has had himself quite the season batting .372 and starting all 59 games for the Gaels, also leads the team with 77 RBI and 21 HRs. He might be the best option offensively in this whole regional but, you’d like to learn about Ryan Pierce hitting .299 has 14 homers and 53 RBI. On the bump the Gaels lean on Dylan Delvecchio who has started 13 games going 6-3 with a 4.85 ERA.

Keys to success. If the Gaels want to leave Corvallis with a regional championship under their belt then the offense has to be huge. The top half of the line up can be very tough and game changing at times. Pitching is going to have to be better than it has all season at getting guys out with runners on base.

Possible Weaknesses. The bottom half of the lineup doesn’t provide much pop or threats to a staff. Pitching wise they don’t really have a set weekend rotation and will pitch to match ups all weekend long. The staff overall ERA is a worry in a tough Regional.

*****

*-Warren Nolan RPI