The Beavers earned a trip to the College World Series with a decisive win over Florida State in the Corvallis Super Regional.
CORVALLIS — It was 10 weeks and three days ago, during one of their many road adventures, when the Oregon State Beavers cruised through Omaha in a bus and passed a notable college baseball landmark.
Coach Mitch Canham rose to his feet and pointed out of the window, instructing his team to take a moment and soak in the hulking structure in the distance.
“Here it is boys,” he shouted as the Beavers drove past Charles Schwab Field, site of the College World Series. “This will be our home in a few months.”
Yes, the Beavers are heading home.
Oregon State blasted its way to Omaha Sunday night before 4,380 at Goss Stadium, slugging five home runs on the way to a 14-10 victory over the Florida State Seminoles in Game 3 of the Corvallis Super Regional.
The win, which came in a do-or-die finale of the three-game series, propelled the Beavers to the College World Series for the eighth time in school history and first under Canham. The NCAA will unveil the complete World Series bracket Monday, but the eighth-seeded Beavers (47-14-1) will face the Louisville Cardinals in the opening round of the eight-team event.
“It was a little bit of manifestation, for sure,” Canon Reeder said Sunday night, reflecting back on his first peek at Charles Schwab Field. “We took a slow drive past it, and everyone’s looking out the window and soaking it in. It’s pretty cool that we saw it early on. We got a little taste of it. We didn’t want to get too deep into it, because we had a job to finish. But it gave us a little taste of what’s to come.”
After two entertaining and competitive opening games of the super regional, Oregon State had held a lead for parts of just three innings, winning its only game with a dramatic extra-inning walk-off single. But in the finale, the Beavers secured their trip to Omaha with a pair of big innings and a barrage of homers.
It started in the bottom of the first, when the Beavers roughed up Florida State left-hander Wes Mendes for seven runs and five hits, opening up a decisive early lead.
Trent Caraway, who was moved back to the top of the lineup before the game, opened with a line drive single to left-center field and it was like the brash sophomore third baseman lit a match on a batch of fireworks. Before you knew it, the Beavers had batted around, sending 11 men to the plate. Five delivered a hit, three drew a walk or were hit by a pitch, and another smacked an RBI groundout. And the biggest swings came from Reeder and freshman outfielder Carson McEntire.
Reeder belted a towering three-run home run into the parking lot over the left field bullpen, staking Oregon State a 6-2 edge. Afterward, he took a moment to admire the blast as it left the stadium, then flexed and cheered his way around the bases, blowing a kiss to the right field bleachers as he rounded first base. Four pitches later, there was more for Oregon State to celebrate, as McEntire launched another homer to left during his first career postseason at-bat.
And just like that, Oregon State led 7-2 and had chased Mendes from the game.
“It’s definitely something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Reeder said of his homer. “It’s a good feeling to get a few runs across for the boys. It’s one for the books for sure.”
But it was only the start. Two innings later, the Beavers put another backbreaking crooked number on the scoreboard, erupting for six more runs on three more hits — including two more home runs. After Krieg, Reeder and McEntire drew free passes, Caraway demolished a first-pitch fastball about seven rows deep in the bleachers in left-center field, pushing the Beavers’ lead to 11-3. And two batters after that, it was Gavin Turley’s turn, as Oregon State’s Home Run King belted a two-run shot high off the batters’ eye in center field.
It was 13-3 Oregon State. And it was over.
“I think you guys noticed it this postseason,” Caraway said. “When we’re all hitting, it’s dangerous. No one can really compete with us.”
And that includes No. 9 seed Florida State (42-16). The Seminoles continued to fight, despite facing a 10-run deficit, chipping away by scoring in four of their final six innings. But they could never generate a difference-making inning against the Beavers’ bullpen, eventually succumbing to an OSU team that proved superior.
“We fought,” FSU coach Link Jarrett said. “We had chances, believe it or not. We needed a little bit more. We needed a crooked number. We were scoring — we scored in a lot of these innings — but we needed that big blow, that big one, and we didn’t get it. They’re a really talented team. They have good arm talent. They have good young guys. They know how to use them. They’re physical. They play with good energy and emotion when they get going. You could sense it. And I think that’s one of the reasons they capitalized on those big innings.”
In the end, Oregon State pounded out 14 hits, as eight different players produced at least one and seven delivered at least one RBI. Caraway finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, Aiva Arquette went 2 for 4 with two runs scored, Turley added two hits and two RBIs and Tyce Peterson finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
“If you’re surprised,” Canham said. “Shame on you. It’s just impressive how they go about their business. I’m just overwhelmed with the emotion. What an incredible game. What an incredible way that this was supposed to happen.”
After the final out, when junior Nelson Keljo fanned Golden Spikes Award finalist Alex Lodise looking, the burly left-hander unleashed a monster roar and flung his glove high in the air. His teammates charged out of the dugout and the Beavers danced and hugged and high-fived in the infield at Goss. Then they took a victory lap around the stadium, pointing and clapping at fans in a show of gratitude, all while toting a gigantic replica of a College World Series ticket and another sign that read: 0 Outs 2 Omaha.
Yes, 10 weeks and three days after taking a sneak peek at Charles Schwab Field, which came during one of its 23,465 miles of travel this season, the Beavers earned one more trip to college baseball’s promised land.
“Omaha is in the Beaver blood, man,” Canham said.
Added Reeder: “It’s good to get that one out of the way and get it rolling to Omaha. But we’re just getting started, man.”
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | @freemanjoe.bsky.social