Oregon State Beavers
Overall Rank: #26
Conference Rank: #6 Pac-12
Oregon State made another trip to the NCAA Tournament as they won 30 games overall and picked up nine wins against a very tough Pac-12 conference schedule. The Beavers batted their way to the Tuscaloosa Regional final before falling to Alabama 6-0. Head Coach Laura Berg returns an entire pitching staff intact that will be the core of a 2019 team that will be looking to get back to postseason once again.
2018: 30-28, 9-14
2018 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Laura Berg
Key Departed Players:
Aiysha Everett, INF, .303 BA, 5 HR, 25 RBI
Hope Brandner, INF, .299 BA, 12 HR, 36 RBI
McKenna Arriola, INF, .280 BA, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 16 SB
Key Returning Players:
Jessica Garcia, OF, .297 BA, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 11 SB
Shelby Weeks, OF, .290 BA, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 22 SB
Missy Nunes, UTIL, .250 BA, 6 HR, 20 RBI
Michelle Sass, UTIL, .245 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI
Camryn Ybarra, INF, .226 BA, 3 HR, 14 RBI
Meehra Nelson, P, 2.51 ERA, 16-11 W/L, 153.2 IP, 56 BB, 127 SO
Mariah Mazon, P, 2.91 ERA, 12-17 W/L, 190.0 IP, 62 BB, 141 SO
Nerissa Eason, 3.68 ERA, 2-0 W/L, 51.1 IP, 43 BB, 27 SO
Projection:
Mariah Mazon and Meehra Nelson will be the primary starting pitchers for the Beavers this spring. Mazon threw the most innings last season with 190 and should take a nice step forward as a sophomore. Mazon did a good job with her control, walking 62 batters in 190 innings. The 208 hits allowed will need to drop down a bit in order for her to take the next step in the circle. Nelson is the veteran that will be looking to put together a strong senior season to finish her career on a high note. Nerissa Eason should be in the mix to see more time in the circle to save some wear and tear on Mazon and Nelson. Offensively, this Oregon State team will have some power production to replace as Hope Brandner hit 12 homeruns in 2018 as a freshman and then transferred to Minnesota. Missy Nunes and Camryn Ybarra are the two most productive returning power hitters and will need to up their production in 2019. Jessica Garcia and Shelby Weeks hit for a high average and have excellent speed, which will help with the need to manufacture more runs for the Beavers. Bottom line, if Oregon State can generate enough offense, they should have more than enough pitching to get back to the NCAA Tournament.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Softball Tournament
