Oregon State, after two years of being a de facto independent, will return to Pac-12 play in 2027. Last season was an interesting one for the Beavers, as Oregon State entered the year with one of the top pitching staffs and momentum after a trip to Omaha. But heading into 2027, the Beavers, while still having a good team, will have a much different look.
The Returnees
Well, the big man on campus is junior Dax Whitney, the standout pitching prospect who helped lead Oregon State to a College World Series berth and diced up hitters (104 K over 63 IP) for most of 2026. Unfortunately for the Beavers, Whitney will very likely be a non-factor during the 2027 season.
Whitney missed the final few weeks of 2026 thanks to an elbow injury that required surgery. It likely won’t affect his 2027 MLB Draft stock too much, as he’s still arguably the best pitcher available this coming summer. But for OSU, it’s a massive blow.
Aside from the Whitney loss, Oregon State took significant hits to their pitching staff. Eric Segura, Wyatt Queen, and Ethan Kleinschmit, as expected, went pro in the 2026 MLB Draft. Trey Morris, who dominated as a freshman and looked like a future ace for the Beavers, is now at Florida. Zach Edwards, another part of the Beavers’ bullpen, joined Morris in Gainesville.
Oregon State did return Zach Kmatz, who had himself a fine year in the Cape Cod League this past summer. The now-junior struck out 20 over 18 innings last year, and then followed that up with 30 strikeouts in 30 innings. He was also second in the circuit in terms of pitcher GB%, behind only UC Irvine pitcher Peyton Rodgers.
Heavy two-seamer that can run into the mid-90s.
Other notable returning pitchers are Connor Mendez, Noah Scott, plus Mason Pike. Pike only appeared in two games last season as a freshman.
As for the offense, Paul Vazquez and Adam Haight are back for their junior campaigns. Vazquez and Haight both finished tied for third in hits (58) last season. Both played in the Cape too but both had their swing-and-miss troubles. It was more pronounced for Vazquez (46.9%) than it was for Haight (39.5%).
Outfielder Josh Proctor had seven home runs and 23 extra-base hits as a freshman last year. Ethan Porter and Tyler Inge, two other regulars from 2026, are also back for 2027.
The Newcomers
For 2027, ten new freshmen arrived in Corvallis. Perhaps the most notable was Blake Bowen, an outfielder from top California prep school JSerra Catholic.
The Rockies drafted Bowen in the 18th round this past July. He didn’t sign. All-around talent: can make loud contact and did during the high school showcase circuit in 2026. Plus, an elite runner.
One of the other more notable additions is infielder Troy Southisene, a top Nevada high school prospect from 2026 who will play college ball, unlike his brothers. Granted, there’s a good reason why both Ty Southisene and Tate Southisene didn’t play collegiately; both are notable prospects in the Blue Jays’ and Braves’ organizations, respectively.
Like his brothers, he’s an infielder on the shorter end but a good athlete with upside.
As for the transfer portal, Jaxon Baker is a sophomore who came over from Long State Beach. A left-hander, Baker struck out 41 over 31 innings and also walked 22.
Cade Queen, a standout with Montana State-Billings and a pitcher who averaged over a strikeout per inning, headed to OSU for his sophomore campaign.
Junior pitcher Dylan Hicks, from Everett CC, struck out 44 and posted a .75 ERA as a sophomore before going to Oregon State.
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