Beavs vs. UN Reno Game 1

The comment doesn't read "equals" (a rebuild)....Rather, "starting to look a lot more like a rebuild" (as opposed to a re-load). 

In that vein, it's pretty hard to recognize very much that would qualify as a classic reload.  Sellers, yes.  The 'new' McDowell, yes. Tyler Mejia (tonight), yes.  Turley, hopefully.  Krieg, maybe.

It's a bit early, agreed - but 16 games into the season is approaching a point of significance.

He does look the part. If we're experimenting Macias, Kennel, Talt and Wheeler should be getting looks too. One of them is bound to show something.

I though Krieg played a strong first base. His hitting is weak though. But who is strong these days?

Great question. He was 4-7 with 6 walks and 8 RBI against Coppin. He was 0-4 and didn't see a base in one game against Cal Poly.

So hes somewhere inbetween amazing and terrible? I think we should see more looks if offense is the problem.

USC, which finished ninth in the Pac-12 in 2018, beat Oregon State 8-0 six days before the end of the regular season in 2018.  And that was in a three-game period, where the offense combined for 15 total hits over the three games.

Kevin Abel did not give up a hit until the fourth and did not have a base hit out of the infield until the fifth but imploded at the end of the second time through the order, giving up three runs.  Eisert was only able to pitch a 1/3 and Pearce started the sixth with an HBP and double.

Entertaining to go back and read Baseba11 badmouth the first two pitchers (Abel & Eisert) in the game thread.

On offense, Oregon State got the leadoff runner on in the first three innings, but Kwan and Larnach both were caught stealing.  Gretler had a base hit and Joe Casey hit a double.  Kwan, Gretler, and Casey's three hits in the first three innings represent most of the hits that Oregon State had in the game.  Rutschman hit a double in the seventh and singled in the ninth (both with one out) but was stranded at both bases.  Three strikeouts and one infield fly.

The thing that sticks out to me like a sore thumb is that Sunday Wazzu game.  One hit!  That is unreal.  No team has held Oregon State to less than two hits since Ryan Kellogg (three-time First Team All-Pac-12 at Arizona State) no-hit Oregon State his freshman year.  Kellogg was a great southpaw for the Devils but bad luck.  His freshman year, Arizona State went to the Fullerton Regional, and he gave up one run in a gem.  But Justin Garza gave up zero, and the Titans beat the Devils 1-0.

Only 13 hits that entire series against Arizona State, but Oregon State won two of three thanks to great pitching by Matty Boyd (one-hit complete game shutout) and Wetzler and Schultz. 

That 2013 team was really hit-and-miss on offense as well but was steadied by a great staff.  That Oregon State team went all the way to Omaha and were a break or two away from playing UCLA (who the Beavers had defeated twice at Jackie Robinson) for the National Championship.

The TLDR version is that the Sunday game against Wazzu is Oregon State's worst offensive performance in almost a decade.  The offense has not been this inconsistent in at least that long.  Either the offense or defense and pitching needs to improve.  Otherwise, things could devolve.