Oregon State baseball will play 2024,-25 seasons as Independent following Pac-12 collapse
The Oregon State baseball program will compete as an Independent each of the next two seasons, the University announced on Friday.
Kendall Rogers posted a statement from Oregon State Athletics Director Scott Barnes about the decision. The move comes after the Pac-12 collapsed due to schools leaving the league.
“Given the history, prominence and success of our baseball program as a national power, we are committed to building a national schedule that allows our student-athletes to compete with the best teams and at the highest level possible,” Barnes said in a statement. “We are well on our way to creating this.”
Oregon State baseball has a long history of success, which includes reaching the College World Series six times since 2005. The Beavers have three national championships since 2006, winning it all as recently as 2018. Oregon State has also made six straight NCAA tournaments.
The Beavers finished the 2023 season with a 41-20 record, falling to eventual national champion LSU in the Baton Rouge Regional Final.
Oregon State head coach Mitch Canham joined Scott Barnes in releasing a statement about the decision.
“While there seem to be many unknowns in the collegiate landscape, the one thing we know for certain is that Oregon State Baseball will continue to thrive at the highest level,” Canham said. “For the time being, we are putting together a schedule playing the best competition available and ensuring our chances of hosting in the postseason. While a handful of the weeks may have different teams to compete against than what we normally have gone up against, the way we train, eat, recover, develop, recruit, travel and follow our pillars of success will not change.”
Oregon State odds to win 2024 College World Series released
In less than a month, college baseball season will be underway. Opening day is on Friday, February 16, kicking off what is shaping up to be another great season on the diamond. Now, the early odds have been released for the 2024 College World Series winner in Omaha.
The current odds from DraftKings have a couple of teams standing above the rest, including last year’s CWS champions, the LSU Tigers. But Jay Johnson’s squad is not in the top spot, which is instead held by Wake Forest.
Behind the Demon Deacons, though, the SEC is heavily involved. In addition to LSU in the No. 2 spot with +750 odds to win the College World Series, they are followed by Florida (+900), Arkansas (+1100), Tennessee (+1300) and Vanderbilt (+1600).
Oregon State cracks the top-10, coming in tied for the ninth-best odds at +2500. The Beavers are tied with Virginia and Texas for the ninth-best odds.