The No. 6 Oregon State Beavers visit the Washington State Cougars Friday night at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman, Washington.
It’s the opener of a three-game Pac-12 series.
The Beavers, who have nine conference games left, enter the weekend sitting in third place in the Pac-12 standings, 1 1/2 games behind co-leaders Arizona and Utah.
(For a preview of the series, read this weekend primer)
Here are details about tonight’s game:
No. 6 Oregon State Beavers (33-11, 12-8 Pac-12) vs. Washington State Cougars (19-24, 7-14)
When: 7:05 p.m. PT Friday, May 3
Where: Bailey-Brayton Field, Pullman, Washington.
TV channel: Pac-12 Networks.
How to watch live stream online: The game will be streamed live by the Pac-12 Networks, which subscribers can access at Pac-12.com and via the Pac-12 Now app.
Radio: All games air on the Beaver Sports Network. Pregame starts 30 minutes before the first pitch. Affiliates include KEJO 93.7-FM and 1240-AM (Corvallis), KKNX 105.1-FM and 840-AM (Eugene), KCFM 104.1-FM and 1250-AM (Florence), KLAD 104.3-FM and 960-AM (Klamath Falls), KCFM 103.1-FM (Mapleton), KTMT 96.1-FM and 580-AM (Medford), KCMX 880-AM (Medford), KCMX 99.5-FM (Phoenix), KEX 1190-AM (Portland), KSKR 1490-AM (Roseburg) and KBZY 1490-AM (Salem). You can also listen online via the Varsity Network app.
Probable starters: OSU RHP Aiden May (3-0, 3.63) vs. RHP Grant Taylor (4-2, 3.48)
This and that: May, who is making his ninth start of the season, is coming off the best outing of his career. The 6-foot-2 junior tossed a one-hit gem in a win over Oregon last week, striking out a career-high 14 and allowing just four base runners over eight innings. As a result, he was named the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors and earned multiple national pitcher of the week honors. ... The Beavers’ high-powered offense has cooled considerably of late, and they enter the series averaging just 4.6 runs over the last eight games. In four games against rival Oregon, the Beavers batted just .157, recorded 12 runs on 18 hits, and struck out 37 times. ... More than one player is scuffling, but Mason Guerra is stuck in the worst funk of his career, and enters tonight’s opener hitless in his last 26 at-bats. ... Even Travis Bazzana, who is in the middle of a record-setting season, is just 9 for 36 (.250) over his last 12 games, during which his average has dipped from .466 to .414. ... Despite the recent stretch, the Beavers could set the program’s single-season home run record this series. OSU enters the weekend with 83 homers, six shy of the record 89 it hit last season. ... Oregon State shortstop Elijah Hainline played two seasons at Washington State before joining the Beavers as a transfer last year.
OSU’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
1. Travis Bazzana, 2B
2. Micah McDowell, DH
3. Dallas Macias, CF
4. Brady Kasper, RF
5. Gavin Turley, LF
6. Mason Guerra, 3B
7. Jacob Krieg, 1B
8. Elijah Hainline, SS
9. Tanner Smith, C
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.