THIS WEEKEND:
Games #15-17
USF at No. 4 Oregon State    
Goss Stadium | Corvallis, Ore.   
Coverage: Live stats | Audio | Video

PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, Mar. 11  5:35 p.m.
USF: RHP Anthony Shew (0-1, 5.40)      OSU: RHP Drew Rasmussen (2-0, 3.72)

Saturday, Mar. 12  1:35 p.m.
USF: LHP Chase Gardner (0-1, 8.25)      OSU: RHP Jake Thompson (1-1, 4.61)

Sunday, Mar. 13  1:05 p.m.
USF: RHP James Kannenberg (0-1, 6.00)      OSU: RHP Travis Eckert (1-0, 4.66)

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SAN FRANCISCO – The USF Dons (2-12) will travel to Corvallis, Ore. this weekend for a three-game nonconference series against the third-ranked Oregon State Beavers (10-1) at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field (3,248). Friday's series opener is set for a 5:35 p.m. first pitch with RHP Anthony Shew (0-1, 5.40) matching up with Oregon State's ace RHP Drew Rasmussen (2-0, 3.72).
 
Saturday will feature a 1:35 p.m. start as left-hander Chase Gardner (0-1, 8.25) faces the Beavers' righty Jake Thompson (1-1, 4.61).
 
The series will wrap up on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. with RHP James Kannenberg (0-1, 6.00) going up against OSU right-hander Travis Eckert (1-0, 4.66).  
 
Fans can follow all the action this weekend via the live stats, live audio broadcast and live video stream available at www.usfdons.com and www.osubeavers.com.
 
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING
The Dons suffered a 6-5 loss to Grand Canyon on Tuesday evening in a neutral site game played at Santa Clara's Stephen Schott Stadium. USF fell in an early 4-0 hole after the second inning, before chipping away at the GCU lead with a two-run home run by SS Nico Giarratano in the bottom of the third and a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth, but could not come away with the victory. RHP Joey Steele (0-1) took the loss for the Dons, lasting only one-third of an inning where he allowed three runs on two hits while walking two. Giarratano (1-for-4, 3 RBI, HR) helped lead the offense, while Harrison Bruce (2-for-4, 2 R) tallied his team-best sixth multi-hit game of the season. 
 

• With Tuesday's 6-5 defeat, the Dons are now 2-6 in games decided by two runs or less.
• OF/DH Blake Valley extended his team-best hitting streak to eight games with a single in Tuesday's loss to Grand Canyon. Valley is hitting .381 (8-for-21) with four RBI over the last five games.
• OF Harrison Bruce has a team-best six multi-hit games this year and is hitting .400 (8-for-20) with three doubles, an RBI and four runs scored over the past five games, leading the team during that span.
• On the pitching side, LHP Frank Waliczek has only allowed two hits and one run over his past six relief outings (6.1 IP), slowly making himself one of the Dons' most valuable stoppers out of the bullpen this year.
• RHP Brock Larson registered his longest outing of the season (4.0 IP) in Tuesday's loss to Grand Canyon; he has yet to allow an earned run in his five appearances (8 IP) on the year.

ABOUT OREGON STATE
The Beavers – members of the Pac 12 – enter the weekend with a 10-1 record behind a nine-game winning streak after sweeping all three of their games this past weekend at a tournament in San Diego. OSU defeated host San Diego 7-2 on Friday, before topping the Toreros 5-2 in a rematch in the second game of a doubleheader the following day. The first game of that doubleheader saw the Beavers defeat William and Mary 12-3.
 
The Beavers feature one of the nation's most potent offenses as their .343 team batting average ranks sixth in the NCAA this season. Catcher Logan Ice (.429, 3 HR, 16 RBI) leads the way, while shortstop Trever Morrison (.419, HR, 7 RBI) and third baseman Cadyn Grenier (.390, 7 RBI) have helped propel a Beaver offense that features eight hitters currently hitting above .300.
 
On the mound, OSU sports a 3.64 team ERA with one combined shutout on the year. Beaver pitchers have struck out 89 opposing hitters in 99 innings. LHP Max Engelbrekt has helped OSU close the door this year with his five saves, which are the second-most in the NCAA coming into the weekend. Meanwhile, Bryce Fehmel (4-0, 1.00) leads the nation in wins, all coming in relief.   
 
Oregon State was ranked as high as No. 3 by Baseball America this past week. OSU came in at No. 4 (D1Baseball.com, USA Today) and No. 6 (Collegiate Baseball) in other national polls. 
   
KEEP AN EYE ON…
With USF's offense hitting a Texas Leaguer under .300 over its last six games (.299), and three straight games of double digit hit totals, the Dons offense is starting to hit its stride, but the Oregon State pitching staff is limiting opposing hitters to a .239 batting average against this season.   
 
THE SERIES
The Dons are 4-7 against Oregon State under head coach Nino Giarratano (since 1999). The last time these two teams met was in March 2013 when they split a two-game set.