They could’ve been the greatest team of all-time.
And maybe they still are. Maybe with the right formulas, in the right context, with the right analysis, the 2017 Oregon State Beavers will still stand favorably among the elites. Their 56-6 record is a program-best. Their .903 winning percentage is the fourth-best in NCAA history, just shy of Arizona State’s .914 mark in 1972—when the college game had far less parity. They led the country in team ERA at 1.93—almost a full run better than the next-closest team. They went a record-breaking 27-3 in Pacific-12 Conference games. They put together two 23-game winning streaks, carrying the latter into the College World Series.
But there’s one milestone the 2017 Beavers don’t have, and can never get:
A national title.
It turns out the Beavers’ most recent streak was the one that did them in— two straight losses.
For the first time in 2017, the Beavers lost back-to-back games, both against Louisiana State, the eventual national runner-up. The last, a 6-1 loss on June 24, spelled the end of a nearly flawless season. For 60 games, Oregon State could do little wrong. For a two-game stretch in Omaha, little went right.
After LSU closer Zack Hess threw his final pitch and the final out at second base was made, after both teams exchanged handshakes on the field, junior infielders Michael Gretler and K.J. Harrison and coach Pat Casey took the post-game dais and showed little in the way of emotion—mostly a look of disbelief. A week before, when Oregon State came back to beat Cal State Fullerton, the Beavers talked after the game about how the thought of losing never crosses their minds. And for good reason. In 2017, losing simply didn’t happen.
This story is from the July 21 2017 edition of Baseball America.
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This story is from the July 21 2017 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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