The 2026 Oregon State baseball season is set to begin.
The No. 12 Beavers will open their season at 1 p.m. Feb. 13 against Michigan in Surprise, Ariz., competing in the first of four games at the College Baseball Series. Oregon State then plays Arizona, Stanford and Michigan again on consecutive days.
All games will be available to stream on FloCollege.com with a subscription.
This year marks the 12th straight year that the Beavers have opened in Surprise. Oregon State is 10-1 in the previous 11 season-openers there, with the only loss coming at the hands of New Mexico in 2023.
Against Michigan, Oregon State holds a perfect 5-0 all-time record.
OSU meets former Pac-12 foes in Arizona and Stanford. The three make up for nine of the last 12 Pac-12 champions dating to 2012.
It’s a weekend full of some high-quality competition, and the Beavers are eager to get the season rolling.
“No matter what, you still feel those feelings of excitement to watch the guys get to go out and play,” OSU coach Mitch Canham said. “We’re ready to go play someone else.”
Oregon State personnel ready for the weekend
Oregon State’s probable starting pitcher against Michigan is sophomore Dax Whitney.
Whitney was named a preseason first-team all-American by D1Baseball.com, spent last fall on a tour of Japan with Team USA and posted a freshman year win-loss record of 6-3 with a 3.40 earned-run average that earned him all-American honors.
OSU junior Ethan Kleinschmit, like Whitney a preseason all-American, is expected to follow against Arizona.
“We’ve landed on (Whitney) and then (Kleinschmit),” Canham said. “A lot of it early on is what are our needs day one, day two.”
Canham said he’s reluctant to name starters for Sunday and Monday’s games, in case the bullpen or starting rotation gets called upon.
The OSU pitching staff as a whole has been making noise as one of the top staffs in the nation heading into the season, but the offense is prepared, too.
A slew of new players joined the Beavers in the offseason, including transfers from top programs around the country and highly touted recruits beginning their collegiate careers.
The insurgence of talent provides Canham and the OSU coaching staff with the flexibility of numerous options at multiple positions around the field, something Canham said he hopes to do in the early season bouts.
“I do like the depth that’s provided out there at every position,” Canham said. “How we go about our defensive work too — guys are constantly moving … it’s matchups.”
Canham said several factors will go into picking a day’s lineup, including recovery, matchups and motivation.
“The more present we are with the guys, we’ll have a handle on who’s ready to go out and compete,” Canham said. “There’s going to need to be adjustments throughout the season, player to player and moment to moment.”
Examples being the catcher slot, with two quality options in seniors Bryce Hubbard or Jacob Galloway, both of whom bring experience to the table.
Or in the outfield, where Goss Stadium staple Easton Talt in right field is joined by several strong outfield additions from both the portal and freshman class.
“We’ve encouraged our guys in that even if we do have a bump, you should feel really good because you know you’ve got a guy right next to you on your right, and a guy on your left who can also do that job at a high level,” Canham said. “And if what we’re focused on is the team being successful, that’s a great place to be.”
Landon Bartlett covers Oregon State and high school sports at the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X, TikTok or Instagram @bartlelo.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon State baseball hits starting line for 2026 season