June 12, 2007

Omaha fun comes first for Stutes
The OSU pitcher says he'll probably sign with the Cardinals but will wait to make a decision

JEFF SMITH

CORVALLIS -- As Mike Stutes watched Eric Rose's home run fly over the left-field fence in the ninth inning, he knew he had probably just thrown his final pitch at Goss Stadium.

Stutes gave an understanding nod upon being relieved and then jogged to the dugout as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. The junior from Lake Oswego allowed three hits in eight innings to help Oregon State beat Michigan 8-2 on Monday and win the NCAA Super Regional.

"I wanted to go the whole way, but they told me if I didn't get the first guy out in the ninth then I was done," said Stutes, who matched his longest outing of the season. "Oh well."

It was one of the few things Stutes (10-4) could complain about after taming the Wolverines' offense. Stutes' outing no doubt pleased the St. Louis Cardinals, who selected him in the ninth round of the major league draft last week.

Stutes probably will turn pro, but he said he will wait to make a decision until after the College World Series, which begins Friday in Omaha, Neb. Oregon State opens its third consecutive College World Series appearance against Cal State Fullerton at 4 p.m. Saturday.

"We'll see what happens," Stutes said. "I haven't talked to the Cardinals since the draft, so I don't know where I stand with them. I'm not really going to worry about it until I'm done. There's no real point. It's too much fun in Omaha to worry about anything else."

Oregon State shortstop Darwin Barney could tell that his good friend was primed for a solid start when he saw Stutes' curveballs go for strikes early in the game.

"I believe I looked over at (second baseman) Joey (Wong) and said, 'Uh oh, they're in trouble,' " Barney said. "They're a good hitting club and a couple of them looked silly at times."

Stutes, who had nine strikeouts and gave up one walk, said the curveball is the integral pitch in his arsenal.

"Without that pitch, people can kind of key in on my fastball," Stutes said. "It's something I can feel after the first inning or two."

It also helps to have a four-run lead after two innings. The Beavers' four-run second inning provided all of the cushion that Stutes needed. By the time he gave up his first run in the sixth inning, Oregon State had seven runs and was well on its way to another berth in Omaha.

Afterward, Michigan players marveled at the performance of the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Stutes.

"He's got a really good presence," Wolverines outfielder Brad Roblin said. "He can throw (his curve) out of the zone and make you chase it. He didn't make it easy on us.

"Very solid pitcher."