June 17, 2007

It's beginner's pluck
Freshman Jorge Reyes rewards his coach's faith by winning OSU's Omaha opener
NORM MAVES JR

OMAHA, Neb. -- The book is wrong. It's perfectly all right to send out a freshman to start your opening game in the College World Series -- even against one of the best starting pitchers in the country.

There's a catch, though. He has to have Jorge Reyes' fastball, slider, defense and poise.

The Oregon State rookie beat an understandable case of nerves and Cal State Fullerton -- in that order -- Saturday night to launch the defending champion Beavers' bid for another title with a 3-2 victory.

The Beavers (45-18) get a day off before facing Pacific-10 Conference rival Arizona State at 4 p.m. Monday.

A year ago, Reyes was hanging out in his hometown of Warden, Wash., a high school senior who didn't know much about big-time college competition. He came to Oregon State as a reliever, worked his way into the rotation and earned the start against the Titans -- and their best pitcher, Wes Roemer -- when he slammed the door on Michigan in the Corvallis Super Regional last Sunday.

Against the Titans at Rosenblatt Stadium, Reyes allowed three hits in six innings, walked two and struck out three.

OSU coach Pat Casey likes to talk about how he tells his rookies that freshman year ends at Christmas break. Easy for him.

"He can talk all he wants about not being a freshman, but this is something I've never experienced before," Reyes said.

"Darwin (Barney) and Mitch (Canham) talked to me a little bit to keep me focused, and I got lucky."

Casey is almost amused by the second-guessing about starting somebody that young in a game this important.

"Everybody asked me about that," the coach said. "(They said), 'Are you sure you want to send a freshman out there?'

I thought starting Jorge against Cal State Fullerton, with their obvious tradition in this tournament, was a great challenge for him, and he responded like the warrior he is."

Reyes didn't do it by himself, of course. He got three clutch hits from his teammates -- a home run by Mike Lissman in the first inning, a run-scoring single by Scott Santschi in the second and a home run by Santschi in the seventh that provided the margin of victory.

Reyes got some spectacular defense, too. Shortstop Barney and second baseman Joey Wong turned an acrobatic double play in the fourth inning to snuff one Titans rally, and first baseman Jordan Lennerton's diving stop of Matt Wallach's hot ground ball in the ninth got what turned out to be a crucial second out.

But the day belonged to Reyes, and now the Beavers get the benefit of rest for their pitching staff.