Beers’ glass is overflowing with good stuff

Raegan Beers is adept at shooting and scoring with either hand (courtesy OSU sports communications)

CORVALLIS — Whether it’s a career in basketball or pottery or teaching in elementary school, you get the sense that Raegan Beers won’t be short-changed.

Nor will those in her orbit.

The personality of Oregon State’s sophomore power forward bubbles like a geyser. She exudes energy and enthusiasm. Her smile beams. Her voice radiates. She engages. She has something to say and knows how to say it.

This is one genial, charming human being.

“She is how a person is supposed to be,” says her coach, Scott Rueck, who sometimes can’t believe his good fortune in landing a player with such talent and disposition.

“We all joke and say Raegan is a child in an adult-sized body,” teammate Timea Gardner says. “She is selfless, and such a positive person all the time. High energy. An awesome teammate, and just an amazing person.”

And, she can play basketball.

Last season, the Littleton, Colo., native was named the Pac-12’s Freshman of the Year and its Sixth Player of the Year. No one in conference history had won both awards. The last Oregon State player to win Freshman of the Year was Tanja Kostic in 1993. Aleah Goodman — now an assistant coach for the Beavers — earned Sixth Player of the Year honors in 2019.

Beers was also named to the 15-player All-Pac-12 team. Coming off the bench in 25 of 31 games, she averaged team highs of 13.3 points (14th in the Pac-12) and 8.6 rebounds (sixth) in only 24.4 minutes per game. Beers was third in the Pac-12 with a .560 field-goal percentage and shot a solid .729 from the foul line. She amassed 14 double-doubles, second in the Pac-12 to Stanford’s Cameron Brink and more than any other freshman in the country. Beers was four times named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week and once was Pac-12 Player of the Week.

“It was the best freshman season I probably could have had, to get to experience what I did, especially at this level,” Beers says. “I had a blast. I had great teammates who helped me through all the stuff that goes into being a freshman, with all the information that is thrown at you the first year. I learned, I grew and got to see them grow as well, and flourish at the end.”

Beers says she wasn’t thinking about winning awards when she and her teammates hit Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Tournament last March.

“I was walking to get taped before a practice or game, and my mom texts me and Jason (Lieuw, the trainer) says congrats and I’m like, ‘What is going on?’ ” she says with a laugh. “That was such a cool experience. I was so blessed to receive those awards I got. It could only have happened with the amazing coaches and teammates I have.”

Rueck calls Beers’ freshman campaign “outstanding.”

“She was unflappable,” says Rueck, who will enter his 14th season at the OSU helm this fall. “She took everything in stride. When she struggled, there was frustration, but you never saw it on the outside. She kept battling and improving and getting better. It was about as good a freshman year as someone could have.”

Rueck endured his first losing campaign since 2012-13 last season, going 13-18 overall and 4-14 to finish in a tie for 10th in Pac-12 action. Beers is looking through rose-colored glasses when she says the Beavers “flourished” at season’s end. They lost nine in a row — six by five points or fewer — before beating Arizona in the conference finale and then upsetting Southern Cal in the Pac-12 Tournament opener. The season ended with a 62-54 loss to Colorado.

“Everybody wants to go far, to get past the conference tournament.” Beers says. “We were all a little sad to end our season short. But we had our heads up the whole time. We were proud of where we ended. You could see the growth from the first couple of games to beating USC, which had beaten us twice, in the Pac-12 Tournament. On the bright side, I got to be with great teammates and grow so much as a player.”

The Beavers have full expectations to be in the hunt for their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2020-21 next season. The 6-4 Beers is a foundation piece for such projections.

“Raegan Beers is must-see, she is so exciting,” her coach says.

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Raegan grew up the daughter of Ike and Kari Beers, the second of their four offspring. There are older brother Rocky and younger brother Rowdy — both now tight ends at Florida International — and younger sister Rylie.

Ike serves as a police sergeant in Lakewood, Colo., about 10 minutes from Littleton. Both are in suburban Denver. Raegan was not oblivious to the dangers of her father’s occupation.

“There were some nights he goes out and you’re worried,” she says. “You don’t know if he’s going to come back. Lots of things can happen out there, especially in the Denver area. You’re praying you will see him the next morning.”

Ike, who is 6-5, and Kari, 5-6, were both high school basketball players. They gave Raegan genes and the work ethic that helped make her what Rueck calls the strongest freshman player he has ever coached.

“I was blessed to have tons of resources in high school (at Valor Christian),” Raegan says. “I was able to get in the weight room my freshman year. I’m still trying to get stronger, because there are plenty of big, strong players in the Pac-12 I’m going up against.”

Ike and Kari set the table for potential success for their children.

“They poured their heart and soul into me — into all of us,” Raegan says. “They raised us so well. They were strict enough and they disciplined us, but at the same time, they loved us so well. They were the best parents, the best role models I could have asked for.”

The Beers kids would pair up for two-on-two games, generally with Rowdy and Raegan facing Rocky and Rylie.

“Rocky was really good,” Raegan says. “Rowdy played basketball for a couple of years (in high school), but I carried our (2-on-2) team. He’ll tell you he was good, but he really wasn’t. Don’t let him fool you.

“Those were some battles in the cul de sac — some broken toes here and there. We played at midnight with glow-in-the-dark basketballs. Those were such fun times. We would play knockout with our neighbors. I would not have wanted to grow up with anybody but my siblings.”

Beers is one of the highest-rated recruits in Oregon State history, a McDonald’s and Jordan Brand Class All-American and five-star recruit. Raegan could have gone nearly anywhere in the country.

“I really liked Baylor with Kim Mulkey,” she says. “I liked Texas and Oklahoma. But in the end, the culture at Oregon State drew me here. And I wanted to go Pac-12, because it’s a great conference.”

I ask what she means by “culture.”

“ ‘We are family’ is our program’s slogan,” Beers says. “Lots of teams say that, and some of them are, but we’re a true sisterhood here. I love the girls on this team, and Coach Rueck does such a good job of recruiting good kids. Not just good players, but good kids to that family culture he has built here.

“That was one thing that drew me. It’s not just the players, but it’s the coaches, too. You’re with the coaches so much of the time, and you have to be able to love them and like them.”

When I relay Beers’ “culture” comments to Rueck, I can tell he is pleased.

“I learned a long time ago, you want that locker room to be one you are excited to be in every day,” he says. “You are trying to find 18-year-olds who have the maturity to understand life is bigger than themselves, so they can problem-solve, be people others can count on and want to be around because of the way they carry themselves.

“That translates to success on the court. It is also someone who is going somewhere in life. I like goal-oriented people like that. It is my M.O. This team has a lot of that, but that is who we have always been here. That is what this program is about.”

During the process of recruiting a player, “you look for a wow moment,” Rueck says.

With Beers, it was the ability to “rebound and dribble out, where she would take off like a point guard and throw a perfect pass to the other end of the floor. My gosh, it was the highest skill level you can imagine. And a 6-3 player doing it.”

The first time Rueck scouted Beers — he thinks it was her sophomore year at Valor Christian — she got in foul trouble but finished the game and played well.

“After the game, I’m talking to her coach, and I look over and see that Rae is playing with about eight little kids on the court,” Rueck says with a chuckle. “It reminded me of our eight-minute mingle.”

(After Beaver home games, the players stay on the court for eight minutes to sign autographs, take photos and visit with fans, especially young ones.)

“I thought, oh my goodness, is this not a perfect fit for what we do?” Rueck says. “It was a home run from that point forward.”

Rueck liked the way Beers was able to run the floor, post up, use correct footwork.

“Her timing on pins as a sophomore in high school was elite,” he says. “You have to give her parents and high school and AAU coaches credit. They were instrumental in teaching her fundamentals from day one.”

Beers was part of Oregon State’s five-player recruiting class that included the 6-3 Gardiner and guards Adlee Blacklock, Lily Hansford and Martha Pietsch. Gardiner was highly credentialed, too, a McDonalds and Jordan Brand All-American and five-star recruit. She missed the first half of the season with a leg injury but showed offensive skills in her 15 games, averaging 8.7 points while shooting .477 from the field and .362 from 3-point range playing only 19.9 minutes a contest.

Beers and Gardiner should be starters and all five figure to challenge for at least rotation minutes next season.

“I connected so well with our freshman class,” Beers says. “Our group is tight. We had a lot of challenges we got through together last year. Supporting each other drew us closer together. We’re excited for this next season.

“But then, our whole team got along great. I don’t remember any drama that went on between us. We were just playing and having fun with each other.”

As a freshman, Beers showed excellent touch with both hands around the basket and also was able to knock down the occasional jumper from the baseline. She was 1 for 8 from 3-point land but has worked on her range during the offseason.

“My shot is coming along,” she says. “Of course I want to improve on every aspect of my game, but Coach Rueck has encouraged me to work on my 3-point shot in this offseason. It’s getting there. I’m getting lots of reps. I’m not going to be a lights-out shooter like Adele or Lily, but when they need me to step out and shoot, I have to be able to knock them down.”

Says Rueck: “Every ‘big’ has to shoot it from the perimeter. That’s a huge part of her future — making people guard her from 17 feet and beyond. She has such an incredibly quick first step and handles the ball like a guard. Making somebody come out and guard her, and then being able to attack off the bounce, is important. She has so much versatility. Development of the perimeter shot is going to open up an entirely new game and make her even more dangerous.”

Gardiner calls Beers “versatile-dominant.”

“Being a center, you wouldn’t think she’s as versatile as she is,” Gardiner says. “She can dribble it, she can handle it, she can shoot it, and now that she’s adding the 3 to her game? It’s going to be super exciting to watch.”

Rueck laid down other goals for Beers in their end-of-last-season pow wow.

“She had experiences last season that she is growing in,” the OSU coach says. “Like how to post up against everybody. How to defend inside and out. When you are matched up against someone similar, it’s so physical. You have to be able to score over the top of the person and go into your skill game instead of your power game.

“That got exposed last year. She wasn’t quite there yet. But she has worked super hard to be prepared for that. I see her taking a step forward in every way.”

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Beers had to pass on the AmeriCup team trials in Colorado Springs in June because she “tweaked” her left knee in practice in Corvallis.

“I’m 100 percent now, fully cleared,” she says, “but it took lots of (physical therapy) and rest. Had to get all the swelling out, because it swelled like crazy. When I went back home (to Littleton) a few weeks ago, I got cleared to run.”

The Beavers leave Aug. 19 for a trip to Italy in which they’ll play four exhibition games and spend time bonding. Beers’ high school team went on service trips to Panama and Israel, but she has never been to Europe.

“This will be my first one that will include some sightseeing, and I get to hang out with some amazing girls,” she says. “We have such a new team, it will be fun to get to know (the newcomers) in Italy.”

Her coaches and teammates consider Beers a great teammate (courtesy OSU sports communications)

There will be no seniors on Oregon State’s 2023-24 squad. The most experienced players are junior guards Talia von Oelhoffen and AJ Marotte. New blood comes with freshmen Kennedie Shuler (Barlow), Donovyn Hunter (South Medford) and Dominika Paurova (Czech Republic) and junior transfers Susana Yepes (A native Colombian who played at South Georgia Tech), Sela Heide (California) and Kelsey Rees (an Australian who played at Utah). Heide, daughter of former OSU hoopers Jason Heide and Sissel Pierce Heide, is 6-7. Rees is 6-5.

“I met Kelsey on her official visit,” Beers says. “She’s super sweet, and a talented post player. She will be a great asset to our team and will fit right in culturally. Sela and I worked out together all last week. It’s competitive. We’re making each other better. Just the height alone — she will be like Jelena (Mitrovic) last year. She is such a disturbance down there in the best way possible. She is so long and lengthy, you don’t want to go down there, because you’re probably going to get blocked.”

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During a 40-minute interview, Beers wears five or six rubber bracelets on each wrist. When I point it out, she smiles.

“It’s half of what I usually wear,” she says. “I think I have 11 for each arm. They all represent something.”

One is for the police, an ode to her Pop. Several have bible or Christian faith connotations. One is red, white and blue “to honor America.”

“I like visual motivation,” she says. “Some remind me of places I’ve been to. They’re just reminders of places or people that bring me joy when I need it most.”

Beers was an excellent student at Valor Christian, with close to a 4.0 grade-point average, “but I was never the smartest smarty-pants,” she says. During her first year at Oregon State, “I ended up with most A’s, with maybe a B or two in there.”

Raegan says she is studying “early education,” leading to what she hopes is a career teaching grades K through 5 after her playing career is over.

“I want to teach kindergarten, first or second grade,” she says. “My brothers make fun of me and say I am going to step on them because I’m so tall. I just have a heart for kids. I love working with them.”

When I ask about interests outside of basketball, she mentions ceramics.

Some examples of Raegan’s pottery work. It’s a passion (courtesy OSU sports communications)

“I love throwing a wheel,” she says. “We have one at home. My grandma got it for me for my 16th birthday. Going into eighth grade, I took a summer class and then four years of pottery classes in high school. There is a ceramics studio here on campus that I like to go to. Super nice, super convenient. When I want basketball to be out of my head, I go for a couple of hours and feel awesome.”

Raegan made pottery gifts for Christmas for each of her coaches. Rueck received a small vase that sits on the desk in his office.

“I have pens and pencils in it,” he says. “And she gave me a much larger bowl with some candy in it at the end of the season.

“There are very few people like that I’ve coached throughout my career. Ruth Hamblin was similar. She would go above and beyond in ways like that. Both are so efficient in life. They just produce. What you have are star players in physical attributes, skill, work ethic and IQ. They are also incredible teammates, and then they get more done in 24 hours than some people get done in a week or a month. Rae is in that category.”

Beers is the kind of person well-suited to be front in and center in Oregon State women’s basketball.

“She has massive leadership potential,” Rueck says. “We sensed and felt it last year, just her presence. She lights up the room when she walks in every day, and makes everything better. That’s what she does.”

With Raegan, the glass isn’t half full. It’s overflowing with good stuff.

“Our future is bright,” she says. “I know a lot of teams say that, but it is truly the case for this team. We have some new people, but our transfers have experience, and our freshmen are now rising sophomores.

“It is our turn to guide the freshmen and help them through the things we went through last year. We will pick up where we left off, starting off on a high note and continuing to grow.”

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