Kmatz is K-matz as Beavers move one step from Super Regional berth
Jacob Kmatz exults over one his nine strikeouts while pitching Oregon State to a 5-3 victory over Cal Irvine in Saturday’s Corvallis Regional action (courtesy OSU sports communications)
CORVALLIS — When Jacob Kmatz walked off the field — really sort of floated off it — following the seventh inning of Oregon State’s 5-3 win over Cal Irvine in the Corvallis Regional Saturday night, the standing ovation was deafening and the situation defining.
Kmatz had just pitched the game of his life to move the Beavers (44-14) within one victory of reaching the Super Regional in the NCAA Tournament. The right-hander surrendered just one run and three hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in what may have been his final performance at Goss Stadium.
“Those are the moments you work for every day,” the 6-3, 210-pound junior said after shutting down a Cal Irvine lineup that came in with a .318 batting average.
Kmatz established himself early, striking out the first five batters he faced.
“You want to set the tone,” he said. “You come in, you’re thinking about that first pitch, and you go from there. You’re wanting to provide the guys with energy.”
Kmatz threw 108 pitches, 70 of them for strikes. He had the Anteaters off balance all night.
“I mixed my pitches, fastball in and out,” he said. “Getting ahead and attacking guys — that’s what it came down to. I had my four pitches working. I was in the zone when I needed to, out of the zone when I needed to, and usually that leads to good things.”
Said shortstop Woody Hadeen, Cal Irvine’s leadoff hitter: “He was landing all of his pitches for strikes. That’s tough for a hitter. You can’t sit one pitch or have a game plan when he’s landing everything.”
Kmatz (7-2) left after seven innings with a 5-1 lead, and though No. 2 seed Cal Irvine (44-13) got to reliever Joey Mundt for a pair of runs in the eighth, the Beavers had enough cushion to survive.
“Kmatz threw the heck out of the ball tonight,” OSU coach Mitch Canham said. “He looked like he could have continued on. That’s a very good offensive team he was facing.
“Being in the dugout, you live you through the guys on the field. You feel their emotion. Watching that coming out of Jacob tonight made it feel like a special moment. He is in a really good spot. He was getting guys out quickly, so I felt like we were on offense a lot.”
Oregon State got just enough offense to win. The Beavers managed eight hits, three by shortstop Elijah Hainline, including a monster two-run home run by second baseman Travis Bazzana in the third inning and a two-run single by left fielder Dallas Macias that provided important insurance in the fifth.
Bazzana battled Cal Irvine starter Trevor Hansen to a full count, fouled off a couple of pitches, then launched one over the right field fence that just stayed fair and provided the Beavers with a 2-0 lead. Bazzana pumped his fist rounding third on his way to the plate and vigorously celebrated on his way to the dugout.
“The surprise that (the ball) came back (in fair territory) brought more emotion out,” Bazzana said. “Going deep in a count against a guy who got me the first at-bat. … I felt locked in, but I just missed a curveball a pitch or two before. I was in that state of compete mode. (Hansen) threw a pitch up and in, and to get to that, and … well, playoff atmosphere. Got to keep the boys fired up.
“K-matz was setting the tone with his energy and the way he was attacking hitters. For us on offense to step up and have the same energy as him, it was the time and place to bring it.”
Elijah Hainline and Mason Guerra opened the fifth inning with back-to-back singles, but Bazzana struck out looking on a 3-2 count. Micah McDowell popped out, but Gavin Turley walked to load the bases. Then Macias delivered a clutch two-out, two-strike, two-run single to right to jack Oregon State’s lead to 4-1.
The Beavers opened the seventh with consecutive walks to McDowell, Turley and Macias to load the sacks with no outs, but the Anteaters got out of it giving up only one run in the frame.
That proved big, because Mundt’s usual command was missing in the eighth, when he walked two batters and gave up a run-scoring double to Caden Kendle. Another run plated with a sacrifice fly, and closer Bridger Holmes was called upon to get the final out of the inning.
There was one more bit of drama in the ninth, when Irvine’s No. 9 hitter, Jo Oyama, drew a two-out walk, bringing the tying run to the plate in Hadeen. Holmes induced a ground-out, and the Beavers had improved their record to 26-2 before the home fans this season.
“The environment here was awesome,” Cal Irvine coach Ben Orloff said afterward. “Kmatz was really good. He looked like a front-line Pac-12 guy. He threw the ball really well. I’m proud of how we played. … it was a well-played game in one of the best atmospheres in college baseball.”
A night earlier, Tulane coach Jay Uhlman intentionally walked Bazzana twice and said the Green Wave’s plan was to not let him beat you. Ditto, Orloff said.
“He is probably the best player in college baseball,” he said. “You don’t want Bazzana to beat you. We pitched him tough all night. … he has 70 walks, 30 homers and is hitting like .500. He is really good.”
Bazzana, who went 1 for 4 Saturday night, actually has 73 walks, a school single-season record 28 homers and is hitting .415 this season. He said the Anteaters didn’t pitch around him.
“I didn’t have a walk today,” he said. “I have had multi-walk games all year, but they went right at me. They had a plan and got me out a couple of times.”
Irvine had a tougher time getting Hainline out. Hitting out of the 8-hole, the Beavers’ junior shortstop — a transfer from Washington State — went 3 for 4 with a triple and scored a pair of runs.
“I didn’t notice the at-bats today as much as the defense,” Canham said.
Bazzana expounded on the subject and provided some late-night comic relief for the media.
“Hainline is making plays out there right now that are tough, athletic plays and making them look easy,” Bazzana began. “He is making plays for the pitchers, and I know they are appreciative of that. He is walking around with a lot of confidence and flushing s**t ...”
Bazzana put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes widened at the inadvertent expletive.
“My bad. Don’t cancel me!” he continued with a smile. “I meant, flushing stuff sooner than he did previously this season. He is learning, he is growing, and he is OK that he is at the bottom of the lineup. He probably hit in the 3-hole for Washington State last year. If he gets out in an at-bat, he is back out there (on the field the following inning) and you don’t even notice.
“Him and Guerra, you can see the at-bats getting better. For us to have that depth in the lineup late … I don’t think we are going to be beatable.”
The Beavers are certainly in the driver’s seat to claim the Regional title. Cal Irvine and Tulane face off at noon Sunday in an elimination game. The survivor takes on Oregon State at 6 p.m. If the Beavers win, they advance to next weekend’s Super Regional. If they don’t, there is a rematch on Monday for the right to move on.
No. 3 starter Eric Segura (6-1, 4.61) is set to go for the Beavers in the 6 p.m. game. The bullpen is rested, and Canham said Holmes — who has pitched in both games so far in the Regional — will be ready to go again.
“He’d be ready to go right now if you asked him to,” the OSU skipper said.
That wasn’t necessary, I told Canham. Give the kid a few hours to rest up.
“I like where we are sitting at right now,” Canham said. “I like the guys who are available. I am excited to get back out there on the field.”
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