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Brianne McGowan boasted a .285 clip from the plate last year, while also provide the Beavers with steady pitching from the circle. The senior had a 1.36 ERA last season and spent her summer honing her game with the U.S. national team.

Softball ready to open home season

No. 14 Beavers return entire pitching staff and infield, look for return to World Series

By: Lindsay Schnell

Posted: 3/14/07

After last season, Brianne McGowan knows one thing is for sure: the OSU softball team has lost its "underdog" label.

"Before we were kinda in the underdog situation," she explained. "They were like, 'Oregon State, who's that?' But now they're ... out to beat us."

It's easy to see why opposing teams won't be taking the Beavers lightly.

Last season with a roster full of unknowns, OSU crept up on some of the best teams in the nation. For example, the Beavers took down then-No. 1 UCLA in L.A., then-No. 6 Stanford at home, and came back to beat Cal in a three-game series in the NCAA Super Regionals. That earned the Beavers the program's first-ever trip to the Women's College World Series. Oregon State went out in two games, dropping both to Pac-10 teams. But since tasting Oklahoma City, the Beavers are hungry for more.

"Definitely we want to get back to the series. That's our main goal," McGowan said.

OSU returns 11 players from last season, including its pitching staff and entire infield. They also welcome a handful of freshman, some of whom are already making a big impact.

"It gives us huge confidence," said senior Mia Longfellow. "We all want to get back there, but now it's getting to the point where we need to make it happen to get back there.

"We need to get these games we're losing. With all the experience we have on this team, that's what we should be doing right now."

The Beavers are led in the circle by senior McGowan, who, along with utility player Cambria Miranda, spent her summer playing for the U.S. national team. The pitcher finished last season with a 1.36 ERA and was also a threat at the plate, batting .285 and finishing the season with 10 home runs.

Also back in the circle is senior Ta'Tyana McElroy. The righthander recorded a 3.21 ERA last year and has gotten off to a hot start so far this season.

"Ty has traditionally been more prepared at the beginning of the season than Bri," Walker said. "I would say Ty's started off the season a little better than Bri, and I would say the positive is that Ty will be able to do this deep into the postseason."

Miranda, a junior, is also expected to make a significant contribution. After a breakout sophomore season last year (she hit a home run in six straight Pac-10 games), Miranda should provide a lot of pop at the plate.

Longfellow should also do some good for OSU at the plate, as the spunky 5-foot-2 shortstop led the team with a .323 batting average. She also gives the Beavers an advantage in the outfield, finishing last season with a .951 fielding percentage.

But even for all that, it's been somewhat of a rocky start for the Beavers.

OSU stumbled early, falling to unranked teams like San Diego State and BYU. The Beavers also dropped close contests to top teams Northwestern and Oklahoma. Midway through the preseason, OSU has already lost nine games. And this is before conference play; the Pac-10 is considered far and away the toughest conference in collegiate softball and has the numbers to prove it. In last year's WCWS, four of the eight teams were from the Pac-10.

"We've been through quite a bit of growing pains our first games," Walker said.

Part of it is attributed to what McGowan said about no longer being the underdog; OSU (15-9) started the season ranked No. 6 in the nation, the highest preseason ranking for a Beaver team in program history.

"Now teams are going to be looking to beat us and come out in full force," Longfellow said. "We need to be on our game every time we step on the field. We can't expect to go out and have an average game, because teams aren't going to give us an average game."

After some time on the road, the Beavers are ready to open their home season.

OSU will have a chance to get reacquainted with Oregon weather tomorrow when the No. 14 Beavers take on the Vikings of Portland State up in Portland. Then it's down to Corvallis for their home opener against South Dakota State at 9 a.m Saturday.

"We've barely been to school it seems like," McGowan said with a laugh. "It's going to be nice to come home for awhile.

"There's been games where we need to step it up. I think we're getting back on the right track, and coming home will help."