Oregon State transfer Michael Rataj commits to Baylor

Bulldogs will likely see Rataj next season when they take on the Bears in nonleague action

Oregon State head coach Wayne Tinkle talks to his player Michael Rataj after subbing out the game during an NCAA basketball game at Gill Coliseum. | Kevin Neri/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Gonzaga Bulldogs probably haven't seen the last of Michael Rataj, the 6-foot-9 forward who led the Oregon State Beavers to a come-from-behind win over the Zags in an overtime thriller from Corvallis, Oregon, this past season.

After entering his name into the transfer portal last week, Rataj has committed to play his senior season of college basketball with the Baylor Bears, according to On3.com's Joe Tipton.

Gonzaga and Baylor squared off in their 2024-25 regular season opener from the Spokane Arena on Nov. 4, as the Bulldogs cruised comfortably to a 101-63 victory over the Bears. The two schools are set to play each other next season as well, though the date and location have yet to be determined.

Rataj helped guide the Beavers (20-12, 10-8 WCC) to a fifth-place finish in the West Coast Conference standings, as he earned All-WCC first team honors while putting up 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 32.4 minutes per game. Defensively, his 52 steals were the fifth most in the WCC.

NEWS: Oregon State transfer forward Michael Rataj has committed to Baylor, source told @On3sports.

The 6-9 junior averaged 16.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. 1st Team All-WCC. https://t.co/fkRpZVXl5D pic.twitter.com/elIE5u6h72

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 31, 2025

Rataj's versatility on both ends of the floor helped fuel the Beavers to their first 20-win season since the program's last Final Four berth in the 2021-22 season. He posted the third-highest usage rate in the league while also ranking third in player efficiency rating, according to sportsreference.com. The Beavers were 8-2 when Rataj recorded a double-double, with the only two losses coming against the Santa Clara Broncos and Oregon Ducks, and 9-2 when he scored 20 or more points.

One of those 20-point outbursts came during Oregon State's 97-89 overtime victory over the Zags in Corvallis, Oregon, on Jan. 16. Rataj set a then-season-high with 29 points on 9-for-15 from the field, including 2-for-3 from downtown, and grabbed seven rebounds in 38 minutes of action. Nine days later, he dropped 30 points in a get-back game against the Broncos, guiding the Beavers to an 83-69 win on Jan. 25.

Whether Gonzaga was interested in the 6-foot-9 Rataj, it's apparent Mark Few and company will likely have a void to fill in the frontcourt with Michael Ajayi's name in the portal. Ben Gregg is also set to graduate this spring, which presumably leaves 6-foot-9 Graham Ike, 6-foot-10 Braden Huff and 7-foot-tall center Ismaila Diagne up front for the 2025-26 season. Sophomore wing Dusty Stromer also entered the portal on March 24.

Rataj appeared in 93 games and made 71 starts across his three seasons playing for Wayne Tinkle in Corvallis, Oregon. He averaged 10.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals during his time in a Beavers uniform. Rataj is a native of Augsburg, Germany, and has experience playing for the German U15, U16 and U18 national teams prior to when he joined the Beavers in 2022.