Oregon State Baseball Coach Mitch Canham on 2026 Roster: "We Love 'em All"
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Yesterday marked the three-time national champion Oregon State baseball program's annual tradition of a preseason media day with local beat reporters, broadcast journalists, and more.
In a wide-spanning conversation, Oregon State skipper Mitch Canham flashed his reliable positivity, enthusiasm, and charm. Below, here are several highlights from his press conference.
Mitch Canham on his team's mindset during preseason training
"Yeah, we've been discussing a lot about winning each day. If you want to make practice as much like the games as possible, then I want to see the same energy and enthusiasm when plays are made, when we take the field for practice, when we're having live at-bats, you name it. So, just educating the guys on what it means to stack as many wins before the season starts, and that goes to did we win the day practice? When a guy makes a backhand in the hole and makes a great play, I want to see the same kind of energy output that we would have in a game if that stuff happens.
So, everything that we're doing right now relates exactly to that: touching home as many times as possible as position players, how do we take the field as pitchers, and how we communicate on our PFPs and defensive work. From a coaching staff too, we're trying to amplify the amount of energy that we're bringing, day in and day out. So, it's just really stacking wins at practice right now. If we're doing enough of those, you know we can go into the season with a pretty strong record of practices won versus not, then I think that puts in a good spot.
And we have beautiful weather right now. Everyone always talks about, you know, how cold or wet it is, I'm like, it's beautiful outside! We should be out there in tank tops and shorts right now, right?"
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Mitch Canham on expectations for his All-American pitching staff
"Yeah, I think it's well known that the depth on the pitching staff, top to bottom, love what those guys are doing. I love the work. We go up and watch a bullpen in the pitching lab, and it's exciting to see the information that they're getting and then how they're turning it around into their next pen and continuing to take big jumps.
When you have guys that have that kind of experience, both with Dax [Dax Whitney] and Klein [Ethan Kleinschmit] and Segura [Eric Segura] playing for Team USA, and even working with our analyst Brad [Director of Baseball Analytics and Advanced Scouting Brad Brown], and Amelia [student intern Ameila Moir] and Team USA, the more experience you have, the more confident you feel.
But also guys like Edwards [Zach Edwards], Queen [Wyatt Queen], and a lot of our newcomers with Roblez [Albert Roblez], Yeager [Isaac Yeager], the experience that Hutch [A.J Hutcheson brings out of the pen as well with seventy plus appearances over his last three years, and those guys returning, it's something that I think allows a lot of guys to run around with confidence. Watching them mentor one another has been huge, you know, to continue to give back to the guys knowing that what they are able to go out and do, it isn't enough unless they have each and every guy on that pitching staff, and the position players, coaches, the fans, you name it, to all go out and do their part.
I think they're seeing the bigger picture and they're not content with any accolades that they may be receiving, whether it's online or just local verbals. It's continue to stay humble, go work."
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Mitch Canham on this season's plan for the catcher position
"Right now we have Galloway [Jacob Galloway], VandenBrink [Ryan VandenBrink], and Hubby [Bryce Hubbard], all three of 'em.
This last week especially, the interactions that they're having, I value the energy that they're bringing to it. Not just as a catching unit, but what are they doing for the pitchers? What are they doing for the infielders? Then I find that putting them through a little bit more rigorous work in front of the group, so that everyone can see how hard they are working to build respect, to build trust amongst the group, and I really like what all of them are doing with the bat. I really what all of them are doing receiving. I really like what all of them are doing communicating.
Hubby and Gallow [Galloway] have really solid at-bats. A little bit different, I guess, as far as maybe power. Hub's [Hubbard] got some ability to run the ball out of the yard. What they both do, they're really tough outs. They get on base, so I trust them, that they're going to win pitch to pitch from the left side.
VandenBrink [laughs and sighs] he's extremely physical. I don't know if we have enough weight in the weight room to put on a bar for him. He has made huge jumps as well in his game. So that is a very competitive spot right there, and you love having the depth because if you need to run for someone or there's a better matchup, you know that the next guy is going to be able to go out there, handle the pitching staff, receive extremely well, and block.
We had a Blocktober event all through the month, and each of those just keeping balls in front over and over, that was an exciting time. Watching that carry into what they're doing right now now, I think puts, um, a good problem to have from our end as coaches. We love 'em all, so what do we want to do? It's that kind of depth and each guy just wanting what's best for the team, and owning whatever role they need for that day, it's extremely important. So, we talk a lot about togetherness, and what the mantra is always: what does the team need me to do right now?"
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Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.