Oregon State Pitcher Dax Whitney Named to NCBWA Freshman All-American Team
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Fresh off a pair of dominant performances, Oregon State true freshman starting pitcher Dax Whitney has been named a Freshman All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
Whitney - a 19 year old true freshman from Blackfoot, ID - arrived at Oregon State last summer after a precipitous rise up the prep baseball ranks. He was voted to the all-state team 3 times, including 1 selection as an all-state hitter, and his senior season on the mound at Blackfoot High School featured an unbeaten 10-0 record with a ridiculous 0.27 earned run average (ERA). In his 2024 senior season, Whitney was named Idaho’s Player of the Year, and Baseball Northwest’s highest-ranked prospect in the state of Idaho.
Whitney began the season as Oregon State’s Saturday starter. His season debut February 15th against UNLV featured 8 strikeouts, with only 1 walk and 4 hits allowed, across 5 scoreless innings. Other season highlights include 6 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts against San Diego (March 8th), 11 strikeouts and only 1 run allowed in 5 innings at Nebraska (March 29th), and 11 strikeouts with only 3 hits allowed in 6 innings vs Iowa (May 10th).
So far this postseason, the young ace has found a higher form. In a must-win elimination game against TCU during the Corvallis Regional, Whitney struck out 12 Horned Frogs batters, allowing only 4 hits and 2 runs in 6 innings. Then last Friday in the opening game of the Corvallis Super Regional vs Florida State, he struck out 10 batters, with only 1 earned run on 4 hits. Entering the weekend series, Florida State had displayed one of the nation’s best offenses, with over 100 home runs combined.
Oregon State plays Louisville Friday on the opening day of the College World Series (4 PM PST, televised on ESPN) and Whitney could start. If he doesn't throw Friday, he will be expected to start Sunday in the Beavers' second College World Series game.
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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.