Pro Beavs: Travis Bazzana's Spring Training Homer Generating Buzz
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Spring Training is underway for the 2026 season and several former Oregon State Beavers are making a splash.
Travis Bazzana
Notably, former top overall pick Travis Bazzana picked up his first hit since joining the Cleveland Guardians for training in Arizona. Bazzana blasted a three-run homer against the Dodgers on Tuesday. That ball traveled a total of 423 feet as it went over the wall at Camelback Ranch. He also grabbed a base hit in the fifth. Bazzana is now off to represent his native Australia in the World Baseball Classic and hopes to make his MLB debut this summer.
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Steven Kwan
Two-time All Star outfielder Steven Kwan has two hits and two strikeouts in eight at-bats thus far this preseason.
Adley Rutschman
Another former Beaver top pick, Adley Rutschman, got his own first home run of the spring on Saturday in a loss to the Atlanta Braves.
Matthew Boyd
On the mound, former Beaver pitcher Matthew Boyd put together a great outing Thursday for the Chicago Cubs. Boyd pitched three innings for Chicago and struck out three batters, retiring all nine batters that he faced. Boyd will also play in the World Baseball Classic in March with Team USA.
Michael Conforto
Boyd isn't the only former Beaver currently working with the Cubs in Arizona. Former Beaver outfielder Michael Conforto spoke to the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday about the season ahead.
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Drew Rasmussen
Former Beavs pitcher Drew Rasmussen was named the Opening Day starter for the Tampa Bay Rays when they begin the season in St. Louis against the Cardinals on March 26. Rasmussen will be Tampa Bay's eighth Opening Day Starter in Nine Years.
Jacob Melton
Recent Beaver and another current member of the Rays organization Jacob Melton also gave an interview to the Tampa Bay Times this week, heavily discussing his time in Corvallis and his rebound season in 2022 when he won Pac-12 Player of the Year.
Trevor Larnach
Larnach hit a solo homer for the Minnesota Twins on Friday, his first of the spring.
Aiva Arquette
Marlins shortstop Aiva Arquette, the seventh overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft, is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after a successful core muscle surgery on Friday.
About State of the Beavs
Each week, veteran sports broadcaster and writer Matt Bagley examines the news and storylines at play for Oregon State University Athletics. Occasionally joined by contributors for On SI's coverage of the Beavers, as well as the occasional guest spot from Beavers past, present, and future. Get caught up with the playlist below. New episodes are typically released on Tuesday mornings.
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.
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