A familiar venue and a couple of old rivals await the Oregon State baseball team when the postseason begins May 29.

There was disappointment to be sure when the Beavers were denied the chance to host an NCAA regional at Goss Stadium this week, but there were also few complaints Tuesday in Corvallis when a handful of players and coach Mitch Canham met with media for the first time since getting sent to the NCAA Eugene Regional hosted by longtime in-state foe Oregon Friday through Monday at PK Park.

“We don’t have to get on a plane, which is great,” Oregon State outfielder Easton Talt said.

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No doubt about that as the first round is just a short bus ride away for the Beavers and an easy drive for their fans.

 “Going to Eugene, they call it Goss South,” pitcher Eric Segura said with a grin. “So, we’re going to be ready to go out there and try and have a sea of orange out there.”

The quickest way for the Beavers (43-12) and No. 11-seeded Ducks (40-16) to meet on the field is for both to win their opening game Friday.

Oregon State will play Washington State at noon in the first game of the regional. Oregon will play Yale at 5 p.m.

“We obviously wanted to host and felt we were deserving to do so, but that’s the committee’s decision,” Canham said. “… The reality is, everyone wants to win the last game of the season. It’s always the mission and there’s only team that gets to do that from here on out.”

The Beavers have made the tournament in all six of Canham’s seasons as head coach. They’ve also made the postseason every season but two – 2008 and 2016 – since 2005. They won College World Series titles in 2006, 2007 and 2018.

“The playoffs alone you’re going to have a lot more energy and excitement for it and getting to face the old Pac-12 teams and getting to face Oregon again and (WSU),” Segura said. “We’ve played them already this year, so we have some familiarity with them. It’s exciting and we’re going to see how it goes, but we’re confident.”

Oregon State played the Cougars and Ducks twice each this season and split with both, including a victory against Oregon on March 3 at PK Park.

Overall, the Beavers were 22-6 away from home during the regular season and went 15-2 in true road games.

“I feel our guys have always played really well on the road,” Canham said. “… There’s always noise, but when the game starts do you hear the noise? Do you succumb to the noise? Or are you just focusing on playing baseball with your teammates and going out and competing?”

Oregon State could be shorthanded in the infield

Second baseman Cooper Vance is dealing with a hamstring injury that could keep him out of the regional, Canham said Tuesday.

“Coop’s hamstring is pretty sore, so it’s just gonna have to be day-to-day, keeping on top of it and seeing when he’ll be available,” Canham said. “I know I’ve see him running in and out of the – not running, not at this point – but getting in and out of the training room, making sure he’s giving himself the best shot to get back in there or help out whatever that may be.”

Nyan Hayes has been practicing at second base this week in case Vance can’t go.

“Losing a guy like Cooper is never fun,” Hayes said. “That guy is nasty at what he do. But as far as me, it’s kind of the next man up mentality and always being ready for your name to be called in whatever situation that is.”

What TV channel is Oregon State vs. Washington State baseball on today?

TV channel: NoneStreaming: ESPN+

Oregon State’s game vs. Washington State will not air on TV but can be streamed on ESPN+.

Oregon State vs. Washington State baseball start time

Date: Friday, May 29First pitch: Noon

First pitch for Oregon State and Washington State is scheduled for noon in Eugene at PK Park. The game between Oregon and Yale is scheduled for 5 p.m.

NCAA Eugene Regional baseball tournament schedule

Friday, May 29

Game 1: Washington State vs. Oregon State, noon (ESPN+)Game 2: No. 11 Oregon vs. Yale, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)

Saturday, May 30

Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 1 p.m. (TBD)Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6 p.m. (TBD)

Sunday, May 31

Game 5: Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser, 1 p.m. (TBD)Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m. (TBD)

Monday, June 1

Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser (if necessary), TBD

Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon State vs. Washington State NCAA baseball regional. Time, stream

Reporting by Chris Hansen, Eugene Register-Guard / Salem Statesman Journal

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