The Knights inaugural season in Corvallis at OSU’s Goss Stadium was a smashing success as the club shattered its total attendance mark, won its division and played in its first WCCBL Championship Series. Formerly known as the Aloha Knights, the new Corvallis Knights won 38 games and captured the WCCBL West title with a 27-15 mark. Corvallis used its home field advantage in the playoffs to beat the Kitsap BlueJackets in the West Divisional Series 2 games to 1 as the Knights won the final two games of the series at Goss Stadium – the home of the two-time NCAA National Champion Oregon State Beavers. Corvallis played very well at home posting a 22-6 record at Goss while drawing a franchise best 12,729 fans (439 per game). A season-high crowd of 1,308 attended Fireworks Night on July 3. The entire season was broadcast on a local radio station. The voice of the OSU Beavers, Mike Parker, called all the action for the Knights on 990 AM The Legend. New skipper Matt Dorey did an excellent job keeping the team focused, energized and together as the Knights battled a slew of injuries that decimated its pre-season roster.
Highlights
Knights go 17-7 in one-run games, play in seven 1-0 contests and sweep its six regular season games with Kitsap.
High School senior Greg Peavey, a frosh-to be at Oregon State, shines out of the bullpen for the Knights and is named the WCCBL’s #2 prospect by Baseball America.
Wilson Motors Night draws 1,206 fans. The Knights sign up 37 sponsors in its first year in Corvallis.
Corvallis leads the WCCBL in team defense with a .973 team fielding percentage.
First baseman Jim Murphy of Washington State leads the Knights to the post-season and is named the team’s MVP. Murphy captures the (team) Triple Crown, only the third player to do so in club history, leading the Knights in hitting (.352), home runs (5) and RBI (28). Murphy is named First-Team All-WCCBL and earns a Rawlings Gold Glove at first base as Big Jim doesn’t commit a single error all summer while collecting 272 putouts and 19 assists.
Pitcher Mike Koons of San Diego State signs with the Houston Astros at the WCCBL All-Star Game in Bellingham.
Southpaw Matt Way of Washington State is named the WCCBL All-Star Game’s top prospect by the over 10 MLB scouts in attendance.
Murphy, Way, Koons, pitcher J.R. Murphy of San Diego State and outfielder Matt Wyckoff of George Fox represent the Knights on the WCCBL West All-Star team.
Sweet-swinging Matt Wyckoff’s break-out summer earned the left-handed hitter Second-Team All-WCCBL honors. Wyckoff hit .331 and led the club in runs with 26 and hits with 58.
J.R Murphy emerges as the team’s staff ace. The junior from Truckee, California led the club in starts with 10 and went 4-1 while posting a 1.35 ERA. He was named the Knights’ Top Pitcher.
J.R. Murphy, Jim Murphy, Matt Way and infielder Josh Hogan of Mt. Hood CC are named First-Team All-WCCBL.
Southpaw Blake Keitzman of Oregon State posts a 1.10 ERA, the staff’s lowest. Keitzman reported late as the Beavers captured a second National Championship in Omaha, but still managed 9 appearances. The frosh from Roseburg got better each outing and went 4-1 while striking out 33 over 32 2/3 innings pitched.
Corvallis almost beats the Northwest League champion Salem-Keizer Volcanes in a Father’s Day exhibition game at Volcanoes Stadium. The Knights took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but gave up a two-run homer to tie it. Head coach Steve Decker of Salem-Keizer calls the game after nine complete and the Knights tie the San Francisco Giants short-season club 4-4.
Right-hander reliever Kevin Castner of Cal Poly SLO showcases his 97 MPH fastball.
The Knights win another series at Arcata Baseball Park taking two of three from the Humboldt Crabs. Corvallis has now won three straight series vs. the Crabs and leads the career series 18-12.
Corvallis resurrects its feeder program and launches the Gresham Mountaineers. The Knights’ new affiliate goes 28-8 in its first season at Mt. Hood CC and wins two tournaments under ex-Knight first baseman and rookie skipper Bryan Donohue. Gresham’s MVP is sophomore Bryant Kraus of Linn-Benton CC.
Team sponsor Penny Knight is honored at the Oregon Sports Awards. Penny and Bill Schonely receive OSA Merit Awards.
Team president Dan Segel is named WCCBL Executive of the Year.
WCCBL West champs.