Corvallis extends playoff appearance streak to 19

Thursday, Aug. 6, Corvallis, Ore. – The Knights finished the regular season playing its best baseball of the summer, winning its last five series to capture the WCL South second-half title and earn a berth in the post-season for a record 19^thconsecutive season.

Corvallis struggled early, finishing the first half with a 13-14 record. However, the team’s late surge not only clinched a spot in the playoffs, but the Knights also wrapped their 2026 campaign with the top mark in the South, tied for first with Ridgefield and Walla Walla. All three teams finished with a 31-23 record.

The excellent finish also secured home field advantage throughout the South playoffs.

The Knights open the post-season matched up against the Walla Walla Sweets. The first game of the WCL South Divisional Series is set for Friday, August 7 at Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla, Washington. Game two is scheduled for Saturday, August 8 at OSU’s Goss Stadium with a first pitch of 6:35 pm. If necessary, a game three would be hosted by the Knights on Sunday, August 9 with a start time of 6:05 pm.

Walla Walla won both its series versus Corvallis and finished 4-2 against the Knights.

The Sweets are led by WCL All-Stars pitcher Perry Stow of University of St. Francis (NAIA) and outfielder Sam Kane of University of Nevada-Reno.

The righty posted a 3.16 ERA over 10 appearances, 8 starts and 42.2 innings pitched, and struck out 49 while walking 16. Walla Walla’s saves leader was Isaac Hallam of Seattle University. He recorded 4 saves while posting a 2.38 ERA while walking 4 and striking out 15.

Arguably the most productive hitter in the South, Kane batted .318 with 11 home runs, 16 doubles and 49 RBIs. Royce Hale is also an offensive force for Walla Walla. The left-handed hitter from Seattle University batted .314 with 2 homers and 24 RBIs.

Statistically, the Knights and Sweets are similar. Corvallis finished the regular season sixth in the WCL in team hitting with a .268 average. Walla Walla was seventh at .265. The Sweets hit 35 homers whereas the Knights only blasted 14 round trippers, but Corvallis stole 114 bases to Walla Walla’s 74.

As far as pitching, the Knights team ERA was 4.69, the fifth lowest in the WCL, while the Sweets wrapped with a 4.73 ERA, sixth lowest in the league.

The Knights have named Arlo Pendleton of Cal Poly as its game one starter. Pendleton posted a 3-2 mark and 3.86 ERA over 7 appearances, 4 starts and 23 innings pitched while striking out 28 and walking 10.

Game two’s probable starting pitcher is Micah Hagler of Seattle University.

Hagler joined the team in mid-July and has been sharp over 4 appearances going 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA while striking out 11 and only walking one over 11 innings pitched.

If necessary, Bryce Hill of Stanford will get the ball in game three. Hill has blossomed late and emerged as ace material. The incoming freshman has made 9 appearances and 7 starts and is 1-1 with a 3.25 ERA over 27.2 innings pitched. He’s struck out 40, walked 18 and opponents are hitting a paltry .168 versus the hard-throwing right-hander. Hill had a minuscule 1.74 ERA in the second half of the WCL season.

The backend of the bullpen features Cooper Markham of Oregon and Kellen Segel of Cal Poly. Both have shined this summer with Markham sporting a 1.59 ERA over 11 relief appearances while striking out 29 over 17 innings pitched and Segel recording 6 saves, posting a 1.65 ERA and striking out 17 while walking 5 over 15 relief appearances and 16.1 innings pitched.

Other pitchers available for relief duty that have helped propel the Knights to the playoffs are southpaw Colin Nowacyzk of Nebraska (2-2, 3.86, 28 IP), Matthew Sherwood of PLU (2-3, 5.79, 32.2 IP), Luke Schoeffler of Linfield (2-0, 5.76, 2 SV, 25 IP) and Jack Galanida of George Fox (4-0, 4.10, team-leading 20 app and 37.1 IP).

Offensively, Corvallis is led by corner man Ethan Porter of Oregon State. He led the Knights in batting (.338), doubles (15) and RBIs (35). Porter earned WCL All-Star Game MVP honors and has played outfield, first base and third base.

Up the middle is not only a Corvallis defensive strength, shortstop Ryan Severns of UC Santa Barbara, second baseman Diego Cruz of Oregon State, center fielder Max Medina of Cal Poly and catcher Dakota Chun of Portland have all been swinging hot bats.

Severns batted .317 with 12 doubles, 2 homers, 23 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Cruz hit .329 with 15 stolen bases. Medina topped the club in at bats with 177 and triples with 4. The sweet-swinging left-handed bat also knocked in 32 runs, scored 38 runs and stole 15 bases. Chun hit .311 with 16 RBI.

First baseman Maverek Russell of UC Santa Barbara has sizzled lately, as he finished the regular season with a .338 batting average, .460 OBP, six doubles, a homer and 25 RBIs.

Utility men Joey Marasco of George Fox, Zane Garvey of Portland and Kellen Segel have been a big part of the Knights offensive surge as well.

Marasco finished strong, batting .242. He led the team in runs scored with 39 and hit 9 doubles with 20 RBIs and 12 stolen bases while playing a stellar shortstop and outfield.

Garvey led the club in walks with 42 while hitting .266, collecting 25 RBIs and posting a .432 OBP. He played third base and outfield and pitched masterfully, going 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and a save over 9 relief appearances and 12 innings pitched while striking out 14 and walking only 4.

Segel played all three outfield positions and pitched. He led the team in stolen bases with 16 and recorded an OBP of .404.

Returning catcher Xavier Rios of Cal State San Marcos made 28 starts and hit .252 with 7 doubles. As a member of Cal State Northridge last summer, he shined in the 2025 WCL All-Star Game in Bellingham.

The Knights and Sweets have met up twice in the post-season, first in the WCL Championship Series in 2011 and most recently in the WCL South Divisional Series in 2019. Corvallis won both series, sweeping in 2011 and winning two games to one in 2019.

Corvallis is managed by 10-time WCL champion head coach Brooke Knight. Walla Walla is guided by first-year skipper Leo Rivera. As a collegian, he played for the Sweets. He is currently an assistant coach at Seattle University.