Happy Tuesday, everyone, from the world-wide headquarters (WWHQ) of the Corvallis Knights, your 2016-2017 West Coast League champions!
————–
Still another preseason honor for alum Nick Madrigal (2015, pictured above), an Oregon State junior middle infielder who was our 2015 Most Outstanding Player.
The Oregon State junior infielder is one of 55 players on the initial watch list for USA Baseball’s 2018 Golden Spikes Award.
It is given annually to the nation’s top amateur player, and the 41st recipient of the prestigious honor will be announced on June 28. A midseason watch list will be released in April, with semifinalists revealed May 21. Finalists will then be announced June 6.
Madrigal is a unanimous preseason All-American entering the season, which starts on Friday when the Beavers face New Mexico in Surprise, Ariz.
Nick was a unanimous All-American in 2017 after being named the Pac-12 Conference’s Player and Defensive Player of the Year. He hit .380 with four home runs and 40 RBIs in 2017, with 20 doubles, 16 steals and 27 walks to just 16 strikeouts.
Nick takes a .359 career batting average into 2018, with 31 doubles, seven triples, five home runs, 69 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.
For more on the award from USA Baseball, please click here.
————–
The 2018 Division I season starts on Friday. However, Division II, Division III and NAIA teams have been playing for several weeks, so we can now update the stats of our 2018 signees whose seasons are already underway.
CASON CUNNINGHAM: The lefty from Linfield is 1-1, 3.86 in two games, with 14 strikeouts in 9.1 innings.
GRANT FISHER: The righty from Western Oregon, a 10-day signee, is 0-0, 7.71 in one game, with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
JACOB FRICKE: The lefty from Western Oregon is 0-1, 4.91 in two games, with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings.
LOGAN NOUSEN: The righty from Oregon Tech, a 10-day signee, is 1-1, 4.50 in five games, with four strikeouts in eight innings.
AARON SHOUP: The lefty from St. Martin’s is 0-1, 9.00 in one game, with one strikeout in three innings.
MICKEY WALKER: The righty from St. Martin’s is 0-1, 6.75 in one game, with two strikeouts in four innings.
JAMES ANDERSON: The Western Oregon infielder, a 10-day signee, is hitting .000 (0-4) in three games, with no homers or RBIs.
AUSTIN BAEK: The George Fox catcher, a 10-day signee, is hitting .316 (6-19) in seven games, with no homers and four RBIs.
AUSTIN FEIST: The St. Martin’s outfielder is hitting .182 (2-11) in three games, with two RBIs.
SEAN LITTLE: The Willamette infielder, a 10-day signee, is hitting 1.000 (2-2) in two games, with no homers or RBIs.
————–
Our 2018 season tickets are now on sale! For more details or to order your tickets online, please click here.
Tickets may also be purchased by calling us at 541-752-5656 or by visiting our office at 4th Street and Jefferson Avenue in downtown Corvallis. See you at the ballpark in 2018!
————–
The Yakima Valley Pippins have signed Chase Farrell, who originally signed with the Pippins prior to the 2017 season, and Sean Mullen, a pair of right-handed pitchers attending or headed to UCLA, for the 2018 season. For more on that story, from Our Sports Central, please click here.
————–
That’s all for today. Have a great week, and we will see you again on Friday.