12A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017
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Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
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Beavers
ready to
reload
in 2018
OSU looking
ahead after
stunning end in
World Series
By BOB LUNDEBERG
Albany Democrat-Herald
OMAHA, Neb. — Despite
an unfulfi lling end to the Col-
lege World Series, the future is
bright for the Oregon State base-
ball team.
The Beavers, who fi nished the
season 56-6 after dropping con-
secutive games to LSU at TD
Ameritrade Park, are poised to
bring back a wealth of talent as
they mount
a defense of
their confer-
ence title in
2018. Pac-
12 player of
the year Nick Madrigal headlines
a large group of returners that will
be fi ghting for the program’s sev-
enth trip to Omaha.
“Almost everybody on the
fi eld, other than KJ (Harrison), is
a returner,” coach Pat Casey said
following Saturday’s 6-1 sea-
son-ending loss to LSU. “So that’s
a pretty good piece of the puzzle.
… Our bullpen was really, really
good all year long, and they were
young guys. They’ll be back.”
Harrison, the team’s home run
leader in each of the past three
years, is expected to turn profes-
sional after getting selected in the
third round (84th overall) by the
Milwaukee Brewers in the Major
League Baseball First-Year Player
Draft.
The 6-foot, 209-pound fi rst
baseman/catcher hit .313 with nine
homers and 43 RBIs in 2016.
Madrigal, a sophomore second
baseman, led the team in batting
average (.380), runs (53), doubles
(20) and stolen bases (16). The
Pac-12 defensive player of the
year fi nished the season with just
fi ve errors.
Other notable sophomore
returners include shortstop Cadyn
Grenier and outfi elders Steven
Kwan, Trevor Larnach, Andy
Atwood and Elliott Cary (a red-
shirt sophomore). Freshman
catcher Adley Rutschman shined
defensively at the CWS, making
acrobatic catches on popped-up
bunts while throwing out multiple
runners.
“I think it’s tremendous what
Adley Rutschman was able to
do, seeing his growth and devel-
opment behind the plate,” pitch-
ing coach Nate Yeskie said. “We
think this weekend was kind of a
glimpse of what he has in his tool-
box. The guy played tremendously
well on the defensive side, han-
dled the staff well.”
Larnach led the Beavers with
48 RBIs while batting .303.
Redshirt junior Jack Ander-
son, junior Christian Donahue
and senior Kyle Nobach, who red-
shirted in 2016, could also be back
in a crowded outfi eld that includes
promising freshman Preston Jones.
Junior third baseman Michael
Gretler, drafted in the 39th round
(1,168th overall), has the option
of returning to school. Gretler
hit .301 with fi ve homers and 33
RBIs.
Sophomore Zak Taylor and
freshman Tyler Malone are candi-
dates to replace Harrison at fi rst.
Also fi ghting for playing time
next year will be freshman infi eld-
ers Andy Armstrong and George
Mendazona.
SCOREBOARD
SPORTS SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY
Junior Baseball — Neah-Kah-Nie at
Astoria Ford (2), 5 p.m.
THURSDAY
Junior Baseball — Warrenton at Sea-
side (2), 4 p.m.
SATURDAY
Baseball — Warrenton Alumni Day at
Huddleston Field, Noon
GEARHART GOLF LINKS
CELEBRATES 125TH BIRTHDAY
The Daily Astorian
he oldest golf course on the Pacifi c Coast
is celebrating an historic birthday this year,
as Gearhart Golf Links turns 125 years old.
Built on slightly more than 100 acres and play-
ing at just over 6,500 yards, Gearhart Golf Links
was established in 1892, predating the U.S. Golf
Association, which wasn’t founded until 1896.
Events will kick off this summer with a spe-
cial gala, but are planned throughout the year
Gearhart’s current routing was the work of an
early American golf champion, Chandler Egan,
who moved to Oregon from Chicago right before
World War I. In addition to winning two U.S.
Amateurs and a team gold medal at the 1904
Olympics, Egan established himself as a leading
West Coast golf course designer.
Egan’s portfolio included the original course
designs for Portland’s fi rst public course, East-
moreland, along with Oswego Lake, Eugene and
Tualatin country clubs. Among Egan’s numer-
ous re designs was a re routing of Gearhart in the
1920s.
Collaborating with Alister Mackenzie and
Robert Hunter (who was also Egan’s teammate
on the winning U.S. Olympic golf team), Egan
remodeled the Pebble Beach Golf Course in
advance of the 1929 U.S. Amateur Championship.
In time for its anniversary, Gearhart has just
completed a years long project to restore the
course to its original links style. Trees were
removed and several of the holes were length-
ened and modifi ed to bring the course up to 6,500
yards.
Gearhart is meticulously maintained by For-
rest Goodling’s staff of groundskeepers, and the
entire operation is managed by Jason Bangild, a
PGA professional.
Gearhart hosted the “Hickory Classic” last
week. The Northwest Hickory Society plays
every year at Gearhart, and this year the society
extended an invitation to Gearhart regulars.
T
Don Frank Photography
Golfers in front of the clubhouse at Gearhart Golf Links.
UPCOMING CELEBRATIONS
July 16: Whiskey Road to the Final Four — Gearhart Golf’s signature team event of three 9- hole
matches. Grab a partner and vie for a spot on the perpetual trophy.
July 19: Birthday pricing. Gearhart Golf Links was founded in 1892, so for one day only, green
fees will only be $18.92.
July 21: McMenamin s Scramble: Forrest’s Revenge. Celebrate the golf course by playing it at its
toughest.
July 27: $125 Skins Game.
July 28: Fifth annual Croquet on the Lawn.
For more information on Gearhart Golf Links, visit http://www.gearhartgolflinks.com/ or contact
Bangild at 503 -739-5037 or JasonB@GearhartGolfLinks.com.
Gearhart Golf Links
Submitted Photo
Florida holds off LSU in Game 1
of CWS Championship Series
By ERIC OLSON
Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. — Brady Singer
struck out a career-high 12 in seven
innings, Jonathan India doubled in
two runs, and Florida beat LSU 4-3 in
Game 1 of the College World Series
fi nals Monday night.
The Gators (51-19) need a win
today or Wednesday to earn their fi rst
national championship in baseball.
Singer’s strikeout total was high-
est by a single pitcher in a CWS fi nals
game. Singer (9-5) limited LSU (52-
19) to three singles before Antoine
Duplantis homered in the sixth. He
left after Greg Deichmann doubled
leading off the eighth.
Florida led 3-0 after LSU starter
Russell Reynolds (1-2) issued three
straight walks in the fourth, with
India driving in two runs on a ground-
rule double.
Down 4-2 and with fans clad in
purple and gold chanting “L-S-U,
L-S-U,” the Tigers threatened in the
eighth. Josh Smith sent a ball into the
right-center gap to drive in a run.
But he was thrown out trying for
second by Nick Horvath, who entered
as a pinch runner in the top of the
eighth and stayed in the game as the
center fi elder.
Singer, who pitched a complete
game in an 8-1 win over LSU in
March, turned in his second strong
performance at the CWS. The soph-
omore struck out nine and allowed
one run in seven innings against Lou-
Westbrook
wins NBA
MVP honor
By BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated Press
AP Photo/Matt Ryerson
Florida pitcher Brady Singer (51) throws in the first inning of Game
1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals against LSU in
Omaha, Neb., Monday.
isville last Tuesday. Monday marked
the eighth straight game that Florida
pitchers struck out 11 or more.
LSU — playing its fourth game
in six days and with Eric Walker out
with an injury — turned to the sel-
dom-used Reynolds to start. The fi fth-
year senior, wearing a close-cropped
Mohawk under his cap and throwing
an 85 mph fastball, gave the Tigers
three solid innings in his fi rst start
since March 2015.
He got a groundout to start the
fourth but then walked three straight.
Coach Paul Mainieri called on left-
hander Nick Bush, and Reynolds got
a nice hand from LSU fans as he went
into the dugout.
Florida took a 3-0 lead when Dal-
ton Guthrie tagged up on Austin
Langworthy’s foul out, and two more
runs came home when India’s drive
to deep center bounced over the fence
for a ground-rule double.
The Tigers pulled within a run in
the sixth. Antoine Duplantis went
deep into the right-fi eld bullpen for
his second homer of the season, and
fi rst since March 18, and Beau Jordan
singled in a run to make it 3-2.
NEW YORK — Russell West-
brook moved past Oscar Robertson
and kept right on going to the top
of the NBA.
Westbrook was voted MVP on
Monday night after setting a record
with 42 triple-doubles during his
historic season. He led the league
with 31.6 points and added 10.7
rebounds and 10.4 assists per game,
joining Robertson as the only play-
ers to average a triple-double for
the season and breaking Robert-
son’s single-season record of 41 tri-
ple-doubles in 1961-62.
“I remember growing up just
being home, playing the video
games and stuff with my pops,
and my mom sitting there and
my brother and just talking about
maybe one day I could be the
MVP. Obviously I was joking at
the time,” Westbrook said.
“But now to be standing here
with this trophy next to me is a true
blessing, man, and it’s an unbeliev-
able feeling, something that I can
never imagine.”
Westbrook’s victory ended the
fi rst NBA Awards show, which
included two wins apiece for the
Houston Rockets and Milwaukee
Bucks.
He received 69 fi rst-place votes
and 888 points from a panel of 100
media members.