OMAHA (NCBWA) – After leading Oregon State to one of the most
dominating seasons in college baseball history, including a trip
to the 2017 College World Series, Oregon State's Pat Casey
has been named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association National Coach of the Year.
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Casey |
"Coach Pat Casey has taken OSU to the best record at this point
in the season since Texas’ 1975 NCAA championship team finished
59-6," said NCBWA executive director Bo Carter. "No team has dominated
Division I like this in decades, and it speaks of the great coaching
ability and leadership of Coach Casey. He definitely deserves this
national honor."
The Beavers advanced to the CWS under Casey with an Oregon State
single-season record 54 wins (54-4 overall), and set a Pac-12 Conference
record for wins, while finishing league play with a 27-3 mark. Casey’s
Beavers own the two longest winning streaks in college baseball
in 2017 with a 23-game streak and an active 21-game streak. On May
12, Casey became just the 16th active coach to reach 1,000 wins
with a four-year program.
After opening the season ranked seventh in the NCBWA preseason
poll, Casey led the Beavers to 28 wins in their first 29 games including
the 23-game win streak. The Beavers moved into the top spot in every
national poll in late March and remained the nation’s No. 1 ranked
team through the Super Regionals. In the postseason, OSU swept through
the Regionals with three dominating wins before sweeping Vanderbilt
in the Super Regionals to advance to the CWS.
Under Casey, Oregon State claimed four of the Pac-12’s five major
awards, while the Beavers placed six players on the all-conference
first team. In addition to Casey being named the Pac-12 Conference
Coach of the Year, OSU players claimed the conference’s player of
the Year, defensive player of the year and pitcher of the year honors.
In addition, five Beavers were selected in the MLB Draft. Pitcher
Drew Rasmussen was the first round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays, first
baseman KJ Harrison was selected in the third round by the Milwaukee
Brewers and pitcher Jake Thompson went to the Boston Red Sox in
the fourth round. Third baseman Michael Gretler (Pittsburgh Pirates)
and pitcher Max Engelbrekt (Washington Nationals) were late round
selections.
NCBWA membership includes writers, broadcasters and publicists.
Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport's
only college media-related organization, founded in 1962.
ALL-TIME NCBWA COACHES OF THE YEAR 2017:
Pat Casey, Oregon State 2016: Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina
2015: Paul Mainieri, LSU 2014: Mike Gillespie, UC Irvine 2013:
Tracy Smith, Indiana 2012: Matt Senk, Stony Brook 2011: David
Esquer, California 2010: Jim Schlossnagle, TCU 2009: Brian
O'Connor, Virginia 2008: Mike Batesole Fresno State
Related link: •
NCBWA Coach of the Year
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