Beavers Playing Major Role in Knights Success.
August 13, 2016Shortstop Andy Atwood, Outfielder Kyle Nobach and Catcher Zak Taylor of Oregon State Lead Corvallis to WCLCS
Three Oregon State Beavers have played major roles in helping the Corvallis Knights, the hometown team of their adopted hometown, advance to the West Coast League's Championship Series.
Outfielder Kyle Nobach, shortstop Andy Atwood and catcher/first baseman Zak Taylor (pictured) are among the Knights leaders in average, RBIs and stolen bases, and have excelled defensively while solidifying the starting lineup during a stretch drive that saw the Knights go 12-1 in their final 11 regular-season games and the first round of the WCL playoffs.
"They all have played a huge part in helping the Knights get to where we are," said ninth-year Knights head coach Brooke Knight, whose team opens the WCL Championship Series at Bellingham tonight.
"They have provided leadership and have come through in the clutch time and time again," most recently in the best-of-three South Divisional Series, when they combined to hit .400 (6-15), with four runs, three RBIs and three extra-base hits in a series-clinching 7-3 win over the Yakima Valley Pippins on Aug. 10 at Goss Stadium.
A two-time honorable mention Pacific-12 Conference selection with the Beavers from Marysville, Wash., Nobach staked his case for all-league and possible WCL Most Valuable Player honors by hitting .303 (46-152) in 41 games, with two homers, 22 RBIs and 16 steals.
The senior-to-be had nine multi-hit games, a team-high four triples, and had at least one base hit in 19 of the Knights final 23 regular-season games, with a nine-game hitting streak and two five-game hit streaks in that span. He did not go hitless in back-to-back games he started all season.
Nobach was second in on-base percentage (.391) and led the Knights in slugging (.434) and OPS (.825) while covering acres of ground in center field.
He was also the MVP of the WCL All-Star Game, an accomplishment that helped dull the pain of OSU's NCAA tournament snub.
"We wanted to be super-motivated," Nobach said of the Beaver contingent. "Not making it into the tournament, it hurt us. This summer was a new motivating factor.
"We wanted to come out here every single day and play hard, take it a lot more serious than just a summer-ball thing. We wanted to come out here and get a lot better, and that's what we've done."
A rising sophomore-to-be from Everett, Wash., Atwood hit .308 (53-172) in 46 regular-season games and led the Knights in RBIs (25) base hits (53) and stolen bases (19). He opened the season with an 8-game hitting streak, had at least one hit in 15 of his first 16 WCL games, and had 17 multi-hit games while anchoring the infield. Atwood joined Nobach in the WCL All-Star Game, earned WCL Player of the Week honors for the week of June 13-19 and will be a strong candidate for WCL postseason honors as well.
"We've had a lot of support and that's a huge reason why we are winning and have a great chance to win the championship," Atwood said. "When I heard I was playing for the Knights I was very excited; it has the same atmosphere as the Oregon State games.
"Playing every day has been a huge part of my development. I've gotten to learn my strengths and weaknesses and I will be able to work on that. I've shown I can compete against the high level of pitchers we've seen."
Taylor is a rising sophomore-to-be from Sherwood, Ore. He had a breakout second half of the season and finished with a team-leading .309 (43-130) batting average, with a homer and 14 RBIs in 40 games.
"All three players have improved tremendously, and Zak Taylor is the most improved player of the three," Knight said.
Taylor finished sixth in the WCL batting race, one spot above Atwood, had 14 multiple-hit games and was steady defensively. He also will contend for WCL postseason honors.
"The summer has been awesome, a great learning experience," Taylor said. "It's a long summer and you play a lot of games but the team and the atmosphere here have been awesome. The coaching staff and my teammates have pushed me every day."
Getting consistent playing time and at-bats has been one of the biggest positives for a player who saw limited time as an OSU freshman behind All-American catcher/2014 Knights alum Logan Ice, a Johnny Bench Award finalist.
"Getting about 150 at-bats this summer has been great," Taylor said. "That is huge, being able to play every day and figure things out. I got a lot of opportunities behind the plate and at first base so that puts me in a really good position. I'm just that much more ready" for the 2017 OSU season.
A fourth Beaver, outfielder Steven Kwan, suffered a hamstring injury that derailed a promising summer after just six games. The speedy Fremont, Calif., native hit .400 (6-20), with an RBI, two steals and an impressive .478 on-base percentage before being shut down for the season to heal up for fall practice and the 2017 college season, which starts in September.
"I think it's safe to say the Knights would not be where we are today, playing for another West Coast League championship, without the contributions of these four players," Knight said. "They played a huge role in our success.
"We've had some great Beavers play for us in the past - Josh Osich, Andrew Susac, Matt Boyd, Ben Wetzler, Ryan Gorton, Kavin Keyes, Logan Ice, Christian Donahue and Nick Madrigal come to mind off the top of my head, and I'm sure I'm probably forgetting somebody - but we've never had so many outstanding contributors from OSU on the same team."
The Knights are making their 8th appearance in the West Coast League Championship Series in 10 years and have captured three WCL crowns. Corvallis won the South first-half title, swept Yakima Valley in the first-round South Divisional Series and has posted an overall record of 43-20 this summer.
Game two and three (if necessary) of the series are set for Goss Stadium on Monday, August 15 and Tuesday, August 16. First pitch is 6:40 p.m.; gates open at 6 p.m.
You can listen to all the WCLCS games on KEJO 1240 AM. Mike Parker, the voice of the Knights, calls all the action.
