Former Knight Closer Making Stirring Comeback.

Senior Pitcher Taylor Starr of Oregon State Earns Big Win vs. Oregon

Taylor Starr is back.

The former Corvallis Knights closer, now a fifth-year Oregon State senior, showed he's completely recovered from three elbow surgeries by shutting down Oregon on Tuesday night at PK Park in Eugene.

Starr (pictured pitching for the 2008 Knights) pitched a career-high seven innings and struck out a career-best seven batters in a 7-1 victory over the Ducks, his third in a row in his new role as OSU's midweek non-conference starter.

Starr (4-1) threw 59 strikes in 96 pitches before a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand forced him from the game. He established his domination early by striking out the side in the first inning and he allowed just seven baserunners.

"I always like to set the pace or tempo for my team and I did a good job of that," he said, crediting "fastball command" for his success. "I pitched off my fastball, threw strikes down in the zone and my defense did a great job."

OSU coach Pat Casey said Starr's ability to throw strikes early in the count was pivotal.

"He [got] strike one," Casey said. "He commanded the fastball and slider (and) was able to throw on both sides of the plate. He did a good job."

Starr also won an April 15 start against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and an April 9 start at Nevada. He has a 2.25 ERA in 16 innings over that span, with 13 strikeouts and just 10 hits allowed.

A native of Longview, Wash., and a top prospect after an outstanding career at Kelso High School, Starr appeared destined for stardom in 2008 after a solid freshman season at OSU (3-1, 1.61) and an outstanding summer with the Knights.

He established a Knights' collegiate record for saves (10); was named first-team All-WCL; was rated as the league's No. 3 pro prospect by Baseball America and Perfect Game, and saved two games and won another in playoff series victories over Bend and Wenatchee in the Knights' march to their first WCL championship.

"It's probably one of the best summers I ever had, as far as bonding with the team, and really getting along with all the guys. Success came with that, and it was a lot of fun," Starr said, recalling the club that won the West Division regular-season title by eight games over Bend.

"The closer role gave me a lot of confidence, I was able to pitch aggressively with my fastball, and the wood bats helped too. Confidence is everything. You believe in what you have, and you work with it."

Then, misfortune hit with a vengeance, testing his resolve.

* He pitched just one inning for the Beavers in 2009 before being sidelined with an elbow injury that led to Tommy John reconstruction surgery.

* Taylor also missed the entire 2010 season after a second Tommy John surgery.

* And since bad things generally come in threes, he had surgery to relocate his ulnar nerve, and did not pitch in game in 2011.

Starr and Knights/OSU teammate Josh Osich, who also missed several seasons while recovering from Tommy John and ulnar nerve relocation operations, worked as the Knights' ground crew in 2009 and 2010 while recovering from their surgeries. They leaned on each other for support, and the part-time job enabled them to rehab and lift during the day and stay connected to baseball at night.

"Since we couldn't play, we just made the best of the situation. Being the grounds crew was fun," Starr said. "We enjoyed it and we made sure it was done right."

"Josh has been my best friend since I got here. Obviously we wish we didn't get hurt, but it's been nice to work each other through it. We still talk almost every day."

Osich had an outstanding redshirt junior season in 2011 and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the sixth round. He's now playing at San Jose in the Class A-advanced California League, along with ex-Knights Alex Burg (2008) and Andrew Susac (2009).

Starr should join Osich in pro baseball this summer. Selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 37th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, he didn't sign and should be taken much earlier in this June's draft, now that his arm problems appear to be a thing of the past.

Starr's fastball hit the low 90s against the Ducks, and appeared to catch them off-guard.

"He kind of surprised us with his velocity and we just never got the bats going," said Oregon shortstop Kevin Shepherd, who was 0-for-3.

Starr has now set PRs for innings pitched in his last two starts. He went five innings in the aforementioned victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

"I feel a lot better, a lot more comfortable," he said. "I hadn't been out there for three years prior to this season. [My arm] feels a lot better and as the year has progressed its gotten better."

And defeating the Ducks was a welcome bonus after years of perseverance in rehab and doubts about if he'd ever pitch again.

"I love it, love it," he said of the victory that ended a four-game losing streak in the intense Civil War rivalry. "There's not a better feeling in the world.

"It was definitely a nice reward."