How Oregon State baseball survived — and thrived — in 2025 as an independent

New York Times

30-05-2025

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Over the last year, Mitch Canham has become an expert in Excel.
Granted, the Oregon State baseball coach, now in his sixth year leading his alma mater, is familiar with spreadsheets thanks to being a business administration major during his undergrad. But since the collapse of the Pac-12 in August 2023, which left OSU athletics in a lurch and ultimately led to the baseball team navigating the 2025 season as an independent, Canham practically sees those tiny rows and cells in his sleep. They've become crucial to building a schedule from scratch.
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Reminded that spreadsheet expertise is a highly coveted lifeskill, Canham, who led OSU to back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007 as an All-American catcher, rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
'I can do all the colors and equations,' he joked. 'I've had to do a lot of math this year. It was definitely a learning curve.'
Oregon State, the No. 8 national seed, hosts Saint Mary's today in the first round of the NCAA baseball tournament. It's an impressive accomplishment given that a year ago, they had no idea if being an independent and scheduling 50-plus games on their own — two-thirds of which were on the road — was even realistic, let alone if it would allow them to maintain their powerhouse status. Should Oregon State win its Regional, it will host a Super Regional, likely against No. 9 seed Florida State, with a trip to the College World Series on the line. It would be their first back-to-back home weekend series since mid-March.
Let's go! #GoBeavs pic.twitter.com/9nHm7WkpxZ
— Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) May 26, 2025
'We get to stay home when it matters,' sophomore Trent Caraway said. 'It made the whole regular season worth it.'
Independent teams in college baseball aren't unheard of, but they are rare. Dallas Baptist was the last one to play in a Regional, in 2012.
Miami competed as an independent from its program's inception in 1940 until joining the ACC in 2005. The Canes made 21 College World Series appearances, winning four national championships, during that stretch.
But Miami was in a much different position, literally, than Oregon State. There are numerous other established D-I college baseball programs in the state of Florida, and Miami International Airport is just 22 minutes from campus.
With no modern blueprint for how to thrive without a conference, OSU, located 90 minutes south of Portland International Airport, had to get creative.
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Canham's boss, OSU athletic director Scott Barnes, was not on board when his coach suggested the independent route.
'I didn't bite right away,' Barnes recalled, laughing. The easiest thing to do, Barnes said, would have been to join the WCC for two years, like OSU's basketball teams did. But Canham was persistent.
'I wanted him to show me the roadmap before we committed to it,' Barnes said. 'The last thing we needed was to leave our baseball program wandering in the wilderness. I think baseball is a microcosm of our entire existence here. Remember, we did the independent football schedule too, for 2025. So we've had to do it in more than one area, and we knew there was going to be risk. We all pitched in, but Mitch drove it. He and his staff executed it beautifully.'
Canham printed out nearly every prominent team's 2025 schedule and circled their off weeks on a calendar. He made calls, sent texts and emails, did Zoom presentations (seriously) and assured his players that even as an independent, they would put themselves in position to make a run to Omaha.
'I got to call everybody,' he said. 'And I got told no a lot. Some teams were like, 'Eh, that's our bye week, we want our guys to rest.' But when someone said yes, you can't just fill the schedule to fill the schedule. We had to be strategic — with RPI, road games, are we gonna get some home-and-homes out of this for 2026?'
(Canham declined to divulge the early version of the 2026 schedule, which will also be independent. Barnes is hopeful the program can secure around 25 home games next year before joining the new Pac-12, which will feature teams like Gonzaga, Washington State and Fresno State, for the 2027 season.)
The Beavers played 20 true road games and 15 at neutral sites; twice this season, they left campus for 11 days. The travel undoubtedly took its toll, but Canham said there were positives to so much time away from home. Players got closer, building bonds and memories that will last long after they've left Goss Stadium. He also thinks that camaraderie is a major advantage going into the postseason.
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The Beavers have a 'no phones out' rule on the bus and in the clubhouse, which led to quite a few 'goofy' moments, Canham said. He declined to give details.
'If we're doing slam poetry on the bus,' he said, 'it's best to keep it in house.'
On the recruiting trail, Canham talked about Oregon State's family atmosphere, sparkling facilities and player development. Clearly, his pitch worked. One of the Beavers' key players this year has been shortstop Aiva Arquette, who transferred from Washington last August. A Golden Spikes semifinalist, Arquette leads the Beavers in batting average (.348), home runs (17), total bases (138) and RBIs (60). Also of note: The Beavers don't have much NIL money compared to other top-10 programs, according to multiple sources inside and outside the program who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Arquette came to Oregon State for less than $50,000, despite receiving numerous six-figure offers.
In some ways, Canham said, Oregon State being underestimated isn't anything new. In 2006, Oregon State won six elimination games in Omaha en route to the national championship, a feat the Beavers also accomplished in 2018. In 2007, they barely got into the postseason — then rolled through Omaha on the way to their second title.
There's 'no doubt' they're comfortable in the role of underdog. It's part of why, after getting over the initial shock of the Pac-12's demise, he chose not to stress.
'Now, my initial thought was, 'Oh, dang,'' he recalled, eyes widening in fear. 'But if everyone is looking up at me like, 'He looks panicked' — how is that going to make everyone else feel? I saw this as an opportunity.'
Still, there was reason to wonder — and worry — if going independent would work. Outside of baseball, the best, most consistent program at Oregon State is women's basketball, which has been to nine of the last 11 NCAA tournaments. After a surprise Elite Eight run in 2024, the Beavers were in position to contend for the 2025 Final Four had all their players returned. Instead, seven, including four starters, entered the transfer portal, with most citing the Pac-12's implosion as their reason for leaving.
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Asked why baseball didn't experience the same exodus, Barnes pointed to Oregon State's draft history. The Beavers have had seven players drafted in the first round over the last decade, including two No. 1 picks (2019 and 2024), and have had 119 players selected since 2005. Before returning to Corvallis, Canham spent three and a half seasons as a manager in the Mariners organization.
'In terms of the roadmap toward Major League Baseball, (individual) development and preparedness for what comes next, they couldn't be in better hands and they know that,' Barnes said. 'The schedule, that comes next.'
The made-from-nothing schedule had its positives, too. OSU didn't play in a conference tournament, allowing the Beavers to have some fun, and get some rest, before their final push of the season. The team played two scrimmages and conducted a home run derby over Memorial Day weekend, then invited fans to stay for movie night (they watched 'The Sandlot' of course). Guys took a break from baseball, too, fishing and hitting up the golf course.
Fun was most definitely had in the home run derby. pic.twitter.com/25Vp8mSFOq
— Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) May 27, 2025
'What's encouraging is, there's not a lot of great golfers on our squad, which is great — it means they're focused on baseball,' Canham said. 'The fact that the golf game is down shows that they're working their butts off on the baseball field.'
A sellout is expected this weekend, and extra seats have already been added around the outfield fence. Barnes said that's yet another example of things going better than anyone could have imagined. After the Pac-12 fell apart, the athletic department budgeted for a 20 percent decline in revenue and attendance 'just because we had no idea what to expect.'
'Instead, we went and sent an attendance record in almost every sport,' he said. 'Beaver Nation has really stepped up, and they are in this fight with us. It's been super gratifying.'
Also gratifying, according to Barnes and Canham: Being awarded the No. 8 national seed, something Canham said he expected. But he's adamant that while the Beavers have a favorable path to Omaha, merely qualifying for the CWS is not the goal.
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'It bothers me if you're just thinking of getting to Omaha — win it!' he said. 'If you're thinking of anything less than that, shame on you.'
To drill home this point, the Beavers' bus drove by Charles Schwab Field earlier this season, when Oregon State played a three-game series at Nebraska in March.
'It's right next to the airport,' Canham reasoned. 'Might as well get a little vision going.'
That drive came on the Beavers' third road trip of the season. And if all goes according to plan, they'll be back in Omaha in a few weeks to conclude one of the most unusual seasons in program history.
(Photo of Aiva Arquette: Abigail Dollins / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)