California Bears

The Beavers must get by Cal to earn a trip to World Series

If we’re to believe Oregon State pitcher Brianne McGowan, today’s NCAA softball super regional matchup against California is “just like another game.”

And Woodstock was just another rock ‘n’ roll concert.

McGowan may choose to downplay the significance of today’s game, but the stakes could not be much higher.

The winner of the best-of- three series at the OSU Softball Complex advances to the Women’s College World Series on June 1-6 in Oklahoma City. It’s a venue the Beavers never have reached.

No. 7 OSU (41-13) has been at the precipice of the College World Series before. The Beavers have reached the round of 16 four times but were turned away.

Could this be the year OSU breaks through?

“We think it’s our year,” said sophomore left fielder Cambria Miranda, whose 16 homers tied the school’s single-season record. “We’re all pumped up. We have Cal ahead of us, and we know what they’ve got.”

What No. 6 Cal (47-12) has is Pac-10 pitcher of the year Kristina Thorson (35-8, 0.79 earned-run average, 438 strikeouts), and plenty of tradition. The Golden Bears have made seven straight World Series appearances, winning the national title in 2002.

Although Cal is ranked higher than OSU, the Beavers were designated as a host school because they were seeded No. 7 in their portion of the NCAA tournament bracket, which included Cal, and the Bears were given a No. 10 seed.

Cal leads the season series 2-1, with each team prevailing at home. OSU players were not dwelling on Cal’s past World Series accomplishments, which include five title game appearances.

“Truthfully, I haven’t even thought about it,” senior catcher Lisa Allen said. “It’s a whole new year; you’ve got all new people, and it’s a whole different team that you’re dealing with. I think it’s good to focus on the here and now, not the past.”

OSU made good use of the home field advantage last week, winning all three of its games in the Corvallis Regional. In two of the games — against Nevada and No. 19 Baylor — the Beavers had to come from behind.

“You never know how much home field helps you,” coach Kirk Walker said. “We’re certainly looking forward to being at home again and being in front of our crowd.”

McGowan (27-6, 1.36 ERA, 223 strikeouts) pitched every inning in the regional. While that scenario could play out again, fellow junior Ta’Tyana McElroy (14-7, 3.21 ERA) might get a look against the Bears.

In three appearances this season against Cal, McElroy has allowed two runs and six hits in 11 1/3 innings, and recorded OSU’s lone victory.

Look for McGowan to get the start today.

“I think we have better hitters. You’re always biased toward your team,” McGowan said. “I know the hard work that everyone has put in. The senior class, this is their last chance. So it really means a lot to them.”

All seven Pac-10 teams that were selected to play in the NCAA tournament have reached the round of 16. Conference teams have won 17 of the 24 College World Series.

The OSU-Cal series figures to be close. Cal won two 2-0 games at home, and the Beavers came through 4-2 in Corvallis. While McGowan says she doesn’t feel much pressure, there’s no denying the fact that it is there.

“It’s just a matter of how you learn to deal with pressure,” Walker said. ‘You don’t eliminate pressure, you just learn how to manage it. Our athletes have been focusing on the right things, which is one game at a time, one play at a time, one pitch at a time.”

This is the second year for the super regional format, and OSU is making its first appearance. The Beavers lost in the regional finals the past three years.

If OSU can duplicate its performance from last weekend, when timely hitting and solid pitching were too much for Baylor and Nevada, a spot in the eight team, double-elimination World Series is within reach.

“I think the (regional) tournament gave us a big boost,” said Allen, whose two-run homer knotted Saturday’s game against Baylor at 3-3. “I think that’s how this weekend is going to be. We went in, we played our three games, and we won all three. This weekend all we need to do is win two.”

Cal’s quarterback race during spring football never started.

That’s because the guy considered No. 1 by the coaching staff, Nate Longshore, isn’t ready to run.

Moments after the Golden Bears finished their final scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, Longshore acknowledged that he was a stationary target. That was despite him throwing a 70-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DeSean Jackson.

“I’m sure everyone could see it,” said Longshore, who has been recovering from a broken leg and ankle injuries since the 2005 season opener. “I’m pedestrian at best (in terms of speed).”

Before spring ball began, Cal coach Jeff Tedford said he wanted to narrow his search for a quarterback to two main candidates going into summer camp. That wasn’t possible because Longshore was still gimpy from rehab and Tedford needs a mobile quarterback to run his new offense that will include spread tactics.

Even so, Tedford said on Saturday that Longshore’s inability to move didn’t hurt him, either. Longshore will begin summer camp in the same spot, as No. 1 on the depth chart. “Nate needs to get his feet quicker,” Tedford said. “That will make a big difference for him. I have confidence in him that he will do that.”

If Longshore’s rehabilitation did anything, it probably just kept the door open for both Joe Ayoob and Steve Levy. Tedford said those two quarterbacks, who will be seniors next season, rate almost in a dead-heat with Longshore.

Ayoob probably made the biggest move of the three. Seemingly buried on the depth chart after a disappointing 2005 season, he impressed Tedford with his ability to run the spread offense.

“This offense is awesome,” Ayoob said. “It fits me well. Sitting in the shotgun gives me the feeling of being in control. I know everything that is going on.

“I’m also playing better because the expectations aren’t so much on me, and playing last year has made the speed of the game slow down.”

Ayoob became excited when he heard Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar was hired to combine the spread with Tedford’s offense. “It lit a fire under me,” said Ayoob, who missed Saturday’s scrimmage (except for holding duties on place kicks) due to a high ankle sprain. “It was like I was starting with a clean slate and it’s something I am comfortable running.”

Levy, who guided the Bears to season-ending wins over Stanford and BYU, also remains in the mix. “I threw the ball pretty well during the spring and really well at the end. I’m confident.”

Red-shirt freshman Kyle Reed still needs some seasoning before he makes a run at becoming a starter, according to Tedford.

While finding a quarterback was the primary theme of spring ball, building the offensive line was a close second. Cal offensive line coach Jim Michalczik said he didn’t figure out a starting lineup during camp.

“But that doesn’t worry me,” Michalczik said. “You rarely find five guys who play together through a whole season.”

Michalczik said offensive guard Erik Robertson, tackle Scott Smith and center Alex Mack have risen to the top. But two spots remain wide open with several candidates in the mix.

Players who made big moves in the spring, according to Tedford, were fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou, linebacker Justin Moye, safety Bernard Hicks and Mack.

“We got a lot done this spring,” Tedford said. “I think our spring was an overall success. We had a lot of young players get their feet wet and everything went smooth.”