Oregon Institute of Technology Athletics

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The first-ever Cascade Collegiate Conference Baseball Championship Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, is set to begin on Saturday.
 
Oregon Tech enters the postseason with a 23-23 record under first year head coach Jacob Garsez who has his team ready, "We have worked all year at establishing a culture that will prepare us to successfully compete in post season. Earning this opportunity is a team accomplishment and I am certainly proud of everyone, but our focus will be on being where our feet are at and winning one pitch at a time."
 
The Owls are one of two teams to beat LC State and look to overcome the host squad once again. As a team, Oregon Tech boasts a .284 batting average, 5.78 ERA and .951 fielding percentage – all of which rank second in the CCC. The Owls lead the conference with 41 double plays turned and 403 strikeouts with reigning CCC Pitcher of the Week Trask Telesmanich catching a conference-high 28 batters looking.
 
The Hustlin' Owls and Corban Warriors battle it out in the first game on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. LC State takes on OIT and Corban, respectively, following the first game. Sunday's matchups will depend on the first day of the double-elimination tournament. The complete schedule and links for live stats can be found at the CCC Championship Tournament Page. 
 
No. 5-ranked Lewis-Clark State College picked up the top seed and hosting duties after claiming the regular-season CCC championship. Oregon Tech grabbed the second seed and Corban University rounds out the three-seeded field.
 
The Warriors secured an automatic bid to the NAIA Championship Tournament – which they will host as well – so the second AQ from the CCC is up for grabs. If LC State wins the tournament, the tournament runner up will earn the second automatic bid.
 
LC State comes into the tournament with a 38-4 overall record and is led by the 2021 CCC Player and Coach of the Year. The Warriors rank in multiple statistical categories in the NAIA and CCC. LC State leads the conference and the NAIA in runs scored per game (11.286) and RBIs per game (10.238), while ranking second nationally in hits per game (12.881) and putouts per game (25.833) – both top marks in the CCC. Offensively, the Warriors boast a 0.342 batting average (first in the CCC, 13^th in the NAIA), while defensively boasting a 3.430 ERA (first in the CCC, sixth in the NAIA).
 
Corban comes into the tournament at 21-27 overall, looking to secure a trip to the NAIA tournament. The Warriors will lean on CCC Pitcher of the Year Zack Simon, who leads the CCC with a 1.93 ERA. Offensively, Corban boasts a .251 team batting average, while defensively holding a 6.10 team ERA. The Warriors also have the third-best fielding percentage at .947 with 23 double plays. Corban knows how to play small ball well, leading the CCC with 16 sacrifice bunts to advance runners, while also showing off its speed with a conference-high 95 stolen bases.
 
Tickets are available at the LC State ticket office at the front of the Activity Center on Friday from 1-4 p.m. and 30 minutes before the start of the first game each day.
 
 
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