Gavin Turley breaks Oregon State home run record in Saturday win over Northridge
Published 6:23 pm Saturday, April 19, 2025
- Oregon State's Gavin Turley (1) runs to first against Washington at Hillsboro Ballpark on March 25, 2025. The outfielder hit his 46th career home run on April 19, 2025, making him the all-time leader for Oregon State. Staff Photo: John Lariviere
In the top of the ninth inning of No. 6 Oregon State baseball’s Saturday, April 19 matchup against Cal State Northridge, Beavers outfielder Gavin Turley sat back on a belt-high pitch from Matadors reliever Jon Mocherman before uncorking on it.
The swing came in a 2-1 count from Mocherman, with Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette standing on first base and one out on the scoreboard at Matador Field. After landing on the other side of the outfield fence, the ball and the man who hit it became pieces of Beaver baseball history.
Gavin Turley’s 46th-career home run put the junior slugger atop the program’s record book, surpassing the 45 that Travis Bazzana wrapped up his time in Corvallis with just a season earlier.
The two-run blast by Turley would be the final runs the Beavers recorded Saturday, beating Northridge 15-12 and giving Oregon State its 10th-straight win.
Arquette himself bashed a pair of homers in the game, bringing his season total to 15 and finishing off Saturday’s win with a 6-for-6, seven-RBI performance at the plate. Catcher Wilson Weber and first baseman Jacob Krieg each put together three-hit days as the Beavers notched 17 hits and reached base safely 24 times.
On the bump, freshman right-hander Zach Kmatz (1-0) earned his first collegiate win, tossing 2.2 innings with five strikeouts and two earned runs. Kmatz was first out of the pen for Oregon State, taking over for Ethan Kleinschmit (4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB) after a lackluster start.
Oregon State right-hander Wyatt Queen also logged his first-career save as a Beaver, facing just two batters and tossing six pitches in relief of freshman Bryce Johnson, who allowed five runs in the bottom of the ninth and recorded just a single out.
The Beavers return to Corvallis after going undefeated on their seven-game roadtrip to Southern California. Oregon State now stands at 30-7 on the season and has a two-game midweek series against Gonzaga on the docket for its first action at Goss Stadium since April 6.
Starting pitching for the game against the Bulldogs has yet to be announced, but first pitch is slated for 5:35 p.m. on Monday, April 21 in Corvallis.
