No. 3 Oregon State baseball’s 8-3 win over Gonzaga on Tuesday, April 22, was about as run of the mill as it gets for the 2025 Beavers.

Outfielder Gavin Turley and shortstop Aiva Arquette, the Beavers’ pair of future early-round selections in the 2025 MLB Draft, combined to go 3-for-8 at the plate with five RBI. Turley’s 14th home run of the year broke a handful of pixels on Goss Stadium’s scoreboard, infielder AJ Singer went 3-for-4, while a pair relievers named Zach — Edwards and Kmatz — combined for three hitless innings to close out the game.

But for one Beaver, it was an unforgettable day.

Sophomore infielder Dawson Santana made the second start of his Oregon State career. Playing second base and batting eighth, the Lakeridge High School product recorded the first hit and first RBI of his collegiate career to go along with a handful of impressive defensive plays at the keystone.

Santana got the start as the corresponding move to third baseman Trent Caraway getting a day off against the Bulldogs. Oregon State’s everyday second baseman, AJ Singer, made the start at third base.

As he walked off the field from his final at-bat of the day — a sacrifice bunt that moved designated-hitter Tyce Peterson from first to second base — Santana was met with a standing ovation from the crowd. The 5-foot-6 middle infielder finished off the game going 1-for-2, adding a walk, a RBI and a sac-hit. He never struck out.

The chorus of praises continued for Santana as he met with media members outside of Oregon State’s clubhouse for the first time.

“Best teammate in the nation,” Sophomore outfielder Levi Jones said walking past.

Others, like freshman infielder Paul Vazquez and junior outfielder Dallas Macias made similar comments, putting a bashful smile across Santana’s face as he answered a flurry of questions. His answers were as joyful as they were steeped with pride and relief, he’d finally notched a collegiate hit.

“It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. (There are) so many good players here,” Santana said. “It just feels good to be in there and compete and help my team win.”

Nearly all of Santana’s answers took focus off of himself and back onto his teammates, living up to Jones’ passing words. Oregon State head coach Mitch Canham doubled-down on the fly-by comments from teammates, calling Santana a “heartbeat” for the team.

“I think the guys have always rallied around (Santana),” Canham said. “I told him last year (that) he’s a huge heartbeat to what we do out here. How he works, how he shows up every day with a great attitude (and his) consistency in that… I don’t think anyone was surprised to see how he performed.”

Turley echoed Canham’s sentiment, spending more time talking about his teammate’s single than his own home run.

“Oh my gosh, love it for the kid,” Turley said about Santana’s hit. “Unbelievable kid, unbelievable human being, unbelievable competitor… Whether it’s in the locker room showing up with energy (or) making guys play loose and laugh… He’s always the same cat. I think a lot of (the team) respects him for that.

“It’s not an easy position he’s in, with his size and the other players on the field (and) not getting a lot of playing time. But when he gets a chance, we know he’s ready. Even though that was his first hit of the year, if you go back you’d see how many line drive outs (Santana) has. It’s never been a question if he’s ready or not.”

Arguably the best play of Santana’s career won’t ever show up in the box score, either.

In the top of the seventh inning, Gonzaga shortstop Ty Yukumoto ripped a ground ball up the middle of the infield. To account for the pull-side of Yukumoto’s left-handed swing, Santana and Arquette were slightly shifted to their left.

With the positioning, it looked like Yukumoto would hit safely. But Santana ranged to his left for the diving grab before tossing the ball on a frozen rope over to Jacob Krieg at the first base bag. As Santana popped up from the dive, the brim of his hat covered his eyes. Regardless, the throw was on target.

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me!” Santana said laughing when asked about his hat and if he could see the throw. “I mean, I saw Krieg. He’s a pretty big guy to miss, but I saw him pretty clear. I knew where I was throwing it.”

The win makes it 12-straight for the Beavers, who now sit at 32-7 on the season and hold college baseball’s longest active winning streak. Oregon State will be back on the road for the upcoming weekend, but just a handful of miles down Interstate 5 facing No. 13 Oregon.

Game one of the rivalry series is set to get underway at 5:05 p.m. on Friday, April 25 at PK Park in Eugene.