Former Ashland Grizzly and current Oregon State University pitcher Sam Gaviglio received high praise from OSU baseball coach and two-time national coach of the year Pat Casey recently. Casey talked to the Portland Tribune about the potential of the 2010 Beavers. Here's an excerpt:

Gaviglio sprang onto the scene in sensational fashion, earning freshman All-America honors with a sterling 10-1 record and a 2.73 ERA. The 6-1, 170-pound right-hander from Newport began as a middle reliever and made only six starts, but he became the first rook in the program’s 103-year (history) to reach double figures in victories.

“Sam was our most effective pitcher last year, coming in with no expectations levels, no hype,” Casey says. “When you think about what Sam did ... go back in the history of Oregon State baseball – nothing compares to what he did as a freshman. He started out as a guy pitching in the middle of a game; then all of a sudden, he got pretty good.”

There was more Ashland news at the end of the article - apparently, Ashland pitcher/outfielder Ian Kendall has verbally committed to Oregon State.