Three Beavers Named to Baseball America's Summer Prospects List

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State pitchers Josh Osich, Taylor Starr and Kraig Sitton have been named to the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League’s top 10 prospects list by the publication Baseball America.

Osich was named the second-best prospect in the league, while Starr, his teammate with the Corvallis Knights, was third. Sitton, a lefty who played for Spokane, was named the fifth-best prospect for his work done during the summer.

Osich finished the 2008 summer ball season with a 5-0 record in 13 appearances, seven of which were starts. He struck out 52 in 46 innings of work and posted a 1.96 earned run average. He was named the final WCCBL Player of the Week after striking out six in eight innings in the league’s championship game.

Said Baseball America about Osich’s summer: “Osich is big and physical at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, and he's a power pitcher, befitting his size. His fastball reached as high as 98 mph this summer and sat at 92-96 mph, even as a starter. Osich doesn't command his fastball yet but he's not a one-pitch guy, either, as his curveball is a power pitch at its best. His stats bear out his dominance; he was 4-0, 1.54 with 41 strikeouts in 35 innings, ranking third in the league in ERA and ninth in strikeouts.”

Starr, meanwhile, moved into the closer’s role for the Knights and had an outstanding summer, finishing with 10 saves and a 2.49 ERA in 21 appearances. He was named the top prospect at the WCCBL All-Star game. He struck out 28 in 25 1/3 innings over the summer.

Said BA of Starr’s summer: “Another Beaver with a big-time arm, Starr wound up with 10 saves on the summer after picking up a pair in helping Corvallis win the WCCBL championship. Like Osich, Starr had some impressive radar-gun readings, hitting 94 mph in the league all-star game and sitting in the 92-94 range this summer. His fastball also has above-average movement, as his two-seamer showed arm-side run in to right-handed hitters as well as some sink.”

Sitton, meanwhile, also impressed for Spokane over the summer, finishing with a 1-3 record and 4.41 ERA. He made eight appearances, starting seven, and struck out 32 in 32 2/3 innings.