Oregon State Baseball Camps - Oregon State University

Oregon State Baseball Camps

Coaching Staff

Pat Casey, Head Coach

One would have to look no further than the past three seasons to understand the kind of impact Pat Casey has had on the Oregon State program.

Casey, now in his 14th year as the head coach of Oregon State baseball, has built the Beavers into one of the preeminent programs in the nation.

Over the last three seasons, not only have the Beavers won two straight national championships -- the first team to accomplish the feat in 10 seasons -- but Casey’s clubs have managed to win 145 games, go to three straight College World Series, have 21 players drafted by Major League Baseball clubs and post eight All-American selections.

Casey has built the Beavers into a national power by stressing leadership, team chemistry, a desire to succeed and a loyalty to playing baseball the right way.

His players succeed on and off the field. They work hard on the diamond and in the classroom, earning academic honors in addition to All-American honors. In 2007, Mitch Canham not only earned Louisville Slugger Second-Team All-American honors, he was also selected as OSU’s fifth Academic All-American. Canham was also one of two OSU players -- Eddie Kunz being the other -- to be drafted in the first round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, the first time two Beavers have had that distinction in the same year.

In 2007, Casey, his staff and the team’s players worked hard to build team chemistry, coming together at the right time for a second-straight national championship. Oregon State went an incredible 39-4 in non-conference games, including an 11-1 mark in the postseason. After losing their second game at the Charlottesville Regional, the Beavers went on a dynamic run, winning their last 10 games -- including five in Omaha -- to claim the national title.

"Not only did Oregon State become only the fifth school and the first in 10 years to repeat as national champions, but it also did it in dominating fashion. The Beavers won all five of their CWS games and trailed in only one of the 45 innings they played here," wrote ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach from Omaha.

"And Oregon State won it all again when it wasn’t even supposed to be here."

That title has thrusted Oregon State including NCAA baseball lore. The Beavers became just the fifth program to win back-to-back national titles, joining Texas (1949-50), USC (1970-74), Stanford (1987-88) and LSU (1996-97).

For his ability to mold the Beavers into the nation’s finest, Casey was again recognized as a national coach of the year, this time by Collegiate Baseball and the American Baseball Coaches Association. The honors comes a year after Casey was the consensus national coach of the year in leading Oregon State to its first title.

That 2006 title was just as special, as the Beavers became the first program from the Pacific Northwest to the NCAA Division I College World Series.

The 2006 Beavers had a storybook season, capped by a run through the CWS that saw them win six elimination games in Omaha to win the national championship. After being beaten by Miami (Fla.) in its opening game, OSU won four straight - including back-to-back shutouts of top-ranked Rice - to reach the championship series. In the best-of-three finals against North Carolina, OSU lost the opening game and trailed by five runs in the second game before rallying for wins of 11-7 and 3-2 for the title.

Oregon State’s 50-16 season set a school record for wins for the second straight season, and the Beavers refuse-to-lose style of play captured the hearts of not only those watching in Omaha, but college baseball fans across the nation.

After the 2006 season, Oregon State signed Casey to a new 10-year contract to guarantee his future in Corvallis. Casey had become an attractive candidate for coaching vacancies at a number of high-profile schools given the Beavers’ amazing success.

In retaining Casey, Oregon State instantly kept its most successful coach in Corvallis. It also allowed the Beavers to have the knowledge they have one of the most recognized coaches in the nation. In 2006, after winning the team’s first title, was Casey was recognized as the National Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).

In 2005, he was named the Pac-10’s Coach of the Year after guiding the Beavers to their first of two straight conference titles. He earned the honor again in 2006 with the second title. In both years, he was recognized as the ABCA’s West Region Coach of the Year.

With back-to-back titles comes increased exposure. For the second time under Casey’s tenure, Oregon State has expanded the Beavers’ home field, and both times, Casey has been a driving force behind the renovations.

In 1999, Oregon State expanded what is now known at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, adding increased seating, improved locker rooms and a full press box.

In 2007, it was announced Oregon State would expand Goss Stadium, just eight years later, adding approximately 1,000 more seats so that the Pac-10’s best fans would have a better chance to watch one of the nation’s top programs.

That expansion will be done in phases, with the right field stands expected to be finished in March of 2008 and the left field line in May. In addition to more seats, the expansion will allow for a Hall of Fame room in which the Beavers can celebrate the more than 100 years of baseball at Oregon State, improved concessions and merchandise areas as well as a an open club down the right field line.

And Casey and the Beavers have rewarded the fans with increased chances to watch the team play. In each of their three College World Series years, the Beavers played a super regional at venerable Goss, and it has paid off. Oregon State has gone 6-1 at super regionals in Corvallis, defeating USC, Stanford and Michigan.

In 2005 and 2006, Casey earned both the Pacific-10 Conference and NCAA West Region Coach of the Year honors for guiding the Beavers to back-to-back Pac-10 championships and berths in the CWS.

In 13 seasons at Oregon State, Casey has a 440-271-4 (.614) record with the Beavers and has 611 victories in 20 seasons as a collegiate head coach, ammassing a winning percentage of .614. In the 2008 season opener, Casey will coach in his 1,000th career game.

Since Casey became Oregon State’s head coach prior to the 1995 season, the Beavers have moved into a prominent position on the national scene.

OSU has had players earn spots on the USA Baseball national team three times, earn All-America honors 11 times, and had players taken in the top 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft 22 times - including first-rounders Jacoby Ellsbury in 2005 and Kunz and Canham in 2007. Ellsbury became Oregon State’s first former player to win a Major League World Series when he and the Boston Red Sox won their second title in four seasons in 2007.

In 2005, OSU had been picked to finish sixth in the Pacific-10 in the annual coaches poll; Casey guided the Beavers to the Pac-10 championship and the College World Series. OSU’s 46-12 record was a school record for wins in a season, the Beavers’ No. 7 finish in the the final polls was Oregon State’s highest ever, and OSU’s No. 2 ranking during the season was the highest it had ever climbed in the national rankings.

Casey was also named Co-Coach of the Year in the Pacific-10 Northern Division for the 1997 season, and the Beavers have set numerous school records during Casey’s time at OSU.

Casey was instrumental in the drive to build Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, the 1999 renovation to Oregon State’s longtime ballpark. The OSU head coach was heavily-involved in fundraising for the $2.3 million project; when the go-ahead was given for construction, he had a hand in the ballpark’s design to assure that it would be one of the most user-friendly facilities in college baseball. In 2002, the ballpark also received its first set of lights for night play.

For the 2007 season, a new scoreboard with video replay capabilities and a new FieldTurf infield were installed at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. In all, Casey has been a guiding force in each step of renovation at Goss, and those improvements have made the picturesque ballpark one of the finest in the nation and in the Pac-10.

Oregon State hired Casey in the summer of 1994, asking him to follow in the large footsteps of Jack Riley, who retired after 22 seasons as head coach.

Most of the key players from OSU’s 1994 Northern Division pennant-winning team had graduated, but Casey’s first season saw the Beavers battle to a winning record of 25-24-1 in 1995. That set the stage for one of the finest three-year runs in the long history of baseball at Oregon State.

In 1996, the Beavers posted a 32-16-1 record and went into the final weekend of the season with a chance to win the Pac-10 Northern Division pennant. In 1997, Oregon State set a school record for wins in the regular season with a record of 38-12-1 and took postseason hopes into the final weekend.

In 1998, Oregon State broke into the national rankings for the first time in four years and went 35-14-1. The season included series sweeps of Arizona, which was ranked in the top 10 at the time, and UCLA.

In 2001, Oregon State again made a strong bid for the postseason, finishing with a 31-24 record. OSU had five wins over teams ranked in the final Baseball Weekly/USA Today coaches poll of the regular season and had a 10-9 record against schools selected for the NCAA Regionals.

In 2004, OSU’s 7-0 start was the school’s best in 42 years. That team had a then-school-record six players selected in the MLB draft and another signed as a free agent, and it set the stage for the magic of 2005 and 2006.

Casey came to OSU after seven seasons at George Fox College, a NAIA school in his hometown of Newberg, Ore. Under Casey, the Bruins went 171-113-1 (.602) overall and were 155-54-1 against NAIA competition; they won three District 2 titles, five Metro Valley Conference titles and two Cascade Conference titles.

During his time at George Fox, Casey was named Coach of the Year three times in District 2, four times in the Metro Valley Conference and twice in the Cascade Conference.

Casey earned his bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from George Fox in 1990. He played for the University of Portland from 1978-80 and was a first-team All-NorPac Conference outfielder his final two seasons. He was a second-team All-Region selection in 1980. He also lettered in basketball one season.

After being drafted in the 10th round by the San Diego Padres in 1980, Casey played seven professional seasons. He reached Class AAA with the Calgary Cannons in 1985-86 and the Portland Beavers in 1987.

After concluding his professional playing career, Casey took over George Fox’s baseball program; while coaching the baseball team, he also played basketball for the Bruins while completing his degree.

Casey, 49, was born in McMinnville, Ore. He graduated in 1977 from Newberg High, where he starred in football, basketball and baseball.

Casey enjoys fishing, camping and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Susan, have four children - Jonathan (21), Brett (20), Ellie (16) and Joseph (9); Brett is currently playing baseball for OSU and has also played basketball for the Beavers.
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Pat Bailey, Assistant Coach

Pat Bailey is in his first season as an assistant coach at Oregon State after spending 12 seasons at George Fox, winning a Division III national title with the Bruins in 2004.

Bailey, 51, compiled a 353-158 record and earning National Coach of the Year honors after that 2004 national title. He was also named the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year eight times.

During Bailey’s tenure, the Bruins won or shared eight Northwest Conference titles. George Fox advanced to the NCAA tournament six times and to the NAIA playoffs twice before moving to the NAIA.

George Fox did not have a losing season during Bailey’s time at the school, and he is the winningest baseball coach in the school’s history. The Northwest Conference shifted from the NAIA to the NCAA in 2000, and since then the Bruins rank among the nation’s top 20 schools at that level in wins with a 215-94 record.

In 2004, Bailey’s team became the first George Fox squad in any sport to win an NCAA national championship. The Bruins went 40-10 overall, setting a new single-season record for wins and tying the record for best winning percentage at .800.

After tying for the 2004 NWC title, George Fox earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Bruins swept through four games at the NCAA West Regional in Orange, Calif., and then posted a 5-1 record at the Division III World Series in Appleton, Wis., beating Eastern Connecticut State 6-3 in the championship game. All nine of George Fox’s postseason wins came against nationally ranked teams, and four of its five wins in the World Series were against pitchers who were first- or second-team All-Americans.

Seven of Bailey’s George Fox players have signed professional contracts, including five members of the national championship team. His players earned 10 All-America honors and four Academic All-America honors.

Bailey has served as a rater on the NCAA Division III National Baseball Committee, which makes the selections for the NCAA tournament each year. At George Fox, he was also associate director of athletics, director of the Bruin Athletic Association for athletic support, chair of the school’s Sports Hall of Fame committee, and a teacher in the Department of Business and Economics.

Prior to arriving at George Fox, Bailey had been the head coach at West Linn High School in West Linn, Ore., for 10 years. The Lions reached the state championship game in his final season and made the semifinals on two other occasions; he was named league coach of the year four times. He stepped away from West Linn in 1992 to serve as the pitching coach at the University of Portland.

At West Linn, Bailey was also an assistant football coach and taught business courses. In 1994, he was named to Who’s Who Among America’s Outstanding High School Teachers; in 1995, he was one of 30 outstanding educators honored with a Education Excellence Award given by Associated Oregon Industries.

Bailey earned his business education degree from the University of Idaho in 1978 and his master of education degree in educational administration from the University of Oregon in 1983. Bailey earned two letters in baseball at Idaho and was the team captain; he began his college career with two years at North Idaho College.

Bailey graduated in 1974 from Moscow (Idaho) High School, where played football, basketball and baseball, being named the baseball team’s Most Valuable Player.

Bailey and his wife, Susan, have two children: son Alex, who played baseball for George Fox in 2003; and daughter Ann, a student at George Fox.
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Marty Lees, Assistant Coach

Entering his seventh season at Oregon State, assistant coach Marty Lees has made an impact with the Beaver program.

During Oregon State’s two national title runs and three straight visits to the College World Series, pitching and defense have been at the forefront. Lees has charged with overseeing the Beavers’ defense. And in 2007, the former Western Oregon pitcher added on the title of recruiting coordinator and watched as the Beavers incoming recruiting class was named third-best nationally by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball.

The team’s 2009 recruiting class, under Lees’ first full year as recruiting coordinator, was much heralded with four players in Baseball America’s top 100 high school players signing with the Beavers.

In 2007, en route to its second straight national title, Lees’ defense made school history for the third straight year. The Beavers posted a .977 fielding percentage -- second in the Pac-10 and second nationally -- just a year after posting a then-school record mark of .975. In 2005, Oregon State finished the season with a .969 fielding percentage, then a program best.

During that time, the Beavers have also increased their ability at turing two. In 2005, Oregon State turned 52 double plays. In 2006, that number jumped up to 62, while in 2007, the Beavers turned 69. In 2007, the team ranked 22nd nationally with 1.03 double plays turned per game

From 2005 through 2007, five starting OSU infielders who were eligible to turn professional were either selected in the Major League Baseball draft or signed free agent contracts with MLB teams - first basemen Andy Jenkins and Bill Rowe, second baseman Chris Kunda, shortstop Darwin Barney and third baseman Shea McFeely. Barney was a fourth-round selection by the Chicago Cubs in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.

The Pac-10 began its Defensive Player of the Year award in 2006, and the initial recipient was Kunda. The shortstop in 2005 and 2006, Darwin Barney, was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2005 and was selected to Team USA, the United States national team that plays an international summer schedule, in 2006.

Lees became a full-time assistant coach in 2004, having spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons as OSU’s volunteer assistant coach. In addition to overseeing OSU’s team defense, Lees supervises the Beavers’ baserunning and coaches third base.

Lees, 38, was on the Beavers’ staff while completing his standard teaching certification at OSU. He was also the athletic director and a teacher at Harrisburg High. He coached one of the state’s top American Legion programs, the Pepsi Challengers of Eugene. In 2002, the Challengers went 56-13 and Lees was named the Oregon AAA Legion Coach of the Year.

Lees became head coach at Harrisburg in 2000, taking a team that was 4-20 the previous season and going 20-6 in his first year. He also coached the Eagle girls basketball team to a league title and into the state tournament for the first time in 16 years. Before going to Harrisburg, Lees was head baseball coach at Oakridge High.

Lees played baseball at Western Oregon, once earning two wins in a doubleheader against Oregon Tech. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1994.

Lees also attended Lane Community College, playing baseball and basketball. He graduated from Lakeview High.

Lees and his wife, Kristy, have three sons, Brandon (8), Brady (6) and Jacob (2).
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David Wong, Volunteer Assistant Coach

David Wong is entering his third season as an assistant coach at Oregon State, and with it, brings a new challenge for the veteran coach at the collegiate level.

In 2008, Wong will be charged with overseeing the team’s pitching staff. After coaching first base the past two seasons, Wong makes the move to the mound.

Wong joined Oregon State’s staff for the 2006 season after guiding Willamette University in Salem, Ore., to a 287-221-3 record in NAIA and NCAA Division III play from 1991-2003. He is the winningest baseball head coach in WU history. The Bearcats won two Northwest Conference titles and reached the NAIA District 2 Championships several times.

Wong was an assistant coach at Willamette in 1985-86, then an assistant coach at Portland, an NCAA Division I school in 1987-88. He then spent two years at MacLaren School as a group life coordinator.

After signing with the Kansas City Royals, Wong played professional baseball for five seasons, advancing as high as Class Double-A. He was an all-star in the Gulf Coast and Florida State leagues.

Wong played football and baseball at Willamette from 1977-80, earning all-conference honors as a pitcher and defensive end; in 1979, he was a NAIA football All-American. At Damien Memorial High in Honolulu, Wong played football, soccer and baseball.

Wong is in the halls of fame for Damien, Willamette and NAIA District 2. He was Most Valuable Player of the 1988 National Baseball Congress World Series.

Wong returned to WU to complete his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and began coaching. He enjoys golf and watching sports. He was married to Denise in the offseason and has one son, Joey, 19.
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Scott Santschi, Undergraduate Assistant Coach

Former Oregon State outfielder Scott Santschi returns to Corvallis just a season after helping guide the Beavers to their second straight national title. Santschi, a Vancouver, Wash., native, will serve as the team’s undergraduate assistant coach this season.

Santschi spent two seasons playing for head coach Pat Casey, and in both seasons, the Beavers went to Omaha and claimed national titles. Over the two years, the outfielder played in 100 games, starting 71. He batted .282 over the two seasons, including a .309 mark as a senior. In two seasons in Corvallis, Santschi drove in 42 while finishing with 17 doubles, three triples and two home runs.

Prior to coming to OSU, Santschi played two seasons at the Community College of Spokane. He played two seasons of baseball at Skyview High School, where he earned all-league honors his junior and senior seasons.