Oregon
Nelson Keljo, Trent Caraway carry No. 8 Oregon State baseball to win over San Diego with career nights
CORVALLIS — After he tossed the final pitch of the longest and most dominant outing of his college career, Oregon State Beavers left-hander Nelson Keljo unleashed weeks of pent-up frustration.
He roared into the night sky. He flexed multiple times. He thumped his chest repeatedly.
And he did it all as he strutted to the home dugout at Goss Stadium, a winner for the first time as the Beavers’ ace.
“Sometimes,” Oregon State coach Mitch Canham said, “it’s good to end on a high note.”
Keljo earned his first win of the season, Trent Caraway had a career night at the plate and the Beavers had their way with the San Diego Toreros, rolling to an 11-3 win before 3,754 in the home opener in Corvallis.
There was a lot to like about the No. 8 team in the nation on Friday night.
The Beavers scored runs in six different innings and finished with 14 hits, including eight that went for extra bases. Four players had multi-hit efforts, seven drove in a run, and all nine starters reached base, as Oregon State (8-3) punished the San Diego (2-11) pitching staff.
But on a night that so many did so much, it was the start by Keljo and the fireworks by Caraway that sparkled most on a picture-perfect early spring night in the Willamette Valley.
And for Keljo, who had labored through three up-and-down starts this season as he transitioned into the Beavers’ Friday night starter, it was — in his mind — about time. The 6-foot-4 left-hander allowed just four runs and six hits, while striking out 12 against Xavier, Virginia and Baylor. But he also didn’t make it past the fourth inning, coughing up an alarming 10 walks. He was solid … but not sensational.
So, after the Beavers returned to Corvallis from their season-opening 10-day trip, the former reliever sat down with pitching coach Rich Dorman and evaluated everything. They watched film of every inning of Keljo’s first three starts. They chatted about his pregame routine. And, perhaps more than anything, they went deep on the inconsistent results of his changeup and slider.
In his first three starts, Keljo said, he only threw his off-speed pitches for strikes 10% of the time, which led him to throw his fastball more than 70% of the time.
“The past few starts,” Keljo said, “it was pretty easy for hitters to just lay off the slider and changeup, because I couldn’t really land them in the zone. … Whenever I would throw (an off-speed pitch), it was pretty much an auto ball, so I would already get behind in the count. And I work best working ahead in the counts, getting to two strikes on guys.”
He looked like a different pitcher against San Diego. Keljo worked ahead in the count, throwing first-pitch strikes to nine of the first 12 batters he faced. He controlled the zone, facing three-ball counts on just two batters. And he located his off-speed pitches with remarkable precision.
The result: dominance. Keljo recorded eight strikeouts and allowed just one hit — an infield single — and two walks during five scoreless innings, breezing to his first win of the season. He finished with career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched.
Keljo fanned five of the first 10 batters he faced, then struck out the side in his final inning, mixing 95 mph fastballs with mid-80s sliders and changeups. After his last out in the fifth — a three-pitch strikeout against Aden Howard, he erupted with that burst of emotion, flexing and screaming his way off the field.
“My few starts this year, I’ve been pretty mellow,” he said. “I didn’t really have everything working for me, so it was kind of hard to get hyped up like that. But especially in front of the Goss crowd, it was super easy. It just happens. I just kind of get excited and pumped up, so yeah, that was super awesome. And I know the team likes to see that, too, so it’s good to get a Friday night win under our belt.”
It didn’t hurt that Keljo had Caraway hitting at the top of the order.
The sophomore third baseman finished 4 for 5 with a homer, three doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored, unleashing the loudest and most productive performance on a night so many OSU players excelled.
Caraway opened the third with a leadoff double, drove in a run with another double in the fourth and demolished a two-run homer in the sixth, sending a 1-0 fastball 421 feet into the parking lot beyond the bullpen in left field.
“The first pitch, he flipped a slider in, and I was like, ‘OK, this guy is not going to beat me, I’m going to just sit middle-middle with a heater,’” Caraway said, breaking down the at-bat of his homer. “He threw it there and I was just perfectly on time and ready to go.”
After Caraway hit the blast, he stood a couple feet away from home plate and watched the ball sail away, holding his bat, soaking in his first home run of the season.
“I knew it was absolutely gone,” he said. “I thought, ‘I might have to strut this one out a little bit, look at it.’”
But Caraway’s big night — which featured the most hits of his career, pushed his hitting streak to 11 games and equaled the school-record for doubles — wasn’t the only thing worth looking at Friday night.
Shortstop Aiva Arquette (2 for 5, double, two runs scored), designated hitter Tyce Peterson (2 for 4, triple, two runs scored) and right-fielder Easton Talt (2 for 4, double, 2 RBIs) had multi-hit efforts and center fielder Canon Reeder (1 for 3, two walks, two runs scored) had another strong showing.
All the while, the Beavers’ defense, which has been leaky of late, turned in multiple memorable plays. Reeder made a diving catch in the third, AJ Singer made a pretty ranging play at second base the same inning, chasing a grounder up the middle and throwing across his body to get the out, and catcher Wilson Weber completed a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play in the sixth.
It added up to more than enough on a night Keljo finally pitched beyond the fourth inning and earned his first win of the season.
“He had a huge smile on his face,” Canham said of his Friday night starter. “And that was what he wanted. He goes, ‘I’m sick of three-, four-inning (outings). I want to go out there and go deeper into it.‘
“Very encouraging. He just had a lot of confidence.”
Next up: The Beavers and Toreros continue their three-game series Saturday at 1:35 p.m. at Goss Stadium.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | @freemanjoe.bsky.social | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Every year, there are always a few recruiting races that are anything but normal. Twists and turns should be expected on the recruiting trail, but you can still always count on a surprise or two.
The Oregon Ducks have already landed four commitments along the offensive line in the 2027 recruiting cycle, most recently scoring three-star Lex Mailangi. The Ducks are still pushing for one more, however, and it’s the biggest of them all.
Five-star offensive lineman Ismael Camara has taken several visits to Eugene, including one earlier in the spring. However, the Texas star canceled his tour of official visits to finish high school early and give Gilmer High School his best effort on the field in the fall.
Those plans changed quickly when he opted to take unofficial visits to SMU and Texas in June. After once appearing to push his recruitment to the fall and commit closer to early signing day, it’s clear that Camara is now open for business, and he could be moving quickly toward a decision.
When Camara left Eugene in the spring, the Ducks were perceived as a favorite in the race. However, after spending time away and connecting with programs in his home state of Texas, Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman believes Texas is now in the lead, and was told by one of Camara’s family members that a commitment could be coming soon.
While the Longhorns are in charge, SMU, LSU, Texas A&M and Oregon all still remain involved. While he has been able to tour the Texas programs this month, Camara has remained in touch with the Ducks over FaceTime.
“Just fantastic coaches and options all around,” Camara’s guardian, Todd Robison, told Rivals. “We are also in touch regularly with Tennessee, LSU, A&M, and Alabama. He also has had very well-attended FaceTime calls with the entire staff at Oregon. He feels the love for sure.”
The Ducks still appear to be in good standing with Camara, but the inability to get him on campus this month is a big setback. Even if Camara does commit over the summer, the Ducks will likely push hard to get him back to Eugene in the fall for another visit. Don’t expect Oregon to give up on this race until pen hits paper on signing day.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Editor’s note: In 2016, WW expanded its Cheap Eats guide to include a road trip. We identified nine diners, food trucks and one boat worth a pit stop when journeying through Oregon. Since then, a few things have changed: Two of our picks have closed, as noted below, and you don’t need to travel to Medford to find an In-N-Out Burger. But maybe you should!
This list first appeared in the March 23, 1016, edition of WW.
TAQUERIA GUERRERO
508 E 1ST ST., NEWBERG.
Half tienda, half taco spot, Guerrero serves its street tacos and huge mojado burrito ($8.95) with handmade tortillas that shame almost anything in Portland.
JOE’S DONUT SHOP
39230 PIONEER BLVD., SANDY.
This 40-year-old candy-striped dough den offers a ridiculously rich cronut—that’s a fried croissant—fast service, and always-fresh doughnuts. It’s arguably the best doughnut shop in the state.
THE DINER
2580 SE STRATUS AVE., MCMINNVILLE.
The Diner makes one of the state’s greatest sandwiches—a fried-chicken club in which each layer is seasoned and housemade, and the middle slice of bread is replaced by the satisfying crunch of fried chicken.
EASTWIND DRIVE IN
395 WANAPA ST., CASCADE LOCKS.
The Eastwind is where Cheryl Strayed first tasted civilization after ending her long, long walk. The soft-serve ice cream is good enough for you, too, motherfucker.
BOWPICKER FISH & CHIPS
1634 DUANE ST., ASTORIA.
At this 28-foot converted gillnet boat, there are always 12 old men waiting in line for beautifully fresh-caught, hand-battered albacore tuna served with a raft of fries. Join them.
LOCAL BOYZ HAWAIIAN CAFE
1425 NW MONROE AVE., CORVALLIS.
A sweet shoyu chicken plate lunch will fill you up until dinner tomorrow. But broke high-school kids will buy rice for $1.50 just so they can douse it in the magical ginger-garlic-shoyu sauce.
IN-N-OUT
1970 CRATER LAKE HIGHWAY, MEDFORD.
With an address that already sounds like a road trip, the magnificent double-double has punctured the state line. Even from as far away as Portland, it beckons.
NOW CLOSED:
FAT FREDDY’S
6320 PACIFIC AVE., PACIFIC CITY.
After a brief hiatus best forgotten, Pacific City’s beachfront home of towering burgers and equally towering Tillamook ice-cream milkshakes returned two years ago to the sound of hardening arteries.
CORNBREAD CAFE
1290 W 7TH AVE., EUGENE.
It’s arguably Eugene’s best restaurant, and it’s also a perfect fit for the town—a vegan version of an old-school diner, complete with barbecued seitan and outrageously good greens.
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