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.

(This story was updated to include new information)

Salem Police responded Friday afternoon to a report of a deceased man found downtown in the alley between Capitol Tower and Wild Pear at State Street and Liberty Street SE.

Police responded to the call shortly before 2 p.m., according to Salem Police spokesperson Angela Hedrick.

The area is near many shops and restaurants. The alley between Capitol Tower and Wild Pear was blocked off by about 10 police cars.

State Street was closed between Commercial Street SE and Liberty Street SE. The lane from Liberty Street SE to Commercial Street SE remained open.

The entrance to Capitol Tower was tapped off. Wild Pear was also closed.

Officers remained on the scene Friday afternoon. A police officer could be seen looking out of one of the top floor windows of Capitol Tower.

The Marion County Medical Examiner was also on scene.

A white sheet had been placed in front of the alley.

Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk

Police in Tigard, Oregon, are investigating gunshots fired at a Tesla dealership overnight, one of several recent incidents targeting Tesla dealerships that, police say, are politically motivated. The latest incident occurred at about 1:46am Thursday, the AP reports. Surveillance footage indicates at least seven shots were fired, damaging three cars and breaking windows. One bullet pierced an office wall, hitting a computer monitor in the unoccupied building. Tigard police are collaborating with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives; there is not yet a description of a suspect or suspects. Other recent incidents include:

• A woman in Colorado faces charges for alleged vandalism at a Tesla dealership last week, including throwing Molotov cocktails and spray-painting “Nazi cars” on the building.
• Earlier this month, police in Salem, Oregon, arrested a man after Molotov cocktails were thrown at another Tesla dealership.

Protests have also been held at Tesla dealerships in response to the actions by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, KATU reports. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)