Eleven To Join Oregon State In 2019

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State baseball head coach Pat Casey announced Monday that 11 student-athletes will join the program for the 2019 season.

A look at the 11 players to join the program:

Carter Booth – OF from Mill Creek, Wash.
Jayce Easley – IF from Glendale, Ariz.
Greg Fuchs – OF/C from Mercer Island, Wash.
Gavin Grant – IF from Puyallup, Wash.
Matthew Gretler – IF from Bonney Lake, Wash.
Jake Harvey – IF/OF from Kennewick, Wash.
Joey Mundt – RHP from Hughson, Calif.
Jake Pfennigs – RHP from Post Falls, Idaho
Beau Philip – IF from Sacramento, Calif.
Bret Soulages – RHP from Alamo, Calif.
Andrew Walling – IF/LHP from Longview, Wash.

"I'm excited to have this class become a part of Beaver Nation," Casey said. "These young men will provide us with a great balance offensively and defensively and on the mound. Not only do they excel on the field, but off it as well."

Six of the 11 have experience at the Area Code Games, with Soulages, Pfennings and Walling appearing at the esteemed prospect tournament twice. Walling, Gretler and Booth have all been teammates with the Royals team. Walling, Mundt and Soulages were teammates two years ago.

Carter Booth
Outfielder
6-0, 190
Bats-Throws: R-R
Mill Creek, Wash.
Henry M. Jackson HS

• Three-year letterwinner for head coach Kirk Nicholson.
• Area Code participant with the Royals.
• Has been a three-year starter for Henry M. Jackson High School. Named First-Team All-Area and First-Team All-League as a junior. Earned Second-Team All-League honors as a sophomore in 2016.
• As a junior, batted .487 with nine doubles, three triples, two home runs, 21 RBI and seven stolen bases. Totaled a 1.319 OPS.
• Batted .414 as a sophomore, collecting five doubles, three triples, one home run, 15 RBI and three stolen bases. Finished with a 1.124 OPS.
• Born June 15, 1999 in Oregon City, Ore.
• Father, Bob, played football at Sioux Falls College. Cousin, Jay, played football at Auburn. Cousin, Allie, played soccer at Utah.
• In the community: has helped deliver food baskets during Christmas and helped coach the local little league Challenger division.
• Chose Oregon State because "I really enjoyed the atmosphere the campus had to offer and I love how tight knit the community is."

Jayce Easley
Infielder
5-10, 150
Bats-Throws: S-R
Glendale, Ariz.
Sandra Day O'Connor HS

• Two-year letterwinner for head coach Jeff Baumgartner
• Named a First-Team all-conference selection in 2017.
• As a junior, batted .463 with two doubles, five triples, two home runs, nine RBI and 12 stolen bases. Also scored 33 runs and posted a .551 on-base percentage.
• Born August 2, 1999.
• Father, Damion, played in the Major Leagues for 17 years, from 1992-2008, for the California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets. He was a teammate of former Oregon State pitcher Eddie Kunz with the New York Mets in 2008.
• Brother, Nate, was a 23rd-round selection by San Diego in the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft from Yavapai College and spent the 2017 season with Single-A clubs Lake Elsinore and Ft. Wayne.
• Community service: helped with CLICK (helping special needs children play sports).
• Chose Oregon State because "it felt like the perfect fit for me to accomplish my goals as a student and an athlete."

Greg Fuchs
Outfielder/Catcher
6-1, 190
Bats-Throws: L-R
Mercer Island, Wash.
Mercer Island HS

• Two-year letterwinner for head coach Dominic Woody.
• Named First-Team All-State and First-Team All-League as a junior after batting .408 with five doubles, one triple, 24 runs batted in and five stolen bases.
• His .408 batting average as a junior led the Kingco conference.
• Will be a team captain as a senior.
• Batted .291 as a sophomore, adding one double, one triple, 10 RBI and a stolen base.
• Born May 6, 2000 in Miami, Fla.
• Biggest athletic thrill is playing in the 2012 Little League Regional Semifinals, appearing on ESPN.
• Member of National Honor Society and National League of Young Men.
• Served in the community by coaching flag football and serving as a student mentor and buddy to childen with special needs in high school.
• Chose Oregon State "because of the town, school and coaches. Corvallis is an amazing town and I absolutely love the school. Since the first day I met the coaching staff my mind was set on OSU. The coaching staff is unbelievable."

Gavin Grant
Infielder
5-11, 180
Bats-Throws: R-R
Puyallup, Wash.
Puyallup HS

• Three-year letterwinner for head coach Marc Wiese.
• Helped Puyallup to a 2017 state title and has led the program to division titles in all three seasons.
• Batted .276 with one double, two triples, 13 RBI and seven stolen bases as a junior.
• As a sophomore, in 2016, batted .303 with five RBI and six stolen bases.
• Born April 25, 2000 in Seattle.
• Works in the community by volunteer coaching youth baseball clinics in the summer and the winter.
• Chose Oregon State because of "the opportunity to play for one of the top teams in the nation, being close to home, the atmosphere, the players, coaches, and the great fan base OSU attracts."

Matthew Gretler
Infielder
5-11, 185
Bats-Throws: R-R
Bonney Lake, Wash.
Bonney Lake HS

• Three-year letterwinner for head coach Mike Olson.
• Area Code participant with the Royals.
• Ranked second in the state of Washington.
• As a junior, earned Puget Sound League MVP honors while also being named First-Team News Tribune and picking up the Silver Slugger Award.
• Batted .464 as a junior, collecting eight doubles, seven home runs, 23 RBI and 13 stolen bases.
• Named First-Team All-League as a sophomore, as well as First-Team News Tribune and earning Silver Slugger honors.
• Batted .419 as a sophomore, adding six doubles, four triples, six home runs, 21 RBI and six stolen bases.
• Named Rookie of the Year as a freshman, in addition to earning First-Team All-League honors and being named All-State.
• Batted .419 as a freshman, with six doubles, three triples, nine RBI and eight stolen bases.
• Born Dec. 28, 1999 in Tacoma, Wash.
• Brother, Michael, currently plays for the Oregon State baseball team.
• Community service: often participates in Beautify Bonney Lake.
• Chose Oregon State because of "the fan support, atmosphere and winning tradition. Also, the coaching staff is filled with people who want to see you succeed."

Jake Harvey
Infielder/Outfielder
6-0, 155
Bats-Throws: R-R
Kennewick, Wash.
Southridge HS

• Three-year letterwinner for head coaches Tim Sanders and Eric Stark.
• Earned All-State honors as a junior after batting .516 with 12 doubles, five triples, 14 RBI and eight stolen bases. Also earned All-Conference First-Team honors and was named the MVP of the area.
• Also went 4-0 as a junior, posting a 2.30 earned run average in 11 games.
• Served as a team captain in 2017.
• As a sophomore, named second-team all-conference and second-team all-area.
• Batted .426 as a sophomore, collecting nine doubles, five triples, 19 RBI and 11 stolen bases.
• Born July 20, 1999.
• Community service: has volunteered his time at the Tri-City Cancer Center.
• Chose Oregon State because "I loved the campus and the way the coaches trusted me."

Joey Mundt
Right-Handed Pitcher
6-5, 225
Bats-Throws: R-R
Hughson, Calif.
Central Catholic HS

• Three-year letterwinner for head coach Danny Ayala.
• Area Code participant with the Athletics.
• Posted a 1-3 mark as a junior and 4-4 record his sophomore season.
• Born June 22, 1999 in Modesto, Calif.
• His brother, Johnny, played tight end at Oregon and currently with the Los Angeles Rams. His brother, Sam, is a pitcher at Utah. His father, John, played football at Fresno State. And his grandfather, Frank, played basketball at Iowa.
• Has been involved in student government all four years of high school.
• Created a program called "Kicks 4 Kids" that ran for three years during high school. Worked with the local school systems and identified "at needs" kids and created buying events where they could pick out new school shoes of their choice. Over his three years with the program, they were able to purchase more than 350 new pairs of shoes.
• Chose Oregon State because of "great baseball, great coaches and a school with an agriculture program."

Jake Pfennigs
Right-Handed Pitcher
6-7, 200
Bats-Throws: L-R
Post Falls, Idaho
Post Falls HS

• Three-year letterwinner for head coach Mick Zeller.
• Rated as the No. 1 prospect in the states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming by Baseball Northwest.
• Two-time Area Code participant, most recently with the Royals.
• During his career, has earned First-Team All-League honors and earned the League Pitcher of the Year award.
• Born Sept. 9, 1999 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
• Helps in the community every year by assisting at an event called "Holidays and Heroes." Assists families by wrapping presents, and gives them a full meal to take home for Christmas dinner.
• Chose Oregon State because "I have full trust in the coaching staff, program and academics to help me reach and maintain my goals."

Beau Philip
Infielder
6-0, 185
Bats-Throws: R-R
Sacramento, Calif.
Oak Ridge HS/San Joaquin Delta College

• Will enter Oregon State as a junior as he's in his second year at San Joaquin Delta College.
• As a freshman, batted .322 (59 hits) with nine doubles, three triples, three home runs, 43 RBI and 18 stolen bases. Named First-Team All-League and All-Nor Cal after the season.
• Two-year letterwinner for head coach Todd Melton in High School.
• Served as a team captain during his tenure at Oak Ridge.
• Earned First-Team All-League honors.
• As a senior, batted .306 with five doubles, two triples, 19 RBI and seven stolen bases.
• Batted .362 his junior year, adding four doubles, nine RBI and four stolen bases.
• Born Oct. 23, 1998.
• He and his family regularly donate their time during the holidays to help feed those less fortunate.
• Chose Oregon State because "it's where I've wanted to go since high school. The campus was everything I wanted."

Bret Soulages
Right-Handed Pitcher
6-6, 205
Bats-Throws: R-R
Alamo, Calif.
San Ramon Valley HS

• Two-year letterwinner for head coach Chris Declercq.
• Two-time Area Code participant with the Athletics.
• As a junior, picked up five wins while sporting a 2.13 ERA in 52 2/3 innings. Struck out 54.
• Also lettered in football.
• Born May 13, 1999 in San Ramon, Calif.
• Brother, Jeffrey, pitched at Cal State Fullerton from 2004-08.
• Community service: volunteered for Challenger baseball for two years. Helped disabled children aged 5-17 play the game. He said "it was very rewarding."
• Chose Oregon State because of "the elite baseball program, the college town feel, the accessibility to all sporting events, the peaceful surroundings and most of all, the integrity of the coaching staff, and positive influence I believe they will have on my development."

Andrew Walling
Infielder/Left-Handed Pitcher
6-2, 210
Bats-Throws: L-L
Longview, Wash.
R.A. Long HS

• Three-year letterwinner for head coach Mark Hulings.
• Area Code participant with the Athletics as a junior and Royals as a senior.
• Ranked second in the state of Washington and 285th nationally.
• Earned first-team all-league honors all three seasons at R.A. Long High School.
• Born Oct. 29, 1999.
• Cousin, Ryan Littlefield, played baseball at East Carolina from 2014-2017.
• Member of National Honor Society in high school, and on Honor Roll each year. Also an ASB leadership member.
• Has participated in multiple community food drives, and as a camp counselor at Longview Youth Baseball Camps.
• Chose Oregon State because "I saw it as a place I could easily live for four years. I was also drawn to the rich baseball culture and coaching staff."

For more information on the Oregon State baseball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/BeaverBaseball, by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateBaseball or on Instagram at Instagram.com/BeaverBaseball.

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