Travis Bazzana has been the ultimate leadoff man lately.
The Oregon State star will enter this week’s road series against Southern California having opened the last four games with home runs.
The Australian second baseman has 14 homers, ranking third in the nation and more than his 2023 total of 11. Eight of his homers have come in the last five games.
“I’m seeing it well, I’ve got a good feel for it right now,” Bazzana told reporters Friday. “If they’re going to pitch to me then I’ll swing. If they don’t, I’ll take the walks and run on them.”
The NCAA does not track consecutive games with a leadoff homer. Brady Anderson, in 1996, is the only major leaguer to have opened four games with home runs.
Bazzana’s overall offensive game is among the reasons he’s rated the No. 3 overall prospect for the 2024 Major League Baseball draft, according to MLB.com. His .581 on-base percentage, 43 hits, 23 walks and 36 RBIs lead the Pac-12. He also has six steals after setting a school record with 36 last season.
Bazzana homered to right to start a win over Portland on Tuesday and continued his streak in a three-game sweep of Washington. The leadoff homers against the Huskies went out to right Friday, to left on the first pitch Saturday and to right on Sunday.
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Tyler Malone, in 2018, was the last Oregon State player to go deep in five straight games.
IN THE POLLS
Arkansas (19-3) won two of three at Auburn and remains No. 1 in the D1Baseball.com and Baseball America polls. The Razorbacks had won 15 straight before losing 8-6 Saturday.
Oregon State (21-2) is No. 2 by D1Baseball and No. 3 by Baseball America after outscoring Washington 31-3 in its sweep.
Clemson is flip-flopped with Oregon State after taking three in dramatic fashion against previously unbeaten Florida State. The Tigers won the first game 15-5, overcame a seven-run ninth-inning deficit to win the second 9-8 and a nine-run six-inning deficit to win the third 14-12.
HOT HAGEN
Arkansas lefty Hagen Smith continues to be dominant. He struck out 12 in six innings in Friday’s 1-0 win over Auburn and is now 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 29 innings, and he has held opposing hitters to a .116 batting average. In his last five starts, he has an 0.32 ERA with 60 strikeouts.
SOONERS NO-HITTER
Braden Davis and Reid Hensley pitched Oklahoma’s first combined no-hitter since 2005 in a 13-0 home win over West Virginia on Friday. The two combined for 15 strikeouts with Davis striking out a career-high 12 over seven innings and Hensley fanning three.
West Virginia bounced back to sweep a Saturday doubleheader and win the series.
GAMECOCKS SWEEP VANDY
South Carolina bounced back from a series loss to Mississippi with its first sweep of Vanderbilt since 2009. The Gamecocks won 10-2 Sunday after freshman Tyler Pitzer struck out nine without allowing an earned run over 6 1/3 innings in his first start. The Gamecocks took a Saturday doubleheader 8-3 and 8-4.
Vanderbilt had entered the series on a 14-game win streak and a top-three ranking. South Carolina was rewarded with a No. 10 ranking by D1Baseball.
CLEANUP SPOT
Louisiana Tech’s Cole McConnell homered four times in a doubleheader sweep of Jackson State on Saturday, three times in the second game. McConnell was suspended for all but the first four games last season for violating team rules. He leads the team with a .376 batting average, 10 homers and 39 RBIs. … Rhode Island’s Michael Anderson drove in a national season-high 12 runs against Stonehill last Wednesday. He hit a grand slam and three-run homer to go with a triple and two doubles. … Appalachian State won a series against a top-15 opponent for the first time since 2012 by taking two of three from Coastal Carolina.
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