Transfer Update: Oregon State baseball adds pair of southpaws

If there was a biggest need to be circled for the 2025 Oregon State baseball roster, it was left-handed pitching.

And in the run up to the Fourth of July holiday weekend, head coach Mitch Canham and his staff have added a pair of arms by way of the transfer portal to the mix as a solution.

Tanner Douglas, LHP

When Douglas puts on an Oregon State uniform for the first time, it'll be the third uniform he's worn in his college career. After spending his freshman season at Tacoma Community College in Washington, Douglas transferred to the University of Portland for his sophomore season and became one of the more important arms in the pen for a sneaky-good Pilots squad.

Douglas settled himself into a closer role for Portland in 2024, leading the team in saves with 10 and recording a perfect 4-0 record in decisions. He made 25 appearances and tossed 38 innings in total, recording a 3.32 ERA and striking out 24.1% of all batters he faced.

His go-to pitch is a fastball that sits in the upper 80 mph range with lots of run. Douglas also releases with a funky whipping motion from a sidearm slot and is an excellent defender on balls hit to the infield, as evidenced from this clip shared by Portland.

Douglas is currently pitching in the highly-touted Northwoods League for his summer ball with the Battle Creek Battle Jacks. He's made four appearances thus far, all of which have been starts. His first outing was his best, tossing four innings while allowing just three hits without a run getting across.

However, walks have been an issue for Douglas. He's allowed four walks in every single one of his four outings to this point and since his solid first start has allowed nine runs in just 5.2 innings of work.

As a Beaver, Douglas will likely stick in the bullpen. With 2024 Stopper of the Year finalist Bridger Holmes likely making the jump to pro-ball, a legitimate closer is on the list of needs for the 2025 season. Douglas has experience in the spot and will at least be someone who can be trusted in high-leverage situations if he can find more command over his arsenal.

Max Fraser, LHP

Lefties who wore purple in 2024 seemed to be the theme for Canham and his staff when recruiting, as they also brought on Max Fraser by way of the University of Washington.

Fraser comes with a big recruiting pedigree, but just seemingly couldn't put it all together for the Huskies in his freshman campaign. Coming out of Camas High School in Washington, Fraser was valued as the No. 3 overall left-hander and the No. 8 overall player in the state. He rounded out his freshman season having thrown 30.2 innings in 12 appearances and five starts, accumulating an 8.90 ERA.

The ERA is high, but Fraser showed flashes for Washington. His best outing of the season by far came against Portland on April 16, where he got the start and tossed five perfect innings against the Pilots. Despite not recording a strikeout, Fraser faced the minimum and earned the win.

Currently, he's pitching in the California Collegiate League for the Santa Barbara Foresters. He's recorded five appearances — all out of the bullpen — and thrown 13.2 innings of work. He's found much more success this summer, currently holding a 1-0 record, a 2.63 ERA with 16 strikeouts and earning a save.

Fraser is another arm who will likely stick in the pen, but does come with the past experience of being a midweek starter should Oregon State need to stretch someone out for that role.