Oregon State's Ethan Kleinschmit (24) delivers a pitch against Minnesota on Feb. 23. (Courtesy photo/Hank Hager/Oregon State Athletics

From the small town of Mount Angel to the national stage, Ethan Kleinschmit has made the most of his inaugural season with Oregon State baseball.

The Kennedy High School graduate and former 2A state player of the year has journeyed down the Willamette Valley and achieved a dream many local kids share: wearing the orange and black and competing for the Beavers.

The left-handed pitcher has delivered a solid debut campaign, notching eight wins and four losses thus far as a key part of the rotation for the 10th-ranked Beavers. In his Division I debut, Kleinschmit dominated Indiana, tossing six no-hit innings with five strikeouts to earn his first career win in a 6-0 shutout.

Kleinschmit followed his stellar debut with multiple solid outings, including another standout performance against San Diego, where he went 5.2 innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out six.

“Outstanding,” said Oregon State head coach Mitch Canham following the Beavers win against San Diego. “He did a great job just moving the fastball, continuing to throw strikes.”

Kleinschmit arrived in Corvallis after an impressive 2024 campaign at Linn-Benton Community College, where he was named National Pitcher of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings. In 13 starts, he struck out 120 batters in 78.1 innings, recording a microscopic 1.03 ERA and a WHIP of just 0.70.

Though he flew under the radar during his high school recruitment, Kleinschmit is quickly proving he belongs on one of college baseball’s top teams. His poise, pitchability and developing arsenal have made him one of the most pleasant surprises this season.

Back home, his alma mater, Kennedy High School, is also having another strong baseball season, a testament to the program and head coach Kevin Moffat, who helped launch Kleinschmit’s rise.

Kleinschmit was a part of Kennedy’s historic 31-0 2023 season that tied the state record for most wins in one season without a loss and went on to win the 2A state championship.

As the Beavers head into the final stretch of the regular season, they seem to be regaining momentum after early road struggles and last month’s sweep at the hands of rival Oregon.

A recent 3-1 road series win in Hawaii signals the team may be peaking at the right time, with Kleinschmit poised to contribute in a postseason push.