EAGLE POINT — Amidst the rain-swept greens and the ominous black clouds lurking overhead, Bob DeCarolis found plenty of reasons to smile Tuesday as he strolled off Eagle Point Golf Course.

After all, the Oregon State University athletic director, who had just finished a round of 18 at the Beavers’ fundraising tournament, has witnessed on his watch one of the most successful spring seasons in Oregon State history.

"If you look at it," DeCarolis said, "we had baseball, softball and the women’s golf teams all do very well.

"We’ve had a remarkable run."

OSU became the only school in the country to place both its softball and baseball programs in the College World Series, while the women’s golf team took 13th recently at the West Regional.

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The softball team dropped both its games at the College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla., two weeks ago.

Coach Pat Casey and the eighth-ranked Beavers baseball squad will continue their postseason run on Saturday at the eight-team, double-elimination College World Series in Omaha, Neb. OSU opens with 24th-ranked Miami at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Oregon State (44-14) won the Pacific-10 Conference title and qualified for the World Series for the second straight season after sweeping a best two-of- three Super Regional series from Stanford Sunday.

"My hats off to Casey and the kids," said DeCarolis. "Last year they snuck up on people, but there was no doing that this year. Teams were ready for them."

The OSU roster, which had nine players taken recently in the Major League Draft, has 25 players with ties to the state of Oregon, including Ashland’s Bill Rowe and Central Point’s Ryan Gipson.

"That says something about the talent level in the state of Oregon," DeCarolis said. "It’s one thing if you’re from the Pacific Northwest and you get a chance to play at the World Series, but it’s something else when you go two straight years. That shows what type of program Pat has built."

DeCarolis expects the fall season to bring the same level of excitement for Beaver Nation.

The football team returns senior quarterback Matt Moore, starting tailback Yvenson Bernard and strong safety Sabby Piscitelli.

OSU also welcomes back Roseburg High graduate Joe Newton, a tight end who missed last season with a leg injury.

The Beavers made more news off the field when it was announced the Civil War game with the University of Oregon will be moved to a Friday (Nov. 24).

The 110th Civil War will air on Fox Sports Northwest at 12:30 p.m. to a national audience.

"Once we moved to a 13-game schedule," said DeCarolis, "we wanted to move the game back. It’ll be nice for the players and the fans to be able to play for a national audience.

"The game could mean something in terms of the higher level of bowl structure. I think the TV people felt that, too."

Reser Stadium, OSU’s home turf in Corvallis, will move into Phase II of its renovation process following the season.

The $80 million Phase I was completed last fall. The new improvements, estimated at nearly $30 million, will add a new JumboTron and a larger weightlifting facility, among other amenities.

"It’s a project that’s building a lot of enthusiasm and momentum," said DeCarolis. "All that has kept me pretty busy."

Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail kgoff@mailtribune.com.