Ethan Kleinschmit paves path from small-town standout to Oregon State
Ethan Kleinschmit serves as the ace pitcher on No. 7 Oregon State. He's leading the Beavers' playoff charge with MLB chatter in the back of his mind.
CORVALLIS — The small town of Mount Angel is watching its star athlete develop into one of the nation’s top talents. Ethan Kleinschmit, Oregon State baseball’s ace pitcher, is leading the Beavers’ charge into the 2026 NCAA postseason. Kleinschmit featured as the lead man on Kennedy High School’s back-to-back OSAA 2A/1A baseball state championships in 2022 and 2023.
As a junior at OSU he has blossomed into one of the best pitchers the mid-valley has seen. Kleinschmit has made it to the top of college baseball and is even making noise as a Major League Baseball draft prospect, but it’s been quite a meticulous, planned journey to get here. Kennedy baseball coach Kevin Moffatt and OSU pitching coach Rich Dorman both recall Kleinschmit’s plan, dating back to as early as his sophomore year of high school.
It took him from Kennedy, to Linn-Benton Community College in Albany for a year, to Oregon State. “He did it the right way,” Moffatt said. “He had a plan.
He went and got coached up at (junior college) and got to be the guy … and when he gets the chance he’s going to show you what you can do, and he has. ” Moffatt, who was at the helm for the state title winning teams, had a front row seat during Kleinschmit’s tenure in Mt. Angel; and he said Kleinschmit’s impact on the community is immeasurable.
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