[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12655-12656]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY NCAA DIVISION I BASEBALL CHAMPIONS

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, in the midst of all the serious business 
that is before the Senate, I and my good friend from Oregon, Senator 
Smith, wanted to take a few minutes tonight and talk to the Senate 
about the great pride and joy that Oregonians are feeling tonight as a 
result of our terrific Oregon State Beavers who have won the college 
world series.
  Showing incredible determination, they would not give up spirit. 
After losing their first games in both the tournament and in the 
championship series, the players at Oregon State and the coaching staff 
came back. They came back to be the first team since 1998 to lose their 
first game and go on to win the college title.
  Senator Smith and I are especially proud because in this day of 
professional sports seeming to be part of every college environment, 
most of these players are from Oregon. They come from almost every nook 
and cranny of our State. They come from the Pacific Northwest, and they 
represent the best values of our State--particularly hard work and a 
sense that if you just stay at it and you are persistent, you can get 
the job done.
  We want to salute all the players, and particularly three we are 
going to be losing--three star pitchers: Jonah Nickerson, Dallas Buck, 
and Kevin Gunderson. They are going on to play professional next 
season. But we are going to be back in that world series next year.
  I get a chance, along with my colleague, to enjoy so much that makes 
our State special. We try to team up on a bipartisan basis on some 
issues. But we are particularly thrilled as Oregonians' two U.S. 
Senators to make sure that the country sees that when you work hard, 
you play by the rules, and you don't give up, nearly always good things 
happen.
  Tonight, Oregonians are wearing the orange and black of the Beavers.
  I want to yield the rest of my time to my friend and colleague 
because, as Oregonians' two U.S. Senators, we are savoring this moment 
along with more than 3 million people who represent our State. I yield 
the remainder of my time to my colleague.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon is recognized.
  Mr. SMITH. Thank you, Mr. President.
  I rise proudly with my colleague, Senator Wyden. We are proud 
Oregonians every day but especially this day as we celebrate the great 
accomplishments of the Beavers of our State.
  I suppose we are honorary members, neither of us having attended 
Oregon State, to be now members of ``Beaver Nation,'' as it is known 
locally.
  These great players, these great young men, overcame all the odds to 
win the college world series and become the NCAA Division I Baseball 
Champions. In doing so, the Beavers not only brought home to OSU its 
first NCAA championship in any sport since 1916, they also became the 
first northern climate team to win the college world series.
  We are very proud of them. They did it with a team full of young men 
from

[[Page 12656]]

the greater Pacific Northwest, many of them from Oregon.
  Under the leadership of their coach, Pat Casey, OSU made ``Beaver 
believers'' of many people--virtually all of Oregon. I think all of 
Oregon was tuned in yesterday to see their thrilling 3-to-2 victory.
  While at the college world series in Omaha, they played eight games, 
and in six of those games they knew if they lost they went home. Well, 
they kept winning against all odds, and they come home to Corvallis, 
OR, champions of this great sport.
  I suppose one of the things I look forward to is every year it seems 
as if an Oregon team gets to participate in what has become a White 
House tradition. That is when they meet with the President of the 
United States. I look forward especially this year to being able to not 
just congratulate the Oregon State University Beavers for this 
remarkable accomplishment, I look forward to escorting them with my 
colleague, Senator Wyden, to the White House to meet America's No. 1 
baseball fan, President Bush, for this great traditional ceremony of 
honoring the NCAA champs.
  I stand before you, Mr. President, a ``Beaver Believer'' and thankful 
for the good job they did in bringing such distinction to our State.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, Senator Smith said it very well.
  I wanted to wrap up by noting a comment from pitcher Dallas Buck, who 
was the winning pitcher in the championship game.
  When asked about why he stayed at Oregon State instead of going pro 
out of high school, I quote: ``Best decision I ever made.'' And we 
happen to think that is the best decision a lot of young people are 
making in our State, to go to Oregon State University. It is a 
wonderful university, both for sports and academics.
  We are going to salute them, as Senator Smith has indicated, when we 
get a chance to join them at the White House with the President. That 
is what makes this so special for us.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio is recognized.

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