Oregon State had just completed a three-game series at Nebraska and was waiting out a four-hour delay in the Denver airport. For Oregon State, Cal, UCLA and other West Coast teams, this year of realignment has brought a constant grind to remain at the highest levels of college athletics. So, after seeking out the viability of affiliate membership elsewhere, Oregon State made a bold decision: it went independent. Many preferred to keep their bye weeks at home, leaving Oregon State with little leverage to bring opponents to Corvallis. That tradition has carried on under Canham, a former Oregon State catcher who played on the 2006 and 2007 title-winning teams.