Oregon State takes on Oregon in nonconference Civil War matchup Tuesday night in Eugene

Tuesday’s nonconference matchup against Oregon might not impact the Pac-12 standings, but it will have an effect on No. 2 Oregon State’s chances at earning a national seed in the postseason.

At No. 2 in the nation in the majority of polls and having accumulated a 34-8 record (17-4 Pac-12), the Beavers are in a good position to earn home-field advantage throughout the postseason. But with three games against defending national champion UCLA and No. 7 Washington around the corner, OSU’s remaining nonconference games — two against Oregon and one against Portland — are as important as ever.

The Beavers aren’t treating Tuesday’s contest any differently than a Pac-12 game.

“They all count at this point,” said junior left fielder Michael Conforto before the Cal series this past weekend. “We learned last year how important home field is in the playoffs and we hope to have it again this year. If we play one game at a time, one pitch at a time, we should be in a position to have that at the end of the year.”

Oregon State swept three games against the Ducks two weeks ago in Goss Stadium. The Beavers’ starting pitching was dominant, as the entire pitching staff allowed just four runs in the three games, but OSU will likely use a different starter than the three who pitched in that series (Ben Wetzler, Andrew Moore and Jace Fry).

Freshman Jake Thompson is the likely candidate, having started five nonconference games this year, going 3-0 with a 3.33 earned run average, but senior Scott Schultz — normally the first man out of the bullpen — could throw considering the postseason implications the game provides. Schultz has started four games this year in 18 appearances.

The Beavers will have to contend with an Oregon team that is hungry to exact revenge after OSU swept them. The Ducks were the No. 19-ranked team in the nation entering the three-game slate, but were dropped from the top 25 for the first time this season and are currently unranked.

There’s no doubt Oregon would enjoy returning the favor with a win, potentially dropping OSU down in the national rankings.

“We have a target on our back and we know that,” Conforto said. “We’re going to get teams’ best shot, so we can’t relax in any game. We want to play every game and every inning like it’s the College World Series and the championship is on the line.”

OSU returns home following the Civil War matchup with a three-game conference series with UCLA.

Before that, however, the Beavers face Oregon in the fourth of five meetings this season, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday night in PK Park. The game will be aired on Pac-12 Networks.

Andrew Kilstrom, sports editor

On Twitter @AndrewKilstrom

sports@dailybarometer.com