Oregon State's Eddie Kunz has thrown only nine pitches in the College World Series so far, but he could have a big impact out of the bullpen in the Beavers' upcoming games.

OMAHA, Neb. – Forget about appearance. Eddie Kunz had a 90 miles-per-hour fastball.

That was in high school, when he stood 6 feet 3 and weighed 265 pounds.

”He was a big fat kid who couldn’t throw a strike,” said a smiling Dan Spencer, pitching coach for the Oregon State Beavers. ”But he committed himself. I’m so proud of Eddie, the steps he’s made in his career.”

Kunz, trimmed and fit at 6 feet 6 and 250 pounds, is OSU’s closer, with a fastball that at times reaches upward of 95 mph. He also mixes in a slider and a change-up.

”You don’t have that many guys out there at 95 mph with that kind of movement (on the ball),” Spencer said.

So far, Kunz has thrown only nine pitches for the Beavers in the 2007 College World Series. He faced two batters, giving up a single and then getting the final out to close a 3-2 victory over Cal State Fullerton in Oregon State’s CWS opener on Saturday.

Kunz, who lowered his earned run average to 2.91, didn’t pitch in Monday’s 12-6 romp over Arizona State – although he said he was prepared just in case the Sun Devils continued to rally in the late innings.

”I was definitely ready to go yesterday,” he said before the Beavers’ off-day practice Tuesday. ”In the mind of a closer, you have to be ready every day.”

Meanwhile, he has developed confidence in his own ability.

”I think I’ve done very well,” Kunz said. ”I’ve been more consistent with my pitches.”

He has a 3-1 record with a dozen saves in 30 appearances this season for the 46-18 Beavers, the defending CWS champions.

”It’s definitely satisfying, and I feel really good about our season,” he said, referring to the team’s third consecutive berth in the CWS. ”A lot of people didn’t have confidence in us.”

The junior right-hander isn’t planning to be with the Beavers next season, hoping to sign with the New York Mets after the CWS.

”That’s a long way off and I’m not thinking about that,” said Kunz, a two-way end in football and a center in basketball at Parkrose High School in Portland. ”But I’m definitely ready to go. It’s been my dream. Ever since I was little, I wanted to do it.”

Has he heard from the Mets, who selected him in the first round of this month’s draft as the 42nd overall selection?

”Besides congratulations and good luck in Omaha, that’s about it,” Kunz said.

OSU coach Pat Casey said he remembers watching the then-huge Kunz pitch in the final game of a summer program in Portland. The bases were loaded and, Casey said, the umpire made ”a horrible call” – and the winning run was walked home.

”Eddie walked off the field and as he got to the chalk he threw his glove right over the backstop,” Casey said. ”I thought, ‘Wow, is this guy going to be fun to work with.’ ”

That’s all in the past, and today Kunz will be ready to go for Oregon State with a berth in the championship series on the line. If the Beavers lose today, they get one more shot Thursday night.

”He’s made a lot of progress,” said OSU catcher Mitch Canham, who also was drafted in the first round (57th overall, by San Diego). ”Before, I didn’t know where the ball was going. Now I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.

”He’s got a lot of arm strength.”

Enough, Spencer believes, to get him to the major leagues.

”He’s going to have a nice bank account,” Spencer said, ”and a nice big-league career.”

Notes: Eric Sogard, the Arizona State third baseman from Medford, was impressed with OSU starter Mike Stutes, who threw six-plus innings and allowed only three singles to the Sun Devils before tiring. ”He really started out hot,” Sogard said. ”He had some good stuff (Monday).” … Shortstop Darwin Barney and several teammates and coaches repeated the message that the Beavers have been much better in the postseason than they were on the weekend they were swept by ASU at home in May. ”We’re not the same club,” Barney said. ”We were in a little skid at the time.” … There will be no letting up by the Beavers while knowing they need only one victory to get to the best-of-three final. ”We’re going to keep the throttle down,” coach Pat Casey said. ”We’re going to come out and play hard.” … OSU players missed almost two weeks of school while participating in the NCAA tournament. Thus, 34 final exams had to be taken in Omaha. ”I don’t think people realize how difficult it is to be a student-athlete,” Casey said.

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Today: Oregon State vs. UC Irvine, 4 p.m., ESPN2