Oregon State's Joey Wong throws to first base for a double play after forcing out Cal State Fullerton's Chris Jones at second base during a game in the 2007 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. 

The Oregon State baseball coaching staff has said goodbye to one of the most beloved figures in program history … and said hello to one of the most beloved figures in program history.

The Beavers have hired Joey Wong as an assistant coach, bringing the one-time Oregon State player and undergraduate assistant coach back to Corvallis in a permanent role. Wong will work primarily with the Beavers’ defense, serving as the team’s de facto defensive coordinator, but he also will assist with hitting and contribute to the coaching staff’s recruiting efforts.

“The guy bleeds orange and black,” OSU coach Mitch Canham said. “This is where he developed as a player, he came back to this area and he loves this place. He knows the Northwest very well, knows the ins and outs of recruiting around here, and will be a great addition to our staff.”

Wong — who was head coach of the Bend Elks for the last two seasons — played three seasons in the middle infield at Oregon State from 2007-09, batting .262 with 114 runs scored and 20 doubles in 175 games. He started at second base as a freshman on the team that won the College World Series. During the championship run, Wong turned perhaps the most memorable double play in program history, gathering a ball from Darwin Barney at second base and heaving an acrobatic, sidearm bullet to first base during a game against Cal State Fullerton in Omaha.

Fittingly, Wong’s arrival at Oregon State comes via another assist from Barney, who had been an assistant coach for the Beavers the previous three seasons.

Barney was an integral part of the staff under Canham, but he technically served as a volunteer assistant because, before July 1 of this year, the NCAA permitted schools to fund only two assistant baseball coaches. What’s more, Barney and his family live in the Portland area.

So the OSU legend and former Major League Baseball Gold Glove winner had been making the arduous commute back and forth, sometimes sleeping on a couch in the Beavers’ clubhouse in between drives. After three years — and with four young kids at home — Barney decided it was time for a change.

When the NCAA approved the addition of a third paid assistant coach heading into the 2023-24 school year, it opened the door for Canham to make a new hire. He turned to Wong.

Not only did the two play together on the 2007 championship team, they also crossed paths regularly in the minor leagues, where they both played and where Canham started his coaching career. Wong played in 817 professional games, including 130 at the Triple-A level, most recently with Las Vegas in 2018.

“Our relationship started when we played together and continued throughout his playing days as a professional,” Canham said. “Everyone considers Joey to be one of the more respectful people in the game. How he treats people. His work ethic. He’s so well-liked. And on top of it, he also has a fiery demeanor when he needs to.”

After his playing career, Wong landed at Oregon State as a graduate assistant coach on Canham’s staff, working for two years alongside his old double-play partner Barney. In 2021, under Wong and Barney’s tutelage, the Beavers finished with a school-record .982 fielding percentage. Wong went on to coach two seasons at Seattle University under coach Donny Harrel.

“Donny raved about what a wonderful job Joey did up there and how much he helped them improve,” Canham said. “Not just every year, but every day. He showed up and poured into the guys, helping them with baseball and as people, too.”

Wong grew up in Salem and graduated from Sprague High School, where, as a senior, he quarterbacked the football team to a state championship and captained the baseball team to a state title. Now, after a 10-year professional career and a couple years in Seattle, he and his family — which includes wife Aubrie, daughter Jett and son Bo William — are finally returning to his roots.

“It has always been our dream to come back home to the Beaver baseball family,” Wong said in a release. “We are blessed and honored by this opportunity, and committed to giving all we have for Beaver Nation on and off the field.”