CORVALLIS — Confidence has never been Dallas Buck’s problem.

The right-hander commands the mound nearly every game. He’s more than a hard thrower, understanding the art of pitching.

Buck knows how to win games, being the ace of the Oregon State baseball team’s staff the past two seasons.

And when the topic of next month’s Major League Baseball amateur draft comes up, the junior from Newberg is not concerned about his future.

Buck doesn’t wonder what round he’ll be selected, because he knows it’s going to be high. When he is picked, there won’t be any soul-searching to do.

He’s ready to move on to a new challenge, saying this is his last season with the Beavers.

“I’ve done everything I can,” Buck said. “It’s not up to me anymore. But, I’ll be taken care of.”

All it takes for Buck to realize his life is about to change is to glance at the wall of radar guns lined up before him each time he pitches.

Scouts follow him around to observe his work. More have come out to crosscheck the previous scouts. Clubs scrutinize the high-round picks, especially potential first rounders.

“He’s been a hot commodity since out of high school,” an area scout said. “He knows how to pitch and has command of his slider, maybe better than his fastball. I think he’ll go pretty quick.”

The attention given him hasn’t been a major distraction. Buck still remembers how he was pursued at Newberg High when the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in the 19th round.

He was protected from the scouts his first two seasons at OSU with Major League Baseball not allowed to draft four-year college players until after three seasons.

That’s what make the junior season crucial. With that pressure to perform on his shoulders, Buck has handled the mental aspect of the game better than ever before.

“I think early on there were times it bothered him,” coach Pat Casey said. “You feel you have to do something special when people are here, and you don’t. He just quit worrying about what everyone else wanted him to do, and is working on what he needed to do to be a better pitcher like mechanics, mental preparation and taking care of his body.”

Buck doesn’t agree with his coach’s assessment, mostly because that’s the bulldog he is when it comes to pitching. Buck’s a bottom-line guy, and he has produced with a 10-2 record with a 2.95 ERA.

He has performed with the Beavers and the highly-competitive Cape Cod League during the last two summers. That combination of experience, being a refined pitcher and hard thrower makes him stand out.

This season was about fine-tuning his approach and improving his mental game. He’s been known to pout on the mound when the game goes awry, but pitching coach Dan Spencer worked on that trait.

“Most of what he had to improve on was how people perceive him,” Spencer said. “He’s an emotional guy. We talked about how he can’t pout on the mound if you are having a bad inning. You can’t hang your head. You can’t be emotional in a negative way because your team is following you around. You have to carry them. He’s really responded to that. And that’s a fine line. Some of those emotional things you are trying to harness are what make you good.”

The most difficult time of the season was in the middle when questions arose about his velocity. He’s a low-to-middle 90-mph pitcher, but he was only in the high 80s.

Buck has pitched several innings in his life, 129 last season with the Beavers followed by a run in the Cape Cod League. It’s been almost year-round for him.

The only extended breaks he took were the first two falls and winter at OSU when he played football.

“He’s up and down in velocity,” the area scout said. “The velocity factor scares people when they see the velocity drop. Sometimes it’s 88, or 91 the next time. It could be because he throws a lot.”

When he wasn’t lighting up the radar guns, people wondered if he was hurt or just worn out. An MRI revealed he was healthy, Spencer said.

The velocity is creeping back up. Spencer believes once Buck takes a break between this season and signing his pro contract, his arm will be back to full strength.

“It happens to everybody,” Buck said. “If you throw that much, you probably won’t be the same next year. So I don’t know what’s all the fuss about a couple clicks of mph. I don’t think it matters.”

Buck just goes back to the bottom line. That means finishing the season in the College World Series.

The Beavers clinched a share of the Pacific-10 Conference title last weekend. They can claim sole possession of it Friday with Buck on the mound in the final week of the regular season against UCLA.

Also on the line is homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, starting with a regional the following weekend.

Buck came to OSU to improve his pro stock, be one of the few who played football and baseball in college and compete in the College World Series. Accomplishing those goals made his time here gratifying, but he wants that one last trip to Omaha before he says goodbye.

“Everything is going great, and we’re about to win the Pac-10 (outright),” Buck said. “You can’t ask for anything more than that. I thought about this being it, a little bit. And I know it’s time.”

By Cliff Kirkpatrick

For the Democrat-Herald