OMAHA, Neb. — Mitch Canham said he feels he’s been unlucky at the plate, so he was not concerned about his offensive slide in the postseason.

Oregon State’s catcher has been in the middle of the lineup, and delivered much of the year.

He’s hitting .321 with 10 home runs and 57 RBIs. However, his postseason average is only .214 (9-for-42).

“I felt I hit the ball hard a few times (Monday),” Canham said. “I don’t see myself in any kind of slump. I’m having the same kind of at-bats. Sometimes I find a hole, sometimes I can’t.”

He didn’t need to find a hole Wednesday in a 7-1 victory over UC Irvine, he powered the ball through them. Canham was 3-for-5 with his first home run since May 18, and three RBIs.

“I wasn’t worried about it,” Canham said. “I knew I would be on first game again, or rounding all of them.”

During the season the Beavers gave him a break with Erik Ammon behind the plate. Canham would take the day off or be the designated hitter.

However, at the end of the season he’s not coming out of the lineup. His leadership, defense and the way he handles the pitchers mandates him being behind the plate.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m hitting .100 or .500, as long as we are winning it don’t matter,” Canham said.

He’s trying to savor the last week playing for the Beavers. The fourth-year junior was a first-round selection in the major league draft by the San Diego Padres.

Canham plans to sign a pro contract soon after the CWS. He should report to the Eugene Emeralds, the Padres’ short-season Class A Northwest League affiliate.

“It’s just as much fun it has been the last couple years,” Canham said of this year’s postseason run. “It’s the best experience any of us achieved in baseball, so far.”

On the hop

Center fielder Chris Hopkins has quietly been an important part of OSU’s success. The leadoff hitter creates offense, and his speed helps him cover ground on defense.

He’s part of the CWS surge by the hitters, going 4-for-12 in the last three games and 11-for-40 in the postseason. He’s hitting .260 for the season.

“We just felt good and we came out ready to play,” Hopkins said of the offense in the CWS. “Our bats are hot.

“We are just going to play hard. It’s just one of those things that happen. We have confidence, too.”

With a team-leading 16 stolen bases, his base running puts pressure on opponents. He’s willing to steal at any opportunity; he had one against Arizona State on Monday but was caught stealing against Irvine.

“They gave me the green light again,” Hopkins said. “If I get the green light, I’m going to take it.”

His speed helped score the first run of the game. He scored from second on a ground ball to third when Tyler Vaughn’s throw drew the first baseman off the bag, allowing Hopkins to reach home.

Barney nears record

Shortstop Darwin Barney is one hit away from tying Jacoby Ellsbury’s (2003-05) school record for career hits.

Barney has 235 after going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored against Irvine.