Padres' pick is man for all seasons

OMAHA -- At first glance, Oregon State catcher Mitch Canham appears to be the quintessential all-American boy. And he is -- to an extent.

Since he came to Oregon State three years ago, Canham has been spitting raps about the Beavers' baseball team. Anthems like "O-State Ballaz" have blared on the public address system at home games, and he has a new song he hopes will be played during the College World Series finals against North Carolina.

"He's a great rapper," freshman pitcher Jorge Reyes said of Canham, the Beavers' subdued version of Eminem. "Him and Darwin (Barney) have about seven songs out now."

Canham's passion for dropping lyrics like they're hot is certainly unique, but it is not his defining characteristic. He is a man of many talents and possesses attributes from some of today's most accomplished athletes.

Canham has the charisma of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. His ability to effectively command his younger teammates is reminiscent of Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. And while Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn provides down payments on houses for single mothers, Canham is busy sandblasting two-by-fours and building houses for Habitat for Humanity.

Only when he's done with all those things -- and finding time to study (he has the highest GPA on the team) and play baseball (his 10 home runs are tied for tops on the team) -- does Canham have time to work on his verse.

"Not only is he a great leader on the field, but he's a great leader off it," said Reyes, Canham's roommate. "He does millions of things. He even received an award for his business class and he's also on the SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee).

"He just tries to do so much and he gives so much to all the people that support him. The things he does make him a great person."

On the field, Canham's contributions have been huge. He's second on the team in RBIs (57) and batting (.321) and leads the Beavers with a .525 slugging percentage. But those are just numbers.

Facing UC-Irvine for the right to play in the finals, Canham found the perfect time to break out of a 24-game homerless drought. He crushed a two-run blast in the bottom of the third inning and Oregon State never looked back in a 7-1 win.

That night typified Canham's leadership-by-example attitude. When the Beavers, who returned only four starters from last year's championship team, were in the midst of a late-season slump, Canham never complained. Instead, he played as hard as he could every night. His teammates, noting Canham's confidence, began to emulate his approach.

"When you're going through skids like we had in the middle of the season, he's a guy that picks you up and tells you to keep going -- keep working hard and give your best effort and eventually you'll come through," freshman second baseman Joey Wong said. "It makes it easier when you have the veteran leadership we have."

Added Reyes, "Coach (Pat) Casey has always said he's one of the best leaders in the country, and it's true. If you just look at him and watch the way he carries himself, he makes you want to be like that."

Canham isn't the type to criticize teammates or yell at them when they make mistakes. His main concern is setting an example for the younger guys and letting them know that no matter what happens on the field, he's always there for them.

"I try to act like a bigger brother," Canham said. "That's why I call our team a family, because we're all here, trying to help each other out."

The Beavers will be without a significant member of that family next year when Canham, who was taken 57th overall by the San Diego Padres in the First-Year Player Draft, leaves for the pros.

Gone will be the catcher who was named a third-team selection on the Louisville Slugger All-America Baseball Team. Gone will be the budding rap star who performed an exclusive concert for the Special Olympics in 2006. And gone will be this year's Pac-10 Conference Medal winner, an award given to a student-athlete based on the greatest combination of performance and achievement in scholarship, athletics and leadership.

But the Beavers aren't worried. Like all big brothers, Canham has rubbed off on the younger guys.

"I don't think it's going to be much of a problem next year because the stuff that he's done for us is going to make our team that much better next year," Reyes said. "And I can't wait to see who turns out to be the next Mitch Canham."