Episodes

  • Les Gutches, '97
    Feb 27 2026

    Wrestling is one of the toughest sports in college athletics and Les Gutches is one of its most relentless competitors.

    In this episode of Beyond the Field, host David Endres, '82, sits down with one of the most decorated athletes in Oregon State history. A Medford native and Beaver legend, Gutches reflects on a career built on discipline, preparation and an uncompromising standard of excellence.

    Gutches recounts his journey from youth wrestling in Southern Oregon to becoming a two-time NCAA champion, Dan Hodge Trophy winner, World Champion and Olympic Team member. He offers an inside look at the mental and physical demands of wrestling, the grind of training through exhaustion and the mindset required to succeed when there's no one to rely on but yourself.

    The conversation also explores Oregon State's storied wrestling tradition, the coaches and mentors who shaped him and how he chose Corvallis over national powerhouses to prove greatness could be built at home. Gutches shares how his collegiate career prepared him for the international stage, where he captured World Championship gold and competed among the best in the world.

    Beyond the mat, Gutches discusses the difficult transition away from competition, his path into coaching, leadership roles with USA Wrestling and his evolution into entrepreneurship and sports performance. At every stage, the principles remain the same: accountability, resilience and leaving things better than you found them.

    This episode is a powerful examination of elite performance, identity after sport and what it truly means to be relentless — on the mat and beyond.

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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Sydney Wiese, '17
    Feb 20 2026

    Few athletes have left a mark on Oregon State quite like Sydney Wiese.

    In this episode of Beyond the Field, host David Endres, '82, sits down with the Oregon State women's basketball legend to reflect on a journey defined by resilience and relationships. From driveway hoops in Phoenix to becoming one of the most accomplished players in program history, Wiese shares how Oregon State became home and why it ultimately called her back.

    Wiese revisits the Beavers' unforgettable run to the 2016 NCAA Final Four and the growth of women's basketball at Oregon State. She opens up about leadership, team culture and the lessons learned from championship-level preparation and adversity.

    The conversation also traces her professional career as a first-round WNBA draft pick, the challenges of life at the highest level of the sport, international play, injuries and the pivotal moment that led her to step away from playing and into coaching. Now back in Corvallis as an assistant coach, Wiese reflects on service, mentorship and what it means to give back to the program and community that shaped her.

    This episode is a look at legacy, identity beyond athletics and why — no matter how far you go — every road can lead back to Oregon State.

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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Mitch Canham, '11
    Feb 6 2026

    In the inaugural episode of Beyond the Field, host David Endres, '82, sits down with Mitch Canham, one of the most influential figures in Oregon State baseball history. From his days as a championship-winning catcher to becoming the Pat Casey Head Baseball Coach, Canham reflects on the mentors, moments and mindset that shaped his journey.

    Canham opens up about growing up in Washington, finding Oregon State almost by accident, and how a belief-driven culture carried the Beavers to back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. He shares powerful stories from Omaha, the lessons Pat Casey instilled in his players and why accountability, gratitude and service remain at the core of the program today.

    The conversation also explores modern challenges facing college athletics—from NIL and recruiting to leadership in an era of constant change—while underscoring what hasn't changed: the importance of people, purpose and doing things the right way.

    This episode offers an inside look at Beaver baseball, leadership under pressure and what it truly means to represent Oregon State—long after the final out.

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    1 hr and 12 mins