The Oregon Ducks will make their 10th trip to the NCAA baseball tournament this week, when they play in the Nashville Regional. The Ducks are the No. 2 seed and will open against No. 3 seed Xavier on Friday (10 a.m. PT, ESPN+). Here’s a look at the teams in the regional:
NO. 1 SEED VANDERBILT COMMODORES
Record: 41-18
Coach: Tim Corbin, 21st season
Top hitters: Chris Maldonado (.319, 30 RBIs, 7 HRs), RJ Schreck (.309, 57 RBIs, 13 HRs), Enrique Bradfield Jr (.286, 33 RBIs, 6 HRs), Jonathan Vastine (.283, 32 RBIs, 4 HRs)
Top pitchers: LHP Hunter Owen (4-0, 3.15 ERA, 72 Ks), LHP Devin Futrell (7-3, 3.55), RHP Nick Maldonado (1-1, 8 saves, 1.45)
What to know: A top 10 team all season, Vanderbilt is hosting its ninth NCAA regional after winning its fourth SEC Tournament championship. The Commodores have won six of seven but had a rocky May, going 9-7 overall, and were swept by both Tennessee and Florida this season, also national seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Vandy is carried by its pitching staff, though neither Hunter Owen or Devin Futrell are very high strikeout pitchers.
NO. 2 OREGON DUCKS
Record: 37-20
Coach: Mark Wasikowski, fourth season
Top hitters: Sabin Ceballos (.342, 15 HRs, 61 RBIs), Colby Shade (.337, 6 HRs, 30 RBIs), Drew Cowley (.336, 15 HRs, 61 RBIs), Tanner Smith (.317, 45 runs, 38 RBIs), Rikuu Nishida (.313, 23 SBs, 57 runs)
Top pitchers: RHP Jace Stoffal (6-2, 2.83 ERA, 56 Ks), RHP Logan Mercado (5-1, 6.46 ERA), RHP Grayson Grinsell (2-1, 3.60 ERA, 54 Ks), RHP Josh Mollerus (2-2, 9 saves, 2.81)
What to know: The Ducks are on a six-game win streak, with their four wins in the Pac-12 tournament ensuring they’d make it to the NCAA Tournament. The status of ace Jace Stoffal remains unclear entering the regional and even if he returns, it would be unlikely to be in extended work after missing more than a month. Oregon is carried by its offense though and Sabin Ceballos and Drew Cowley are tied for the team lead in homers (15) and RBIs (61). Offense is rarely an issue for UO, which is hitting .300 as a team on the season. Pitching has been the biggest area of inconsistency, though the staff and bullpen did very well in the conference tournament.
NO. 3 XAVIER MUSKETEERS
Record: 37-23
Coach: Billy O’Conner, sixth season
Top hitters: Andrew Waler (.329, 7 HRs, 53 RBIs), Mat McCormick (.310, 13 HRs, 39 RBIs), Matthew Deprey (.288, 14 HRs, 41 RBIs), Jared Cushing (.286, 14 HRs, 49 RBIs)
Top pitchers: LHP Justin Loer (6-2, 1.96 ERA, 60 Ks, six saves), RHP Ethan Bosacker (7-4, 3.84 ERA, 95 Ks), LHP Brant Alazaus (9-3, 3.87, 98 Ks)
What to know: The Ducks swept the Musketeers in a four-game series to open the season. Neither offense did well that weekend in February but Xavier went on to have its second most wins in program history and reach a regional for the first time since 2017. Brant Alazaus is second in the nation in walks per nine innings (0.72) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (12.25), and is No. 6 nationally in WHIP (0.92). Xavier’s pitching staff is No. 9 in WHIP (1.30), so runs could be hard to come by.
NO. 4 EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS
Record: 38-19
Coach: Jason Anderson, seventh season
Top hitters: Ryan Ignoffo (.336, 15 HRs, 59 RBIs), Grant Lashure (.312, 34 RBIs), Logan Eickhoff (.311, 23 RBIs)
Top pitchers: RHP Zane Robbins (4-1, 1.38 ERA, seven saves), RHP Nick Laxner (5-1, 3.21), RHP Ky Matthews-Hampton (7-2, 4.33)
What to know: The Panthers have won 12 of 13 entering the regional and won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament as the No. 5 seed. EIU has won a school record 38 games and is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance and its first since 2008. Ryan Ignoffo has led the Panthers in batting average, home runs and RBIs each of the past two seasons. A first team All-OVC selection, Ignoffo is a finalist for the John Olerud two-way player of the year as he also has 47 strikeouts in 42.0 innings of relief.
NASHVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, June 2
Game 1: – 10 a.m. (ESPN+)
Game 2: – 5 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, June 3
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – Noon
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 4
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 – Noon
Game 6: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4 – 6 p.m.
Monday, June 5
Game 7: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4 – TBD *if necessary
