Oregon won its way into the NCAA Tournament and it’ll need to avoid two losses over the next four days to keep its season going.
The Ducks, who have won six straight, have a rematch with Xavier in the opening game of the Nashville Regional at Hawkins Field on Friday (10 a.m. PT, ESPN+).
Oregon swept a four-game series against the Musketeers (37-23) to begin the season, with three of the games decided by a total of five runs. More than 50 games later both teams are considerably different, though UO’s uncertain starting rotation for this weekend is actually aligned with that prior series, when ace Jace Stoffal didn’t pitch.
The availability of Stoffal (6-2, 2.83 ERA), who hasn’t played since April 28, remains murky. But Oregon (37-20) won the Pac-12 tournament without him and got some stellar performances from its bullpen to earn the automatic bid. It may need to duplicate that get through this weekend.
“This is an opportunity for us to show what that Pac-12 championship means to us,” outfielder Tanner Smith said. “I think everybody in our regional won their conference title. I think it’s going to be a really good matchup and exciting weekend.”
Oregon’s offense was quiet in the series against Xavier, with Rikuu Nishida, Josiah Cromwick and Smith as the only Ducks batters with at least three hits over the four games in a .222 hitting weekend overall for UO. How much of that was a byproduct of the calendar as opposed to the Musketeers’ pitching staff remains to be seen.
The Ducks held the Musketeers to .184 hitting in that series, with four starters combining to allow five runs, three earned.
The bullpen is looking to take the same approach that worked at the conference tournament into the regional.
“Get whatever you can out of a guy at a time then pass the torch,” closer Josh Mollerus said. “Continue the success that they had on the mound to give us a chance to win.”
No. 6 national seed Vanderbilt (41-18) and Eastern Illinois (38-19) are the other teams in the regional and they’ll play Friday afternoon (5 p.m. PT, SEC Network).
Friday’s losers will play an elimination game at noon PT Saturday with Friday’s winners facing off at 6 p.m. Saturday. There will be another two games Sunday and, if need be, one Monday.
“The team that plays the best wins,” Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski said.
