Season Preview: Pitchers
01/31/18 | Softball, @GoDucksMoseley
Junior Megan Kleist leads a deep, talented rotation that gives UO coach Mike White ample flexibility entering the 2018 season.
The third-ranked Oregon softball team opens the 2018 season on Feb. 8 against Georgia at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., plays its home opener March 8 against Toledo and begins Pac-12 play on March 16 against UCLA. GoDucks.com will break down the Ducks' pitchers, infield, outfield and lineup in the coming days, to prepare fans for another run to OKC.
PITCHERS
Who's back: RHP Megan Kleist, Jr.; RHP Maggie Balint, So.; RHP Miranda Elish, So.
Breakdown: The Ducks return their entire rotation from the 2017 squad that reached the Women's College World Series semifinals, led by junior Megan Kleist. After complementing Cheridan Hawkins as a freshman, Kleist started a team-high 29 games as a sophomore last season, and went 21-5 with a 1.32 ERA and 161 strikeouts. Oregon coach Mike White has become increasingly cognizant in recent years of not overworking his pitchers, and was able to spread the workload last spring thanks to freshmen Maggie Balint and Miranda Elish. Two of the top pitching recruits in the nation, they backed up those rankings with the Ducks; Balint went 21-3 with a 1.22 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 126 innings, and Elish went 12-0 with a 1.79 ERA across 16 starts, one less than Balint.
Entering 2018, White considers Kleist one of the Pac-12's elite pitchers, in a tier with the likes of UCLA's Rachel Garcia and Washington's Taran Alvelo. "Especially toward the end of last year, she was our most consistent pitcher," White said of Kleist. "And that's what you want as a coach, is consistency. OK, you might not have your best stuff some days, but are you going to give us the opportunity to win a ballgame? Because we should be able to score some runs." A natural introvert, Kleist has worked to come out of her shell and become a more prominent leader, and to learn to thrive when the spotlight is on her — such as at the Women's College World Series.
Balint is blessed with velocity and movement, and is now focused on harnessing her command. "Her stuff is like Cheridan's — they get used to throwing it and getting away with poor location, because of their movement and velocity," White said. "But we talk about next steps: How are you going to reinvent yourself, as people make adjustments? People know her after last year. So we've worked hard on developing another pitch, something lower in the zone." The Ducks recently got good news when Elish, who didn't pitch on the team's foreign tour to New Zealand in December due to injury, was cleared to play when the season begins. "It gives you almost like a baseball coach's mentality, where I can use them in certain situations," White said. "It's like a chess game. If all three are firing, I have options, and that's what you want as a coach."
Who's new: RHP Olivia Kinsey, Fr.
Breakdown: The Ducks added another talented right-hander to their arsenal in Olivia Kinsey, the 2016 Gatorade Player of the Year in Missouri. Kinsey throws in the lows 60s and has the talent to succeed at the Pac-12 level, needing only to get some experience under her belt. White intends to maintain balance throughout the staff, limiting innings to minimize the risk of injury. That means keeping them all at or below about 150 innings for the season, and provides an opening for Kinsey to help ease the load on the big three. "She's got to learn to find a role," White said. "How can I help this team? It could be in middle relief, or on a long weekend when we play a lot. That's my goal with her, is to get her in a situation where she can help this club."
PITCHERS
Who's back: RHP Megan Kleist, Jr.; RHP Maggie Balint, So.; RHP Miranda Elish, So.
Breakdown: The Ducks return their entire rotation from the 2017 squad that reached the Women's College World Series semifinals, led by junior Megan Kleist. After complementing Cheridan Hawkins as a freshman, Kleist started a team-high 29 games as a sophomore last season, and went 21-5 with a 1.32 ERA and 161 strikeouts. Oregon coach Mike White has become increasingly cognizant in recent years of not overworking his pitchers, and was able to spread the workload last spring thanks to freshmen Maggie Balint and Miranda Elish. Two of the top pitching recruits in the nation, they backed up those rankings with the Ducks; Balint went 21-3 with a 1.22 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 126 innings, and Elish went 12-0 with a 1.79 ERA across 16 starts, one less than Balint.
Entering 2018, White considers Kleist one of the Pac-12's elite pitchers, in a tier with the likes of UCLA's Rachel Garcia and Washington's Taran Alvelo. "Especially toward the end of last year, she was our most consistent pitcher," White said of Kleist. "And that's what you want as a coach, is consistency. OK, you might not have your best stuff some days, but are you going to give us the opportunity to win a ballgame? Because we should be able to score some runs." A natural introvert, Kleist has worked to come out of her shell and become a more prominent leader, and to learn to thrive when the spotlight is on her — such as at the Women's College World Series.
Balint is blessed with velocity and movement, and is now focused on harnessing her command. "Her stuff is like Cheridan's — they get used to throwing it and getting away with poor location, because of their movement and velocity," White said. "But we talk about next steps: How are you going to reinvent yourself, as people make adjustments? People know her after last year. So we've worked hard on developing another pitch, something lower in the zone." The Ducks recently got good news when Elish, who didn't pitch on the team's foreign tour to New Zealand in December due to injury, was cleared to play when the season begins. "It gives you almost like a baseball coach's mentality, where I can use them in certain situations," White said. "It's like a chess game. If all three are firing, I have options, and that's what you want as a coach."
Who's new: RHP Olivia Kinsey, Fr.
Breakdown: The Ducks added another talented right-hander to their arsenal in Olivia Kinsey, the 2016 Gatorade Player of the Year in Missouri. Kinsey throws in the lows 60s and has the talent to succeed at the Pac-12 level, needing only to get some experience under her belt. White intends to maintain balance throughout the staff, limiting innings to minimize the risk of injury. That means keeping them all at or below about 150 innings for the season, and provides an opening for Kinsey to help ease the load on the big three. "She's got to learn to find a role," White said. "How can I help this team? It could be in middle relief, or on a long weekend when we play a lot. That's my goal with her, is to get her in a situation where she can help this club."
Players Mentioned
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