Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Softball Opens Season at Kajikawa Classic
02/06/18 | Softball
EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 3 ranked Oregon softball team kicks off its 2018 season on Thursday at the Kajikawa Classic with six games over four days. Three of the games will air on Pac-12 Networks.
Oregon opens the tournament on Thursday against No. 25 Georgia then meets Fresno State and CSUN on Friday, Missouri and UTEP on Saturday and New Mexico on Sunday.
For fans going to the tournament, check the Oregon softball schedule page for field locations.
#3 OREGON DUCKS (54-8)
Team BA: .324 | Team ERA: 1.41 | Runs Scored: 399 | Runs Allowed: 104
Notable: The Ducks return the Pac-12's top pitching staff from 2017 in junior Megan Kleist and sophomores Maggie Balint and Miranda Elish. Outfielder Alexis Mack led the Pac-12 last year with 28 stolen bases and a .424 batting average.
#25 GEORGIA BULLDOGS (35-23)
Team BA: .338 | Team ERA: 2.73 | Runs Scored: 320 | Runs Allowed: 192
All-Time: UO leads the all-time series, 3-1 | Last: UO won, 6-0 (3/4/07)
Notable: While Sydni Emanuel graduated last year, her sister, Cortni, is back for her senior season after hitting .426 last year with a whopping 43 stolen bases.
FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS (35-23)
Team BA: .282 | Team ERA: 2.95 | Runs Scored: 299 | Runs Allowed: 218
All-Time: Fresno State leads the all-time series, 30-8 | Last: UO won, 4-1 (2/10/17)
Notable: Freno State was picked to finish third in the preseason Moutain West poll. The Bulldogs earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season.
CSUN MATADORS (31-22)
Team BA: .286 | Team ERA: 2.92 | Runs Scored: 262 | Runs Allowed: 195
All-Time: UO leads the all-time series, 13-8 | Last: UO won, 14-3 (6) (2/26/16)
Notable: CSUN was picked to finish third in the Big West preseason poll. CSUN returns three starters including three-time all-Big West SS Savannah Horvath.
MISSOURI TIGERS (29-28)
Team BA: .280 | Team ERA: 3.33 | Runs Scored: 277 | Runs Allowed: 237
All-Time: Missouri leads the all-time series, 6-5 | Last: UO won, 7-2 (3/4/17)
Notable: The Ducks and Missouri met twice last season in Columbia, Mo., with Oregon winning both games, 10-3 on March 3 and 7-2 on March 4.
UTEP MINERS (12-36)
Team BA: .299 | Team ERA: 5.84 | Runs Scored: 191 | Runs Allowed: 306
All-Time: UO leads the all-time series, 2-0 | Last: UO won, 4-2 (2/7/09)
Notable: Junior Cortney Smith was named to the 2018 preseason All-CUSA team after hitting .364 with 26 runs, 22 RBIs and a .438 on-base percentage.
NEW MEXICO LOBOS (20-30)
Team BA: .292 | Team ERA: 4.63 | Runs Scored: 196 | Runs Allowed: 266
All-Time: UO leads the all-time series, 5-2 | Last: UO won, 10-0 (6) (3/13/13)
Notable: Pitcher Krissy Fortner had a 3.60 ERA in 58.1 innings last season. Chelsea Johnson was third on the team with a .369 batting average.
BROADCAST INFO
Three of Oregon's Kajikawa Classic games - Georgia (Feb. 8, 4 PM), Fresno State (Feb. 9, 8 AM) and Missouri (Feb. 10, 10:30 AM) - will be aired live on Pac-12 Networks. The first two will be on Pac-12 National while the third will be on Pac-12 Oregon and Pac-12 Arizona only. The other three games UO plays at the Kajikawa Classic will not be shown on TV or streamed.
KAJIKAWA CLASSIC
- For the 10th straight year, the Oregon softball team will open its season at the Kajikawa Classic.
- The Ducks are 37-9 at the Kajikawa Classic since head coach Mike White took over in 2010.
- Last year No. 9 Oregon went 6-0 at the Kajikawa Classic, including a 4-1 win over No. 24 Fresno State and 8-0 run-rule wins in six innings against Creighton and San Jose State.
OREGON IN THE POLLS
Oregon starts the 2018 season ranked No. 3 in both top-25 polls. The Ducks were No. 4 in the NFCA poll and No. 3 in the USA Softball poll at the end of the 2017 season, after reaching the WCWS semifinals.
TOP-25 STREAK
Oregon softball has been ranked in the top-25 of the NFCA poll for 120 straight weeks (preseason and postseason polls included). The Ducks climbed to No. 23 in week 10 of the 2010 season (Mike White's first season in Eugene) and have never dipped below that mark since.
GO DJ, THAT'S MY DJ
The loss of All-American shortstop and middle-of-the-order bat Nikki Udria was expected to be the main issue facing the Ducks in 2018. The loss was filled in incredible fashion as head coach Mike White added Louisiana transfer and All-American shorstop DJ Sanders prior to the season. Sanders, a senior who played her first three seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns, led the NCAA with 29 homers, 82 RBIs and 1.013 slugging percentage last year as a junior.
PRESEASON PAC-12 COACHES POLL
Oregon was picked to finish first in the 2018 Pac-12 preseason coaches poll, ahead of UCLA in second, Washington in third and Arizona in fourth. All four teams are in the top-10 of the NFCA preseason top-25.
IN THE CIRCLE
- With a 1.41 team ERA, the Ducks ranked fifth in the NCAA and first in the Pac-12 in 2017.
- The Ducks allowed more than three earned runs in a game just four times last season.
- Oregon's 1.41 ERA was No. 8 in program history.
- The Ducks had three of the top-5 ERAs in the Pac-12. Maggie Balint was second (1.22 ERA), Megan Kleist was third (1.32) and Miranda Elish was fifth (1.79).
- Kleist led the Pac-12 with nine shutouts last year. She was fourth in the league with 161 strikeouts.
EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
- Oregon has ranked first (.353 in 2016), third (.359 in 2015), third (.342 in 2014) and seventh (.329 in 2013) in the NCAA in hitting over the last five years. The Ducks ranked 10th in the NCAA last season with a .324 team batting average.
- The Ducks were seventh in the country and second in the league with a .418 on-base percentage.
- Oregon was fifth in scoring in the NCAA, averaging 6.44 runs per game.
- Alexis Mack tied for the Pac-12 lead with a .424 batting average.
Oregon opens the tournament on Thursday against No. 25 Georgia then meets Fresno State and CSUN on Friday, Missouri and UTEP on Saturday and New Mexico on Sunday.
For fans going to the tournament, check the Oregon softball schedule page for field locations.
#3 OREGON DUCKS (54-8)
Team BA: .324 | Team ERA: 1.41 | Runs Scored: 399 | Runs Allowed: 104
Notable: The Ducks return the Pac-12's top pitching staff from 2017 in junior Megan Kleist and sophomores Maggie Balint and Miranda Elish. Outfielder Alexis Mack led the Pac-12 last year with 28 stolen bases and a .424 batting average.
#25 GEORGIA BULLDOGS (35-23)
Team BA: .338 | Team ERA: 2.73 | Runs Scored: 320 | Runs Allowed: 192
All-Time: UO leads the all-time series, 3-1 | Last: UO won, 6-0 (3/4/07)
Notable: While Sydni Emanuel graduated last year, her sister, Cortni, is back for her senior season after hitting .426 last year with a whopping 43 stolen bases.
FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS (35-23)
Team BA: .282 | Team ERA: 2.95 | Runs Scored: 299 | Runs Allowed: 218
All-Time: Fresno State leads the all-time series, 30-8 | Last: UO won, 4-1 (2/10/17)
Notable: Freno State was picked to finish third in the preseason Moutain West poll. The Bulldogs earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season.
CSUN MATADORS (31-22)
Team BA: .286 | Team ERA: 2.92 | Runs Scored: 262 | Runs Allowed: 195
All-Time: UO leads the all-time series, 13-8 | Last: UO won, 14-3 (6) (2/26/16)
Notable: CSUN was picked to finish third in the Big West preseason poll. CSUN returns three starters including three-time all-Big West SS Savannah Horvath.
MISSOURI TIGERS (29-28)
Team BA: .280 | Team ERA: 3.33 | Runs Scored: 277 | Runs Allowed: 237
All-Time: Missouri leads the all-time series, 6-5 | Last: UO won, 7-2 (3/4/17)
Notable: The Ducks and Missouri met twice last season in Columbia, Mo., with Oregon winning both games, 10-3 on March 3 and 7-2 on March 4.
UTEP MINERS (12-36)
Team BA: .299 | Team ERA: 5.84 | Runs Scored: 191 | Runs Allowed: 306
All-Time: UO leads the all-time series, 2-0 | Last: UO won, 4-2 (2/7/09)
Notable: Junior Cortney Smith was named to the 2018 preseason All-CUSA team after hitting .364 with 26 runs, 22 RBIs and a .438 on-base percentage.
NEW MEXICO LOBOS (20-30)
Team BA: .292 | Team ERA: 4.63 | Runs Scored: 196 | Runs Allowed: 266
All-Time: UO leads the all-time series, 5-2 | Last: UO won, 10-0 (6) (3/13/13)
Notable: Pitcher Krissy Fortner had a 3.60 ERA in 58.1 innings last season. Chelsea Johnson was third on the team with a .369 batting average.
BROADCAST INFO
Three of Oregon's Kajikawa Classic games - Georgia (Feb. 8, 4 PM), Fresno State (Feb. 9, 8 AM) and Missouri (Feb. 10, 10:30 AM) - will be aired live on Pac-12 Networks. The first two will be on Pac-12 National while the third will be on Pac-12 Oregon and Pac-12 Arizona only. The other three games UO plays at the Kajikawa Classic will not be shown on TV or streamed.
KAJIKAWA CLASSIC
- For the 10th straight year, the Oregon softball team will open its season at the Kajikawa Classic.
- The Ducks are 37-9 at the Kajikawa Classic since head coach Mike White took over in 2010.
- Last year No. 9 Oregon went 6-0 at the Kajikawa Classic, including a 4-1 win over No. 24 Fresno State and 8-0 run-rule wins in six innings against Creighton and San Jose State.
OREGON IN THE POLLS
Oregon starts the 2018 season ranked No. 3 in both top-25 polls. The Ducks were No. 4 in the NFCA poll and No. 3 in the USA Softball poll at the end of the 2017 season, after reaching the WCWS semifinals.
TOP-25 STREAK
Oregon softball has been ranked in the top-25 of the NFCA poll for 120 straight weeks (preseason and postseason polls included). The Ducks climbed to No. 23 in week 10 of the 2010 season (Mike White's first season in Eugene) and have never dipped below that mark since.
GO DJ, THAT'S MY DJ
The loss of All-American shortstop and middle-of-the-order bat Nikki Udria was expected to be the main issue facing the Ducks in 2018. The loss was filled in incredible fashion as head coach Mike White added Louisiana transfer and All-American shorstop DJ Sanders prior to the season. Sanders, a senior who played her first three seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns, led the NCAA with 29 homers, 82 RBIs and 1.013 slugging percentage last year as a junior.
PRESEASON PAC-12 COACHES POLL
Oregon was picked to finish first in the 2018 Pac-12 preseason coaches poll, ahead of UCLA in second, Washington in third and Arizona in fourth. All four teams are in the top-10 of the NFCA preseason top-25.
IN THE CIRCLE
- With a 1.41 team ERA, the Ducks ranked fifth in the NCAA and first in the Pac-12 in 2017.
- The Ducks allowed more than three earned runs in a game just four times last season.
- Oregon's 1.41 ERA was No. 8 in program history.
- The Ducks had three of the top-5 ERAs in the Pac-12. Maggie Balint was second (1.22 ERA), Megan Kleist was third (1.32) and Miranda Elish was fifth (1.79).
- Kleist led the Pac-12 with nine shutouts last year. She was fourth in the league with 161 strikeouts.
EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
- Oregon has ranked first (.353 in 2016), third (.359 in 2015), third (.342 in 2014) and seventh (.329 in 2013) in the NCAA in hitting over the last five years. The Ducks ranked 10th in the NCAA last season with a .324 team batting average.
- The Ducks were seventh in the country and second in the league with a .418 on-base percentage.
- Oregon was fifth in scoring in the NCAA, averaging 6.44 runs per game.
- Alexis Mack tied for the Pac-12 lead with a .424 batting average.
Players Mentioned
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