Photo by: Ben Crawford
Soderman A Pleasant Surprise At Catcher
03/07/18 | Baseball, @GoDucksMoseley
A late addition to his recruiting class, JC transfer Ray Soderman got off to a slow start at Oregon, but since the season started he's been a rock for the Ducks, who open a four-game series vs. visiting UC Davis on Friday.
Just a few months ago, the Oregon baseball team didn't count on needing Ray Soderman for the 2018 season. And just a few weeks ago, the Ducks weren't sure they could count on the junior college transfer.
But three weeks into the season, it's Soderman holding down the starting catcher spot for the UO baseball team, which opens a four-game series against UC Davis in PK Park on Thursday at 6 p.m. (Update: Thursday's game has been postponed due to rain. The series opener is now Friday at 6 p.m., and the teams will play a doubleheader Saturday at 2 p.m.)
"It's a great story," UO coach George Horton said.
The unanticipated departures of 2017 catchers Matthew Dyer and Slade Heggen created an urgent need for the Ducks at the position last summer. To their good fortune, Soderman still was available as a transfer out of College of San Mateo (Calif.).
Then, Soderman arrived in Eugene. Even with at-bats available for a new catcher, the Ducks thought about using converted outfielder Jakob Goldfarb there, in case Soderman wasn't ready.
"I think it's fair to say things weren't going really smoothly for Ray," Horton said. "… Fall ball, he was not on it at all, offensively or defensively. Even coming back in January, February, it was still an uphill learning curve, that he didn't feel comfortable."
Fast forward a few more weeks, and Soderman has started 10 of 11 games so far at Oregon. With Goldfarb entrenched in the outfield, Soderman has eased concerns at the catcher spot. Mainly that's been through his deft handling of the UO pitching staff, but lately with the bat, as well.
A grinder who can be "very hard on himself," according to Horton, Soderman pushed through his choppy transition at Oregon. He worked on his defense with assistant coach Mitch Karraker — himself a former UO catcher — and in the batting cages with assistant Jay Uhlman.
The results of those efforts were most evident last week, as the Ducks took three of four from Florida Atlantic. Soderman was darn near flawless behind the plate, and hit 5-for-15 with his first two RBI in a UO uniform.
"It was nice," Soderman said Monday, after his two-run single sparked a five-run fifth-inning in a 10-4, come-from-behind victory over the Owls. "I've been feeling pretty good, so I think it was just the product of the stuff I've been working on. It was nice to help the team out, because we needed it at that point."
Soderman started all four games of the Florida Atlantic series, posting a three-hit game in Oregon's loss Saturday. He also impressed Horton with his defense, most notably on a seventh-inning slider Monday from Parker Kelly, on which Soderman had to lunge across the plate to the opposite batter's box.
"Not one ball got by him in four games," Horton said. "And our guys have really good stuff."
Soderman didn't let many balls by him while holding a bat in his hands, either. After striking out nine times in 18 at-bats over Oregon's first two series of the season, in 15 at-bats against FAU, he struck out just twice.
Horton said Soderman has been working with Uhlman to shorten up his swing. The payoff was immediate.
"When I feel like I've put in a lot of work, I'm confident because of that," Soderman said. "I just went into the (UO player development area) and hit a lot of balls. …
"When you have that confidence at the plate, you feel like you can get a hit every time you're up at the plate. That's a good feeling as a hitter."
Horton said he's told Soderman that his top priority is to handle his assignments defensively; any offensive production is a bonus. Last weekend, he provided both.
"It didn't just come magically," Horton said. "He's invested a lot of time. … As you can tell, we're elated we got him."
But three weeks into the season, it's Soderman holding down the starting catcher spot for the UO baseball team, which opens a four-game series against UC Davis in PK Park on Thursday at 6 p.m. (Update: Thursday's game has been postponed due to rain. The series opener is now Friday at 6 p.m., and the teams will play a doubleheader Saturday at 2 p.m.)
"It's a great story," UO coach George Horton said.
The unanticipated departures of 2017 catchers Matthew Dyer and Slade Heggen created an urgent need for the Ducks at the position last summer. To their good fortune, Soderman still was available as a transfer out of College of San Mateo (Calif.).
Then, Soderman arrived in Eugene. Even with at-bats available for a new catcher, the Ducks thought about using converted outfielder Jakob Goldfarb there, in case Soderman wasn't ready.
"I think it's fair to say things weren't going really smoothly for Ray," Horton said. "… Fall ball, he was not on it at all, offensively or defensively. Even coming back in January, February, it was still an uphill learning curve, that he didn't feel comfortable."
Fast forward a few more weeks, and Soderman has started 10 of 11 games so far at Oregon. With Goldfarb entrenched in the outfield, Soderman has eased concerns at the catcher spot. Mainly that's been through his deft handling of the UO pitching staff, but lately with the bat, as well.
A grinder who can be "very hard on himself," according to Horton, Soderman pushed through his choppy transition at Oregon. He worked on his defense with assistant coach Mitch Karraker — himself a former UO catcher — and in the batting cages with assistant Jay Uhlman.
The results of those efforts were most evident last week, as the Ducks took three of four from Florida Atlantic. Soderman was darn near flawless behind the plate, and hit 5-for-15 with his first two RBI in a UO uniform.
"It was nice," Soderman said Monday, after his two-run single sparked a five-run fifth-inning in a 10-4, come-from-behind victory over the Owls. "I've been feeling pretty good, so I think it was just the product of the stuff I've been working on. It was nice to help the team out, because we needed it at that point."
Soderman started all four games of the Florida Atlantic series, posting a three-hit game in Oregon's loss Saturday. He also impressed Horton with his defense, most notably on a seventh-inning slider Monday from Parker Kelly, on which Soderman had to lunge across the plate to the opposite batter's box.
"Not one ball got by him in four games," Horton said. "And our guys have really good stuff."
Soderman didn't let many balls by him while holding a bat in his hands, either. After striking out nine times in 18 at-bats over Oregon's first two series of the season, in 15 at-bats against FAU, he struck out just twice.
Horton said Soderman has been working with Uhlman to shorten up his swing. The payoff was immediate.
"When I feel like I've put in a lot of work, I'm confident because of that," Soderman said. "I just went into the (UO player development area) and hit a lot of balls. …
"When you have that confidence at the plate, you feel like you can get a hit every time you're up at the plate. That's a good feeling as a hitter."
Horton said he's told Soderman that his top priority is to handle his assignments defensively; any offensive production is a bonus. Last weekend, he provided both.
"It didn't just come magically," Horton said. "He's invested a lot of time. … As you can tell, we're elated we got him."
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