Oregon's Pair Of Aces Dealing At Elite Level

Sophomore Miranda Elish tends to throw a few miles per hour harder than junior Megan Kleist. The readout on the radar gun isn't the only number that's a little higher for the younger of Oregon's two ace pitchers.

UO coach Mike White likes to tell his players they're at their best when they keep their heart rate between 60 and 80 beats per minute. One only has to watch a few pitches each from both Kleist and Elish to know where on the spectrum each prefers.

"She's very 60," Elish said. "And I'm very 80."

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There's one number, though, that reveals no difference between the two. Entering the start of top-ranked Oregon's NCAA Super Regional series against No. 16 Kentucky at Jane Sanders Stadium on Thursday (6 p.m., ESPN2), Elish and Kleist boast matching ERAs of 0.92. Only seven pitchers in the entire NCAA have thrown at least 150 innings while posting a sub-1.00 ERA, and the Ducks can claim two of them.

Kleist and Elish were equals during last week's regional round in another statistic: Neither allowed an earned run, over 21 combined innings, as the Ducks advanced to this weekend's series with Kentucky.

"Hearing that they didn't let up a run is so cool to me," UO senior catcher Gwen Svekis said. "I just think that is the most awesome and fun statistic to hear. They are some tough cookies in the circle and I'm really proud of the work they've put in."

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White still considers Kleist his ace. The junior from Appleton, Wisc., followed up her first-team all-Pac-12 campaign as a sophomore by being named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year this spring. Her strikeout-to-walk ratio is an eye-popping 13.19-to-1, ranking first in the NCAA; Kleist (21-5) has more wins this season than walks allowed (16).

Given Kleist's jump from outstanding to elite, White might be compelled to pitch her not only in Thursday's Super Regional opener, but again in game two Friday (8 p.m., ESPN2). The only thing muddling that thought is a similar improvement from 2017 to 2018 by Elish.

As a freshman, the former No. 1 recruit in the country went a perfect 12-0 with little more than overpowering velocity. This season, Elish has complemented Kleist to the tune of a 22-1 record, with an expanded repertoire and a more strategic approach in the circle.

"Megan is an awesome pitcher, and the fact we complement each other so well – while being so similar – it just speaks volumes to how hard both of us work to perfect what we're doing," Elish said.

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Both Kleist and Elish bring the same standard mix of pitches to the circle – rise, drop and change. Elish tends to work a little higher in the zone, and on the radar gun, which routinely hits 70 mph and above when she's in the circle.

Kleist, meanwhile, works lower in the zone and with a bit more movement. She also relies on an outstanding changeup.

"She uses it a little bit more than I use mine; actually, a lotta bit more than I use mine," Elish said. "But repertoire-wise, that's about it."

They benefit as well from a head coach calling pitches from the dugout, White, who knows how to play to their strengths, and keep opposing teams off-balance.

"They weren't very predictable," Drake infielder Mandi Roemmich said Saturday after losing the Eugene Regional title game against Elish, a day after facing Kleist. "You couldn't go up there guessing where it was going next."

Their repertoires and velocity may only differ slightly. But when it comes to demeanor in the circle, Elish and Kleist couldn't be much more different.

Kleist is a picture of poise; sometimes, coaches and teammates will jokingly remind her to cheer when something goes well.

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"It's all about knowing yourself as a player," Kleist said. "I don't need to be as amped up to play my best. Personally, if I do get too amped up, too excited, my head starts going. It's just knowing myself as a player, and what I have to be to stay within myself and be the best I can for my team."

Elish, on the other hand, makes her mindset in the circle quite clear. As if her pitches weren't intimidating enough, Elish boasts the best game face on the Oregon roster.

"Lots of outward passion," Kleist said. "You can definitely tell that, with every pitch, she's giving it her all. That shows in her facial expressions, her body movement, her aggressiveness. I think she's created an identity for herself as a pitcher, which is something she didn't really have last year. I think that's helped her a lot."

Over three years of working with Kleist, White has learned he doesn't need to get her to show more emotion in order to pitch effectively. By the same token, he's learning how to manage Elish, prodding her enough to keep her intensity up, but not so much that she overthrows her pitches.

White made multiple visits to the circle in Saturday's regional clincher against Drake, and took different tacks at different times. When Elish lost command of the strike zone early in the game, White went out to calm her down. Later, with Maggie Balint getting warm in the bullpen and Drake threatening to rally, White visited again to make sure Elish was still revving high.

"I was really close to bringing Maggie in to close it out," White said. "She's been a great closer and I think she would have matched up really well. But Miranda wanted to stay out there. I looked for that. It was in her eyes. She wanted to stay out there and she wanted to finish the thing. So I'm really proud that she did."

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White will look for more of the same this weekend, when the Ducks try to take the last two steps on the road to Oklahoma City, and the Women's College World Series. The Ducks are facing Kentucky in the best-of-three Super Regional series for the second straight season; a year ago Kleist and Elish each earned a win as Oregon swept the Wildcats to reach OKC.

Now, the Ducks' pair of aces is a year better, feeding off their similar skills and differing demeanors.

"A lot has changed," Elish said, "and I'm really excited to see how we do against them."