No. 15 Ducks Begin Week With Pilots At PK Park Today

THIS WEEK
    Oregon (30-14, 10-8) moved up two spots in the Baseball America Top-25 Poll after finishing 3-1 last week with a non-conference victory over Oregon State, and a series (2-1) victory over Washington State.
    The Ducks have now won four consecutive Pac-10 series (Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington State), and with a 10-8 mark in league play, are tied with Stanford for third in the league standings. On the year, Oregon has won seven weekend series.
    The No. 15 Ducks are currently ranked in all five collegiate polls, receiving a No. 15 ranking from both Baseball America, and Rivals.com. Oregon also has a national RPI ranking of 26.
    On the schedule first for UO this week is a single game with Portland (30-9). Like the Ducks, the Pilots are fighting for a NCAA Tournament berth, and are currently ranked in one national poll with Collegiate Baseball considering the Pilots the No. 22 team in the country.
    First pitch against the Pilots is set for 7 p.m. at PK Park on Tuesday. The Ducks will then return to conference action for a three-game Civil War series against the Oregon State Beavers beginning on Friday (5:30 p.m.) at Goss Stadium.

TUESDAY TICKET PROMOTIONS
    Oregon baseball fans can click HERE to receive chairback reserved tickets for $4 (reg. $9) for the Portland game on Tuesday. Enter promo code DUCKSBB.

TV BROADCASTS
    The Oregon Sports Network has two broadcasts scheduled for this week to be aired on Comcast SportsNet Northwest.
    Tuesday's contest with Portland will air at 7 p.m. on CSN, while Sunday's 1 p.m. first pitch from Goss Stadium will also be broadcast on CSNNW.
    Joe Giansante and Dwight Jaynes will make up Tuesday's broadcast team. On Sunday, Giansante will serve as the play-by-play announcer and former Seattle Mariner Jim Wilson will be the color analyst for the production at Oregon State.
    Saturday's 1 p.m. game at Oregon State is not an OSN broadcast, but will be aired on KEZI 9.2 and Fox Sports Northwest.

RADIO BROADCASTS/MEDIA
    Over the radio airwaves, Jerry Allen and Brian Prawitz will provide the play-by-play on THE SCORE 95.3 FM in the Eugene/Springfield area for all four games this week. A video broadcast of Tuesday's game with Portland will also be available through the O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com.
    Live stats will also be made available at www.GoDucks.com.

O-ZONE: ONLINE VIDEO & AUDIO
        Baseball fans can now watch Oregon baseball home games live on the O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com. All home games will offer live video and audio.

TICKETS
     A reminder that single-game tickets for the 2010 season remain on sale. Duck fans can purchase tickets online by clicking HERE, over the phone by calling 1-800-WEB-FOOT, or in person at the Casanova Center Ticket Office.

QUICK HITS
•     Oregon welcomes back five position starters from the 2009 squad; Curtis Raulinaitis, Danny Pulfer, KC Serna, Mitch Karraker and Jett Hart.
•     The Ducks pitching staff has 11 returners, including sophomore left-hander Tyler Anderson, who is expected to start the series opener on Friday night at Oregon State.
•     Oregon also welcomes 11 newcomers to the roster; eight freshmen and three juniors.

SCHEDULE NOTES
•    Oregon opened 2010 on an eight-game road trip to southern California and Hawaii, and came back to Eugene with a 4-4 record.
•     The Ducks played 12 of their first 14 games on the road, but returned to play nine consecutive home games before opening up Pac-10 play. The Ducks were 9-5 in their first 14 games, and 8-1 during a nine-game homestand.
•    Eight opponents (ARIZ, ASU, CAL, CSF, POR, STAN, UCLA, USD) on Oregon's 2010 schedule are currently ranked in at least one national poll.
•    Oregon's longest home stretch of the season was nine games from Friday, March 12-Tuesday, March 23 as Seattle, Nevada and Southern Utah traveled to Eugene. The Ducks finished that stretch 8-1.
•    Believe it or not, UO's eight-game road trip to start the season was one of two on the year. Oregon also played eight straight games on the road at then No. 22 Stanford (April 9-10), at then No. 1 UCLA (April 16-18) and at Gonzaga (April 20-21). The Ducks finished that stretch of games 6-2.
•    Oregon will now play in the Northwest the remainder of the season playing 15 contests at PK Park while traveling to Oregon State, Portland and Washington.

STRIKEOUT WITH PIZZA HUT
    If the Oregon pitching staff accumulates 10 strikeouts in one game, fans will leave PK Park with a coupon for a free personal pan pizza courtesy of Pizza Hut.

PORTLAND PREVIEW
    Similar to Oregon, Portland (30-9) has hit the 30-win plateau and is looking forward to a potential postseason berth. The Pilots are on a 10-game winning streak and are ranked No. 22 by the Collegiate Baseball poll.
    Portland is 11-1 in West Coast Conference action with sweeps over Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine, and have a major conference series looming this weekend with No. 22 San Diego in Portland.
    Portland's offense is batting .300 on the year led by C.J. Cullen's .386 average, 31 RBIs and 33 runs scored. The Pilots have also knocked out 31 homers this season.
    The pitching staff manages a 3.24 ERA, and closer Chris Dennis is 4-0 with 12 saves, a 1.09 ERA and 41 strikeouts.

WASHINGTON STATE RECAP
    Oregon won its fourth consecutive Pac-10 series, taking two-of-three from Washington State last week.
    The Ducks recovered from dropping Friday's series opener, 3-2, to take the final two games of the series.
    On Saturday, senior right-hander Justin LaTempa pitched a one-hit, complete-game shutout as the Ducks defeated WSU 6-0.
    On Sunday, it was senior right-hander Zack Thornton's turn on the mound. He remained undefeated at 7-0 on the year after tossing six innings of one-run baseball. Thornton's performance was aided by Paul Eshleman's three-run homer as the Ducks deafted WSU, 6-1, to clinch the series.

NATIONAL HONORS FOR LATEMPA
    On Tuesday, the National Collegaite Baseball Writers Association named Justin LaTempa the Pro-Line Athletic National Pitcher of the Week. CollegeBaseball360.com also voted LaTempa to its Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll.
    LaTempa was nearly untouchable last Saturday night, tossing a complete game, one-hit shutout as the now No.15 Ducks defeated Washington State, 6-0.
    Throwing the first complete game of his collegiate career at UO, the Huntington Beach, Calif., native recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts. The senior right-hander had his no-hitter broken up in the eighth inning when WSU's Matt Argyroppilos led off the inning with a shallow double to right field.
    LaTempa became the first Oregon pitcher since reinstatement to throw a complete game shutout. In addition, it was the first time Oregon has shutout a Pac-10 opponent since a 3-0 victory at Washington on May 8, 1976. On the season, LaTempa is 4-2 with a 2.64 ERA and 50 strikeouts.
    LaTempa was also named the Pac-10 Pitcher of Week on Monday. It was the first all-time Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week selection for Oregon. Senior catcher Eddie Rodriguez was named Pac-10 Player of the Week back on March 8.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSIVES
    Last week, Oregon finished 3-1, batting .311 as a team while the pitching staff managed a 1.75 ERA, allowing seven earned runs over 36 innings. Danny Pulfer hit .400 from the plate, followed by Steven Packard (.385). Marcus Piazzisi (.357), Jack Marder (.333) and KC Serna (.313).
    The Ducks outscored their opponents 23-8 and belted 13 extra-base hits with nine doubles, two triples and two home runs.

THREE MUSKETEERS - THE STARTERS
    Oregon's pitching staff leads the Pac-10 and ranks third in the nation with a 3.01 ERA. Combined, the trio of Tyler Anderson, Justin LaTempa and Zack Thornton post a record of 17-5. The Ducks issue just 2.47 walks per nine innings (4th in the nation), allow just 8.44 hits per nine innings (9th in the nation) and average 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings (26th in the nation).

TYLER ANDERSON
    Anderson, the Friday-night starter, is 6-3 on the season with 2.62 ERA (46th in the nation) and 73 strikeouts (46th in the nation). In 11 starts, Anderson has pitched a total of 68 and 2/3 innings, issuing just 21 walks. He is holding batters to a .208 clip, and his 7.07 hits allowed per nine innings rank 36th in the country.
JUSTIN LATEMPA
    Last Saturday, LaTempa threw the first complete-game shutout in the modern era for Oregon. He allowed just one hit threw nine innings as his no-no was broken up in the 8th. LaTempa is 4-2 on the year, and his 2.64 ERA ranks 48th in the nation.
ZACK THORNTON
     Zack Thornton has split his time this season between starter and relief, excelling in both for No. 15 Oregon. His 2.87 ERA ranks 9th in the Pac-10, while his seven wins on the mound tie for fourth in the conference (T-26th in the nation) as the senior is an undefeated 7-0 . Oregon is now tied for third in the Pac-10 standings with a 10-8 record, and of those 10 wins, four are credited to Thornton. And of those four Pac-10 victories, three were series-clinching wins for the Ducks. Thornton's 1.58 walks allowed per nine innings also ranks 50th in the country.

THE LONG BALL
    After belting just 16 home runs last year, Oregon has improved that total 23 this season. The Ducks have hit a round-tripper in five of their six Pac-10 series this season, and 10 different players have recorded at least one home run this year.
    Freshman Jack Marder leads UO with four, while senior Eddie Rodriguez, junior Marcus Piazzisi, and sophomore Danny Pulfer have three apiece. Against USC on April 25, freshman J.J. Altobelli his first homer of the season - a grand slam that was the first for the Ducks since the reinstatement of the program. Last Sunday, Paul Eshleman launched his second of the season, a three-run shot that helped the Ducks defeat Washington State, 6-1.

ANDERSON NAMED TO WATCH LIST
    Oregon Friday-night starter Tyler Anderson has been named to the College Baseball Foundation's Pitcher of the Year award watch list, it was announced on March 23.
    Anderson is one of 49 pitchers from across the country that was named to Tuesday's watch list. The Pitcher of the Year Award will be presented in Lubbock, Texas, on July 2 as part of the College Baseball Awards Show.
    This is the second year the CBF will present the Pitcher of the Year Award.
    Anderson is currently 6-3 on the season with a 2.62 ERA. The sophomore lefty endured a stretch of thee straight victories on the mound from March 5-19, in starts against Fresno State, Seattle and Nevada. At one point, the Las Vegas native had tossed 21 scoreless innings for the Ducks.
    The Pac-10 leads the country with nine pitchers on the Baseball Foundation's Pitcher of the Year award watch list.

TOP-25 RECRUITING
    Oregon inked 12 players during the early signing period, and each signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the U of O for the 2010-11 academic year. All 12 newcomers are currently in their senior year of high school.
    This is Oregon's third recruiting class since the reinstatement of the UO baseball program, and if history repeats itself, the 2010 graduating class should garner national honors like its predecessors.
    Of Oregon's 12 signees, six rank among the top-200 high school prospects for 2010, including three of the country's top-50 ranked prospects, according to PerfectGame Crosschecker.
    For two consecutive years, Oregon's recruiting classes have earned top-25 accolades. The Ducks' 2009 class, brought in for the program's first season in 28 years, was ranked No. 2 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball's annual evaluation, and was also ranked 10th in the nation by Baseball America's evaluation.
    The Ducks' second class received the No. 24 ranking in the nation from Baseball America earlier this fall.

CIVIL WAR CLASSIC
    Tickets are also currently on sale for The Civil War Classic presented by RBC Wealth Management. First pitch is set 6:30 p.m. from PGE Park in Portland on Wednesday, May 26.
    Tickets, which range in price from $5-$35, are available at www.ticketmaster.com, and all Ticketmaster locations.

PK PARK
    Oregon's newest facility opened to 2,609 fans on March 2 as UO defeated Washington, 6-2. The park has full locker rooms, clubhouses and team amenities, as well as a state-of-the-art video board and a classic inning by inning score board.
    The park has specially designed lighting structures. There is a landscaped area for food and hospitality and even a fan interaction area. There is a student seating area to enhance the intimacy for the Oregon baseball team and spectators.
    Eugene architect firm Cameron, McCarthy, Gilbert & Scheibe was the lead landscape architectural firm on the first phase of construction. Larry Gilbert is leading the project.
    “We have designed PK Park with all the features and amenities necessary to help the University of Oregon baseball program quickly establish itself as a regular on the 'Road to Omaha'. The Ducks' passionate fans will find their new ballpark to be one of the best places in the country to cheer on their favorite team,” said Greg Garlock, Designer and Principal with DLR Group.
    PK Park has a total capacity of 4,000, including 3,000 fixed seats, a tiered party plaza named “Fowl Territory”, a picnic plaza and eight upper level suites.
FieldTurf
The field is made of an all-weather base-ball specific FieldTurf, with clay mounds and bullpens. FieldTurf is the leading provider of collegiate baseball synthetic turf. The company has been installing similar products at college ballparks around the country.
History
2008 – On August 15, 2008 The University of Oregon announced that work has begun on the construction of a new baseball park. PK Park is named after Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny for his leadership, vision, support, and commitment to the University of Oregon. It was projected to cost $15-$18 million.
2009 – Baseball returns to the University of Oregon. In the team's first game at the park on Feb. 27, the Ducks beat Fresno State, the defending national champions in front of a sellout crowd.