Eugene Regional Preview
05/31/12 | Baseball
Eugene Regional Tournament Central
Schedule
Friday, June 1 (Day 1)
2:00 p.m. Game 1 – #2 Cal State Fullerton vs. #3 Indiana State
6:00 p.m. Game 2 – #1 Oregon vs. #4 Austin Peay
Saturday, June 2 (Day 2)
2:00 p.m. Game 3 – Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2
6:00 p.m. Game 4 – Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2
Sunday, June 3 (Day 3)
12:00 p.m. Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs Loser Game 4
4:00 p.m. Game 6 – Winner Game 4 vs Winner Game 5
Monday, June 4 (Day 4, if necessary)
6:00 p.m. Game 6 – Same Teams as in Game 6
• Venue: PK Park
• TV: None
• Radio: KUJZ 95.3 FM in Eugene/Springfield
• Webcast: www.NCAA.com
• Audio: O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com
• Live Stats: www.NCAA.com
• Twitter: @OregonBaseball for in-game updates, stats, etc
• Facebook
EUGENE REGIONAL
The University of Oregon claimed a No. 5 national seed for the 66th annual NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, and PK Park will host the Eugene Regional - the first postseason event for the four-year-old venue.
The Ducks (42-17, 19-11), who finished third in the Pac-12 conference, will host No. 2 seed Cal State Fullerton, No. 3 seed Indiana State and No. 4 seed Austin Peay at the Eugene Regional.
The Ducks' No. 5 national seed is the club's first in program history, and Oregon returns to the NCAA Tournament after appearing in the Norwich Regional in 2010. The Ducks will be making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance overall, and their second since the program was revived for the 2009 season.
The national top eight seeds are Florida (42-18), UCLA (42-14), Florida St. (43-15), Baylor (44-14), Oregon (42-17), North Carolina (44-14), LSU (43-16) and South Carolina (40-17).
Oregon baseball last hosted a postseason event when the NCAA Western Regionals were played at Howe Field. The Ducks defeated Seattle, 9-4, and Fresno State, 9-5 and 1-0, for the right to move on to the 1954 College World Series.
TICKETS
Single-game tickets for the Eugene Regional are currently on sale.
Fans wishing to purchase single-game tickets can visit www.GoDucks.com, call 1-800-WEBFOOT or visit the Oregon Athletic Ticket Office currently located in the Moshofsky Center. Normal operating hours are from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays.
RANKINGS
After beginning the season unranked, the Ducks are currently ranked in five national polls, and rest at No. 10 in the Baseball America Top-25 poll. Oregon has been ranked as high as No. 5 this season.
The No. 2 seed in the Eugene Regional, Big West champion Cal State Fullerton, is currently ranked 12th in the country.
GAMEDAY INFO
Radio: Oregon's games from the Eugene Regional will be broadcast on KUJZ 95.3 FM with Jerry Allen and Brian Prawitz calling all the action.
Live Stats: Live stats for each game of the Eugene Regional will be available online at www.NCAA.com.
Live Video: Video broadcasts for games from the Eugene Regional will be available for free online at www.NCAA.com.
2012 SCHEDULE
Oregon currently ranks sixth in the NCAA RPI ratings. In addition, Oregon's 2012 schedule is ranked the third strongest in the country according boydsworld.com, while boydsworld.com rates Oregon's RPI at six.
EUGENE REGIONAL STORYLINES
Oregon head coach George Horton spent 11 seasons (1997-2007) as the head coach at Cal State Fullerton, leading the Titans to eight Big West Conference championships, six College World Series appearances and the 2004 College World Series title.
During that time, current Cal State Fullerton head coach Rick Vanderhook served as an assistant coach for each of Horton's 11 years with Titans. In addition, current CSF assistant coach Mike Kirby spent three seasons (2009-11) as an assistant coach at the University of Oregon. Also, current Titan assistant coach Kirk Saarloos pitched for Horton racking up a school record 127 appearances from 1998-2001, while fellow assistant Chad Baum served on Horton's staff from 2000-04, after playing for the Titans during the 1998 and 1999 seasons.
Indiana State assistant coach Ronnie Prettyman played his collegiate baseball at Cal State Fullerton from 2003-05, assisting the Titans to three straight appearances in the NCAA Super Regionals, back-to-back trips to the College World Series in 2003 and 2004 and the 2004 National Championship.
FRESHMAN CLASS RANKING
Once again a highly-touted recruiting class joined the Oregon baseball program as the 2011 class received a No. 9 ranking from Baseball America's annual recruiting evaluations.
For the second year in a row, head coach George Horton brought in a top-10 class, and for the fourth consecutive year, Oregon has recruited a top-25 class.
A NEW LOOK
Oregon entered the 2012 season with 14 newcomers on the roster. From the 2011 squad, the Ducks lost three position starters with shortstop KC Serna, second baseman Danny Pulfer and catcher Jack Marder all departing after being selected in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
On the mound, Oregon took its biggest hit. The Ducks lost 322 and 1/3 innings of pitching, 15 wins and all 17 saves as Tyler Anderson, Madison Boer, Scott McGough and Kellen Moen were lost to the 2011 MLB Draft. Freshman Porter Clayton (0-1, 1 SV) is also missing from the 2012 roster after choosing to depart on a two-year mission.
MORE NOTES
• Oregon's 42 wins in 2012 is a program best.
• Oregon's 19 conference wins are the most in program history, and UO's third-place finish is the best for the program since taking second place in the Northern Division in 1978.
• After finishing 2011 with a record of 5-12 in one-run games, the Ducks are currently 16-5 in one-run games and 4-0 in games that are decided in extra innings.
• Oregon is 13-7 against ranked opponents in 2012.
• Alex Keudell's 10 wins in 2012 set a new UO single-season record, and he is the first Duck in program history to be named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year.
• Oregon's 28 home runs surpass the club's total of 19 from 2012.
• Jimmie Sherfy's 17 saves are a new Oregon single-season record.
• On April 28, Oregon baseball set a new PK Park attendance record with a crowd of 3,892 as UO defeated Cal 3-2.
• On April 18 at Volcanoes Stadium (Keizer, Ore.), freshman Jordan Spencer threw the first no-hitter since the Oregon baseball program was reinstated (2009) in a 3-0 victory over Portland.
• Oregon's 5-0 series-clinching win over Stanford on April 14 marked the 600th Division I career victory for head coach George Horton.
• With Oregon's 8-3 win at UCLA (April 16), the Ducks won five consecutive conference games for the first time since May 4-9, 1976.
• Oregon's sweep of ASU was the first in the series history between the two clubs, and UO's 1-0 victory on March 31 was the first Oregon shut out of the Sun Devils.
• In Oregon's 3-1 victory over ASU on March 31, Kyle Garlick became the first UO player since reinstatement (2009) to hit two home runs in one game. Aaron Jones became the second player with two home runs at UCLA on April 5.
• On March 17, Oregon won its 100th game since the program was reinstated, defeating Washington, 3-2, in 13 innings at Husky Ballpark.
• Oregon's 8-3 loss at Washington on March 16 snapped Oregon's seven-game road winning streak - its longest since prior to 1963 (the first season game-by-game results are available).
• Oregon's 10-game winning streak (Feb. 18-March 4) was its longest since 1969, and Oregon's 10-1 start was the best for the program since 1965.
• From Feb. 19-23, UO recorded three consecutive wins with double-digit runs for the first time since April 22-24, 1974.
• Oregon trailed Long Beach State 5-0 on March 4, but the Ducks staged a comeback to win 8-7 on Aaron Jones' walk-off in the bottom of the ninth. It was the Ducks' first comeback from a five-run deficit since a 17-7 victory over East Tennessee State at PK Park on May 16, 2010.
• On March 10 in Oregon's 12-0 win over West Virginia, Aaron Jones hit the first Oregon grand slam at PK Park since J.J. Altobelli vs. USC (April 25, 2010).
• Three Oregon pitchers have tossed nine-inning complete-game shutouts in 2012: Brando Tessar's four-hit, nine-inning complete-game shutout helped UO to a 4-0 win over Connecticut on March 11. Alex Keudell pitched a four-hit shutout as No. 23 Oregon upset No. 14 Arizona State 1-0 on March 31. Jordan Spencer pitched a no-hitter in Oregon's 3-0 shutout win over Portland on April 18.
PAC-12 PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Oregon senior right-hander Alex Keudell was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year following a vote by the Conference coaches, it was announced by Commissioner Larry Scott on Wednesday.
Keudell, who was also named one of 30 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award, has served as the Friday-night starter for the 10th-ranked Ducks all season.
Keudell is the first Oregon pitcher to receive the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year Award, and with a 10-4 record in 2012, he set the new Oregon single-season win record.
Keudell's 2.12 ERA ranks third in the Pac-12 amongst starters, and his 10 wins tie for third. In conference games only, the Portland, Ore., native leads all pitchers with an 8-2 record and his 2.14 ERA ranks fourth.
Against top-25 competition this season, Keudell is 5-1 with an ERA of 1.75 after allowing nine earned runs in 46 and 1/3 innings on the mound. Against ranked opponents, he has tossed two complete games including one shutout.
Between March 23 and May 18, Keudell won nine consecutive starts. During that stretch he posted a 9-0 record with a 1.14 ERA allowing just nine runs in 71 and 1/3 innings.
Earlier this season, Keudell was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week in back-to-back weekends after he tossed seven shutout innings at then No. 5 UCLA, scattering eight hits while striking out two in a 6-2 win on April 5. The following weekend, he allowed just one run on five hits while walking no one and striking out a season-best seven in a 4-2 win at then No. 6 Stanford on April 13.
TWO-OUT RBIS
Oregon has driven in 238 runs this season, and out of those 238 RBIs, 98 have come with two outs. Oregon sophomore Kyle Garlick leads the Ducks with 18 two-out RBIs followed by Aaron Payne (14), Ryon Healy (14) and Aaron Jones (13).
IN THE NCAA
Oregon's 3.02 ERA currently leads the Pac-12 and ranks 14th in the nation. The Duck pitching staff is holding opponents to a .226 clip to lead the Pac-12, while UO's pitchers have picked off 15 runners to lead the league.
Oregon's staff allows just 7.19 hits per nine innings to rank second in the country. The Ducks' 393 strikeouts also top the Pac-12.
UO's .980 fielding percentage leads the Pac-12 and ranks sixth in the country.
SOPHOMORE STATE
Oregon's sophomore class has dominated the Duck offense as six sophomores regularly start in the field.
Pac-12 honorable mention second baseman Aaron Payne (.287) is the only UO player to start all 59 games and leads the Ducks with 32 runs scored, while Pac-12 honorable mention first baseman Ryon Healy leads Oregon with 70 hits, including 13 doubles, one triple and four home runs while driving in 36 runs.
The pair of Aaron Jones and Kyle Garlick have split time between designated hitter and right field. Jones, a Pac-12 honorable mention pick, leads the Ducks with 38 RBIs, nine-multiple RBI games while driving in the game-winning run on nine occasions.
Garlick , who is second on the team with a .307 average, has driven in 36 runs with an astonishing 18 RBIs hit during two-out situations. The Chino Hills, Calif., native shares the team lead with Jones in home runs (6) and multiple-RBI games (9).
Left fielder Brett Thomas leads the Ducks with a .309 average as well as 14 doubles and four triples. In center field, Connor Hofmann is batting .254 with three home runs.
WILD THING
Sophomore right-hander Jimmie Sherfy was named to the Pac-12 all-conference team, and has accepted an invitation to play for the 2012 Collegiate National Team this summer.
Sherfy leads the Pac-12 with 17 saves (4th in the country) this year, a new Oregon single-season record. Sherfy has made 31 appearances, and in 55 innings pitched has struck out 84 batters – an average of 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
A native of Camarillo, Calif., Sherfy sports a 2.29 ERA and a 4-2 record, while holding opposing batters to a .176 clip. He was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Watch List, and was also named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week after striking out 13 in relief on Feb. 18, tossing five and 2/3 shutout innings at Hawai'i as the Ducks prevailed 3-2.
During a nine-game win streak from May 6-23, Sherfy tossed 11 and 2/3 shutout innings in seven appearances, earning five saves and one victory while fanning 21 batters.
This season, he has inherited 26 runners, allowing six to score.
