Saturday, April 29
Eugene, Ore.
1:00 PM
University of Oregon
vs
Oregon State
Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Notes: Softball Civil War Starts Friday
04/26/17 | Softball
The No. 6 ranked Oregon softball team plays host to rival Oregon State this weekend for a three-game series starting Friday.
EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 6 ranked Oregon softball team plays host to rival Oregon State this weekend at Jane Sanders Stadium with a three-game Pac-12 series starting on Friday.
#6 OREGON DUCKS (38-6, 11-6 Pac-12)
Team BA: .325 | Team ERA: 1.45 | Runs Scored: 283 | Runs Allowed: 76
Recently: Dropped a series, 2-1, at No. 3 Arizona
National Rankings: The Ducks are No. 6 in both polls for the second straight week
All-Time Series: UO trails OSU, 91-88-1 (Ducks have won 12 straight games)
Last Year: Oregon swept OSU in Corvallis, including a 9-0 run-rule win in the finale
Notable: The Ducks are looking to bounce back after dropping 2-of-3 games in series with UCLA, Washington and Arizona. Oregon is 38-6 on the season, with all six losses coming to teams ranked in the top-6 of the RPI. The Ducks' bats woke up over the weekend in Tucson, as Oregon belted out six home runs against the top pitching staff in the Pac-12. Senior shortstop Nikki Udria leads Oregon with 10 home runs this season after her game-tying solo shot at Arizona on Sunday. As a team, Oregon's .325 batting average ranks 10th in the NCAA while its 1.45 ERA and .424 on-base percentage are both ninth in the nation.
OREGON STATE BEAVERS (24-19, 6-9 Pac-12)
Team BA: .306 | Team ERA: 3.44 | Runs Scored: 226 | Runs Allowed: 196
Recently: Took 2-of-3 from Stanford last weekend, 2-of-3 vs. UCLA previous weekend
National Rankings: Unranked in both polls
Head Coach: Laura Berg (Fifth Season)
Notable: Oregon State is coming off back-to-back series wins against UCLA and Stanford. The Beavers took 2-of-3 from the Bruins for the first time in program history. Prior to that, however, OSU was swept by Arizona and dropped 2-of-3 to Arizona State and Washington. McKenna Arriola is hitting a team-high .390 while Alysha Everett leads the Bevaers with eight homers and 40 RBIs. In the circle, Taylor Cotton is 10-5 with a 2.36 ERA in a team-high 112.2 inning pitched. She has 99 strikeouts and 50 walks. Nerissa Eason has tossed 99.1 innings this season with a 4.09 ERA, 70 strikeouts and 79 walks.
BROADCAST INFO
- All three of Oregon's games vs. Oregon State will be broadcast live on TV. Pac-12 Oregon will air the games on Friday and Saturday while both Pac-12 National and Pac-12 Oregon will have the game on Sunday.
- KWVA 88.1 FM will broadcast all three games as well.
- Live stats for all three games are available at oregon.statbroadcast.com.
WHEN PLAYING OREGON STATE
- Friday's series opener will be the 181st meeting of the softball Civil War. OSU leads the all-time series, 91-88-1. Oregon can tie up the all-time series with a sweep.
- The Ducks first played Oregon State in 1974, with the Beavers winning 13-7.
- Oregon has won 12 straight against OSU, sweeping four consecutive series, and has won 17 of the last 19 games overall.
- In the Ducks' current 12-game winning streak against Oregon State, Oregon has outscored OSU 120-24 with eight run-rule wins.
- In the current 12-game winning streak, Oregon has shutout OSU six times and run-ruled them eight times.
- Last year the Ducks swept Oregon State in Corvallis. Oregon won the opener, 6-1, and took the second game, 4-3. The Ducks run-ruled OSU in the series finale, 9-0, in five innings.
- The Ducks are 18-3 against the Beavers under head coach Mike White (2010-pres.).
- Oregon's 18-0 five-inning win in Corvallis on April 14, 2014 was the largest win by either side in the history of the Civil War.
- Oregon's longest winning streak in the series is 23 games, spanning from 1988 to 1992.
- Oregon State's longest winning streak in the series is 17 games, running from 1981 to 1984.
THE CIVIL WAR'S CRAZIEST GAME
On March 4, 2015 at Howe Field, Oregon surrendered 12 runs against Oregon State in the second game of the series - then tied for the most ever allowed by the Ducks under Mike White - and were still able to run-rule the Beavers, 23-12 in five innings.
- Oregon's 23 runs scored set a new program record.
- Freshman Gwen Svekis set a new record with a whopping nine RBIs in the game, coming on a three-run homer in the first inning, a two-run triple in the third and a grand slam in the fourth.
- Svekis wasn't the only player to hit a grand slam, as Natalie Hampton hit one in the fourth for the Beavers.
- Each team hit three homers in the game.
- Nine different players drove in a run for the Ducks.
- Oregon set a program record by drawing 13 walks in the game. Alyssa Gillespie, Janie Takeda and Hailey Decker each had three walks.
- The teams combined for seven errors in the game, with five combined unearned runs.
- The five inning game took three hours and 18 minutes to complete.
RPI CHECK
The Ducks rank No. 7 in this week's NCAA RPI. Oregon is 14-6 against teams in the top-25 of the RPI, the most wins in that category of any team in the country. The Pac-12 features four of the top-7 teams in the country, with Arizona at No. 2, Washington at No. 3 and UCLA at No. 6. Utah is also strong at No. 15.
FINALISTS FOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Both senior SS Nikki Udria and freshman RHP Maggie Balint were named finalists for the USA Softball national player of the year, the organization announced on April 12. Of the 34 finalists, Balint is the only freshman.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST
In addition to being a finalist for the USA Softball national player of the year, pitcher Maggie Balint is also a finalist for the NFCA national freshman of the year.
STRIKEOUT-TO-WALK RATIOS
Oregon's young pitching staff has racked up the strikeouts this season without allowing many free passes.
- Freshman RHP Maggie Balint has 123 strikeouts this season compared to just 24 walks, a 5.1-to-1 ratio.
- Sophomore RHP Megan Kleist has 102 strikeouts and just 26 walks, a 3.9-to-1 ratio.
- Freshman RHP Miranda Elish has 72 strikeouts but also only 18 walks for a 4.0-to-1 ratio.
SWIPE SISTERS
Senior Danica Mercado (19) and sophomore Alexis Mack (14) are first and third in the Pac-12 in stolen bases, respectively. As a team, the Ducks have a Pac-12-high 65 stolen bases this year, 20 more than Cal in second place.
UDRIA ON BASE
Senior Nikki Udria has gotten on base every game but one this season for the Ducks. She failed to reach base against Cal Poly back on Feb. 12. Since then, she has gotten on base in 38 straight games.
IN THE CIRCLE
Oregon's young pitching staff has shined all year long.
- With a 1.45 team ERA, the Ducks rank ninth in the NCAA and second in the Pac-12.
- Oregon owns three of the top-9 ERAs in the Pac-12 this season, highlighted by Maggie Balint's 1,07 ERA, second-best in the Pac-12. Megan Kleist is fourth with a 1.45 and Miranda Elish is ninth with a 1.94.
- Maggie Balint leads the Pac-12 with a .172 opponent batting average.
- Oregon pitchers have struck out 297 batters, the second most in the Pac-12.
EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
Oregon has been one of the best hitting teams in the nation over the last few seasons and this year is no exception.
- UO ranks 10th in the NCAA and second in the Pac-12 with a .325 batting average.
- The Ducks are ninth in the country and rank second in the league with a .424 on-base percentage.
- Oregon is ninth in scoring in the NCAA, averaging 6.4 runs per game.
- Oregon owns three of the top-4 individual batting averages in the Pac-12. Nikki Udria is hitting .423, second in the league, while Alexis Mack is third with a .420 average and Danica Mercado is foruth with a .410.
BEST START TO A SEASON IN NCAA HISTORY
Oregon started the season with a 35-0 record and was the last undefeated team in the nation. The 35 wins to start a season tied the NCAA record, also reached by UCLA in 1999.
LONGEST WINNING STREAK
With an 8-2 victory against Stephen F. Austin at the Mizzou Tournament, the Ducks set a new program record for consuective wins with 19. The Ducks went on to shatter the record with wins in 35 straight games. Oregon won 18 straight games last season, which matched the previous record. The Ducks also won 18 straight games in 2007.
OREGON IN THE POLLS
The Ducks were No. 9 in both polls to start the 2017 season. After dropping 2-of-3 at Arizona, the Ducks remained No. 6 in both polls.
#6 OREGON DUCKS (38-6, 11-6 Pac-12)
Team BA: .325 | Team ERA: 1.45 | Runs Scored: 283 | Runs Allowed: 76
Recently: Dropped a series, 2-1, at No. 3 Arizona
National Rankings: The Ducks are No. 6 in both polls for the second straight week
All-Time Series: UO trails OSU, 91-88-1 (Ducks have won 12 straight games)
Last Year: Oregon swept OSU in Corvallis, including a 9-0 run-rule win in the finale
Notable: The Ducks are looking to bounce back after dropping 2-of-3 games in series with UCLA, Washington and Arizona. Oregon is 38-6 on the season, with all six losses coming to teams ranked in the top-6 of the RPI. The Ducks' bats woke up over the weekend in Tucson, as Oregon belted out six home runs against the top pitching staff in the Pac-12. Senior shortstop Nikki Udria leads Oregon with 10 home runs this season after her game-tying solo shot at Arizona on Sunday. As a team, Oregon's .325 batting average ranks 10th in the NCAA while its 1.45 ERA and .424 on-base percentage are both ninth in the nation.
OREGON STATE BEAVERS (24-19, 6-9 Pac-12)
Team BA: .306 | Team ERA: 3.44 | Runs Scored: 226 | Runs Allowed: 196
Recently: Took 2-of-3 from Stanford last weekend, 2-of-3 vs. UCLA previous weekend
National Rankings: Unranked in both polls
Head Coach: Laura Berg (Fifth Season)
Notable: Oregon State is coming off back-to-back series wins against UCLA and Stanford. The Beavers took 2-of-3 from the Bruins for the first time in program history. Prior to that, however, OSU was swept by Arizona and dropped 2-of-3 to Arizona State and Washington. McKenna Arriola is hitting a team-high .390 while Alysha Everett leads the Bevaers with eight homers and 40 RBIs. In the circle, Taylor Cotton is 10-5 with a 2.36 ERA in a team-high 112.2 inning pitched. She has 99 strikeouts and 50 walks. Nerissa Eason has tossed 99.1 innings this season with a 4.09 ERA, 70 strikeouts and 79 walks.
BROADCAST INFO
- All three of Oregon's games vs. Oregon State will be broadcast live on TV. Pac-12 Oregon will air the games on Friday and Saturday while both Pac-12 National and Pac-12 Oregon will have the game on Sunday.
- KWVA 88.1 FM will broadcast all three games as well.
- Live stats for all three games are available at oregon.statbroadcast.com.
WHEN PLAYING OREGON STATE
- Friday's series opener will be the 181st meeting of the softball Civil War. OSU leads the all-time series, 91-88-1. Oregon can tie up the all-time series with a sweep.
- The Ducks first played Oregon State in 1974, with the Beavers winning 13-7.
- Oregon has won 12 straight against OSU, sweeping four consecutive series, and has won 17 of the last 19 games overall.
- In the Ducks' current 12-game winning streak against Oregon State, Oregon has outscored OSU 120-24 with eight run-rule wins.
- In the current 12-game winning streak, Oregon has shutout OSU six times and run-ruled them eight times.
- Last year the Ducks swept Oregon State in Corvallis. Oregon won the opener, 6-1, and took the second game, 4-3. The Ducks run-ruled OSU in the series finale, 9-0, in five innings.
- The Ducks are 18-3 against the Beavers under head coach Mike White (2010-pres.).
- Oregon's 18-0 five-inning win in Corvallis on April 14, 2014 was the largest win by either side in the history of the Civil War.
- Oregon's longest winning streak in the series is 23 games, spanning from 1988 to 1992.
- Oregon State's longest winning streak in the series is 17 games, running from 1981 to 1984.
THE CIVIL WAR'S CRAZIEST GAME
On March 4, 2015 at Howe Field, Oregon surrendered 12 runs against Oregon State in the second game of the series - then tied for the most ever allowed by the Ducks under Mike White - and were still able to run-rule the Beavers, 23-12 in five innings.
- Oregon's 23 runs scored set a new program record.
- Freshman Gwen Svekis set a new record with a whopping nine RBIs in the game, coming on a three-run homer in the first inning, a two-run triple in the third and a grand slam in the fourth.
- Svekis wasn't the only player to hit a grand slam, as Natalie Hampton hit one in the fourth for the Beavers.
- Each team hit three homers in the game.
- Nine different players drove in a run for the Ducks.
- Oregon set a program record by drawing 13 walks in the game. Alyssa Gillespie, Janie Takeda and Hailey Decker each had three walks.
- The teams combined for seven errors in the game, with five combined unearned runs.
- The five inning game took three hours and 18 minutes to complete.
RPI CHECK
The Ducks rank No. 7 in this week's NCAA RPI. Oregon is 14-6 against teams in the top-25 of the RPI, the most wins in that category of any team in the country. The Pac-12 features four of the top-7 teams in the country, with Arizona at No. 2, Washington at No. 3 and UCLA at No. 6. Utah is also strong at No. 15.
FINALISTS FOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Both senior SS Nikki Udria and freshman RHP Maggie Balint were named finalists for the USA Softball national player of the year, the organization announced on April 12. Of the 34 finalists, Balint is the only freshman.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST
In addition to being a finalist for the USA Softball national player of the year, pitcher Maggie Balint is also a finalist for the NFCA national freshman of the year.
STRIKEOUT-TO-WALK RATIOS
Oregon's young pitching staff has racked up the strikeouts this season without allowing many free passes.
- Freshman RHP Maggie Balint has 123 strikeouts this season compared to just 24 walks, a 5.1-to-1 ratio.
- Sophomore RHP Megan Kleist has 102 strikeouts and just 26 walks, a 3.9-to-1 ratio.
- Freshman RHP Miranda Elish has 72 strikeouts but also only 18 walks for a 4.0-to-1 ratio.
SWIPE SISTERS
Senior Danica Mercado (19) and sophomore Alexis Mack (14) are first and third in the Pac-12 in stolen bases, respectively. As a team, the Ducks have a Pac-12-high 65 stolen bases this year, 20 more than Cal in second place.
UDRIA ON BASE
Senior Nikki Udria has gotten on base every game but one this season for the Ducks. She failed to reach base against Cal Poly back on Feb. 12. Since then, she has gotten on base in 38 straight games.
IN THE CIRCLE
Oregon's young pitching staff has shined all year long.
- With a 1.45 team ERA, the Ducks rank ninth in the NCAA and second in the Pac-12.
- Oregon owns three of the top-9 ERAs in the Pac-12 this season, highlighted by Maggie Balint's 1,07 ERA, second-best in the Pac-12. Megan Kleist is fourth with a 1.45 and Miranda Elish is ninth with a 1.94.
- Maggie Balint leads the Pac-12 with a .172 opponent batting average.
- Oregon pitchers have struck out 297 batters, the second most in the Pac-12.
EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
Oregon has been one of the best hitting teams in the nation over the last few seasons and this year is no exception.
- UO ranks 10th in the NCAA and second in the Pac-12 with a .325 batting average.
- The Ducks are ninth in the country and rank second in the league with a .424 on-base percentage.
- Oregon is ninth in scoring in the NCAA, averaging 6.4 runs per game.
- Oregon owns three of the top-4 individual batting averages in the Pac-12. Nikki Udria is hitting .423, second in the league, while Alexis Mack is third with a .420 average and Danica Mercado is foruth with a .410.
BEST START TO A SEASON IN NCAA HISTORY
Oregon started the season with a 35-0 record and was the last undefeated team in the nation. The 35 wins to start a season tied the NCAA record, also reached by UCLA in 1999.
LONGEST WINNING STREAK
With an 8-2 victory against Stephen F. Austin at the Mizzou Tournament, the Ducks set a new program record for consuective wins with 19. The Ducks went on to shatter the record with wins in 35 straight games. Oregon won 18 straight games last season, which matched the previous record. The Ducks also won 18 straight games in 2007.
OREGON IN THE POLLS
The Ducks were No. 9 in both polls to start the 2017 season. After dropping 2-of-3 at Arizona, the Ducks remained No. 6 in both polls.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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IF
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RHP
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OF
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RHP
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OF
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OF
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C
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IF
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