Reinforcements Arrive For Stretch Run
05/02/19 | Baseball, @GoDucksMoseley
Pitcher Robert Ahlstrom rejoined the Ducks for their road trip to Arizona this weekend, and Kenyon Yovan could be close to returning to the mound as well.
Coincidence or not, the Oregon baseball team hasn't been the same without Robert Ahlstrom. Fortunately for the Ducks, then, they're no longer without him.
Ahlstrom has been cleared to return from a two-week absence due to illness when the UO baseball team plays this weekend at Arizona. Ahlstrom, a sophomore left-hander from Eugene, has been penciled in to start Saturday's game against the Wildcats, with senior lefty Cole Stringer starting the series opener Friday and sophomore righty Cullen Kafka slated to pitch Sunday.
Ahlstrom had put together a string of impressive starts before falling ill, allowing four earned runs in 25 2/3 innings against Arizona State, Fresno State, Utah and Washington State. The last three appearances were as Oregon's Friday starter, the slot for the unofficial ace of the staff.
"He was our best starter, in a group that was inconsistent," UO coach George Horton said. "He became the best, most consistent starter."
Oregon's inconsistencies stemmed in part from injuries, including to projected staff ace Kenyon Yovan. Since throwing two innings in the season opener, Yovan has yet to appear in a game due to hand issues, but Horton said this week Yovan is progressing well, too.
The return of Ahlstrom and positive signs for Yovan are positive signs for a team needing a lift. The Ducks (23-19) went 1-6 in the two weeks without Ahlstrom, imperiling their once promising playoff hopes.
Four Pac-12 series remain in the regular season, and every game is a chance for the Ducks to play themselves back into contention for a spot in the NCAA Regional round.
"Our body of work isn't where everybody wants it to be," Horton said. "But guess what? We still have a chance."
Horton said he challenged the Ducks prior to last Sunday's game at California to bring a postseason mentality to the park every day the rest of the season. The ensuing game happened to be Oregon's only win of the last two weeks.
Last week's trip to the Bay Area also featured two walk-off wins by opponents, against the electric arm of UO closer Ryne Nelson. The Ducks had rallied back from a 4-0 deficit and led 7-6 before losing Friday at Cal, 8-7, and they led 3-0 on Monday at San Jose State before losing that game, 4-3.
"We feel good about how we're competing right now," senior Jakob Goldfarb said. "We've just got to find a way to win. These next few weeks, we control our destiny, so it's gonna be exciting. It's make or break."
Goldfarb's recent return from injury provided more punch for what's been the most prolific offense of Horton's 11 seasons at Oregon. Now, the Ducks look like they're getting close to stabilizing their pitching situation, with the return of Ahlstrom and positive news on Yovan.
"With our team, the mentality right now is that if we want to be a playoff team, we've got to win must-win games," Goldfarb said. "We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole by dropping games here and there. Our mentality is, the playoffs are starting a little bit early for us."
