Wisdom From UO Legend Lifts Pitchers

The Oregon softball team has played this season without its left-handed ace, but another Duck who baffled hitters from the left side might have provided a lift just when the UO pitching staff needed it.

Without injured star Brooke Yanez this spring, Oregon has leaned heavily on freshman Stevie Hansen and junior Makenna Kliethermes as starters, with Jordan Dail and Raegan Breedlove working mostly in relief. That staff helped the Ducks roar to a 24-5 start through March, then endured a 4-11 stretch in April against four straight ranked Pac-12 foes.

But the Ducks will take the field in Arkansas against Wichita State to open NCAA regional play Friday riding a 5-1 stretch to close the regular season. The Ducks' young pitching staff stabilized itself during those last two weekends of play, and perhaps not coincidentally did so after a visit by former Pac-12 pitcher of the year Cheridan Hawkins.

Boosted by a meeting with Hawkins while she was in Eugene to throw out the first pitch against Oregon State on April 30, the UO pitching staff allowed less than two runs per game over the final six games of the regular season. Kliethermes in particular seemed energized by meeting with Hawkins — she struck out 11 Beavers as the Ducks won that April 30 game preceded by Hawkins' first pitch, and in two May appearances Kliethermes has allowed one run over 10 1/3 innings.

"Cheridan's words were really inspiring to me," Kliethermes said Tuesday, following Oregon's final practice in Eugene before departing for Arkansas on Wednesday. "I feel like I took them to heart, and just kept building off every inning I had. I've had a lot more success with the mindset from her."

Cheridan Hawkins

Hawkins, who won 108 games with 33 shutouts and 1,081 strikeouts for the Ducks from 2013-16, was just as thrilled by getting to mentor the current team as they were to hear from her. Especially after seeing the way her message resonated with a current Duck like Kliethermes.

"She's such a skilled pitcher," Hawkins said. "If I could leave just one thing, that makes me happy."

The overriding theme of Hawkins' message to the current UO staff was about moving on from mistakes. Young pitchers can be guilty of allowing mistakes to compound, instead of mentally resetting for the next at-bat.

Oregon's staff has allowed 52 home runs this season; Hawkins allowed 72 in her four years. No pitcher — even one as decorated as Hawkins — is perfect, she conveyed to this year's Ducks. Success comes from how you respond to mistakes.

"I wanted to be open, and not make it seem like it was awesome all the time," Hawkins said. "Acknowledge I had struggles, and what I did to get through them."

One of her messages was to seek out help should any mental health issues arise. And another was never to lose an attacking mentality.

Makenna Kliethermes

Hawkins and Kliethermes talked through a hypothetical scenario in which Kliethermes allowed a double to a particular player. The next time she comes to bat, Hawkins asked, what are your thoughts?

"And I was like, don't give up another double?" Kliethermes related. "And she was like, no. If anything you should be like, strike her out. She isn't gonna do that again."

There's a difference between playing to win, and playing not to lose. Play to win, Hawkins told the Ducks.

In that start against the Beavers on April 30, Kliethermes allowed a two-run homer in the second inning to OSU's Grace Messmer. The next time Messmer came to bat, Kliethermes struck her out on three pitches.

"I found myself willing myself to keep pushing," Kliethermes said. "Like, I did give up some hits and runs. But I knew I can do more, I can do better. And I was gonna prove it."

The performance filled Hawkins with pride. Just a few years after her all-American playing career, she was once again having an impact for Oregon in the circle, as a mentor to the Ducks' young pitchers.

"Everyone did so well together and they had such a great next weekend," Hawkins said. "I was like, don't forget, you're great too and you're here for a reason: because you're a great athlete. It was just as much a fun experience for me. I equally felt honored."