Mary Nutter Tournament Next for No. 22 Softball

No. 22/24 Oregon will face four teams that made the 2022 NCAA Tournament this Friday through Sunday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Ducks will face tourney teams Cal State Fullerton (10 a.m.) and No. 19 Northwestern (12:30 p.m.) on Friday and No. 3 Florida (10 a.m.) and No. 24 Missouri (3 p.m.) on Saturday. Oregon will play Iowa State in a single game on Sunday (9 a.m.). Not only are Florida and Northwestern NCAA Tournament teams, but both reached the WCWS last year.

DUCKS IN THE POLLS
Oregon currently sits at No. 22 in the NFCA Coaches' Poll and No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Softball Poll. It is Oregon's 42nd consecutive appearance in the polls, dating back to the 2020 preseason poll.

HANSEN NO-NO
Stevie Hansen threw a no-hitter, the first of her career, Feb. 17 against Utah Valley She struck out 9 and walked 1 in 6 innings. Hansen had a perfect game until a leadoff, full count walk in the top of the fifth.

NONCONFERENCE SUCCESS UNDER LOMBARDI
Under head coach Melyssa Lombardi, Oregon has posted some of the best non-conference records in program history. Three years ago in 2020, before the season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ducks were 22-2 through 24 games. That was at the time, the second-best 24-game record in program history. In 2021, the Ducks did that one better, going 23-1 through 24 games. Last season, the Ducks went 19-3 prior to the opening of conference play. Overall, Oregon is 89-16 in nonconference regular season games under Lombardi.

RESERVED SEASON TICKETS SELL OUT
Oregon sold out of reserved season tickets for the 2023 season on Jan. 17 - a full two months prior to the March 17 home opener with Stanford. Single-game reserved tickets have already sold out for the Ducks' games versus UCLA on March 25-26 and only three reserved tickets remain for the series opener on March 24. A fourth game nearing a reserved section sell out is Stanford on March 18; just 19 reserved seats are still on sale. Fewer than 100 reserved tickets remain for Oregon's games against Stanford (March 17, 19), Montana (April 3), Portland State DH (April 18), Arizona (April 22-23) and Utah (May 6-7). General admission season and single-game tickets for all games remain on sale (www.goducks.com).

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Last season, Oregon played the second-most difficult schedule in the nation. In 2023, the Ducks will play six of the eight teams that reached the 2022 Women's College World Series – Florida, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Arizona, Oregon State and UCLA. In all, Oregon has 29 games against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago. In addition to the six WCWS teams, the Ducks' 2023 opponents who played in the 2022 NCAA Tournament are Wisconsin, Ole Miss, LMU, San Diego State, Fullerton, Missouri, Minnesota, Arizona State, Washington and Stanford.

THROWING STRIKES
Morgan Scott is second in the Pac-12 and 15th nationally in fewest walks issued per 7.0 innings (0.48). She's allowed just one walk in 14.2 innings this season. Stevie Hansen, meanwhile, is fifth in the conference and 27th nationally with 35 total strikeouts this season.

NO SOUP FOR YOU
Catcher Terra McGowan has already thrown out five would-be base stealers this season. That's tops in the Pac-12 and eighth nationally.

AVERAGE FOR McGOWAN, BIRD, HUMPHREYS ROCKETS
Overall, Oregon's offense saw a dramatic increase from week one to week two. As a team, the Ducks' batting average improved from .275 to ..326 (+.051). Individually, Terra McGowan saw an increase of .278 (.077 to .355), Tehya Bird jumped .248 (.100 to .348) and KK Humphreys improved by .090 (.231 to .321).

BUNKER CLOSING IN ON HITS TOP 5
In just two weeks, Allee Bunker climbed from 12th to seventh on the UO career hits list. She'll take aim at the top five this weekend. Bunker has 228 career hits, two behind Sari-Jane Jenkins in sixth (230/2006-09) and six behind Julie Cavanaugh (234/1988-91). Bunker has started 133 consecutive games. She was named the #6 player nationally 2B where she has started 125 straight.

BUNKER RARE Ks
Allee Bunker struck out twice Feb. 10 against Oklahoma State. That is just the second time in five years - 192 games and counting - that Bunker struck out twice in the same game. The other came as a freshman against UCLA.