Friday, February 14
Eugene, Ore.
3:05 p.m.
University of Oregon
1-0
9
vs
2
Toledo
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Toledo
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
3
4
Oregon
1
0
0
0
0
2
2
4
X
9
12
0
Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Opening Day A Success At PK Park
02/14/25 | Baseball
The Oregon baseball team looked strong in all facets during a 9-2 in Friday over Toledo.
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon baseball came into 2025 wanting to prove it was a well-rounded club that could beat opponents in multiple ways. In Friday's opening game of the season, the Ducks indeed looked strong in all facets.
The No. 19 Ducks got a dominant start from Grayson Grinsell, solid relief pitching, clean defense and production up and down the lineup to beat Toledo on opening day at PK Park, 9-2. Oregon jumped out to an early lead, weathered a tie score through the middle innings and then broke things open late to win the first of four games at PK Park this weekend.
"One day trying to play clean baseball, we did it," UO coach Mark Wasikowski said. "And I think that was a good product we put out there tonight. It was just complete."
Grinsell, one of the top starting pitchers in the country entering the season, allowed only a game-tying solo homer in the second over five innings, striking out seven with two walks.
Ryan Featherston (1-0) and Seth Mattox combined to allow one unearned run the rest of the way, while UO career home run leader Jacob Walsh bashed his first of this season on a day eight of the nine starting position players had at least one hit.
How It Happened: A single to right field by Mason Neville, a single to left by Drew Smith and a base hit up the middle by Walsh gave Oregon the lead just three batters into the season. Grinsell allowed the homer to tie it in the second, but he bounced back and kept it tied 1-1 through five innings.
"Definitely a confident feeling, knowing that they trust me to come here on opening day and come out and just do what I do and attack the zone," Grinsell said. "Definitely tried to just go out there and set the tone for what the other team should be expecting from the other three starters this weekend."
After Smith reached on an error in the bottom of the sixth, Walsh followed with home run No. 41 of his career. It was a high fly hit the other way to left field, putting the Ducks up 3-1.
"I've taken a lot of ABs here, and I've learned a lot of things," Walsh said of the maturity he showed with the first-inning single and opposite-field homer. "Just using that and trying to spread that around the team, help everyone out."
A passed ball allowed a run to score in the top of the seventh, bringing Toledo back within 3-2. But the Ducks weren't done hitting.
Jack Brooks led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, and an infield single by Ryan Cooney put runners at the corners with nobody out. Carter Garate followed with a double to score Brooks, and a sacrifice fly by Neville plated Cooney for a 5-2 lead.
Oregon then added on again in the eighth, after Mattox threw his first of two shutout innings of relief. The first three batters of the inning reached, with Maddox Molony scoring on an error and Brooks coming home on a balk. An RBI double by Neville scored Cooney, and Smith followed with a single to drive in Neville.
Mattox closed out the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out the final batter to give the UO staff a dozen strikeouts on the day.
Up Next: The two teams meet Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m
The No. 19 Ducks got a dominant start from Grayson Grinsell, solid relief pitching, clean defense and production up and down the lineup to beat Toledo on opening day at PK Park, 9-2. Oregon jumped out to an early lead, weathered a tie score through the middle innings and then broke things open late to win the first of four games at PK Park this weekend.
"One day trying to play clean baseball, we did it," UO coach Mark Wasikowski said. "And I think that was a good product we put out there tonight. It was just complete."
Grinsell, one of the top starting pitchers in the country entering the season, allowed only a game-tying solo homer in the second over five innings, striking out seven with two walks.
Ryan Featherston (1-0) and Seth Mattox combined to allow one unearned run the rest of the way, while UO career home run leader Jacob Walsh bashed his first of this season on a day eight of the nine starting position players had at least one hit.
How It Happened: A single to right field by Mason Neville, a single to left by Drew Smith and a base hit up the middle by Walsh gave Oregon the lead just three batters into the season. Grinsell allowed the homer to tie it in the second, but he bounced back and kept it tied 1-1 through five innings.
"Definitely a confident feeling, knowing that they trust me to come here on opening day and come out and just do what I do and attack the zone," Grinsell said. "Definitely tried to just go out there and set the tone for what the other team should be expecting from the other three starters this weekend."
After Smith reached on an error in the bottom of the sixth, Walsh followed with home run No. 41 of his career. It was a high fly hit the other way to left field, putting the Ducks up 3-1.
"I've taken a lot of ABs here, and I've learned a lot of things," Walsh said of the maturity he showed with the first-inning single and opposite-field homer. "Just using that and trying to spread that around the team, help everyone out."
A passed ball allowed a run to score in the top of the seventh, bringing Toledo back within 3-2. But the Ducks weren't done hitting.
Jack Brooks led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, and an infield single by Ryan Cooney put runners at the corners with nobody out. Carter Garate followed with a double to score Brooks, and a sacrifice fly by Neville plated Cooney for a 5-2 lead.
Oregon then added on again in the eighth, after Mattox threw his first of two shutout innings of relief. The first three batters of the inning reached, with Maddox Molony scoring on an error and Brooks coming home on a balk. An RBI double by Neville scored Cooney, and Smith followed with a single to drive in Neville.
Mattox closed out the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out the final batter to give the UO staff a dozen strikeouts on the day.
Up Next: The two teams meet Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Featherston, Ryan (1-0)
L: LEININGER, Nathan (0-1)
S: Mattox, Seth (1)
Batting:
2B: WALTON, Luke 1
HR: MARIANO, Tre 1
RBI: MARIANO, Tre 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WALTON, Luke 1 ; MARIANO, Tre 1
CS: SUDBROOK, Troy 1
HBP: LETO, Luke 1
Batting:
2B: Neville, Mason 1 ; Brooks, Jack 1 ; Garate, Carter 1
HR: Walsh, Jacob 1
RBI: Neville, Mason 2 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Walsh, Jacob 3 ; Garate, Carter 1
SF: Neville, Mason 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neville, Mason 2 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Walsh, Jacob 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1 ; Brooks, Jack 2 ; Cooney, Ryan 2
SB: Brooks, Jack 1 ; Cooney, Ryan 1
CS: Aroz, Anson 1
HBP: Molony, Maddox 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
lf/rf
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
1B
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