Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com
Luschar Helping Fuel Ducks' Success As Senior
05/02/25 | Softball
Kedre Luschar has had a breakout senior season, but the seeds for her success were planted long ago.
It began with a taco bowl. From that simple snack, a line can be drawn to a breakout season for no less than one of the best players in the country.
Two years ago, Kedre Luschar was looking to take her contributions for Oregon softball to another level. Among the changes she made was cooking more often for herself. More control over what she consumed meant better fuel and faster recovery when she worked out.
Fast forward, and Luschar this week was named one of 25 finalists for USA Softball's national player of the year award. She is hitting .461, slugging .723 and is perfect in stolen-base attempts for the Ducks, who are ranked No. 3 in the country and can secure a Big Ten title when they host Michigan State this weekend at Jane Sanders Stadium beginning Friday (6 p.m., B1G+).
Sunday will be senior day for Luschar, along with her sister and fellow UO outfielder, Kai Luschar, and four teammates. It will be a time to reflect on their journey, which for Kedre has included a breakout final season.
"Throughout all four years I've learned, I've grown," Luschar said. "I've gotten stronger, mentally, physically. I've just grown a lot as a person throughout my four years here."
A top-100 recruit coming out of high school, Luschar was a role player for the Ducks as a freshman in 2022, and a part-time starter as a sophomore. Following that season, in the summer of 2023, she was looking for ways to take another step. She put an emphasis on recovery, including how she ate.
It took getting over being uncomfortable with raw meat, but Luschar eventually took to preparing meals for herself more often — a nice complement to her sister's passion for baking. Kedre's first effort at a meal, her sister recalls, was a taco bowl.
"Knowing exactly what's in them, I know exactly how they're going to make me feel," Kedre said. "And then just working out, getting stronger, those are all things that I really took it upon myself to do. …
"Learning to do that and give my body the nutrition that I need helped a lot. Like, I just feel better every day. I'm not as tired. I'm just ready to go."
The effect in the weight room was apparent.
"It just gave me more energy to lift longer, heavier," she said.
As soon as the next season, Luschar noticed changes. The ball exploded off her bat with more velocity. Her throws from the outfield had more behind them. Her junior season didn't show immediate dividends statistically. But change was afoot.
"What she does in the weight room, it's ridiculous," UO coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "You just see how long she is, and I guess you could not think she has the power that she has, but she does. She's got the power, she's got the speed, she's got the strength — she's able to do it all."
Luschar has always been committed to strength training. Combining that with proper fueling was a game-changer.
"When she started taking it really seriously," Kai said, "you could just see the power."
Statistics illustrate it. Through three seasons at Oregon, Kedre had five extra-base hits with no home runs. This season, she has 14 doubles and four triples, both of which lead the team. She's bashed five homers. And she's not just swinging for the fences — those 23 extra-base hits are contrasted with just 13 strikeouts.
"She has just such a mature mindset, where she's able to carry that onto the field and how she plays," said another of this season's seniors, shortstop Paige Sinicki — also the Luschars' roommate and culinary guinea pig. "I think that's something that's separating her this senior year, is just her maturity."
That mature mindset was forged in part through Luschar's struggles of a year ago. Her improved habits off the field in the summer of 2023 didn't translate to immediate success the following spring. As a junior, she hit just .192 and started only six games.
"Definitely when you know the work that you're putting in, it's easy to get frustrated," Kedre said. "But I think it's just knowing that everybody has their own journey, and everybody's time is going to come in different ways. That's really important, just trusting what's meant for you."
Added Kai: "Of course it's tough when you don't get what you want. But I didn't hear any complaining. I think she handled it well."
Powered by her improved strength and stamina, bolstered by her mental fortitude, Luschar has been a revelation this season. Helped by her efforts, the Ducks are back where the program was when this senior class was being recruited — competing for conference titles, in the mix to host postseason play and packing their home field.
"To finally bring the people back to The Jane and feel that electric energy, I remember many times growing up watching Super Regionals here, Kentucky-Oregon (in both 2017 and 2018)," Sinicki said. "Finally to think like, wow, we're getting this back to where it was, it's just such a cool feeling."
One catalyst for the electric energy at The Jane this season has been Luschar. Coming off her junior year, a breakout senior season might not have been apparent. For the Ducks, it was right on time.
"Sometimes as athletes, as coaches, you want certain things and you want it on your timeline," Lombardi said. "We don't want to wait; nobody wants to wait. One thing that was part of her (journey) was having to wait a little bit — and that's OK.
"To see what she's doing now, she's so confident. I just feel like she's gonna get a hit every time she's at the plate. Internally the belief she has, the way she's going about it, it's just really awesome to watch."
That belief was hard earned. But Luschar laid the groundwork off the field for several years, and now is seeing the results.
"She's one of the most disciplined people I've ever met, and it's so cool to see her reap the harvest this year," Kai Luschar said of her sister. "She's put in so much work."
Two years ago, Kedre Luschar was looking to take her contributions for Oregon softball to another level. Among the changes she made was cooking more often for herself. More control over what she consumed meant better fuel and faster recovery when she worked out.
Fast forward, and Luschar this week was named one of 25 finalists for USA Softball's national player of the year award. She is hitting .461, slugging .723 and is perfect in stolen-base attempts for the Ducks, who are ranked No. 3 in the country and can secure a Big Ten title when they host Michigan State this weekend at Jane Sanders Stadium beginning Friday (6 p.m., B1G+).
Sunday will be senior day for Luschar, along with her sister and fellow UO outfielder, Kai Luschar, and four teammates. It will be a time to reflect on their journey, which for Kedre has included a breakout final season.
"Throughout all four years I've learned, I've grown," Luschar said. "I've gotten stronger, mentally, physically. I've just grown a lot as a person throughout my four years here."
A top-100 recruit coming out of high school, Luschar was a role player for the Ducks as a freshman in 2022, and a part-time starter as a sophomore. Following that season, in the summer of 2023, she was looking for ways to take another step. She put an emphasis on recovery, including how she ate.
It took getting over being uncomfortable with raw meat, but Luschar eventually took to preparing meals for herself more often — a nice complement to her sister's passion for baking. Kedre's first effort at a meal, her sister recalls, was a taco bowl.
"Knowing exactly what's in them, I know exactly how they're going to make me feel," Kedre said. "And then just working out, getting stronger, those are all things that I really took it upon myself to do. …
"Learning to do that and give my body the nutrition that I need helped a lot. Like, I just feel better every day. I'm not as tired. I'm just ready to go."
The effect in the weight room was apparent.
"It just gave me more energy to lift longer, heavier," she said.
As soon as the next season, Luschar noticed changes. The ball exploded off her bat with more velocity. Her throws from the outfield had more behind them. Her junior season didn't show immediate dividends statistically. But change was afoot.
"What she does in the weight room, it's ridiculous," UO coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "You just see how long she is, and I guess you could not think she has the power that she has, but she does. She's got the power, she's got the speed, she's got the strength — she's able to do it all."
Luschar has always been committed to strength training. Combining that with proper fueling was a game-changer.
"When she started taking it really seriously," Kai said, "you could just see the power."
Statistics illustrate it. Through three seasons at Oregon, Kedre had five extra-base hits with no home runs. This season, she has 14 doubles and four triples, both of which lead the team. She's bashed five homers. And she's not just swinging for the fences — those 23 extra-base hits are contrasted with just 13 strikeouts.
"She has just such a mature mindset, where she's able to carry that onto the field and how she plays," said another of this season's seniors, shortstop Paige Sinicki — also the Luschars' roommate and culinary guinea pig. "I think that's something that's separating her this senior year, is just her maturity."
That mature mindset was forged in part through Luschar's struggles of a year ago. Her improved habits off the field in the summer of 2023 didn't translate to immediate success the following spring. As a junior, she hit just .192 and started only six games.
"Definitely when you know the work that you're putting in, it's easy to get frustrated," Kedre said. "But I think it's just knowing that everybody has their own journey, and everybody's time is going to come in different ways. That's really important, just trusting what's meant for you."
Added Kai: "Of course it's tough when you don't get what you want. But I didn't hear any complaining. I think she handled it well."
Powered by her improved strength and stamina, bolstered by her mental fortitude, Luschar has been a revelation this season. Helped by her efforts, the Ducks are back where the program was when this senior class was being recruited — competing for conference titles, in the mix to host postseason play and packing their home field.
"To finally bring the people back to The Jane and feel that electric energy, I remember many times growing up watching Super Regionals here, Kentucky-Oregon (in both 2017 and 2018)," Sinicki said. "Finally to think like, wow, we're getting this back to where it was, it's just such a cool feeling."
One catalyst for the electric energy at The Jane this season has been Luschar. Coming off her junior year, a breakout senior season might not have been apparent. For the Ducks, it was right on time.
"Sometimes as athletes, as coaches, you want certain things and you want it on your timeline," Lombardi said. "We don't want to wait; nobody wants to wait. One thing that was part of her (journey) was having to wait a little bit — and that's OK.
"To see what she's doing now, she's so confident. I just feel like she's gonna get a hit every time she's at the plate. Internally the belief she has, the way she's going about it, it's just really awesome to watch."
That belief was hard earned. But Luschar laid the groundwork off the field for several years, and now is seeing the results.
"She's one of the most disciplined people I've ever met, and it's so cool to see her reap the harvest this year," Kai Luschar said of her sister. "She's put in so much work."
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