Friday, February 27
Las Vegas, Nev.
6:00 p.m.
University of Oregon
9-0
7
vs
2
Arizona
1-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Arizona
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
2
5
0
Oregon
1
3
0
0
3
0
0
0
X
7
11
2
Photo by: Kai Caddy
Ducks Dominate Arizona in Las Vegas
02/28/26 | Baseball
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Oregon belted three home runs and three Ducks' pitchers combined to strike out 19 hitters in a 7-2 win over Arizona in the first day of the Live Like Lou College Baseball Classic at Las Vegas Ballpark on Friday night.
Jax Gimenez, Ryan Cooney and Angel Laya all slugged home runs, while starter Will Sanford and relievers Tanner Bradley and Ryan Featherston were dominant against the Wildcats (1-8).
Sanford matched a career-high with seven strikeouts in just 3.2 innings before being relieved after a dropped fly ball allowed a pair of runners to score with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.
Bradley (1-0) came out of the bullpen to get the final out of the inning, the first of his career-high nine strikeouts in a career-high 4.1 innings of work. Bradley struck out the first three batters he faced before finishing his outing striking out nine of the 17 batters he faced.
Featherston polished off the Wildcats striking out the side in the ninth inning on just 13 pitches.
How It Happened: Oregon (9-0) wasted little time taking control of the game. Gimenez hit a solo homer on Owen Kramkowski's fourth pitch of the game for a 1-0 lead.
The Ducks tacked on three more in the bottom of the second. Drew Smith led off the inning with a triple before scoring on a Burke-Lee Mabeus RBI single. Cooney then pulled a 1-1 pitch 390 feet over the left-field wall for a two-run home run and a 4-0 lead.
Arizona cut the lead to two with a pair of runs in the fourth. The Wildcats loaded the bases with two walks sandwiched around a base hit. It looked like Sanford would get out of the inning unscathed when he enticed a pop fly into shallow left field with two outs, but Gimenez dropped the ball allowing two unearned runs.
Laya continued his impressive start to the season allowing Oregon to regain control in the fifth. After Maddox Molony singled and moved to third on a Mabeus two-bagger, Laya lifted a ball into the bullpen beyond the right-field wall to push the lead to five.
Box Score Notes: Oregon's nine wins to start the season is the second longest stretch in program history … The 1963 won its first 12 games … The 19 strikeouts were the most by an Oregon pitching staff since the Ducks fanned 20 vs. New Mexico State on April 3, 2021 ... Bradley entered the game with 10 career strikeouts before fanning nine on Friday night … The win was the first of his career … He also gave up his first career hit after tossing 11.0 innings of hitless ball between his freshman and sophomore campaigns … Gimenez's homer was the first of his career … Sanford has yet to surrender an earned run through 14.2 innings of work … Featherston has not allowed a run in 9.0 innings this season while fanning 12 and walking none with just two hits allowed … His batting average against is .071.
On Deck: Oregon faces UC Irvine on Saturday with a noon first pitch.
Jax Gimenez, Ryan Cooney and Angel Laya all slugged home runs, while starter Will Sanford and relievers Tanner Bradley and Ryan Featherston were dominant against the Wildcats (1-8).
Sanford matched a career-high with seven strikeouts in just 3.2 innings before being relieved after a dropped fly ball allowed a pair of runners to score with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.
Bradley (1-0) came out of the bullpen to get the final out of the inning, the first of his career-high nine strikeouts in a career-high 4.1 innings of work. Bradley struck out the first three batters he faced before finishing his outing striking out nine of the 17 batters he faced.
Featherston polished off the Wildcats striking out the side in the ninth inning on just 13 pitches.
How It Happened: Oregon (9-0) wasted little time taking control of the game. Gimenez hit a solo homer on Owen Kramkowski's fourth pitch of the game for a 1-0 lead.
The Ducks tacked on three more in the bottom of the second. Drew Smith led off the inning with a triple before scoring on a Burke-Lee Mabeus RBI single. Cooney then pulled a 1-1 pitch 390 feet over the left-field wall for a two-run home run and a 4-0 lead.
Arizona cut the lead to two with a pair of runs in the fourth. The Wildcats loaded the bases with two walks sandwiched around a base hit. It looked like Sanford would get out of the inning unscathed when he enticed a pop fly into shallow left field with two outs, but Gimenez dropped the ball allowing two unearned runs.
Laya continued his impressive start to the season allowing Oregon to regain control in the fifth. After Maddox Molony singled and moved to third on a Mabeus two-bagger, Laya lifted a ball into the bullpen beyond the right-field wall to push the lead to five.
Box Score Notes: Oregon's nine wins to start the season is the second longest stretch in program history … The 1963 won its first 12 games … The 19 strikeouts were the most by an Oregon pitching staff since the Ducks fanned 20 vs. New Mexico State on April 3, 2021 ... Bradley entered the game with 10 career strikeouts before fanning nine on Friday night … The win was the first of his career … He also gave up his first career hit after tossing 11.0 innings of hitless ball between his freshman and sophomore campaigns … Gimenez's homer was the first of his career … Sanford has yet to surrender an earned run through 14.2 innings of work … Featherston has not allowed a run in 9.0 innings this season while fanning 12 and walking none with just two hits allowed … His batting average against is .071.
On Deck: Oregon faces UC Irvine on Saturday with a noon first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bradley, Tanner (1-0)
L: Owen Kramkowski (0-2)
Base Running:
RUNS: Andrew Cain 1 ; Nate Novitske 1
SB: Caleb Danzeisen 1
HBP: Maddox Mihalakis 1 ; Roman Meyers 1
Batting:
2B: Mabeus, Burke-Lee 1
3B: Smith, Drew 1
HR: Cooney, Ryan 1 ; Gimenez, Jax 1 ; Laya, Angel 1
RBI: Cooney, Ryan 2 ; Gimenez, Jax 1 ; Mabeus, Burke-Lee 1 ; Laya, Angel 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Cooney, Ryan 1 ; Gimenez, Jax 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Mabeus, Burke-Lee 2 ; Laya, Angel 1
SB: Cooney, Ryan 1 ; Cook, Elijah 1 ; Brooks, Jack 1
CS: Cook, Elijah 1
HBP: Gimenez, Jax 1
PO: Cook, Elijah 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ BaseballMark Wasikowski & Ryan Cooney | Postgame vs Arizona
Saturday, February 28
Burke-Lee Mabeus | Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic Preview
Wednesday, February 25
Ryan Featherston | Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic Preview
Wednesday, February 25
Ryan Cooney | Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic Preview
Wednesday, February 25
