Ducks Ready to Make Splash in NCAAs
REGION 14 SCHEDULE
Friday, May 20, 2005
Game 1 - No. 2 Seed Oregon (HOME) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette - 3 p.m. PDT
Game 2 - No. 4 Seed Wichita State (HOME) vs. No. 1 Seed Oklahoma - 5:30 p.m. PDT
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Game 3 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 - 10 a.m. PDT
Game 4 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 - 12:30 p.m. PDT
Game 5 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 - 3 p.m. PDT
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Game 6 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 - 10 a.m. PDT
Game 7 - IF NECESSARY - 12:30 p.m. PDT
CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE
The Division I championship provides for a field of 64 teams. The championship will be extended to three weekends of competition for the first time this year. Four teams will participate at each of 16 regional sites in a double-elimination tournament. Sixteen teams were seeded and placed at one of the regional sites. The regional winners will advance to super regional competition for a best-of-three series May 27-28 (Memorial Day Weekend) at eight campus sites. The remaining eight teams will advance to the WCWS, an eight-team, double-elimination tournament. The championship final will best-of-three-series for the first time this year. The WCWS will be conducted June 2-8 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
RECENTLY
The Ducks shutout No. 12 UCLA 3-0 on May12 to secure the season sweep over the Bruins for the first time in school history....The following day, Oregon shutout No. 21 Washington 3-0 after a three-run home run by Breanne Sabol in the seventh inning. The home run was the Ducks’ first hit of the game as Washington pitcher Caitlin Noble had retired 17 consecutive batters before walking Beth Boskovich and Ashley Richards to set up Sabol’s game-winner. Pitcher Amy Harris won both games and had 17 strikeouts while allowing no runs. On Saturday, Washington got revenge, defeating the Ducks 7-1 in the season finale. Washington scored at least one run in each of the first five innings and pitcher Ashley Boek had 12 strikeouts.
FAMILIAR FOE
When Oregon travels to Norman, it will face off with some familiar competition. In the 2003 NCAA regional tournament in Fullerton, Calif., the Ducks took on Louisiana-Lafayette on the final day of play and won 9-2 to advance to the championship game vs. the Ragin’ Cajuns. ULL used five first-inning runs to take a comfortable 5-0 lead, but a two-RBI double by second baseman Erin Goodell pulled the Ducks within 5-2. ULL went ahead 6-2 in the third on a solo home run and the Ducks rallied in the seventh, scoring two runs on a Lynsey Haij home run, but weren’t able to come away with the victory.
FAMILIAR FOE PART II
Earlier this season, Oregon and Oklahoma went to the fourth inning in a game that was eventually cancelled due to rain. A home run by Oregon junior Dani Baird in the fourth inning made the score 2-1, but the two teams did not play the required five innings to count the game.
ALL REGIONAL HONOREES UNDER COACH ARENDSEN
Fullerton Regional - 2003
Anissa Meashintubby (P); Andrea Vidlund (UT); Lynsey Haij (IF); Amber Hutchison (OF)
Tallahassee Regional - 2004
*Beth Boskovich (IF)*; Ani Nyhus (P)*; Jenn Poore (C); Ashley Richards (IF)*
*indicates current Oregon players
PERSPECTIVE
Prior to the arrival of Coach Arendsen in 2003, the Ducks made the NCAA regional tournament six times and had a total of just five players be named to the regional all-tournament team. Oregon is 9-4 in postseason play in the last two seasons and in its previous six appearances, the Ducks were a combined 9-11 and advanced to the regional championship game only one time (1989) ? the year they made their lone WCWS appearance.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Louisiana-Lafayette: The Ragin’ Cajuns are winners of the Sun Belt conference for the past five seasons and are led by All-American pitcher Brooke Mitchell. The team has made seven consecutive NCAA regional appearances and is in the midst of its 24th straight winning season. The Ragin’ Cajuns (50-8), winners of 10 straight overall and 28 of their last 29 since March 29, were awarded the No. 3 seed and are looking to make their second WCWS appearance under head coach Stefni Lotief. Mitchell finished the season 27-7 overall with a 0.78 ERA and 338 strikeouts. Offensively, ULL is led by Jill Robertson’s .384 average and Danyele Gomez’ 19 home runs and 64 RBI. As a team, the Ragin’ Cajuns have 76 home runs and 303 RBI on the season.
Oklahoma: The Sooners earned the No. 1 seed and are currently ranked No. 10 in the nation. Oklahoma wrapped up the season by going 2-2 at the Big 12 tournament, defeating Kansas and Texas A&M, but dropping games to Nebraska and Texas. Pitcher Kami Keiter was named to the all-tournament team, allowing just one earned run in 19.1 innings pitched. Senior Heather Scaglione was also named to the all-tournament team, boasting a .455
