Ducks Head To SoCal For USC Series
THIS WEEK
The Ducks head to USC this week for their first Pac-10 series on the road. Oregon plays a three-game series at Dedeaux Diamond, with the first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
RADIO
All three games against USC this weekend will be broadcast on KUGN 590 in Eugene. Brian Prawitz will make the call. The audio broadcast will also be available on the O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com.
VIDEO/LIVE STATS
USC will offer a live video broadcast of the game at www.USCTrojans.com for a fee. Live stats will be available on www.GoDucks.com.
O-ZONE
Oregon baseball fans can now watch all home games live on the O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com. All home games will offer live video and audio. Live stats will also be available for all home games at www.GoDucks.com.
USC AND DEDEAUX FIELD
Oregon and USC resume the series between the two programs for the first time since 1974. The Trojans lead the all-time series 16-2, and Oregon last played USC at Dedeaux Field in 1974, the inaugural season for the stadium. Oregon has not defeated USC since sweeping a doubleheader (5-2; 4-2) in Eugene on May 12, 1967.
USC enters the week with a 14-14 overall record and a 4-5 mark in the Pac-10 Conference. The Trojans are coming off a 2-1 series victory over Arizona in Tucson last week. USC is led by starting shortstop Grant Green. The junior was named a preseason first team All-American by Baseball America, Rivals.com and Collegiate Baseball.
STANFORD SERIES RECAP
For the second straight week, Oregon dropped its rubber game in a Pac-10 series. A tremendous outing from Oregon freshman Tyler Anderson on the mound, timely hitting from the Ducks’ offense and some spectacular defensive plays aided the Ducks in their 2-1 victory over Stanford last Friday, but that momentum didn’t carry over in losses on Saturday (3-1) and Sunday (6-3).
In Friday’s 2-1 win, Anderson (2-3) earned his second win of the season, pitching 7 and 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. The Las Vegas native struck out nine batters and allowed six hits and three walks in his longest outing since pitching 8 innings in the Ducks’ home opener on Feb. 27.
Stanford starter Jordan Pries held Oregon to just one run in his 7 and 2/3 innings on the mound in the Ducks’ 3-1 loss on Saturday. On Sunday despite KC Serna’s comeback efforts, Oregon fell 6-3 after Stanford put up two runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
NATIONAL EXPOSURE
While Oregon’s offense has sputtered recently, the Ducks’ pitching staff continues to keep the first-year program in games. Headed by pitching coach Andrew Checketts, Oregon’s staff currently maintains a 3.53 ERA, second in the Pac-10 and ninth in the nation. The Ducks’ 8.19 hits allowed per nine innings ranks fourth in the conference and 18th in the country.
DELIVERING
One of the main reasons for Oregon’s top-10 ERA is the Friday-Saturday starting combination of Tyler Anderson and Erik Stavert. Last Friday, Anderson earned his first win since the season opener at Saint Mary’s (Feb. 20), pitching 7 and 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. A true freshman, the lefty is 2-3 while maintaining a 3.25 ERA and leading the staff with 39 strikeouts. He has improved those numbers in Pac-10 duty with a 1-1 record, 2.57 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 14.0 innings pitched.
Stavert (2-3) took the loss to Stanford on Saturday, his first since a 6-3 defeat at Saint Mary’s on Feb. 21. Stavert lasted 7 and 1/3 innings against the Cardinal, allowing three runs on four hits, while dealing five strikeouts. Prior to Saturday’s loss, Stavert had done his best to set up Oregon for victory. The Ducks had been victorious in each of his last five starts prior to last Saturday. The junior right-hander leads the staff in ERA (3.04), wins (3), and innings pitched (47.1).
500 AND COUNTING
Oregon’s exhilarating 3-2 comeback victory in the 10th inning over Oregon State on March 28 at PGE Park not only served as the Ducks first Pac-10 victory in 28 years, but was also the 500th Division I victory for head coach George Horton.
KAPTAIN COMEBACK
While no one is quite sure what the “KC” stands for in KC Serna’s first name, last Sunday the Ducks freshman starting shortstop sparked an Oregon comeback with one swing of the back. Serna provided Oregon’s first run of the game in the fifth, scoring from third after his attempt to steal home forced a misstep and balk from Stanford starter Brett Mooneyham. Then with the Ducks trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Serna got Oregon’s bats going by launching a solo home run over the left field wall on the first pitch delivered by Mooneyham. After Serna’s solo shot - his second of the season - Curtis Raulinaitis followed with a single and eventually crossed the plate to get Oregon within one run, 4-3, on Mitch Karraker’s pinch-hit double to center field. Serna added a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth, after Stanford added two runs in the top of the inning to pull away.
WHO’S HOT THIS WEEK?
Freshman Danny Pulfer returns to southern California this week on a four-game hitting streak. Currently Oregon’s starting third baseman, Pulfer led the Ducks last week at the plate in the Stanford series. The Cypress, Calif., native hit .417 (5-for-12) with two RBI. His RBI single to left scored what proved to be the game-winning run in Oregon’s 2-1 victory over Stanford last Friday.
SPEEDY RECOVERY
Junior Eddy Rodriguez returned to the starting lineup last Tuesday against Portland. The Warden, Wash., native suffered a right knee sprain at Nevada on March 14 that had kept him out of the Ducks lineup. He started all three games against Stanford at designated hitter.
LIGHTS OUT
Sophomore right-hander Drew Gagnier earned his fifth save of the season last week in Friday’s 2-1 victory over Stanford. The Santa Cruz, Calif., native came on in the eighth to claim the third out of the inning. He then pitched the ninth and kept the Cardinal off the scoreboard for his fifth save of the year. In the Pac-10, he is matched only by Arizona’s Jason Stoffel, who also has five saves in 2009. The total ties the two for 39th in the nation as well. In 13 appearances this year, the 6-foot-4 Gagnier has pitched 17.1 innings and is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA.
WALKING OFF
John Adamson’s walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th during a 3-2 victory over Oregon State on March 28 was the third game to end in dramatic fashion this season. In addition to Adamson’s game-winner scoring Caleb Tommasini against OSU, senior Andrew Schmidt’s ninth-inning walk-off single gave the Ducks a historic 1-0 victory over the defending College World Series champion Fresno State Bulldogs on Feb. 27 - to christen PK Park. Freshman KC Serna has the honor of Oregon’s second game-winning hit, coming in the bottom of the 13th inning in a 3-2 victory over Santa Clara on March 8.
SPEEDY TOMMASINI
Oregon senior center fielder Caleb Tommasini moved from the gridiron to the baseball diamond in 2009, and the Tenmile, Ore., native hasn’t missed a step. His 13 stolen bases on the year lead the Pac-10 and rank 65th in the nation. The former defensive back turned outfielder leads the Ducks in batting average (.312), slugging percentage (.413), on-base percentage (.400), runs scored (16), hits (34), triples (2) total bases (45) and multiple-hit games (9). After starting the first 21 games of the season in the leadoff spot, Tommasini was moved to third spot of the lineup for nine games. He returned to hitting leadoff last Sunday.
FIRST OF MANY
Oregon began its modern era on Friday, Feb. 20 at Saint Mary’s, and the 2009 Ducks began to log some firsts for the program in 28 years...freshman left-hander Tyler Anderson will go down in the record books with the first pitch, first strikeout and first win on the mound...Senior Caleb Tommasini led off the game with the first at-bat and hit of the season, as well as the first walk drawn and the first run scored...The first RBI and double of the new era belong to freshman shortstop KC Serna...The first defensive assist and putout belong to freshman Danny Pulfer and Mitch Karraker....Jett Hart’s two-run triple in the fifth was the first triple of the modern era on Feb. 20, and in the first game of the Feb. 21 doubleheader, Hart slugged a two-run homer to left field in the fourth to go down in the record books...With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh on Feb. 20, junior left-hander Ryan Fleckenstein, junior catcher Eddy Rodriguez and freshman first baseman Darrell Hunter turned the first double play, 1-2-3, of 2009.
HOME OPENER
Oregon played its first home baseball game in 28 years on Friday, Feb. 27, christening PK Park and a sold out crown of 2,777 with a dramatic 1-0 victory over the defending College World Series champion Fresno State Bulldogs. A pitching duel between Oregon freshman left-hander Tyler Anderson and Fresno State’s Holden Sprague left the game scoreless headed into the ninth. Oregon junior left-hander Ryan Fleckenstein retired the side in the ninth to set up the Ducks victory. Junior catcher Eddy Rodriguez started the rally in the bottom of the ninth with a two-out single, and junior Jett Hart continued with another single that advanced Rodriguez to third. Senior Andrew Schmidt, pinch-hitting, secured the victory with a walk-off single to score the game-winning run.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Trailing Fresno State by eight runs entering the ninth on March 1, redshirt freshman Antony Kreitz entered the game as a defensive replacement in right field. In the bottom of the inning, the Eugene native received his first at-bat of the season and promptly made history. Kreitz hit the first-ever Oregon home run out of PK Park over the left field wall.
2008-09 ACCOLADES
The 2008-09 Oregon baseball recruiting class received two top-10 rankings during the fall. First, Collegiate Baseball’s annual evaluation ranked the Ducks’ recruiting class second in the nation, while Baseball America put Oregon’s class at No. 10.
The 2008-09 class includes nine players that were taken in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, but chose to instead attend the UO.
STANDING ROOM ONLY
Standing Room Only tickets for University of Oregon home baseball games are still available through the UO Athletic Ticket Office announced today.
Tickets can be purchased on www.GoDucks.com, via telephone (541-346-4461 or 1-800-WEBFOOT) and in person at the Casanova Center Ticket Building.
Standing Room Only tickets for all home contests will cost $8 each. Standing Room Only tickets for the matchups against Sacramento State and Portland will cost $6. There is a limit of four Standing Room Only tickets per customer per game.
For more information, please visit www.GoDucks.com or call 541-346-4461 or 1-800-WEBFOOT.
DUCKS ON CSNNW
The Oregon Sports Network announced that it will broadcast 13 games during the season.
“My staff, the student-athletes and the program are delighted about the news that OSN will be producing a 13-game schedule this season,” head coach George Horton said. “The University and the Athletics Department has made a great step to reach out to all of our fans.”
All 13 games broadcast during the year will be aired on Comcast SportsNet Northwest (37) as well as CSN’s new HD channel (737).
OSN will cover the entire season from March through May, broadcasting three non-conference games and 10 conference games, including the Civil War Series from PK Park and PGE Park.
Two Oregon opponents on the television schedule competed in the 2008 College World Series; Fresno State (March 1) and Stanford (April 4), with the Bulldogs winning the championship.
The first broadcast of the season will be March 1, when Oregon hosts Fresno State, the defending CWS champions, at PK Park.
OSN will also broadcast three games against opponents that competed in last year’s Regionals and Super Regionals; UCLA (May 3) and Arizona (May 23-24).
OSN’s first Pac-10 broadcast of the year will be the conference opener and first Civil War baseball game in 28 years, when the Beavers visit PK Park on March 27. Oregon will also broadcast the third game of that series, Sunday, March 29, from PGE Park in Portland.
The Ducks head to USC this week for their first Pac-10 series on the road. Oregon plays a three-game series at Dedeaux Diamond, with the first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
RADIO
All three games against USC this weekend will be broadcast on KUGN 590 in Eugene. Brian Prawitz will make the call. The audio broadcast will also be available on the O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com.
VIDEO/LIVE STATS
USC will offer a live video broadcast of the game at www.USCTrojans.com for a fee. Live stats will be available on www.GoDucks.com.
O-ZONE
Oregon baseball fans can now watch all home games live on the O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com. All home games will offer live video and audio. Live stats will also be available for all home games at www.GoDucks.com.
USC AND DEDEAUX FIELD
Oregon and USC resume the series between the two programs for the first time since 1974. The Trojans lead the all-time series 16-2, and Oregon last played USC at Dedeaux Field in 1974, the inaugural season for the stadium. Oregon has not defeated USC since sweeping a doubleheader (5-2; 4-2) in Eugene on May 12, 1967.
USC enters the week with a 14-14 overall record and a 4-5 mark in the Pac-10 Conference. The Trojans are coming off a 2-1 series victory over Arizona in Tucson last week. USC is led by starting shortstop Grant Green. The junior was named a preseason first team All-American by Baseball America, Rivals.com and Collegiate Baseball.
STANFORD SERIES RECAP
For the second straight week, Oregon dropped its rubber game in a Pac-10 series. A tremendous outing from Oregon freshman Tyler Anderson on the mound, timely hitting from the Ducks’ offense and some spectacular defensive plays aided the Ducks in their 2-1 victory over Stanford last Friday, but that momentum didn’t carry over in losses on Saturday (3-1) and Sunday (6-3).
In Friday’s 2-1 win, Anderson (2-3) earned his second win of the season, pitching 7 and 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. The Las Vegas native struck out nine batters and allowed six hits and three walks in his longest outing since pitching 8 innings in the Ducks’ home opener on Feb. 27.
Stanford starter Jordan Pries held Oregon to just one run in his 7 and 2/3 innings on the mound in the Ducks’ 3-1 loss on Saturday. On Sunday despite KC Serna’s comeback efforts, Oregon fell 6-3 after Stanford put up two runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
NATIONAL EXPOSURE
While Oregon’s offense has sputtered recently, the Ducks’ pitching staff continues to keep the first-year program in games. Headed by pitching coach Andrew Checketts, Oregon’s staff currently maintains a 3.53 ERA, second in the Pac-10 and ninth in the nation. The Ducks’ 8.19 hits allowed per nine innings ranks fourth in the conference and 18th in the country.
DELIVERING
One of the main reasons for Oregon’s top-10 ERA is the Friday-Saturday starting combination of Tyler Anderson and Erik Stavert. Last Friday, Anderson earned his first win since the season opener at Saint Mary’s (Feb. 20), pitching 7 and 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. A true freshman, the lefty is 2-3 while maintaining a 3.25 ERA and leading the staff with 39 strikeouts. He has improved those numbers in Pac-10 duty with a 1-1 record, 2.57 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 14.0 innings pitched.
Stavert (2-3) took the loss to Stanford on Saturday, his first since a 6-3 defeat at Saint Mary’s on Feb. 21. Stavert lasted 7 and 1/3 innings against the Cardinal, allowing three runs on four hits, while dealing five strikeouts. Prior to Saturday’s loss, Stavert had done his best to set up Oregon for victory. The Ducks had been victorious in each of his last five starts prior to last Saturday. The junior right-hander leads the staff in ERA (3.04), wins (3), and innings pitched (47.1).
500 AND COUNTING
Oregon’s exhilarating 3-2 comeback victory in the 10th inning over Oregon State on March 28 at PGE Park not only served as the Ducks first Pac-10 victory in 28 years, but was also the 500th Division I victory for head coach George Horton.
KAPTAIN COMEBACK
While no one is quite sure what the “KC” stands for in KC Serna’s first name, last Sunday the Ducks freshman starting shortstop sparked an Oregon comeback with one swing of the back. Serna provided Oregon’s first run of the game in the fifth, scoring from third after his attempt to steal home forced a misstep and balk from Stanford starter Brett Mooneyham. Then with the Ducks trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Serna got Oregon’s bats going by launching a solo home run over the left field wall on the first pitch delivered by Mooneyham. After Serna’s solo shot - his second of the season - Curtis Raulinaitis followed with a single and eventually crossed the plate to get Oregon within one run, 4-3, on Mitch Karraker’s pinch-hit double to center field. Serna added a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth, after Stanford added two runs in the top of the inning to pull away.
WHO’S HOT THIS WEEK?
Freshman Danny Pulfer returns to southern California this week on a four-game hitting streak. Currently Oregon’s starting third baseman, Pulfer led the Ducks last week at the plate in the Stanford series. The Cypress, Calif., native hit .417 (5-for-12) with two RBI. His RBI single to left scored what proved to be the game-winning run in Oregon’s 2-1 victory over Stanford last Friday.
SPEEDY RECOVERY
Junior Eddy Rodriguez returned to the starting lineup last Tuesday against Portland. The Warden, Wash., native suffered a right knee sprain at Nevada on March 14 that had kept him out of the Ducks lineup. He started all three games against Stanford at designated hitter.
LIGHTS OUT
Sophomore right-hander Drew Gagnier earned his fifth save of the season last week in Friday’s 2-1 victory over Stanford. The Santa Cruz, Calif., native came on in the eighth to claim the third out of the inning. He then pitched the ninth and kept the Cardinal off the scoreboard for his fifth save of the year. In the Pac-10, he is matched only by Arizona’s Jason Stoffel, who also has five saves in 2009. The total ties the two for 39th in the nation as well. In 13 appearances this year, the 6-foot-4 Gagnier has pitched 17.1 innings and is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA.
WALKING OFF
John Adamson’s walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th during a 3-2 victory over Oregon State on March 28 was the third game to end in dramatic fashion this season. In addition to Adamson’s game-winner scoring Caleb Tommasini against OSU, senior Andrew Schmidt’s ninth-inning walk-off single gave the Ducks a historic 1-0 victory over the defending College World Series champion Fresno State Bulldogs on Feb. 27 - to christen PK Park. Freshman KC Serna has the honor of Oregon’s second game-winning hit, coming in the bottom of the 13th inning in a 3-2 victory over Santa Clara on March 8.
SPEEDY TOMMASINI
Oregon senior center fielder Caleb Tommasini moved from the gridiron to the baseball diamond in 2009, and the Tenmile, Ore., native hasn’t missed a step. His 13 stolen bases on the year lead the Pac-10 and rank 65th in the nation. The former defensive back turned outfielder leads the Ducks in batting average (.312), slugging percentage (.413), on-base percentage (.400), runs scored (16), hits (34), triples (2) total bases (45) and multiple-hit games (9). After starting the first 21 games of the season in the leadoff spot, Tommasini was moved to third spot of the lineup for nine games. He returned to hitting leadoff last Sunday.
FIRST OF MANY
Oregon began its modern era on Friday, Feb. 20 at Saint Mary’s, and the 2009 Ducks began to log some firsts for the program in 28 years...freshman left-hander Tyler Anderson will go down in the record books with the first pitch, first strikeout and first win on the mound...Senior Caleb Tommasini led off the game with the first at-bat and hit of the season, as well as the first walk drawn and the first run scored...The first RBI and double of the new era belong to freshman shortstop KC Serna...The first defensive assist and putout belong to freshman Danny Pulfer and Mitch Karraker....Jett Hart’s two-run triple in the fifth was the first triple of the modern era on Feb. 20, and in the first game of the Feb. 21 doubleheader, Hart slugged a two-run homer to left field in the fourth to go down in the record books...With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh on Feb. 20, junior left-hander Ryan Fleckenstein, junior catcher Eddy Rodriguez and freshman first baseman Darrell Hunter turned the first double play, 1-2-3, of 2009.
HOME OPENER
Oregon played its first home baseball game in 28 years on Friday, Feb. 27, christening PK Park and a sold out crown of 2,777 with a dramatic 1-0 victory over the defending College World Series champion Fresno State Bulldogs. A pitching duel between Oregon freshman left-hander Tyler Anderson and Fresno State’s Holden Sprague left the game scoreless headed into the ninth. Oregon junior left-hander Ryan Fleckenstein retired the side in the ninth to set up the Ducks victory. Junior catcher Eddy Rodriguez started the rally in the bottom of the ninth with a two-out single, and junior Jett Hart continued with another single that advanced Rodriguez to third. Senior Andrew Schmidt, pinch-hitting, secured the victory with a walk-off single to score the game-winning run.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Trailing Fresno State by eight runs entering the ninth on March 1, redshirt freshman Antony Kreitz entered the game as a defensive replacement in right field. In the bottom of the inning, the Eugene native received his first at-bat of the season and promptly made history. Kreitz hit the first-ever Oregon home run out of PK Park over the left field wall.
2008-09 ACCOLADES
The 2008-09 Oregon baseball recruiting class received two top-10 rankings during the fall. First, Collegiate Baseball’s annual evaluation ranked the Ducks’ recruiting class second in the nation, while Baseball America put Oregon’s class at No. 10.
The 2008-09 class includes nine players that were taken in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, but chose to instead attend the UO.
STANDING ROOM ONLY
Standing Room Only tickets for University of Oregon home baseball games are still available through the UO Athletic Ticket Office announced today.
Tickets can be purchased on www.GoDucks.com, via telephone (541-346-4461 or 1-800-WEBFOOT) and in person at the Casanova Center Ticket Building.
Standing Room Only tickets for all home contests will cost $8 each. Standing Room Only tickets for the matchups against Sacramento State and Portland will cost $6. There is a limit of four Standing Room Only tickets per customer per game.
For more information, please visit www.GoDucks.com or call 541-346-4461 or 1-800-WEBFOOT.
DUCKS ON CSNNW
The Oregon Sports Network announced that it will broadcast 13 games during the season.
“My staff, the student-athletes and the program are delighted about the news that OSN will be producing a 13-game schedule this season,” head coach George Horton said. “The University and the Athletics Department has made a great step to reach out to all of our fans.”
All 13 games broadcast during the year will be aired on Comcast SportsNet Northwest (37) as well as CSN’s new HD channel (737).
OSN will cover the entire season from March through May, broadcasting three non-conference games and 10 conference games, including the Civil War Series from PK Park and PGE Park.
Two Oregon opponents on the television schedule competed in the 2008 College World Series; Fresno State (March 1) and Stanford (April 4), with the Bulldogs winning the championship.
The first broadcast of the season will be March 1, when Oregon hosts Fresno State, the defending CWS champions, at PK Park.
OSN will also broadcast three games against opponents that competed in last year’s Regionals and Super Regionals; UCLA (May 3) and Arizona (May 23-24).
OSN’s first Pac-10 broadcast of the year will be the conference opener and first Civil War baseball game in 28 years, when the Beavers visit PK Park on March 27. Oregon will also broadcast the third game of that series, Sunday, March 29, from PGE Park in Portland.
