Notes: Softball Hosts OSU at Howe Field
EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 2 Oregon softball team plays at home this weekend for the first time in 2015 as the Ducks host rival Oregon State in a three-game series.
The Ducks and Beavers open Pac-12 play on Friday at 4 p.m. in a game that will be live streamed for free. Saturday's game at 2 p.m. and Sunday's game at 11 a.m. will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.
BROADCAST INFO
The Ducks’ games on Saturday and Sunday against Oregon State will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks. The first game of the series, on Friday, will be live streamed at GoDucks.com/live. Live stats will be available for all three games on the softball schedule page at GoDucks.com. KWVA 88.1 FM will also stream its broadcast online, with links on the schedule page as well.
#2 OREGON DUCKS (20-3, 0-0 Pac-12)
Team BA: .357 | Team ERA: 2.00 | Runs Scored: 154 | Runs Allowed: 57
Recently: Oregon went 4-1 at the Judi Garman Classic with a loss to No. 1 Florida
National Rankings: UO is ranked No. 2 by the NFCA, No. 3 by USA Softball
All-Times OSU Series Record: UO trails, 83-91-1 (Ducks have won six straight)
Last Meeting: No. 1 Oregon won at OSU, 18-0 (5 innings) (April 14, 2014)
Notable: Oregon has swept OSU in back-to-back years against the rival Beavers overall. Last season Oregon was ranked No. 1 when the Ducks met the Beavers in Corvallis. Oregon outscored OSU, 38-7, in the three-game series which featured a pair of run-rule wins, 10-2 and 18-0 in the series finale. The Ducks scored 11 runs in the first inning of that 18-0 win. It was also the most runs scored by the Ducks in any game against the Beavers. Oregon had 19 hits in the game, matching the program’s single-game record. Oregon freshmen Gwen Svekis, Lauren Lindvall and Jenna Lilley have three of the team’s top-four batting averages.
OREGON STATE (18-6, 0-0 Pac-12)
Team BA: .332 | Team ERA: 2.90 | Runs Scored: 179 | Runs Allowed: 101
Recently: Oregon State went 3-1 at the Hawai’i Spring Fling with a 4-1 loss to UH
National Rankings: The Beavers are not ranked in either poll
Head Coach: Laura Berg (Third Season)
Notable: Oregon State snapped an eight-game winning streak with its 4-1 loss at Hawaii on March 6. OSU rebounded with an 8-5 win over East Carolina at the Hawaii Spring Fling. The Beavers started the season with five straight wins at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe before losing, 1-0, to Cal Poly in eight innings in the tournament finale. Dani Gilmore is hitting a team-high .467 with 30 runs scored and 11 doubles. Her five home runs is matched only by Sammi Noland. In the circle, Beverly Miller has started 14 of OSU’s 24 games with a 2.45 ERA in 100 innings. Miller has 73 strikeouts with 43 walks and 90 hits allowed.
LAST WEEKEND
The Ducks went 4-1 at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. Oregon lost to No. 1 Florida for the second straight weekend in the opener before winning four straight games. The Ducks defeated Pacific, Fresno State, Iowa and Long Beach State. Freshman Lauren Lindvall, younger sister of Janelle, hit .500 on the weekend (6-for-12) with a team-high eight RBIs. The utility player scored four runs and hit a homer, a triple and a double. She had a 5 RBI game in the Ducks’ 9-7 win over Pacific. In the circle, Cheridan Hawkins was once again masterful for the Ducks. The junior went 2-0 on the weekend with two saves and a 0.40 ERA. Hawkins allowed just one run on five hits in 17.1 innings with 26 strikeouts and not a single walk. She had 10 strikeouts against both Fresno State and Long Beach State. She allowed just two hits in a shutout, 3-0, win over the Bulldogs.
CIVIL WAR SERIES
The Ducks and Beavers compete every year in the Civil War Series. Oregon currently holds an 8-3 lead with 17 total points available each season. The Ducks took home three points for a win in football and then one each for wins in men’s basketball, volleyball, soccer and cross country. OSU scored three points with two wins in women’s basketball and one in volleyball. Two points are up for grabs for the series winner this weekend in softball the Ducks can clinch a Civil War Series win in the process. Follow along all year online at www.thecivilwarseries.com.
WHEN PLAYING OREGON STATE
- Friday’s series opener will be the 174th meeting of the softball Civil War.
- The Ducks first met Oregon State in 1974, with the Beavers winning 13-7.
- Oregon has won six straight games against OSU and 11 of the last 13.
- In the Ducks’ current six-game winning streak, Oregon has outscored OSU 59-8 with four run-rule wins.
- Oregon has been ranked in the top-25 in 15 straight meetings against Oregon State.
- The Ducks are 12-3 against the Beavers under head coach Mike White (2010-pres.).
- Oregon’s 18-0 five-inning win in Corvallis last season on April 14, 2014 was the largest win by either side in the history of the Civil War and the most runs ever scored by the Ducks against the Beavers.
- Oregon and OSU combined to score 29 runs in a 19-10 victory for the Ducks in 1975. It is still the most combined runs scored in the series.
PAC-12 OPENING SERIES HISTORY
The Ducks have had remarkable success in their first weekend of Pac-12 play under head coach Mike White. Oregon is 10-5 in their first conference series in White’s first five seasons at the helm, including sweeps of Utah and Stanford in the last two years.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Oregon went 20-3 over the course of four weekends in non-conference play to start the 2015 season. The Ducks’ only three losses came to No. 1 Florida twice and No. 7 Baylor in Waco, Texas. Oregon outscored opponents 154-57 in non-conference play while hitting .357 with a 2.00 team ERA. The Ducks went 23-3 prior to Pac-12 play last season.
FRESHMEN SHINING EARLY
Look at the top of Oregon’s stat sheet and three freshmen currently rank in the top four in batting average. C/DP Gwen Svekis (Davie, Fla.) leads the Ducks with a .545 batting average, .970 slugging percentage and .591 on-base percentage. Svekis 33 at-bats so far while playing in 16 of the Ducks’ 23 games. Another freshman that has seen her playing time increase as the season has progressed is Lauren Lindvall. The utility player had a breakout weekend at the Judi Garman Classic, hitting .500 with a team-best eight RBIs on the weekend. This season Lindvall is hitting .458 in 24 at-bats over 15 games played. Fellow freshman Jenna Lilley has started all 23 games for the Ducks at third base and is hitting .392 with 21 runs scored and a team-high eight doubbles. Lilley also leads the team with 16 RBIs and is a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen base attempts. The three rookies have combined to strike out just 11 times in 131 at-bats while drawing 20 walks.
NEW BATS FILLING IN NICELY
The Ducks entered 2015 having to replace three of Oregon’s greatest players off a team that hit .342 as a team, the third best in the NCAA. Third baseman Courtney Ceo led the nation with a .493 batting average and ended her career as the Ducks’ all-time leader in batting average (.416), hits (288) and runs scored (193). 1B Kailee Cuico graduated as the Ducks’ career leader in RBIs (180) and home runs (46) while both, plus OF/C Alexa Peterson (third all-time with 153 RBIs), were signed to National Pro Fastpitch contracts after the season. But here the Ducks are, hitting .357 as a team, the 13th best in the country, with a .435 on-base percentage, which ranks 24th in the country. Oregon’s three most prominent freshmen, 3B Jenna Lilley, C/DP Gwen Svekis and UTIL Lauren Lindvall are shining early (see above). Transfer 1B Hailey Decker is hitting .313 after struggling early while DP/RHP Geri Ann Glasco is hitting .292 with two homers with a 2.36 ERA in the circle.
WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Week 1 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Player)
Week 1 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 3 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Player)
Week 3 Jenna Lilley (NFCA National Player)
Week 3 Jenna Lilley (USA Softball National Player)
Week 3 Cheridan Hawkins (NFCA National Pitcher)
HITTING TEAM NOTES
- The Ducks rank 15th in the nation and fifth in the Pac-12 with a .357 team batting average.
- Oregon hit a school record .342 as a team last year.
- Oregon’s .430 on-base percentage is 24th best in the nation and fifth in the Pac-12.
- The Ducks lead the Pac-12 with 50 stolen bases. Oregon has been caught stealing just six times.
HITTING INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Freshman Gwen Svekis ranks second in the Pac-12 with a .545 batting average. Fellow freshman Lauren Lindvall ranks ninth at .458.
- Svekis leads the league with a .970 slugging percentage.
- Janie Takeda leads the Pac-12 with 18 stolen bases. She is 18-for-19 on the season. Jenna Lilley ranks fifth with eight stolen bases.
PITCHING TEAM NOTES
- The Ducks rank 21st in the NCAA with a 2.00 ERA, third in the Pac-12.
- Oregon’s .193 opponent batting average leads the conference.
- The Ducks are second in the league with 163 strikeouts despite having pitched the second fewest innings, 147.0.
- Oregon pitchers have allowed just 106 hits this season, the fewest in the conference. California is second at 122 while Stanford is last at 226.
- The Ducks have hit 26 batters, the most in the Pac-12.
- Oregon has thrown only five wild pitches this season, the second fewest in the league. Stanford has 25 wild pitches to lead the Pac-12.
- Oregon opened the season with three straight shutouts (8-0 vs. Cal Poly, 9-0 vs. #25 Texas and 8-0 vs. Northwestern).
PITCHING INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Cheridan Hawkins ranks second in the nation in hits allowed per seven innings (2.6) and is sixth in the nation in ERA (0.45)
- Hawkins leads the Pac-12 in both categories, plus batting average against (.111) and fewest runs allowed (8).
- Hawkins leads the nation with six saves.
FIELDING NOTES
- Oregon’s .961 fielding percentage ranks seventh out of nine teams in the Pac-12.
- Oregon’s 24 errors are the third fewest in the conference.
- The Ducks have thrown out five players while stealing, tied for third in the Pac-12.
