Notes: Ducks Host No. 19 Washington This Weekend
EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 2 ranked Oregon softball team will look to remain unbeaten in Pac-12 play this weekend when No. 19 Washington visits Howe Field for a three-game series.
The Ducks and Huskies meet at 3 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. All three game will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.
#2 OREGON DUCKS (28-3, 6-0 Pac-12)
Team BA: .364 | Team ERA: 2.04 | Runs Scored: 239 | Runs Allowed: 81
Recently: Oregon swept its second straight Pac-12 foe, Utah, last weekend
National Rankings: UO is ranked No. 2 by the NFCA, No. 3 by USA Softball
All-Time UW Series Record: UO trails, 50-19 (UO has won 7 of last 9)
Last Meeting: No. 2 Oregon defeated No. 5 Washington, 4-3 (3/20/14 in Eugene)
Notable: Oregon swept Utah last weekend to continue its perfect open to Pac-12 play before taking a doubleheader from Utah Valley at home on Wednesday. The Ducks rank eighth in the nation with a .364 team batting average and 19th in team ERA at 2.04. Cheridan Hawkins’ outrageous 2015 campaign is a big reason for the low team ERA as the junior lefty sports a 0.32 ERA, second best in the NCAA. Opponents are averaging just 2.88 hits off Hawkins per seven inning, the third best mark in the nation. Hawkins’ six saves are the most in the nation while her 13 wins are the 29th most.
#19 WASHINGTON HUSKIES (30-7, 2-3 Pac-12)
Team BA: .341 | Team ERA: 3.18 | Runs Scored: 298 | Runs Allowed: 134
Recently: UCLA took 2-of-3 from the Huskies in Seattle last weekend
National Rankings: UW is No. 19 in the NFCA, No. 17 in the USA Softball
Head Coach: Heather Tarr (11th Season)
Notable: The Huskies played UCLA last weekend in Seattle before meeting Portland State on Wednesday en route to Eugene. Washington boasts one of the best offenses in the nation, ranking fifth in the nation in runs scored per game (8.05). The Huskies are led at the plate by Ali Aguilar and Kylee Lahners. Aguilar is hitting a team-best .439 with a whopping 44 runs scored, 19 doubles and eight homers. Lahners is hitting .430 with nine homers and a team-high 35 walks. Courtney Gano is the thump in the lineup, with a team-leading 14 home runs and 48 RBIs. In the circle Kasey Stanchek has a 3.03 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 97.0 innings pitched.
BROADCAST INFO
All three games against the No. 19 ranked Huskies will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks. The games can be streamed online with a cable TV login. For all home games, a free KWVA 88.1 FM radio stream and free live stats are available via links on the softball schedule page at GoDucks.com.
LAST WEEKEND
The Ducks swept a three-game conference series at Utah last weekend before taking both games in a doubleheader with Utah Valley on Wednesday. The Ducks hit .374 as a team against the Utes and outscored them 31-11 in the series. Cheridan Hawkins went 2-0 with just two unearned runs allowed on eight hits in 14.0 innings. She tallied 13 strikeouts compared to two walks. 3B Jenna Lilley hit .714 in the series with two homers and a triple, good for a 1.857 slugging percentage in the three games. OF Janie Takeda hit .500 and went 4-for-4 on stolen bases. Against Utah Valley on Wednesday, RHP Geri Ann Glasco had her best start of the season in the first game of the doubleheader, allowing just one run on two hits with a season-high 10 strikeouts. Hailey Decker hit a grand slam to walk-off with a run-rule win in the first game, 9-1. RHP Karissa Hovinga and RHP Jasmine Smithson-Willett combined for a shutout in a 3-0 win in the second game.
HAWKINS NAMED PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Cheridan Hawkins was named Pac-12 pitcher of the week for the second time this season after her strong showing at Utah last weekend. Hawkins went 2-0 with just two unearned runs allowed. The junior struck out 12 and allowed only eight hits and two walks in 14.0 innings pitched. She tossed a shutout on Monday, losing a no-hitter in the sixth inning. Hawkins allowed just two hits in seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts and one walk. Hawkins was also named Pac-12 pitcher of the week after opening weekend at the Kajikawa Classic.
WALK THIS WAY
In the last two weeks, Oregon hitters have drawn 61 walks over eight games. The Ducks had a school record 13 walks against Oregon State on March 15 and nearly matched that with 12 at Utah on March 23. Oregon took 11 more walks in the second game against Utah Valley on Wednesday. On the flipside, Oregon pitchers have issued 58 walks all season.
WHEN PLAYING WASHINGTON
- Washington leads the all-time series, 50-19.
- Oregon has won seven of the last nine meetings.
- In each of the last six seasons, including this year, the Ducks and Huskies have met with both teams in the top-25.
- Last year No. 2 Oregon swept No. 5 Washington.
- It was the first time Oregon swept Washington in a three-game series.
- Oregon’s longest win streak in the series is just four games. The Ducks could match that with a win on Friday after sweeping last year.
LAST YEAR AGAINST THE HUSKIES
- The Ducks swept the Huskies for the first time in program history with an 8-0 run-rule win in the first game, 4-0 win in the second game and a 4-3 win in the third game.
- The Ducks and Huskies played a doubleheader on March 29 and one game on March 30 because of weather.
- C/DP Janelle Lindvall led the Ducks with a .667 batting average in three game against the Huskies last year. She went 4-for-6 at the plate with a homer and two RBIs.
- OF Alyssa Gillespie had just two hits, but one was a grand slam in the first game and the second was a two-run double in the third game.
- Oregon’s pitcher were outstanding last season against Washington. Cheridan Hawkins went 3-0 and posted a 0.95 ERA after tossing two shutouts and allowing just two runs in 14.2 innings. Karissa Hovinga threw 4.1 innings with one run allowed on three hits. Hovinga started the third game with Hawkins coming in for relief.
HITTING TEAM NOTES
- The Ducks rank eighth in the nation and second in the Pac-12 with a .364 team batting average.
- Oregon hit a school record .342 as a team last year.
- Oregon’s .591 slugging percentage leads the Pac-12.
- UO’s .459 on-base percentage is second in the league.
- The Ducks lead the Pac-12 with 66 stolen bases. Second place is Washington, with 47. The Ducks have only been caught stealing 10 times.
HITTING INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Freshman Gwen Svekis ranks fourth in the Pac-12 with a .460 batting average.
- Svekis leads the league with a ridiculous .920 slugging percentage. Second best is .854. Koral Costa is 10th with a .743 slugging percentage.
- Svekis is third in the conference in on-base percentage at .580.
- Svekis is second in the Pac-12 in triples with three.
- Janie Takeda leads the Pac-12 with 25 stolen bases. She is 25-for-26 on the season. Second best in the league is just 13. Jenna Lilley ranks fourth with 10 stolen bases.
PITCHING TEAM NOTES
- The Ducks rank 19th in the NCAA and second best in the Pac-12 with a 2.04 team ERA.
- UO’s .196 opponent batting average leads the Pac-12.
- The Ducks are second in the league with 208 strikeouts despite having pitched the third fewest number of innings, 196.0. Washington has thrown a league-high 242.1 innings this season.
- Oregon pitchers have allowed just 143 hits this season, the fewest in the conference. UCLA is second at 166.
- Oregon has also issued the fewest number of walks in the conference at 58. Washington has issued 110 free passes this year.
- The Ducks have hit 28 batters, the most in 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 ERA (0.32) and third in hits allowed per seven innings (2.88). ULL hurler Jordan Wallace leads the NCAA in hits allowed per seven innings (2.41). The Ducks and Ragin’ Cajuns meet later this year for a three-game series.
- Hawkins leads the nation with six saves. She is tied with two other players.
FIELDING NOTES
- Oregon’s .960 fielding percentage ranks 144th in the NCAA and seventh in the Pac-12.
- Oregon’s made 32 errors this season, the fifth most in the conference. Oregon State has made a league-high 45 errors on the year.
