Notes: No. 2 Ducks Host No. 18 California
EUGENE, Ore. - In it's final weekend of regular season games ever at Howe Field, the No. 2 ranked Oregon softball team plays host to No. 18 California for a three-game set starting Friday.
All three games will air live on Pac-12 Networks. The Ducks and Golden Bears meet at 5 p.m. on Friday, 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. on Sunday.
#2 OREGON DUCKS (41-5, 16-2 Pac-12)
Team BA: .361 | Team ERA: 2.41 | Runs Scored: 347 | Runs Allowed: 133
Recently: Oregon swept No. 9 Louisiana-Lafayette in a three-game series at home
National Rankings: Oregon is No. 2 in both the NFCA and USA Softball polls
All-Time Cal Series Record: UO trails, 77-43 (Ducks have won four straight games)
Last Meeting: No. 1 Oregon defeated Cal, 7-2 (4/19/14 in Eugene) to sweep the series
Notable: Oregon took a break from Pac-12 play last weekend and swept then-No. 9 ranked Louisiana in a three-game series at Howe Field. Oregon outscored the Ragin’ Cajuns, who entered the series ranked sixth in the nation in batting average (.356) and ninth in ERA (1.88), 20-3, with a pair of run-rule wins. The Ducks have won 22 of their last 24 conference series and are victorious in all six league series this season, including four sweeps. The Ducks are 14-5 against top-25 foes on the year after the sweep of UL. Oregon ranks fourth in the nation in on-base percentage (.467) and fifth in the nation in batting average (.361).
#18 CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (34-13, 7-11 Pac-12)
Team BA: .341 | Team ERA: 3.42 | Runs Scored: 299 | Runs Allowed: 174
Recently: Took 2-of-3 against Washington last weekend
National Rankings: California is No. 18 in the NFCA poll and the USA Softball poll
Head Coach: Diane Ninemire (27th Season)
Notable: Cal enters this weekend seventh in the Pac-12 standings while the Ducks lead the league and have a one-game lead on UCLA. The series will feature a pair of the best freshmen in the nation in Oregon third baseman Jenna Lilley and Cal outfielder Jazmyn Jackson. Lilley leads the team with a .442 batting average, 50 runs, 30 walks and 13 doubles while Jackson has a team-best .448 batting average to go with 17 stolen bases and four triples. For power, Cheyenne Cordes leads the team with 15 home runs and a whopping 70 RBIs. In the circle Katie Sutherland-Finch has pitched a team-leading 148.2 innings with a 3.58 ERA and 97 strikeouts.
FINAL REGULAR SEASON GAMES AT HOWE
This weekend’s Cal series will be the final regular season games played at Howe Field. While Oregon’s chances at hosting postseason games this season are strong, the Ducks will play tribute to the venue with an alumni celebration during Saturday’s game.
NEW SOFTBALL STADIUM ANNOUNCED
The Ducks will tear down Howe Field at the end of the 2015 season and will construct new Jane Sanders Stadium, spurred on by a $10 million gift from Robert Sanders in honor of his late wife. The couple met at the UO, where Robert, class of 1949, was a fullback on the football team and Jane, class of 1950, was a cheerleader. Robert and Jane Sanders enjoyed great success in the lumber industry, having held businesses in California, Oregon and Washington. Howe Field was originally built in 1936 as the home of Oregon baseball and was converted to a softball stadium in 1987. The athletics department has announced SRG as the architect and Howard S. Wright as the general contractor.
SENIOR DAY
Oregon will honor four seniors prior to Sunday’s game, the last regular season home game of the year. The Ducks will recognize OF Janie Takeda, RHP Karissa Hovinga, OF Sara Goodrum and IF Jamie Rae Sullivan.
BROADCAST INFO
All three game of the California series will be aired live on Pac-12 Networks and streamed on the Pac-12 Now app. Live stats and a stream of the KWVA radio broadcast will be available via links on the softball schedule page at GoDucks.com.
LAST WEEKEND
Oregon had three walkoff wins (two run-rule, one in eight innings) in a sweep of then-No. 9 ranked Louisiana-Lafayette last weekend in a rare last season non-conference series. The meeting pitted two of the best teams in the nation with equally strong hitting and pitching numbers. The Ducks came out firing on all cylinders as Cheridan Hawkins tossed her sixth career no-hitter in an 8-0 win on Friday before the Ducks swept a doubleheader on Saturday. Oregon outscored UL, 20-3, in the series. The Ducks held UL slugger, Lexie Elkins (.451, 25 HRs, 63 RBIs), hitless in the series (0-for-7 with a walk). Oregon hit .343 against a UL team that came with a .171 opponent batting average and held the Ragin’ Cajuns, who entered with a .356 team batting average, to .182 hitting in the series.
DUCKS ON THE POND
Oregon’s ability to both hit for average and draw walks has put an incredible number of Ducks on the pond. Oregon is averaging 15 baserunners per game and 2.5 baserunners per inning this season. The Ducks have tallied roughly 702 baserunners total this season (440 hits, 210 walks, 52 HBP), not counting errors, in 46 games and 276 innings.
TAKEDA NEARS ANOTHER UO RECORD
After breaking the program’s career marks for hits and stolen bases on back-to-back pitches against No. 9 Louisiana Lafayette on April 24, senior OF Janie Takeda is nearing another career milestone. Heading into this weekend’s series with Cal, Takeda is one run behind Courtney Ceo for the program’s all-time record. Ceo set the mark after her senior season last year with 193 runs. Takeda has 192.
TOP NOTCH COMPETITION
Oregon has played 19 times against a ranked opponent this season. The Ducks are 14-5 against top-25 foes, with wins in eight straight games. UO’s last loss to a top-25 team (and last overall) was at No. 8 UCLA on April 3 in the opening game of the series in Los Angeles. Oregon has won 11 straight games overall since that loss.
RPI ANALYSIS
Oregon is No. 4 this week in the NCAA softball RPI rankings. After last weekend’s sweep of the Ragin’ Cajuns, the Ducks have played the 16th toughest schedule in the nation thus far and have gone 20-5 against RPI top-50 teams. The Ducks have played more top-50 RPI opponents (25) than 50+ opponents (21) this season. With the Ducks at No. 4 in the RPI, Florida is No. 1, LSU is No. 2 and Auburn is No. 3. Michigan checks in at No. 5, followed by Alabama, UCLA and Missouri to round out the top-8.
LILLEY, HAWKINS PAC-12 WEEKLY WINNERS
After helping the Ducks sweep No. 9 Louisiana, third baseman Jenna Lilley and lefthander Cheridan Hawkins have been named Pac-12 player and pitcher of the week, respectively. This is the third time Lilley has earned player of the week and the fifth time Hawkins has picked up pitcher of the week accolades. Lilley helped the Ducks sweep a non-conference series with No. 9 Louisiana. The freshman hit a .750 clip in the three games with a double, a home run, six runs batted in and three runs scored while going errorless in the field. In the series opener on Friday, Lilley with 3-for-3 with a run scored and four RBI as Oregon run-ruled the Ragin’ Cajuns, 8-0, in five innings. She went 1-for-2 with a run and two more RBI as the Ducks run-ruled UL once again, 10-2, in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday. In the second game, Lilley went 2-for-3 with another run scored in the 2-1, eight-inning UO win. The third base player is now hitting a team-high .442 in her freshman campaign. Hawkins tossed the sixth no-hitter of her career and third this season when she shut down No. 9 Louisiana, one of the top hitting teams in the nation, in an 8-0 win in Friday’s series opener. Hawkins allowed just two walks and struck out 11 batters of 15 total outs in her five innings of work. The junior lefty started the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, striking out seven while allowing four hits, two earned runs and a walk. She finished by pitching the final four outs of the second game of the doubleheader, striking out three and allowing one hit to pick up the eight-inning, 2-1 victory.
LILLEY NFCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
A day after picking up Pac-12 player of the week accolades, freshman Jenna Lilley was been named NFCA National Player of the Week. This is the second time in her young career Lilley has been selected national player of the week by the NFCA.
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)
Week 6 Koral Costa (Pac-12 Player)
Week 6 Gwen Svekis (Pac-12 Freshman)
Week 7 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 8 Geri Ann Glasco (Pac-12 Player)
Week 8 Geri Ann Glasco (USA Softball National Player)
Week 8 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 9 Karissa Hovinga (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 10 Janelle Lindvall (Pac-12 Player)
Week 10 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 11 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Freshman)
Week 12 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Player)
Week 12 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 12 Jenna Lilley (NFCA National Player)
LILLEY NFCA FROSH OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Third baseman Jenna Lilley is one of 25 finalists for the NFCA Freshman of the Year award. She is one of three from the Pac-12 to make the cut, joining Cal’s Jazmyn Jackson and Washington’s Taylor Van Zee. Despite being a rookie, Lilley is the only player on the Oregon roster to start and play in every game this year.
GRAND SLAM SLUGGERS
Oregon has hit seven grand slams this season, all since the Oregon State series on March 13-15. Freshman Gwen Svekis crushed a grand slam on March 15 against the Beavers as part of her school record nine RBI outburst. That was the Ducks’ first grand slam of the season and a little more than a month after, Oregon has hit six more homers with the bases juiced. All but one have come against Pac-12 opponents and the Ducks hit two in a 10-0 five-inning run-rule win at then-No. 10 UCLA.
WALK THIS WAY
Since starting Pac-12 play on March 13 against the Beavers, Oregon hitters have drawn 134 walks in 23 games (OSU series, Utah series, Utah Valley DH, Washington series, UCLA series, ASU series, Stanford series, UL series). 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 March 25. The Ducks drew seven walks in each of their three games against ASU. In the second game of the UL series, Ragin’ Cajun starter Alex Stewart entered the game with nine walks allowed in 51 innings and the Ducks proceeded to draw eight walks in the game. On the flipside, Oregon pitchers have issued 84 walks all season. Oregon has a .466 team on-base percentage this season compared to .290 for opponents.
WHITE OWNS OREGON WINS RECORD
After the first weekend of the 2015 season, head coach Mike White jumped to first on Oregon’s all-time coaching wins record list. White, now with 267 wins, jumped Kathy Arendsen (2003-09), who had a program-best 231 wins in seven seasons with the Ducks. White reached the milestone in his sixth season. UO’s 8-0 run-rule win over Northwestern on Feb. 7 was his 232nd win, breaking Arendsen’s previous record. To honor the achievement, White was presented with a commemorative engraved bat by SWA Lisa Peterson prior to the Oregon State series.
THE DUCKS UNDER MIKE WHITE
- 10-5 vs. Arizona, 8-12-1 vs. Arizona State, 9-7 vs. California, 15-3 vs. Oregon State, 13-5 vs. Stanford, 10-8 vs. UCLA, 12-0 vs. Utah (2-0 vs. Utah in non-conference play), 10-7 vs. Washington.
- Oregon has outscored foes 2,085 to 994 under White.
- Longest losing streak is just four games (2010)
- Longest winning streak is 15 games (2014)
- The Ducks are 29-11-3 overall in Pac-12 series.
- Won 22 of last 24 Pac-12 series.
- Lost just three Pac-12 series over the last four years
- Ducks have been swept three times in Pac-12 series under Mike White while sweeping opponents 16 times.
HITTING TEAM NOTES
- The Ducks rank fifth in the nation and are third in the Pac-12 with a .361 batting average.
- Oregon hit a school record .342 as a team last year.
- UO’s .467 on-base percentage is fourth in the nation and second in the Pac-12.
- Oregon’s .600 slugging percentage is 11th best in the nation and second in the Pac-12.
- Oregon ranks eighth in the NCAA averaging 7.54 runs scored per game.
- The Ducks lead the Pac-12 with 83 stolen bases. Second place is UCLA, with 56. The Ducks have only been caught stealing 11 times.
- Oregon ranks 17th in the NCAA, averaging 1.8 stolen bases per game.
- Oregon ranks 20th in the nation, averaging 1.37 home runs per game.
- Of Oregon’s 63 home runs this season, seven have been grand slams.
- Oregon leads the Pac-12 with 13 triples, tied with Cal and UCLA.
- Oregon has had the fewest at-bats in the league, 1,218. Arizona State leads the league with 1,360 at-bats.
HITTING INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Janie Takeda leads the Pac-12 with 31 stolen bases. She is 31-for-33 on the season. Second best in the league is just 17 by Cal’s Jazmyn Jackson.
- Takeda is averaging 0.74 stolen bases per game, which ranks 11th in the NCAA.
- Freshman Jenna Lilley is third in the Pac-12 with a .442 batting average. She is second with a .550 on-base percentage. Her .550 on-base percentage is 23rd best in the nation.
- Freshman Gwen Svekis is second in the Pac-12 with an .836 slugging percentage and is fourth with a .433 batting average.
- Janie Takeda is seventh in the Pac-12 with a .431 batting average.
- Janelle Lindvall has been hit by 13 pitches this season, tied for the second most in the Pac-12.
PITCHING TEAM NOTES
- The Ducks rank 25th in the NCAA and are second best in the Pac-12 with a 2.41 team ERA.
- UO’s .205 opponent batting average leads the league.
- The Ducks are second in the league with 305 strikeouts despite having pitched the fewest innings in the conference at 288.0.
- Oregon pitchers have allowed just 223 hits this season, the fewest in the conference. Cal has allowed 343.
- Oregon has also issued the fewest number of walks in the conference at 90. California has the second fewest in the Pac-12 with 111.
- The Ducks have hit 40 batters, 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).
- Oregon has played just five one-run games this season out of 46 total games. UO is 4-1 in those games.
PITCHING INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Cheridan Hawkins is eighth in the NCAA with a 1.13 ERA, which leads the Pac-12.
- Hawkins is second in the country in hits allowed per seven inning, averaging just 3.18.
- Hawkins is fifth in the nation with nine shutouts.
- Hawkins ranks 20th in the nation averaging 9.1 strikeouts per seven innings.
FIELDING NOTES
- Oregon’s .961 fielding percentage ranks 123rd in the NCAA and is seventh in the Pac-12.
- Oregon has made 46 errors this season, the fourth most in the conference. Cal has made 41.
