No. 2 Ducks Want To Sustain Momentum Through Senior Day And Beyond
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
It’s Mike White’s job as head coach to help the Oregon softball team avoid complacency. Sometimes, that can require nit-picking.
The Ducks are coming off a resounding three-game sweep of No. 9 Louisiana last weekend, and White has used the team’s slow start in the 2-1, eight-inning finale as a teaching point.
That was one of the few nits to be picked from the Louisiana series, as the No. 2 Ducks look ahead to this week’s visit to Howe Field by No. 18 California. “It’s really hard to run-rule a team three times, especially a team that’s going to make adjustments when they’re getting beat like that,” UO outfielder Janie Takeda said. “I think we’re in a good place.”
The Ducks (41-5, 16-2 Pac-12) and Golden Bears (34-13, 7-11) get started Friday at 5 p.m. The series continues Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and concludes Sunday at noon, with all three games to be televised by Pac-12 Networks.
For White, it’s paramount that Oregon continues to play well, in this penultimate weekend of the regular season. The Ducks close out Pac-12 play next week at No. 19 Arizona before heading into the postseason.
“We’ve got to make sure we carry the momentum we’ve started to build,” said White, who has the Ducks in position for their third straight Pac-12 title, with a one-game lead over UCLA in the conference standings. “Last weekend was a great result for us, and we don’t want to let up at all. Once you lose that momentum, it’s hard to get back. So we want to make sure we finish strong.”
The Ducks continue to feature one of the best pitchers in the country in junior left-hander Cheridan Hawkins, whose no-hitter against Louisiana a week ago was her ninth shutout of the season, fifth-most in the NCAA. Oregon is also taking care of business at the plate, hitting .361 and getting on base at a .467 clip.
Cal counters with an offense that features three regulars hitting .400 or better, led by freshman Jazmyn Jackson’s .448 batting average.
Sunday’s series finale will be senior day for the Ducks, though they’re all but a lock to host postseason play at this point. It will also be the final regular-season game played at Howe Field, which will be replaced for next season by Jane Sanders Stadium.
The UO senior class to be honored is headlined by Takeda, who last week became the program’s all-time leader in career hits and stolen bases. She needs two runs, three doubles and four triples to set those records as well.
Shoulder problems sidelined Takeda for four games midway through conference play this spring, and contributed to her playing designated hitter rather than in the outfield nine times. Takeda is being urged to be cautious with the shoulder going forward, and White has reinforced that by stressing that there’s no reason to push too hard.
“I don’t have to play catch-up; I don’t have to try to make up for lost time,” Takeda said. “Our team’s doing great, and I’m fortunate I’ve missed a small amount of games in the grand scheme. I definitely didn’t see (my senior year) going this way, but I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Takeda’s fellow seniors – pitcher Karissa Hovinga, outfielder Sara Goodrum and infielder Jamie Rae Sullivan – also will be honored for their contributions on senior day.
“It’s always a special time for the seniors, there’s no doubt,” White said. “They reflect on how quickly it’s gone; usually that’s what happens. We try not to think about that. We just let them enjoy the moment, get over it, get on and play the game.”
