This is how you begin a season.
The Oregon Ducks baseball team defeated Oklahoma 4-2 in the 2024 season opener in the Shriner’s Children College Baseball Classic in Arlington, Texas.
Reliever Greyson Grinsell was the winner on the mound and new closer Michael Freund earned his first save.
No one will consider this a defensive masterpiece, however.
Oregon scored two runs on wild pitches and another run on a double play, but at the end of the day, the Ducks aren’t going to complain. They also saw the return of starting pitcher RJ Gordon, who missed the entire 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery.
Gordon was effective as he gave up just two runs in his 4.1 innings on the mound. After that, the Sooners had little chance. The combination of Grinsell and Freund gave up just one hit in their 4.2 innings.
Oregon took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Dominik Cassella lined a single to right that scored Drew Smith. It was then 2-0 Ducks in the third due to a wild pitch that scored Bryce Boettcher.
Oklahoma tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on two sacrifice flies. The Sooners managed just three base runners from that point forward, one reaching on an error. But that runner, Easton Carmichael, was promptly thrown out as he attempted to advance on a ball in the dirt.
Oregon catcher Bennett Thompson was able to corral the pitch in the dirt and pick off Carmichael by a good 15 feet. Freund ended the inning on a third-called strike to Kendall Pettis.
The Ducks took a 4-2 lead in the eighth on a double play grounder the top half of that frame that scored Jacob Walsh and then a wild pitch that brought Justin Cassella home.
Fortunately, there were no fireworks in the bottom half of the ninth as Freund retired the Sooners in order to secure the victory.
The Ducks will have a short turnaround as they will play Baylor on Saturday morning at Globe Life Field. The Bears fell in their opener to Nebraska 4-1 earlier in the day.