Bryan-College Station Super Regional

Oregon pitching implodes and Omaha eludes Ducks again

Oregon was in position to force a Game 3 in the Super Regional, but the Aggies score nine runs in the seventh to end the Ducks’ season.

It’s an inning that will go down in Oregon baseball history and that’s not a good thing.

Once up 8-4 in the seventh inning in Game 2 of the Bryan-College Station Super Regional against Texas A&M, the Ducks’ pitching absolutely imploded as they saw the Aggies score nine runs on just two hits to take the 13-8 lead and the eventual 15-9 win.

Brock Moore, who threw two innings beforehand, walked in three runs and forced another in before finally being relieved by Jaxson Jordan. It got worse after that as Jordan walked in a run and allowed a Kaeden Kent grand slam to account for the nine-run frame.

Oregon’s season is over as a trip to Omaha and the College World Series eludes the program once again. They’ve had three chances and have yet advance past the Super Regional round.

This one hurts almost as much as last season when the Ducks were two outs away from going to Omaha. The Ducks were in position to win both of these games as they were up 6-3 in Game 1 and 7-2 in Game 2 before blowing both leads.

Oregon got off to a hot start in the first inning when the Ducks scored four runs on back-to-back-to-back home runs from Chase Meggers, Drew Smith and Anson Aroz.

The Ducks added on in the second when they pulled off a perfect double steal that saw Bryce Boettcher steal home and the 5-2 lead. Oregon scored two more on an error and a Carter Garate single to center.

Dominic Hellman made it 8-4 with a single to left-center field right before all heck broke loose the very next half-inning. Hellman ended his night with an absolute bomb in the bottom of the eighth to left field to make it 15-9.

Ducks drop Game 1 of Bryan-College Station Super Regional

Oregon’s pitching wasn’t up to the task as the Ducks fell to Texas A&M 10-6 in Game 1 of the Bryan-College Station Super Regional.

The Oregon Ducks baseball team won the Santa Barbara Regional with pitching and defense and they were hoping for much of the same this weekend in the Bryan-College Station Super Regional.

Neither was present in Game 1 Saturday afternoon as the Ducks dropped the opener to Texas A&M 10-6.

Starting pitcher RJ Gordon, who was brilliant last week against San Diego, didn’t have his best stuff on the mound and he struggled to get through four innings. The Aggies hit him around for seven runs, six earned, nine hits and most importantly, four walks that all came around to score.

By the time Gordon exited the game, it was 7-6 Aggies. Ryan Featherston came in from the bullpen and it didn’t get much better. He got out of the third, but walked the bases loaded in the fourth before Logan Mercado came in. He managed to limit the damage somewhat, but all three runners scored and it was 10-6 after five innings of play.

Mercado stayed in and held the Aggies off the board. But after a promising start from the Oregon bats, they were held scoreless from the third inning on.

The Ducks got to Texas A&M ace Ryan Prager right from the get-go. Anson Aroz got the fireworks started in the top of the first with a two-run homer that sailed over the scoreboard in left-center field.

After the Aggies took a 3-2 lead. the Ducks answered with four runs in the second. Aroz’s single gave the Ducks the 4-3 lead and Chase Meggers’ double to the wall made it 6-3.

In the middle of all the scoring early on, Texas A&M’s top player, Braden Mongomery injured his leg sliding into home. He was helped off the field and was fitted with an air cast. He came into the series with 27 homers and 85 RBI.

Grayson Grinsell is expected to start Game 2 on the mound with the hopes of keeping the Ducks’ season alive. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 pm PST on ESPN2 on Sunday.

Oregon pitching vs Aggie hitting will determine Super Regional

The Texas A&M Aggies have a powerful offense, but the defense could be suspect and exploited by the Ducks in the Super Regionals.

Meet Braden Montgomery of the Texas A&M Aggies. He is a transfer from Stanford and has 27 home runs and 85 runs driven in.

This year.

And Montgomery doesn’t even lead his team in homers. That distinction goes to Jace LaViolette, who has 28 dingers for the season to go with 74 RBIs and a .315 batting average.

By comparison, Oregon’s leading power hitter, Jacob Walsh, tied the single-season home run mark at 18 this past weekend. He also has 56 RBIs.

But back to Montgomery. He also leads the Aggies with a .322 batting average. He is far from being a one-man gang in the Texas A&M lineup. They also boast Gavin Grahovac and his 22 homers to go with his 63 RBIs.

As with most cases when the baseball tournament reaches the Super Regionals, it’s going to be good pitching against good hitting and whichever wins out will advance to Omaha.

Texas A&M has some solid pitching as well and they should be a tough task for the Oregon offense. The ace, lefty Ryan Prager, leads the team with a 8-1 record and a 2.53 earned run average. He’s expected to start Game 1 on Saturday.

Tanner Jones is their No. 2 starter with a 3-1 record and a hefty 6.22 ERA. It’s been a tough season for Jones as he has been knocked out of the game before the fifth inning in every start except a win over Vanderbilt when he went 7.1 innings in the 9-0 win in mid-April.

As for the third starter, Justin Lamkin, the lefty is 2-2 with a 5.73 ERA.

While the second and third starters are a bit questionable and hittable, the Aggies do possess one of the best closers in the nation with senior Evan Aschenbeck. He is 6-1 on the season with seven saves and an ERA of 1.64. If he should come into the game in a save situation, it’s usually lights out for the opposition.

Oregon is planning not to put itself in that particular situation at any time this weekend. If the Ducks are facing Aschenbeck, the season could very well hang in the balance.

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