Tag: Mark Wasikowski

Oregon coaches favor Pac-12 tournaments on the diamond

Both Mark Wasikowski and Melyssa Lombardi want to see a Pac-12 post-season tournament in baseball and softball.

One of the best times on the sports calendar is March because of all the post-season tournaments that are happening all at the same time.

The same thing happens in May, but Pac-12 fans don’t have a clue because this conference doesn’t have a conference tournament in either baseball or softball.

Exposure has always been troublesome for the Pac-12, but in particular, these sports. Oregon baseball coach Mark Wasikowski and softball coach Melyssa Lombardi both hope that not having a Pac-12 tournament will be something of the past in the near future.

“The league is tough,” Lombardi told The Oregonian earlier this month. “I think for us as coaches and with our teams figuring out what’s the best way to go, is it having your conference games and then having a tournament right after or not. I think that’s something that’s come up and so far up to this point there hasn’t been a conference tournament.”

Having a conference tourney on national television, such as ESPN or Fox Sports 1, would be the exposure they need to bring in better athletes as well as possible seeding in the NCAA tournament. Softball felt that earlier when it was assumed the Ducks would host a regional, but instead was made to go to Austin, Texas.

The tournament committee wasn’t in a room watching how good Oregon was in a post-season semifinal or final. They were looking at the Ducks on paper instead.

Oregon baseball is hoping they don’t suffer the same fate as softball. The Ducks are one of the best teams in the nation, a top 10 team for most of the season. Instead of making active preparations for PK Park to hold the Eugene Regional, the social media people for the Ducks are tweeting out fancy graphics to explain why they are worthy to host three other teams at PK Park.

Wasikowski expressed this concern in that same article in The Oregonian.

“They’re (the NCAA tournament committee) not watching Oregon play at Cal Berkeley this year because that’s where our last series is. That’s not going to be on their screen. They’re going to have all the conference tournaments on watching all those winners to where they can fill out basically their brackets and put the teams into the postseason slots.”

The Pac-12 was scheduled to have a baseball tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz. this year before the pandemic hit. The conference is seemingly going in a very different direction with its new commissioner George Kliavkoff at the helm and hopefully, in 2022, everyone will get to enjoy the conference tournaments on diamonds.

 

Ducks baseball secures second place in the Pac-12

Oregon finishes in second place of the Pac-12 with the 6-5 win over Cal. Now the Ducks await their post-season fate set for Monday.

Oregon Ducks baseball was picked to finish seventh in the 11-team Pac-12 by the media before the season began. Coach Mark Wasikowski and his Duck squad proved they were severely underrated.

The Ducks secured second place in the conference with a 6-5 win over California Saturday afternoon and hopefully, that success will earn them the right to host a Eugene Regional in the NCAA tournament next weekend.

Oregon finished the regular season with an overall record of 37-14 and 20-10 in the Pac-12, just a game behind Arizona. Anything is possible (ask softball), but it would be a shocking development if the Ducks don’t host three other tourney teams at PK Park for the first time since 2014.

But one has to give California credit, who is squarely on the bubble to make the tournament, they didn’t make it easy on the Ducks.

The regular-season finale went back and forth all day long before catcher Jack Scanlon belted his third home run of the season in the eighth inning to give Oregon the lead for good at 5-4. Scanlon came into the series with the Golden Bears with just one homer to his name, but he crushed two home runs over the weekend.

Even with the one-run advantage, Oregon had to work itself out of a major jam just to maintain its slim lead.

California managed to load the bases off of Colby Somers with just one out. Wasikowski decided to bring in Andrew Mosiello to face the Pac-12’s leading home run hitter Dylan Beavers with the game on the line. Bill Walton most likely would have said the fate of the known universe was a stake, but here it was just the game and maybe the Eugene Regional.

It turned out to be the best decision possible as Mosiello coaxed Beavers, who had hit three homers this weekend, to ground out to first baseman Gabe Matthews who forced Keshawn Ogans at home. That was only the second out. Mosiello then struck out Nathan Martarella looking to end the threat.

Oregon was able to add a much-needed insurance run as it turned out in the top of the ninth with Kenyon Yovan’s RBI single to right to make it 6-4.

The Bears weren’t done though. Quentin Selma hit his 16th homer, a solo shot, in the bottom half of the ninth to make it 6-5. But Mosiello was able to shake that off and get the next two outs to end the game.

Now the Ducks will have to wait until Monday morning at 9 a.m. on ESPN2 to wait to see if they are hosting and who they are hosting.

Oregon baseball goes for the sweep after defeating UCLA in extra innings

Sam Novitske’s single gave Oregon the 3-2 extra-inning win over UCLA at PK Park Saturday.

In what Winnie the Pooh would consider a blustery day, the Oregon Ducks baseball team had to go 10 innings to defeat UCLA for the second straight game.

Both Oregon and the Bruins had their chances to score throughout the day, but it was Sam Novitske’s single to left that scored Bryce Boettcher for the victory.

With the win, Oregon goes to 24-8 overall and 10-4 in conference play. The Ducks also moved ahead of Oregon State for first place, a half-game ahead of the Beavers, who aren’t playing conference games this weekend.

Kenyon Yovan got the 10th inning started the right way with a solid single to right. Boettcher replaced the Duck’s power hitter on the bases and moved up to second on an errant pick-off play. With first now open, Aaron Zavala was intentionally walked.

Josh Kasevich hit into a fielder’s choice, putting runners on the corners with one out. Gabe Matthews also received the intention pass as UCLA wanted to put a force on every base, hoping to wiggle out of the jam. But Novitske was able to rip a 2-0 pitch to left for the win.

Wiggling out of jams seemed to be the theme of the day for both teams. Oregon managed to get themselves in a major pickle in the top of the ninth as the Bruins managed to have runners on second and third with no out.

Duck pitcher Andrew Mosiello struck out Michael Curialle for the first out. Then the fireworks began.

Noah Cardenas grounded to Kasevich at shortstop, who processed to throw home, getting Mikey Perez in a run down. Catcher Jack Scanlon ran Perez back to third where UCLA had to runners at third base. Jack Filby, who was on second, was the runner that was out, but in the confusion, Bruins third base coach Rex Peters put his hands on Scanlon. This sent Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski bursting out of the dugout demanding what was going on.

After order was restored, Mosiello whiffed Kyle Karros to end the inning.

Kolby Somers, who earned his seventh save in the series opener, came on to pitch a perfect 10th inning and was credited with the win.

Oregon will go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon with Brett Walker (4-1, 3.53 ERA) on the mound where he will go up against Jesse Bergin (4-2, 4.29 ERA) for a noon start time at PK Park.

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Ahlstrom dominates UCLA in key Friday night win for Ducks

Oregon Ducks ace pitcher Robert Ahlstrom retires 17 straight Bruins as Oregon holds on for a 5-3 win over UCLA in a key Friday night win.

Fingernails might be at a premium at PK Park if the opener against UCLA is any indication.

Oregon Ducks starter Robert Ahlstrom retired 17 straight Bruins and then Kolby Somers came on to earn his seventh save in the 5-3 victory.

At one point this was a pitcher’s duel as UCLA hurler Zach Pettway was dealing right with Ahlstrom. He was ahead 1-0 through five innings, but the Ducks cracked the scoreboard with a run in the sixth and four more in the seventh to go up 5-1.

Kenyon Yovan gave Oregon the lead with a double to right-center and later Sam Novitske made it 4-1 Ducks with a two-run single that scored Yovan and Aaron Zavala. Oregon scored one more run thanks to a fielding error.

Ahlstrom (3-3) was in cruise control and was looking for the complete game. But UCLA got to Oregon’s ace in the ninth with three straight hits and a run. That prompted Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski to call on Somers out of the bullpen.

After a walk to load the bases and bringing the go-ahead run to the plate, Somers buckled down for a strikeout, a fielder’s choice, and a groundout to finish off the Bruins.

With the win, the Ducks move to 23-8 overall and 9-4 in conference action. Oregon is now one game behind Oregon State and alone in second place.

The No. 13 Ducks and Bruins will meet for Game 2 of the series Saturday afternoon at 2 pm with Cullen Kafta (4-1, 2.44 ERA) on the mound.