Around the horn: Oregon is its own worst enemy in 10-4 loss to USD

Oregon dug itself a huge hole in the early innings and couldn’t rally late as San Diego took Game 2 of the series.

Before the game, Oregon knew runs would be at a premium as the Ducks were going to face one of the best left-handed pitchers in the country.

Over 20 scouts were in the stands to watch San Diego starter Brycen Mautz work and he didn’t disappoint. The southpaw went

But the Ducks really didn’t give themselves much of a chance as they were their own worst enemy a lot of the time with walks, errors and wild pitches. At one point, the Toreros had nine runs on just three hits.

Oregon starting pitcher Andrew Mosiello had a rough time finding his control as he lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing eight runs, six earned, four walks, and two hit batsmen.

One bright spot is that the Oregon offense found some rhythm and scored a few runs. The Ducks scored two in the fifth and two in the sixth. But it was too little, too late. They will need to use that offensive momentum for Game 3 of the series Sunday afternoon.

Around the Horn: Opening night jitters doom Ducks in 11-1 loss to San Diego

The 2022 Oregon Ducks baseball season opener didn’t go as planned with San Diego coming out on top 11-1.

The college baseball season isn’t a marathon, but it’s not a sprint either. So losing on opening night isn’t the worst thing that will happen to the Oregon baseball team this season.

But lose they did as Friday night starter Adam Maier showed some butterflies on the mound, allowing a two-run homer to the second hitter of the game and San Diego cruised from there to win 11-1.

Maier settled down to get through the fifth inning, but the Toreros blew the game wide open with seven insurance runs in the seventh.

Thankfully for Oregon, it’s just one game, and the Ducks can come right back tomorrow and try for their first victory of the season.

WATCH: Tanner Smith’s late 3-run bomb gives Ducks a win over Washington

Oregon baseball takes a 5-1 win over Washington in large part to Tanner Smith’s 3-run homer in the seventh.

Tanner Smith’s middle name may not be Clutch, but the Huskies would like a second look at that birth certificate.

Oregon baseball was down 1-0 through six innings with a classic pitcher’s duel between the Ducks Cullen Kafka and Washington’s Tyson Guerrero. But the Huskies replaced their starter with Gabe Smith and Oregon responded with a hit-by-pitch and a single followed by Tanner Smith’s three-run homer to right-center field to put his team on the board.

The Ducks went on to defeat the Huskies 5-1 to capture Game 2 of the three-game weekend series. Nico Tellache was credited with the win in relief and Colby Somers struck out the last five Huskies to earn his eighth save of the season. Oregon managed to win the series opener Friday night 8-0.

Oregon is now 29-11 overall and 13-7 in conference action with the win.

[listicle id=1460]

Oregon bats stay hot in 13-1 thumping of the Spartans

Oregon Ducks baseball stays hot with a 13-1 drubbing over San Jose State to complete the brief two-game mid-week series with the Spartans.

Unlucky 13 wasn’t so unlucky after all.

The Oregon Ducks baseball team managed to sweep the brief two-game series with San Jose State with a 13-1 beatdown over the Spartans. In the mid-week series, Oregon scored 24 runs.

Oregon’s bats didn’t wait to fall behind this afternoon as they did in the series opener as the Ducks jumped on San Jose State starter Wesley Clawson for four runs in the second inning.

After a single, double, and hit-by-pitch, Gavin Grant found himself up with the bases loaded and no one out. He proceeded then to drive in two with a double off the rightfield wall for the early 2-0 lead. Tanner Smith walked to reload the bags and Anthony Hall smacked a two-run single.

The Spartans managed to avoid a huge inning as Kenyon Yovan flew out and Zavala was coaxed into a double play to end the inning.

Oregon then put the game away in the fifth with five more runs to make it 9-0. The Ducks hit three extra-base hits in that inning, which also included three walks.

San Jose State finally got on the scoreboard when slugger Ruben Ibarra clubbed a home run to right-center. It was his sixth homer of the season and among the Spartans, the big 6-foot-5, 285-pound first baseman stood out.

But Ibarra couldn’t carry his team to a win as Oregon did a number against the San Jose State pitching staff. Not only did the Ducks score 13 runs, but they also were credited with 18 hits.

Smith went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI. Zavala also had three hits and three RBI and Grant was also a perfect 3-for-3 with a trio of RBI.

In his first appearance as a Duck, pitcher Logan Mercado got the win as he threw three innings and gave up just one hit.

At 26-9 overall, Oregon will go back to Pac-12 action Friday as it goes up to the Palouse to take on Washington State for a three-game weekend series. The Cougars are currently 19-16 overall and 7-11 in conference play.

Ducks fall as Bruins salvage the series finale in extra innings

UCLA’s JT Schwartz’s two-run blast in the 10th inning was just enough to hold off the Ducks for the 7-6 win in the weekend finale.

A sweep would have been nice, but the Oregon Ducks baseball team will have to settle for a 2-of-3 series win over UCLA.

The entire series went back and forth with Oregon claiming the first two games. But UCLA’s two runs in the 10th inning was just enough to hold off the Ducks for the 7-6 win in the weekend finale.

Even with the loss, Oregon is now tied with Oregon State on top of the Pac-12 standings as both teams hold a 10-5 record. The Ducks are now 24-9 overall as they look to host San Jose State for a short two-game set this week.

As with the first two games with the Bruins, the series wrap-up contest was a close one throughout. Oregon held a 2-1 lead going into the sixth inning when JT Schwartz hit a Brett Walker offering out over the rightfield fence into the Duck bullpen for the 3-2 lead.

Gavin Grant gave Oregon the lead right back with a single to center and it was the Ducks who were ahead 4-3. Tanner Smith later singled home Grant for the 5-3 advantage.

It was an advantage that didn’t last long, however.

UCLA scored one in the seventh and then tied the game when Matt McLain belted a solo homer center, a section of PK Park that doesn’t see the ball fly over the wall often.

The score stayed knotted up at 5-5 until Schwartz hammered his second home run of the day, a two-run shot to left-center. UCLA held a 7-5 lead, but the Duck, to their credit, didn’t go quietly into the night.

After Josh Kasevich lined out to begin the frame, Gabe Matthews doubled down the left-field line. Sam Novitske struck out for the second out, but Nick Bellafronto kept the game going with an infield hit. Tristan Hanoian drove in Matthews with a bunt single to make it 7-6. Unfortunately for the Ducks, Tanner Smith’s grounder to second ended the game.

With the conference season halfway finished, the Ducks are in prime position to possibly win the Pac-12. Oregon has already gone through the toughest part of its schedule. The remaining teams have a combined conference record of 27-45. Only Stanford has a winning Pac-12 mark of 8-4 and that three-game series will be at PK Park later in the year.

After the mid-week series with San Jose State, the Ducks will travel to Pullman to take on Washington State. Currently, the Cougars are 6-11 in Pac-12 play, but they have a winning record of 18-15.

[vertical-gallery id=1004]