Oregon Ducks
Pac-12 (42-17, 19-11)
Oregon needed to find some new bats and they found quite a few in a handful of sophomores who really stepped up their game. Yet, whether or not they can keep it up during the pressure of the NCAA Tournament remains to be seen. But the Ducks can still rely on their pitching to keep them in games and that is why this team has been so successful during Coach George Horton’s fourth season at the helm.
Big Wins: 3/31 Arizona State (1-0), 4/5 at UCLA (6-2), 4/14 at Stanford (5-0)
Bad Losses: 3/9 Illinois (1-2), 3/25 Utah (3-4), 3/28 at Texas State (6-7)
Coach: George Horton (4 seasons at Oregon)
Why They Can Surprise:
Alex Keudell has had a great senior season. He may not be a great strike out pitcher, but the opposition has had a very tough time getting anything going against the righty. Keudell is joined by Jake Reed and Jeff Gold in the regular rotation. Reed is the usual second starter, while Gold is a spot starter who can also be effective in relief. With Keudell, Reed and Gold leading the way, the Ducks have a great ace and a fine supporting cast. But it gets better with closer Jimmie Sherfy. The starters are generally capable of completing games, but they do not have to do so. Sherfy is a great closer and most opposing hitters are lucky to even get a bat on the ball.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Back in 2011 the Ducks had very little power in the lineup. That has changed this season. Kyle Garlick, Aaron Jones, Connor Hofmann and Ryon Healy are all capable of going deep. The Ducks still cannot count on hitting for power, but it has gotten much better in 2012. However, this is not a team that gets on base all that often. That has put a lot of pressure on the big hitters to make the most of the opportunities they get. When runners are in scoring position, players like Garlick, Healy and Brett Thomas have to make things happen or Oregon will not come close to reaching the College World Series.
Key Field Players:
Brett Thomas, Sophomre, OF, .309 BA, 20 RBI
Kyle Garlick, Sophomore, OF, .307 BA, 6 HR, 36 RBI
Ryon Healy, Sophomore, IF, .303 BA, 36 RBI
Aaron Payne, Sophomore, IF, .287 BA, 26 RBI, 15 SB
Aaron Jones, Sophomore, C/OF, .294 BA, 6 HR, 38 RBI
Key Pitchers:
Alex Keudell, Senior, RHP, 2.12 ERA, 10-4 W/L, 110.1 IP, 65 SO
Jake Reed, Freshman, RHP, 3.14 ERA, 6-4 W/L, 100.1 IP, 53 SO
Jeff Gold, Sophomore, RHP, 3.33 ERA, 8-4 W/L, 70.1 IP, 41 SO
Jimmie Sherfy, Sophomore, RHP, 2.29 ERA, 4-2 W/L, 55.0 IP, 84 SO, 17 SV
By the Numbers:
Batting Average: .265 (211th in nation, 10th in conference)
Scoring Offense: 4.8 (205, 9)
Doubles per Game: 1.53 (186, 8)
Triples per Game: 0.35 (37, 3)
Home Runs per Game: 0.49 (113, 7)
Slugging Percentage: .378 (153, 8)
Stolen Bases per Game: 1.22 (96, 3)
Earned Run Average: 2.93 (10, 1)
Fielding Percentage: .979 (8, 1)
Double Plays per Game: 0.89 (63, 4)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2010 | Regional | defeated Connecticut, lost to Florida State, defeated Connecticut, eliminated by Florida State |
*all team stats through 5/20
See All Baseball Postseason Capsules
