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OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2026 BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball Laya Sets Record As Ducks Win Rubber Match Angel Laya's two homers Sunday broke the UO record for a freshman and helped the Ducks win a top-25 series over Nebraska. EUGENE, Ore. — A record-breaking day from a freshman kept Oregon in the game early, and a shutdown bullpen sealed it for the Ducks late. Angel Laya homered twice to break the UO single-season record by a freshman, and the Oregon bullpen threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings as the No. 21 Ducks won the rubber match of a series with No. 19 Nebraska on Sunday at PK Park, 5-4. Laya hit a two-run shot that gave the Ducks (26-10, 10-5 Big Ten) an early lead in the second, tying teammate Maddox Molony’s two-year-old record for homers by a UO freshman with 10. Laya broke the record with a solo shot that sparked a three-run rally in the sixth, bringing Oregon back from a 4-2 deficit. “It feels good,” Laya said. “(But) it wasn't a goal of mine at all; I came into the season just trying to help the team win and make it to Omaha.” Wins like Sunday’s can help fuel those aspirations. The Ducks won the rubber match against a conference rival and fellow top-25 team, bouncing back from defeat to build some momentum before a match-up with rival Oregon State on Tuesday and then a weekend road trip to Illinois. “It definitely feels good — pops us up going into this midweek and for the next weekend,” said Tanner Bradley (3-0), who got seven outs in middle relief to start the shutout effort by the UO bullpen. “But we also like to keep it flat-line, not get too high, not get too low.” Miles Gosztola took the ball from Bradley and pitched a scoreless seventh inning, keeping his cool despite tempers flaring after a hard slide at second by the Huskers on one of Oregon’s season-high three double plays. Devin Bell then earned his ninth save of the season by getting the last six outs. “Just amazing — awesome,” Bell said of the overall relief effort. “I mean, I want to say I think we do have the best bullpen in the country when we free ourselves up. … We just keep going forward, I think we'll keep getting better.” How It Happened: After Nebraska took a 1-0 lead on a solo homer in the first, Laya gave Oregon a 2-1 lead in the second by following Drew Smith’s leadoff double with the homer to tie Molony’s UO freshman record. The first four Huskers in the third all reached, a three-run inning that put them back in front 4-2. Bradley came on in relief of Cal Scolari to get the last out of the fourth, and he threw two more scoreless innings to keep it 4-2 until Oregon’s bats got going again. That happened in the sixth, sparked by Laya’s record-setting solo shot with one out. Molony followed with a single and Burke-Lee Mabeus doubled him in to tie the score, 4-4. Two batters later, Jack Brooks singled and Oregon had the lead. Gosztola walked the leadoff batter in the seventh but then coaxed a double-play ball. A hard slide into second caused a brief confrontation between UO second baseman Ryan Cooney and the baserunner, but cooler heads prevailed and Gosztola finished off a scoreless inning after allowing a two-out single. Laya was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh, after launching a deep drive to left that curled outside the foul pole. Bell then came in and pitched around a two-out single in the eighth and a one-out double in the ninth, slamming the door on the Huskers to end a game in which tensions were high due to the pregame implications and the seventh-inning confrontation. “I think as a team, when we free ourselves up, we play our best,” Bell said. “Just putting those extra stressors on us just doesn't really help you. So when we free ourselves up, we play our best.” Up Next: The Ducks face Oregon State at Hops Stadium in Hillsboro on Tuesday (6 p.m., KOIN.com).

B1G Talk from the man who amped up recruiting in the Big Ten, Urban Meyer - https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/urban-meyer-identifies-two-reasons-for-big-ten-s-dramatic-identity-change/ar-AA20FB3g?ocid=msedgdhphdr&cvid=69dc42d40e8f49b2b3d1a9672270ef7b&cvpid=69dc430e03be4d84bf375a

"There are a few guys I am tracking for commitments to Oregon over the next few days to maybe a week or two. We'll see what happens. I will admit, I'm pretty impressed at the level of player the Ducks are involved with right now. Things seem to be moving quickly." - Matt Prehm Sounds like Oregon is doing very well in the portal right now and we could see some big commitments soon

Hats off to Rory McIlroy, back-to-back Masters champion. Rory -12, Scotty Scheffler comes in 2nd at -11. This was another tournament this season where Scottie started slow and finished strong, going 11 under par on the weekend. Wyndham Clark finishes -3, tied for 21st place.

I agree; they are not an overrated Big-10 team...they deserve their ranking and more. They will be tough to overcome the rest of the season!

Josiah Molden is a Rivals 4-Star, and besides Oregon was offered by Ohio State, Washington, (Ha!) USC, Notre Dame, Miami and Texas. He is 6'0" and 175 pounds, and could play the "Star" position at Oregon, of which is our fifth defensive back--the Nickel position.

We overcame a pretty good team!!! Gives us a bit of confidence.

Ducks win 5-4! Whoa...Devin Bell surprised the batters with an inside curve/drop-ball, and although he gave up a bloop-double...got it done for his ninth save. Win goes to Tanner Bradley!

5-4 Ducks after eight innings. Devin Bell came in and retired the side with a 94 mph fastball, and nasty slider. Oregon strands two on base!

Oregon shifts recruiting focus to 5-star Will Mencl as QB dominos fall https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/recruiting/2026/04/12/oregon-football-will-mencl-qb-dominos/89581873007/

Where Oregon Ducks stand in 2027 rankings after Molden commitmentWith the addition of Molden, the Ducks jumped into the top 10 of the national recruiting rankings, leaping over teams like the Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns, and Louisville Cardinals. Oregon now sits at No. 8 in the national recruiting rankings for the 2027 cycle. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/recruiting/2026/04/12/oregon-football-recruit-rankings-josiah-molden/89580962007/

Former five-star WR Gatlin Bair adjusting into football and still impressing teammates after two-year breakThe Oregon Ducks are seeing former five-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair turn heads as he makes his return to football this offseason after a two-year break. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/former-five-star-wr-gatlin-bair-adjusting-into-football-and-still-impressing-teammates-after-two-year-break-281509749/

5-4 Ducks after seven innings. Miles Gosztola came in for relief, and retired the side--but not without some drama. In a sweet double-play...the Nebraska second baseman slid hard into second base, and Oregon second baseman Ryan Cooney got the throw off, but did not like the hit on his legs and said so. Both guys got chest-to-chest blustering banal utterings to each other, and the umpires broke it up and gave both teams warnings.

5-4 Ducks after six innings, as Tanner Bradley was awesome again in this inning. Angel Laya gave us another solo home-run that hits on top of the roof of the practice facility! Maddox Molony gets a solid base-knock to shallow CF, and then Burke-Lee Mabeus hits opposite field to zing one down the 3rd baseline and into the corner against the shift, and scores Molony from first base. RS Freshman Naulivou Lauaki Jr. hits to the shortstop, who throws home to stop Mabeus...and meanwhile Lauaki has moved to second base...and later to third on a wild pitch. Jack Brooks gets his first hit of the series--again opposite the shift to LF, and scores Lauaki.

4-2 Nebraska after five innings. Tanner Bradley took out three of four batters... On offense?

4-2 Nebraska after four innings. Scolari was replaced by Tanner Bradley, as the pitch count was climbing... Gotta hand it to our foe, as they hit and pitch well, and thus why they are ranked.

4-2 Nebraska after three innings. Cal Scolari gave up three hits, walks...etc. Not pitching to the hyped level we heard about, at least today thus far. Ducks strand two on bases...

2-1 Ducks after two innings. Cal Scolari got it done this inning, and the offense began to move to help him. Drew Smith nailed a pitch to the LF corner for a leadoff double to begin, and then Angel Laya crushes a pitch with a perfect swing to put it over the RF wall for a two-run homer! Oregon was robbed of another two-run homer by a stupendous play by the Cornhusker center-fielder as he leaped high an over the wall to snag the HR away from Burke-Lee Mabeus.

1-0 Nebraska after one inning. Cal Scolari gave up a solo HR, and nothing on offense. Oregon's Cal Scolari (2.82 ERA) vs. Cooper Katskee (2.79 ERA) and we really need the pitching to hold-up today...

Legacy recruit and 2027 4-star corner Josiah Molden commits to Oregon

Evan Stewart calls Dante Moore's decision 'a very big factor' in his own to come back to OregonEvan Stewart calls Dante Moore's decision 'a big factor' in his own to come back to Oregon https://247sports.com/college/oregon/article/evan-stewart-calls-dante-moores-decision-a-big-factor-in-his-own-to-come-back-to-oregon-281498628/

What will Oregon do with all its talented receivers? Play ‘positionless football,’ coach says“We’re not evaluating receivers, I evaluate skill sets,” Ducks wide receivers coach Ross Douglas said. “Because if you’re a good football player, you should be able to play anything. So, it’s really positionless football here in my room. Whether you’re outside, whether you’re inside, you should be able to plug and play anywhere. All those guys have unique skillsets, whether it’s speed, contested catch ability, twitch, ball skills.” There are three primary positions for a receiver: X, Y and Z. The X lines up wide, typically on the opposite side of the tight end and often with the intent to make a big play downfield. The Y is in the slot receiver position closer to the offensive line, best utilized for quick-hitters. And the Z is typically on the same side as the tight end, occasionally put in motion with the ability to make big plays after the catch. “It’s a blessing,” Douglas said. “One, our quarterback is one of the best in the United States of America, I think, NFL or college. We have really good tight ends, we have good backs, we have good wideouts. And the thing about them, they’re all selfless. Like, there’s only one football to go around, but everyone wants to see each other win.” https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2026/04/what-will-oregon-do-with-all-its-talented-receivers-play-positionless-football-coach-says.html

First of all: Don, Don, DON!!!! I haven't looked at the first article-I will-but this one is FANTASTIC. I disagree on a few points, but you got me cooking, and your analysis is usually on point-you are correct many a time. Thanks for the juicy topic. Fitzgerald is a solid hire. And NW paid him-they were wrong, somebody had a beef, and that person probably lied. You don't settle for 100M if you believe the allegations. I am reserved to wait and see on Fitz because this conference is now very loaded top to bottom. On Harbaugh: In my opinion he didn't have to cheat. And frankly, for me it didn't matter. He was going to defeat Ryan Day anyway because at the time-he was the better coach. I say this because Harbaugh finished what he started at Stanford. Harbaugh took down Chip, and Shaw sent Chip packing as far as I am concerned (despite Chip wanting to go pro). Harbaugh knew how to put a staff together-something Day finally started to replicate. No matter what people say about Harbaugh, the guy is a proven winner at both levels. Nobody can dispute those facts-Harbaugh is a winner. A very successful one at that. About MSU-I think Tucker was a great hire. He screwed up. He junked their re-emergence. That program was about to make osu2 and UM earn victories. My take of course, but Tucker was doing the right things for the program and he literally screwed himself chasing tail. No woman is worth ruining your career legacy (same for women by the way- no man is worth killing your legacy and your rise). Smith crashed and burned. He didn't follow his formula, and he didn't figure out how to use his potential clad QB (something Chip will be able to do unfortunately- Chip knows how to manage that type of QB). PSU-I don't believe Iowa State talent will handle the B1G talent. I still like the hire. Campbell must get a QB. His current iteration cannot manage his way to outscoring the lethal offenses in this conference. Campbell does have some remnants of the PSU hard hats that will give offenses problems, but that offense must score 30 on the Tier 1 defenses. He doesn't have that presently. UW and USC-I will say this forever: USC and UW absolutely MUST elevate. It will not only elevate the B1G to SEC circa 2000 to 2023 level, Dan Lanning will rise to another level. Those two, and others, do not mean OBD will fall. It is not a mutually exclusive situation. USC is stealing some of Lanning's recruiting thunder-it has not and will not stop Lanning. Lanning is going to win a Natty. I repeat: DAN LANNING IS GOING TO WIN US A NATTY. Steven A, you're a jewel. I have a difficult time refuting any of your take. And I disagree with some of it. What you said is completely true in my opinion. Riley has his hands full despite a very good hire for DC. Fitz has his hands full in a much elevated conference. They guy is good, but it requires being excellent now. It is still a good hire, but he will have to be better than he ever has been before. Witt scares me because he has the kind of QB that can do some damage. I believe Underwood is a year away because he wasn't developed last year. Witt is deadly with a performing QB. He has that now. So UM is going to be a problem. Fisch wants his kids to have a "normal" experience in high school. I am not sure the Long Distance romance is a problem. He can fly them up every Friday if he wants (I absolutely would-and bring the kids' friends to boot). If he is as committed to his family as he is to his program, and if his wife is as well-it will work out fine. IF. That being said, look out, because all the Fuskies have to do is execute. Fisch has figured Lanning out. He knows the conference landscape. He is dangerous. As I said, that is good. Fusky big money, like USC, needs to elevate the program. That means huge bucks for OBD AND the B1G. Campbell is the right fit for PSU. He will need to score points. He will have to adjust his philosophy. He is the kind of coach that will consider it. That is why he is a threat. Great take Steven A. I like it. One team I think is under the radar because it will take some time is Purdue. That was an excellent hire. Barry Odom is under rated. He needs better talent. by mid season, they won't self destruct anymore. With better talent, teams will have to stay on point. Purdue is going to make life tough for Rutgers, Maryland, and the Tier 3 teams looking for an easy win (UCLAs, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan State).

Don't count Rory out before he finishes the 18th hole - https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/brennan/2026/04/11/rory-mcilroy-masters-third-round-winning-experience/89574500007/?utm_source=usatoday-sports-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=usatbaseline&utm_term=hero

Thanks for the post NJ, You posted this before I did, in a comment section. I am surprised no one commented on it. I hope some do when it goes back to the top of the board.