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There is no doubt College Football’s newly expanded Playoffs have changed the definition of success, as a handful of teams consider themselves annual title contenders. They expect to reach the Championship Game every single year. And so do we as fans. Ever since Bo Nix’s stellar emergence in an Oregon uniform, the Ducks have been considered a lethal threat on ... Who Do YOU Believe the Oregon Ducks Are?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026 OREGON ATHLETICS | @OregonSB Ducks Upset No. 11 Texas A&M CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — No. 18 Oregon used timely hitting and another dominant pitching performance from Lyndsey Grein to upset No. 11 Texas A&M, 2-1, Thursday afternoon at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The win took some of the sting off a 10-5 loss to Auburn earlier in the day. Grein went 6.1 innings against the Aggies and allowed just one run on five hits. She struck out four and walked three to even her record at 3-3. Elise Sokolsky got the final two out of the game to earn her first save of the season. Elon Butler homered against the Aggies, while Rylee McCoy drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. “I think it just took all of us to come together and have that team chemistry,” said Butler. “We were not going to lose. We worked so hard to get to this point. We just all game together like ‘we’re going to do this’ and it was a great job by the offense.” How It Happened – Game 1: Auburn (10-2) hit a pair of three-run home runs early, but the Ducks (6-5) rallied to stay within striking distance until the Tigers pulled away late. A three-run homer in the top of the first gave Auburn a 3-0 lead, but Amari Harper answered for the Ducks with a two-run home run, her third of the season. The Tigers hit their second three-run home run of the game in the second inning and led 6-2. Oregon then took advantage of a throwing error to plate two runs in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Stefini Ma’ake was hit by a pitch. Freshman Taryn Ho – in her first plate appearance of the season – beat out a bunt single for a base hit. Auburn then tried to get Ma’ake at third, but the throw sailed high and wide and bounced all the way down the left field line. Ma’ake scored easily and Ho raced around the bases and scored standing up, cutting Auburn’s lead to 6-4. The Tigers hit another home run in the top of the third for a 7-4 edge. Oregon mounted one final rally in the sixth inning. Ma’ake singled and Katie Flannery walked to give the Ducks two runners aboard with no outs. Kaylynn Jones then reached on a fielder’s choice when pinch-runner Presley Lawton was safe at third to load the bases. Harper flied out to left to score Lawton, but that was it for the inning. How It Happened – Game 2: Lyndsey Grein and A&M’s Sydney Lessentine waged an entertaining pitchers’ duel. The Aggies only got to Grein once, a solo home run by Micaela Wark in the top of the fourth. Elon Butler answered with her second homer of the season, a solo shot to center field in the bottom of the fourth. “Honestly it felt great,” said Butler. “I’ve been struggling a little bit at the plate, not doing the best that I think I can, but I just saw something over the plate, trusted myself and swung.” After the Ducks tied the game at 1-1, Grein didn’t allow a runner past second base over her final 2.1 innings. “My approach was just relax and have fun,” said Grein. “Softball is supposed to be fun. We work so hard on our craft, so just embracing that.” Rylee McCoy came through with the go-ahead RBI in the bottom of the sixth. Kaylynn Jones walked and Amari Harper singled to lead off the inning. After Butler struck out, Emma Cox lashed a single into left field to load the bases. That brought McCoy to the plate. She hit a ground ball into the hole between first and second. The Aggies’ only play was at first and Jones scored the eventual game-winning run on the fielder’s choice. “They made it easy,” said McCoy. “They were on base and I knew I had one job and that was to score one run for my team and it felt amazing. Everyone worked so hard during the game and it happened to land on me and I’m so happy I got it done for them.” In the top of the seventh inning, Grein got the first out before Kennedy Powell reached on a bunt base hit. The Ducks brought Elise Sokolsky in to close out the game. She needed just three pitches to finish the inning, getting a pair of ground-ball outs for her first save of the season. Notable: In three games against SEC teams this season, Lyndsey Grein is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 19.1 innings. She has allowed three runs on seven hits and has struck out 24 … Taryn Ho got her first career start at shortstop against the Aggies and had a hit and a sacrifice bunt … Kaylynn Jones was 4-for-6 on the day. She had a hit in both games to extend her hitting streak to a career-best seven games … Elise Sokolsky’s save was the sixth of her career, tying her for 10th on the Ducks’ career list. Quotable Outfielder Elon Butler “Obviously were pretty upset after losing to Auburn and the way we lost but I think the biggest this is that we stayed together, doing our thing and playing our game of softball.” Up Next: Oregon plays two more games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Ducks face No. 13 South Carolina at 3 p.m. and Cal State Fullerton – for the third time this season – at 5 p.m.

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2026 BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball Ducks Move to 5-0 with Impressive Win EUGENE, Ore. — Five games, five solid starts from five different pitchers on Oregon’s pitching staff. Toby Twist is the latest Ducks’ hurler to impress, allowing just one run on two hits over 5.1 innings in an 18-1 nonconference win over Youngstown State on Thursday afternoon at PK Park. Coming off a weekend where four Oregon starters allowed just two runs on five hits in four games, Twist added to the hot start for the staff while picking up his first career win. Twist (1-0) got plenty of help from an Oregon offense that scored multiple runs in four different innings. The Ducks had 6-run, 5-run, 4-run and 3-run innings while putting the game away early with 10 runs in the first three innings. Twist surrendered a second-inning solo home run and a single to lead off the fourth. On the single, he proceeded to pick off the runner at first. The Ducks’ lefty finished with five strikeouts and just one walk. How It Happened: Oregon did not waste any time getting on the board scoring four unearned runs in the bottom of the first. Ryan Cooney, who led off the first with a double off the top of the left-center field wall, scored on a Gabe Miranda sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. Maddox Molony followed with a RBI single to left field scoring Jax Gimenez, before stealing second and moving to third on a throwing error by catcher Caleb Hadley. Drew Smith drove in Molony with a triple to left before he scored on a Burke-Lee Mabeus base hit through the right side. Maddox Molony After YSU (0-4) got a run back with a solo homer in the second, Oregon answered in the third. Molony delivered a run-scoring double inside the third-base bag scoring Miranda from first. Mabeus picked up his second RBI driving in Molony on a fielder’s choice. Oregon (5-0) added a third run on a Cooney bases-loaded walk before Dominic Hellman made it a five-run inning with a two-out, two-RBI base hit to right field. Miranda added his second RBI of the inning with a base hit scoring Gimenez. Oregon put together another big inning in the sixth. Molony led off the frame with a home run off the left-field foul pole for an 11-1 lead. Three consecutive singles after the home run led to two more runs. Angel Laya, the reigning Perfect Game and Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week, delivered the third to drive in both runs. After a pitching change, Oregon added two more runs in the sixth. Gimenez legged out a double that scored Laya from second, before pinch hitter Josh Schleichardt capped the scoring with an RBI on a ground out to first. The Ducks put three more on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning when Josh Schleichardt belted his first career home run as a Duck. Box Score Notes: Molony made his 100th career start … Molony’s home run was his 27th, moving him into a tie with Guy Krause (1971-74) for fifth all-time at Oregon … Seven Ducks had multiple RBI led by Schleichardt’s four … Four Ducks had multiple hits with Molony finishing with three and Gimenez, Smith Mabeus all picking up two hits … Molony and Gimenez both scored three runs … Josh Hollis and Cooper Markham made their Ducks debut on the mound in relief of twist … Hollis tossed three hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts … Markham got the final three outs and fanned two. On Deck: The teams will play game two of the four-game series on Friday with a 2 p.m. first pitch. Quotes: Head Coach Mark Wasikowski On a win to start the series… “A good win, happy the guys played well. They pitched well. Toby Twist getting a start and handing it off to Josh Hollis’ first college outing. Cooper Markham had his first college outing. To be able to get those guys into the game, and to see them throw exceptionally well was really good.” On Josh Hollis’ performance… “Those guys have really good arms, the freshman, and you saw that today. (Josh) Hollis has been a guy that could easily be a midweek starter for us and will be this year. Then down the road he could easily be a weekend starter. Cooper (Markham) has a power arm and so getting those guys out there, I thought they pitched well. They threw multiple pitches for strikes and were in control of it.” On Toby Twist coming back to the mound… “He has worked really hard; he has always had good stuff. He has always been a good pitcher. Those guys that come back from arm injuries though, it usually takes them a little bit. Theres a hurdle that those guys have to get over. I feel like he was really clawing to get over that hurdle last year. It took him a few outings before he was able to really clear that hurdle and that’ what you saw today. It’s what we saw in our scrimmages.” On Malosi seeing the field… “Another talented freshman. Really good player. It was a game-knows moment he gets inserted into the game and the ball finds him, it happens a lot. A very talented player, he squared the ball up with his at-bat, so it was good to see him play well.” Maddox Molony On Josh Schleichardt’s first hit as an Oregon Duck... “Everyone in the dugout is waiting for that to come back in, and you take a peek at the flag, the winds blowing a little bit out to the right. That’s just meant to happen ... He works. He works really hard. I expect that that’s what he's going to be doing. He’s going to be doing that a lot for us this year.” On teammate Josh Hollis performance... “He looks like he’s been doing this for three years, and you can see it and you can feel it. That’s what we want out of him.” On today’s appearance after struggles at the plate last week... “It’s just a testament to the work I put in. The game has ebb and flows. It goes up, it goes down, but as long as you can stay steady, stuff like that happens.” Toby Twist On his journey throughout his collegiate experience... “It’s been great, definitely. Family and friends and teammates, just day by day, keeping my spirits up, but just staying with our guys next to us is the big thing. Just keeping their spirits high.” On Josh Hollis… “He just looks old, looks like he’s done it before. He’s ready whenever as well.” On his first career win, and being part of a pitching staff that has been so effective to start the year... “It shows you the depth that we have with this pitching staff. Everyone’s ready, and we all have a lot of belief in the next guy.”

I was born in CA. Lived in BC, Canada from age 11-21. Finished my college at Oregon where I met my bride. I have a lot of relatives in Canada still, but nothing makes me smile more (except a Ducks Natty) than seeing the USA beat Canada on the world stage at their own sport! C'mon men. Get 'er done!

Ducks win 18-1 as heralded freshman pitcher Cooper Markham got his inning, and he finished out the game with a 95 mph fastball, and a nice curve.

18-1 Ducks after eight innings. Freshman Josh Hollis blanks them for a third inning, and gives us confidence in him as a relief pitcher in bigger games. Freshman Owen Morgan walked, as did Jax Gimenez. Then transfer Josh Schleichardt comes in and hits LF BOMB for a three-run homer!

15-1 Ducks after seven innings. Josh Hollis pitches a second scoreless inning, and really looks impressive as a freshman.

Both good, book best.

15-1 Ducks after six innings. We got to see a highly regarded true freshman pitch in Josh Hollis, and he went 1-2-3 with a 92 mph fastball, and a nice offspeed curveball. Maddox Molony got a powerful homer off the left field foul pole, and Drew Smith singles into shallow LF. Burke-Lee Mabeus hit deep to RF, and Smith moves to third. A wild pitch moves Mabeus to second. Angel Laya (a beautiful swing-whew!) hits deep to RF and scores Smith AND Mabeus who jetted from first. It is a perfect time to see some of the other freshman and transfers play as Elijah Cook hit a screamer at the pitcher and got a base hit out of it! Jax Gimenez hits a LF blooper to get a hit and scores a runner, as did fellow transfer Josh Schleichardt scored a runner on a groundout.

Breaking down which schools have signed the most 5-stars in the last four recruiting cycles https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/breaking-down-schools-signed-most-192019791.html

Five freshmen who hardly played in 2025 who could be big in 2026Here's a list of freshman who carried small roles in 2025 who are capable of becoming major players for the Ducks in 2026. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/longformarticle/five-freshmen-who-hardly-played-in-2025-who-could-be-big-in-2026-274915367/

A great day for Toby Twist--only giving up one run in five innings and 67 pitches....

10-1 Ducks after five innings. No scoring for Oregon, but Toby Twist went 1-2-3 thanks to an incredible catch by Left fielder Jax Gimenez. He jumped up against the wall and got the catch!

10-1 Ducks after four innings. No scoring by Oregon, but pitcher Toby Twist got a great pick-off at first base, and kept them scoreless!

I concur with Jon Joseph. I would add end the season on Jan 1 in the ROSE BOWL. I also believe the Group of 6 need their own playoffs. That would kill the bowl system pretty much. The bowls are actually killing the opportunity for on campus home games, which should always be part of the playoffs. Besides, 24 teams may tick off the elitists, but it sure would keep the entire P4 fan base involved with what basically has been the destruction of tradition in college football.

10-1 Ducks after three innings. Toby Twist gets in jams, but works his way out when he creates a grounder to 3rd baseman Drew Smith, who fires it to second for one out, and then Jack Brooks hurls it hard to just get the batter out. Double play! Gabe Miranda walked, then Maddox Molony hit a screamer down the 3rd baseline that hugs the LF wall, and get snagged up in the corner. It is a double for him, and Miranda scored from first. The big guy can MOVE! Drew Smith bunts and doesn't beat the throw, but the 1st baseman lifted his foot too soon, so safe! Molony moved to third and Burke-Lee Mabeus hits a sacrifice grounder that scores Molony. Angel Laya walks, and Ryan Cooney gets plinked...so bases loaded! Jax Gimenez walks to score a run, and the Dominic Hellman got jammed inside with a fastball, but muscled it to shallow RF to score two! Gabe Miranda hits to deep RF to score Gimenez. This was done primarily on a relief pitcher, so Coach Waz's strategy in starting Toby Twist was correct; get him playing time and experience because we will outscore the 'Guins. (Penguins) He was right!

Having been "away" for nearly a month, I would like to add how much I will miss 30Duck. I was blessed to have chatted with him several times. It was great "knowing" him for the short time we talked. That being said. Grandpa Duck, what a thriller article. You presented us with the FishDuck version "what can the B1G do better"! I would prefer an 18 team with no expansion and some type of Divisions with competitive balance to allow the best opportunity to slot four teams in the CFP. I would hope Play In Games would be included as that would certainly boost TV Ratings. Especially if you had two weeks of the most watched teams in the Conference battling it out for the title game (with the losers playing a consolation game to feature their prowess even more for the At Large spots (of course the coaches wouldn't want that, but what's a conference to do to raise its profile even more?). Who knows? There have been so many changes to the game that it just might turn off more fans in the end.

4-1 Ducks after two innings. Toby Twist gave up a homer and finished out the rest although he was assisted by mistaken base runner who thought it was two outs and kept running on a fly...when it was one. Double play!

Secondhand Lions is my favorite.

4-0 Ducks after one inning. Well, the coaches know best as Toby Twist looked good putting down all three batters to start. Can't say the same for the 'GUINS pitcher, although the fielders made errors as well. Jack Brooks hit a ball that looked like a Dinger, but hit the top of the wall and bounced back for a double. Jax Gimenez gets to first on a throwing error, and then Gabe Miranda hits a deep sacrifice fly to RF to score Brooks. Maddox Molony hit a deep fly to LF that bounced in front of the fielder to score Gimenez. Molony then steals second, but the overthrow there allows him to steal third as well! Drew Smith hits a zinger that bounces off the fielder's mitt, into the LF wall and back to result in a triple--while scoring Molony. Burke-Lee Mabeus gets his first hit of the year in shallow right field to score Molony...and we can't ask for too much more to start!

I would have responded sooner but my dog ate Mike's article/homework assignment. If two teams are added, I think they should be "western" schools to help balance scheduling/travel. Cal, they will never have the money or Alumni support. Stanford, just use their endowment to subsidize athletics and have their admission standards mirror Stanford's pass/fail or drop the class if-you-don't-like-the-grade-you're-getting grading system with high schools grading systems. Utah, might be a good choice with their ?forward thinking? private equity deal and commitment. If Nebraska was the eastern most western school, then another midwestern school would be added. ND is a clucking egg layer when it comes to scheduling and would never join a power 2 conference. Texas Tech is a fit. They are certainly dedicated to being big time and a BIG presence in Texas would make the SEC and BIG 12 heads spin off. P.S. Mike, your idea makes tooooo much sense to ever be taken seriously.

USA gals are Golden. 😍 In a game that went into Overtime, USA 2 - Canada 1.

Amen, but CFB sold the right to make playoff and bowl decisions to Disney/ESPN.

If the B1G needs to expand to 20, bring in Stanford and California. Most of the men at Berkeley need a haircut, anyway.

Speaking of travel, on a separate basketball note, so far this season, games in Central/Eastern zone: 1-4 Oregon, with 2 to play 1-4 uW, with 2 to play 1-5 UCLA, with 1 to play 3-4 USC - final trip was Feb. 11 By the way, those 3 USC wins were by a combined 5 points total, and 1 loss was by 1 point. Cronin is a very unhappy guy at UCLA this season. Both UCLA and USC lost road games at UM & MSU "bigly." The B1G is a tough basketball conference. Most often, fans are fully invested in basketball especially if their football teams are semi-mediocre at the same school.