All Activity

And good to see the pitching staff coming together for the stretch run.

Boy, we did not see this coming! Gonzaga leads the WCC with a 15-3 record in conference and is 27-14 overall, but a couple of disconcerting notes; they are on a 14 game win streak, and recently swept Portland all three games, and beat Washington twice. (We play Washington this weekend in Seattle, and they just won a series over Michigan...who beat us in Ann Arbor.) It's a TRAP! No idea who the starting pitcher is, but I'm hoping that Ryan Featherston is healed or Cal Scolari is healed and ready. Or Waz could run the gamut of young pitchers for an inning each as he did last week? They did well....can they do it again?

The softball landscape has evolved rapidly over the past few years, and at the forefront of this change is the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). If you’ve been following the Ducks or other collegiate teams recently, you’ve likely heard the term "Reserve Pool" associated with graduating seniors. But what exactly is the AUSL, and how does it fit into the world of professional softball? What is the AUSL?Launched in 2025, the AUSL is a professional women's softball league that provides a centralized, high-level stage for the world’s top talent. Under the leadership of Commissioner Kim Ng—formerly of the Miami Marlins—the league was designed to create a sustainable, traditional professional structure for the sport. Unlike the experimental "all-points" tournament format that made the original Athletes Unlimited famous, the AUSL operates with six teams playing a 24-game season in a more traditional team-based format. This provides athletes with a stable environment to compete, represent city-based franchises, and showcase the game at its highest level. The Two Sides of the CoinIt is important to distinguish between the two ways "Athletes Unlimited" interacts with softball: The AUSL (Professional League): This is the core professional league. It uses a traditional format where teams compete for a championship over a full season. Teams play in home cities, fostering local fanbases and rivalries. The AUSL All-Star Cup: This is where the "Athletes Unlimited" legacy lives on. The league utilizes this separate, intense four-week competition that features the innovative points-based scoring system. In this format, teams are redrafted regularly, and players earn points for individual plays (like home runs or strikeouts) and team wins, with the leaderboard deciding the ultimate champion. What is the "Reserve Pool"?You may have seen news about seniors—like Oregon’s Grein, Butler, and Sokolsky—being selected for the "AUSL Reserve Pool." For collegiate athletes, breaking into the professional ranks is a significant step. The Reserve Pool acts as a developmental and depth roster for the professional teams. Provisional Status: Players in the Reserve Pool are selected via a draft or "Golden Ticket" process. They are essentially part of the league’s expanded roster. Ready to Contribute: These athletes are often the next-in-line to be called up to the active roster should an injury or roster shift occur. Development: It allows recent college graduates to remain in the professional ecosystem, training at a high level and staying "game-ready" for when they get their call to the main squad. Why It MattersThe AUSL represents a shift from "tournament-style" play to a "professional-franchise" model. By combining the stability of traditional team sports—where you play for a consistent roster and city—with the cutting-edge, player-centric innovation that Athletes Unlimited pioneered, the league is creating a sustainable future for professional softball players in the United States. For the Oregon Ducks seniors, being named to the Reserve Pool is a testament to their collegiate success and an invitation to continue their careers on the biggest stage the sport has to offer. As the league continues to grow and expand, these players are the building blocks of the next generation of professional softball.

Oregon's regular-season finale at Jane Sanders Stadium saw the Ducks beat Ohio State in five innings. By: Rob Moseley EUGENE, Ore. — They swept away Ohio State, and then had to wipe away a few tears during the postgame Senior Day ceremony. Oregon softball honored its senior class Sunday with an 8-0 run-rule win over the Buckeyes in five innings at Jane Sanders Stadium. Seniors Lyndsey Grein, Elon Butler and Amari Harper all played significant roles in the win, before being honored postgame along with classmates Remmington Hewitt, Trinity Holden and Elise Sokolsky. Tears were shed by student-athletes, staff and families alike. But perhaps not so many as if Sunday truly was their last time playing at the Jane; instead, wins like Sunday's have helped Oregon put together a résumé that seems likely to have them back in Eugene for an NCAA Regional in a few weeks. "Knowing that there's more, it really makes a difference," UO coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "You get emotional, because you just remember challenging moments throughout their career. … For them to come and take a chance and be uncomfortable and allow us to coach them on the field and in life, I just love them all, and I'm thankful. And yes, we have so much left to do." The No. 12 Ducks improved to 38-10 overall and 18-3 in the Big Ten entering the final weekend of conference play. They head to UCLA next weekend sitting a game behind the Bruins in the conference standings, and two behind first-place Nebraska. "Anything can happen in the last weekend," Lombardi said. "So it's about us continuing to take care of our business to put us in a position to win the Big Ten, and to put us in a position to have a great seed going into the Big Ten Tournament." How It Happened: Grein started her final regular-season game at The Jane, and threw a 1-2-3 top of the first. Taylour Spencer (7-3) then entered and completed a five-inning one-hitter by the UO staff, allowing only a leadoff single in the fourth. That runner reached second on a one-out error, and the next hitter worked a 3-0 count to put Ohio State a pitch away from loading the bases with one out. Instead, that batter swung 3-0 and grounded into an inning-ending double play. "Taylour was tremendous, tremendous," Lombardi said. "Her off-speed was amazing, just the way she was able to create a large spread with her fastest speed to her softest speed, and work ahead." Oregon's bats, meanwhile, were loud early and often. Harper hit a solo homer in the first, and Kaylynn Jones hit another in the second. Jones had gone hitless in her previous five games, but she singled and homered Sunday. "She needed that," Lombardi said. "K-Dub is really, really good. And sometimes you just get into a spot where, you know, you have just a little bit of a dry spell where things aren't going your way. And just to see her do that (was great)." After Jones' homer in the second, Ayanna Shaw walked and Katie Flannery doubled. Both moved up on a wild pitch, with Shaw scoring to make it 3-0, and Flannery came home on a sacrifice fly by Butler. In the fifth, Emma Cox continued her torrid hot streak with leadoff home run. Of her 11 homers this season, seven have come over the last eight games. "She's really confident in her plans at the plate," Lombardi said. "And just the extension — you see when she gets extended, really, really good things happen." After Spencer worked out of trouble in the top of the fourth, Jones led off with a single. Another single by Flannery put runners at the corners with one out, and a base hit by Butler plated Jones to make it 6-0. Harper then followed with what initially looked to be a three-run homer for a 9-0 lead. But with runners waiting to see if it cleared the fence, Harper passed Butler momentarily and the played was declared a two-run single with Harper then ruled out at first. Spencer thus took the mound for the fifth with an 8-0 lead, and a 1-2-3 inning clinched the game and the series for the Ducks. Notable: Saturday's win gave the Ducks their 15th consecutive Big Ten series win. … It also guaranteed Oregon a first-round bye in this season's conference tournament. … In the postgame visit with her team, Lombardi informed them that seniors Butler, Grein and Sokolsky had been selected to the Athletes Unlimited Softball League's reserve pool for the 2026 season. Up Next: The Ducks open a three-game series at UCLA on Friday (7 p.m., B1G+).

Pro Football Focus sees 5 Ducks as first rounders next year, with 3 others possibly making it. Dante Moore leads 5 Oregon stars in PFF's 2027 first-round mock draft

Duck draftees and their new teams. Breaking down how Oregon’s seven draftees fit with their new NFL teams Next year expected a longer article.

Oregon Ducks Spring Game REACTION | Dakorien Moore GOES OFF

Oregon ELITE 2026 Football Roster Puts Dan Lanning in Position to WIN National Championship--Right?Oregon enters 2026 with massive expectations led by Dan Lanning now in his 5th season, and Dante Moore back for one more year before the NFL. Is their roster better than last season? Today's episode of Locked On Ducks is a crossover with 'Locked On The Portal' host Brian Smith. How big of a question mark is Oregon's offensive line? The Ducks came up short against Indiana in the Peach Bowl and Dante Moore's performance was a big reason why. Are there other areas where the Ducks have to get better? 00:00 Oregon's offensive line outlook 03:50 Linebacker room depth concerns 08:12 Spring game performance highlights 10:15 Oregon's potential NFL receivers 16:15 Dealing with last season's injuries 18:39 Key moments in the game 21:24 Comparing Oregon and Ohio State's rosters 24:04 Impressive talent evaluation at Indiana 27:39 Big game excitement for Indian

Will Mencl talks about his commitment to Oregon. Throws 6 touchdown passes at 7-on-7 competition. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon 5-Star Quarterback Will Mencl Turns Heads During R...Oregon Ducks class of 2027 recruit, quarterback Will Mencl put his talent on display at OT7 Week 7 in Dallas over the weekend. Will Mencl Throws Six Touchdown P

Oregon coach Dan Lanning did not hesitate when asked about a proposed shift that could move the college football season earlier beginning in 2027. "Move it up. I've been very clear, but I think it solves a lot of problems in college football. We have one portal window. I don't think the portal should exist at the same time that football's being played. On the same note, I think the semester should be kind of the start of a new season, a new term," Lanning said. “And right now we'll be in the second semester of school, but still, at the same time playing football. It doesn't line up with the windows of academic calendars. The closer we get to the season ending on January 1, the better it is, I think, for all programs, coaching transitions, all things exist. So it's a really easy fix. In my opinion, we'll see if we can get closer and closer to that," Lanning continued. In many ways, the proposal mirrors a structural fix Lanning has been advocating for: Start the season earlier, speed up the postseason and have the season end before Jan. 1. For Lanning, this is not simply about moving kickoff up a week. It is about correcting what he sees as multiple flaws in college football’s current calendar Oregon Ducks On SIDan Lanning Doubles Down On College Football Calendar FixEUGENE - Oregon coach Dan Lanning did not hesitate when asked about a proposed shift that could move the college football season earlier beginning in 2027. “Mov

One for the trivia hounds.... Nebraska has not had a top 50 pick since 2011. There have been just 6 second rounders since, but none as high as No. 50. Folks, that's Big Red. The Huskers. Nebraska. Here's the total drafted for each current B1G program in the last 10 seasons. My guess is that if Oregon had been a member of the B1G, more would have been drafted. Probably not enough to move up one slot, but more.

Pro Football Focus Too Early 2027 Mock Draft - Five Ducks Picked in the 1st Round - QUACK! No. 3 Dante Moore, No. 14 Jamari Johnson, No. 24 Matayu Uiaglalei, No. 28 - Pancho Laloulo, No. 29 A'Mauri Washington. Texas also has 5 players picked in the 1st round, but Julian Sayin goes No. 1 - Manning, No. 5. https://www.pff.com/news/draft-way-too-early-2027-nfl-mock-draft?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=insider_scoop&_kx=GVhzUOTwm4KFXGxajXe-_3UQSycVDTUwQ95jZfv6GZOFoavAa8egk

Oregon's Biggest Question After Spring FootballThe Oregon Ducks still have questions remaining after the spring game. Oregon Ducks On SIOregon's Biggest Question After Spring FootballThe Oregon Ducks are one of the highly anticipated programs when it comes to their potential ahead of the 2026 college football season. Although there have been

Oregon Baseball Surges in Rankings Following Undefeated WeekThe USA TODAY Sports coaches poll saw the Ducks make the biggest jump of any team this week, moving up seven spots to No. 14, tied with the Oklahoma Sooners. Ahead of them, UCLA remained at No. 1, despite dropping a game to Sacramento State, and Oregon State also remained at No. 6, despite falling to the Ducks. With a 32-11 record, the Ducks are well-positioned to boost their standing even more with a big finish against UCLA and USC, which jumped up six spots to No. 17. Oregon made a considerable jump in the D1Baseball rankings as well, which are commonly used by teams as the official rankings. The Ducks made the biggest jump in this poll as well, leaping six spots up to No. 13. The Beavers remained at No. 6 after rebounding from the midweek loss to sweep Hawaii over the weekend. https://duckswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ducks/baseball/2026/04/27/oregon-baseball-surges-rankings-weekend-sweep/89822118007/

The Big-10 had six teams in the Sweet Sixteen? You could be seventh in the Big-10, have a top-25 team and not make the NCAAs? (Or get a bad seeding) That is a tough road in this conference for the men; whew!

As stated many times--the rankings I follow come from D1Baseball, whether we are unranked or highly ranked. This is how we and other teams we play sit in the standings... No. 1 UCLA 39-4, RPI: No. 1 No. 6 Beavis 33-9, RPI: No. 12 No. 13 Oregon 32-11, RPI: No. 24 No. 16 Nebraska 33-11, RPI No. 15 No. 21 USC 34-11, RPI: No. 10 We play Gonzaga this week, and their RPI is No. 33, of which is good for a non-conference game. We got a great bump from beating Beavis, and sweeping Penn State, but an equal impact was teams ahead of us losing too much. We need to stay in this No. 13 range or higher as the top 16 teams get Regionals in the NCAA tournament later. Playing so many teams with good RPI really helps our chances for a Regional, and we need to win enough of those games.

The five offensive players who stood out most to me in Oregon's spring gameOregon wrapped up spring football on Saturday with its scrimmage. The game saw the Combat Ducks beat the Fighting Ducks 17-10. Here are the five offensive players I was most impressed by. https://247sports.com/college/oregon/longformarticle/oregon-ducks-football-spring-game-offensive-standouts-283304646/

I'm surprised NO ONE was returning punts! 😝

Wait Until Next Year! On32027 NFL Draft: CBS Sports ranks 32 future stars that cou....

Thanks, Steven. Yes, the Oregon Spring game lacked scoring and, in that respect, was boring. Looking at the list of 1st-round draft picks emphasizes all of the talent, especially on defense, that Ohio State lost. There was a lot of scoring in the Buckeyes Spring game, and not only when Heisman candidate Sayin was playing QB. The D had very few stops and few three-and-outs. Will Matt Patricia be able to produce another top D in 2026? Even with all of the talent on D last season, Ohio State went 0-2 in the postseason. Week 2 sees the Buckeyes at Texas. Unlike 2025, both teams have a cupcake to consume in the opening game. I think the game will go over the current line of 46.5. Did Perich play yesterday? If he did play, I'm surprised that he was not returning punts.

Thanks for the compliment, but ... On3Indiana DC ranks defenses Hoosiers faced in 2025, takes d....

I hope no one bet the Red Raiders to go over 10.5. Plus, the young man is being sued by Cincinnati for breach of contract. Sad, very sad. I hope Sorsby's gambling is not the tip of a CFB betting scandal. On3Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby taking immediate leave of ab....

The draft was a Dilly for ASU, but Fickell for Wisconsin. And Billy Belichick needs to spend less time in the Durham Day Care Center and more time on the football field. 1st time since 2016 that a UNC player wasn't drafted. Life of Riley? More like Linc needs to put some life in his players. SIBiggest Winners, Losers Among College Football Coaches Fr...Who could look back on jobs well done Sunday?

Good news for the Ducks with two capable replacements. Replacing the first round of the NFL draft: Who's up next in college football? - ESPN

Thank you, Jay. (If you are residing in the Olde Towne, whereabouts?) If I counted correctly, there are 11 Big Ten teams in Tournament guru Joe Lunardi's way-too-early field. Michigan and Michigan State are both No. 1 seeds. And, if I counted correctly, there would be 12 SEC teams in the field. 23 Power 2 teams in the field, WOW! If the projection is close, the Big Ten conference will be a grinding coast-to-coast gauntlet. Being on the bubble would mean a decent season against quality competition. 11 teams in with two No. 1 seeds, $how OBD more of that B1G po$t$eason money. 🤑