Charles Fischer

Ducks win 4-0 as Oregon's pitching depth was the difference. Once their ace left--we could go to work on offense. Gabe Miranda bunted down the 3rd baseline, and caught them sitting back to then beat the throw to first. Ryan Cooney hit a high infield bouncer that slowed down to allow him to get on base safely. Jax Gimenez sees everybody coming in close to defend the bunt, and hits if over the right fielder's glove and rolls to the wall. Miranda scores from second, and Cooney went from first to third. Such fast base-runners this year! The relief pitcher for Santa Barbara slipped as he was pitching, and it was called a balk...thus Cooney is scored, and Gimenez moves to third. Drew Smith is intentionally walked. Then the Ducks sucked the infielders into a pickle/hot box between first and second base with Smith...while Gimenez scores before the out to get the fourth run! Devin Bell finished it off with his curve drop-ball, and a 97 mph heater to mess up the batters. Even with that...Maddox Molony was backing up the 3rd baseman on a hit through the infield, and snagged the grounder, turned his body and made the long throw in time for the out! Hitting, pitching and fielding. Be proud of this team! The official game recap will be posted below 2-3 hours from now.

1-0 Ducks after eight innings. Oregon strands two on base... NOW we see Tanner Bradley, and in his 10 outings--nine of them he did not give up a single earned run. Damn his sideways action both away and toward the plate is tough. Catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus made a terrific play sprinting to a dribbler hit, and firing to first base to barely beat the runner. Whew!

1-0 Ducks after seven innings. With the Santa Barbara ace retired for the day, we saw Jack Brooks smash a solo HR over the CF wall! They brought in Luke Morgan to pitch again, as he must have his confidence now, and that of the Oregon coaches. His curve was deadly again!

0-0 after six innings. Oregon brought in Luke Morgan to replace Sanford, and not Tanner Bradley? Morgan is a sophomore from Grants Pass who has not been used that much in relief, but he is the first reliever this weekend? But he got two strikeouts, and kept them scoreless! A very nasty curve-drop-ball that looks like it plunges three and a half feet at the plate. Wow!

0-0 after five innings as the pitcher's duel continued, although both pitchers have very high pitch counts and I believe they are both done after this inning. Nothing again on offense, and this time Will Sanford got out of a jam with only two runners on base! He has over 100 pitches...

0-0 after four innings. The Gaucho pitcher threw a 99 mph pitch? Whew! That's why we got nothing this inning. Oregon's Will Sanford is going to challenge my blood pressure, as he got into another bases-loaded jam...and then struck out the next two!

0-0 after three innings. So isn't this lovely? It was stated that the Gaucho pitcher, Jackson Flora, was named the No. 2 Prospect for the MLB Draft! No wonder we are having trouble with him! But Oregon's Ryan Cooney got a double, and Jax Gimenez walked...and we left them stranded. Meanwhile Will Sanford got into a bases-loaded jam, and you could see him mentally lock-in and strike out the next two batters. Whew! P.S. When you doing intermittent fasting as I and the eating window comes open? I'm cooking dinner-baby! So next innings will be late reporting...

0-0 after two innings. The Ducks have a hard time hitting the Santa Barbara pitcher, but got some gifts in a walk, and getting plinked...but stranded them. Will Sanford brushed away the opposing batters, 1-2-3.

0-0 after one inning. I guessed correctly on the Gaucho starter, and man...he has nasty sideways action, and hasn't given up a run in over a dozen innings? Good test for our hitters. Meanwhile Oregon's Will Sanford gave up a walk and a plinked batter, but generated three fly balls.

This game is in sunny California, although it looks like it would have been fine today at PK Park. We owed them a series at their house when a prior one scheduled was terminated due to flooding on the eve of the series in the past. Santa Barbara....home of FishDuck.com writer Alex Heining, and one of my favorite '90s band, Toad-the-Wet-Sprocket. The pitcher for Santa Barbara Gauchos has not been announced, but I assume it will be Jackson Flora, who has an incredible ERA of 0.94 and will go up against Oregon's Will Sanford. (1.44 ERA) The other Gaucho starters also look really good in Nathan Aceves, (3.77) and Kellen Montgomery. (3.86) In terms of hitting--Oregon has the edge with more homers, and six starters hitting over .300 while Santa Barbara has four. Looks like another low-scoring scrappy game! Will Sanford

Bill Ogden (ChileDuck) is a die-hard Oregon Football and Track fan, and here are his comments about his updated spring depth chart... As always I just list the current roster players so some of the highly anticipated freshmen are not listed yet. But even so it is an impressive collection of old familiar names and an exciting influx of young, blue-chip newcomers. A solid number of returning starters are back especially in the trenches, secondary and wide receiver. And to fill specific gaps (particularly in the secondary and special teams), the Ducks utilized the portal for immediate starters while bringing in a top-ranked freshman class for future depth. Koi Perich (Jr.): A hard-hitting safety from Minnesota expected to start immediately in the secondary. The specialist room was completely overhauled with scholarship transfers Keaton Emmett (K, Nevada), Bailey Ettridge (P, Nevada), and RJ Todd (LS, Western Michigan). We have it always at your fingertips at the top of the site. (See below) Thoughts?

Don, I loved the first article, and like that one...I have a little disagreement. I believe we need to see more proof of rising, and being formidable and thus I would remove USC and Michigan State from your list until they have done it. Two teams I would add are your Iowa, and Illinois because they have proven to win nine games last year, and both beat SEC teams in bowl games furthering solidifying my concern about them. (They beat Vandy and Tennessee) I love the discussion!

Dan Lanning will get his...both in recruits and in victories. Thus far, all we see or hear from USC are banal utterings without any backing in results...