Charles Fischer

So...Oregon would not have faced Ohio State until the finals? Geez, that doesn't SUCK at all!

Ducks Open B1G Tournament With a Win OMAHA, Neb. — Three Oregon pitchers combined to toss a four-hitter while Anson Aroz went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the No. 4 Ducks to a 4-2 win over Michigan State in Oregon’s first game of pool play at the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday at Charles Schwab Stadium. Junior Ian Umlandt got the start for Oregon and turned in a stellar performance on the mound. The Ducks’ lefty allowed just one earned run on four hits in 6.2 innings on work before giving way to relievers Santiago Garcia and Seth Mattox, who combined to retire all seven batters they faced with three strikeouts. Garcia got the win, moving to 3-0 on the season, while Mattox picked up his eighth save tossing a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to end the game. How It Happened: After Michigan State took an early lead with a run in the top of the first on a leadoff double and a pair of fly balls that advanced the runner, The Ducks answered with a pair of runs in their half of the first. Aroz delivered a two-out, two-run double into the left-field corner for a 2-1 lead. Anson Aroz celebrates a two-RBI hit... The teams exchanged zeros until the seventh inning when Michigan State (28-27) tied the game with an unearned run. Oregon (42-13) immediately answered, scoring two runs in its half of the inning. Dominic Hellman, who reached base four times (2-for-2, 2 BB) started the rally with a hit before being removed for pinch-runner Jax Gimenez. Jacob Walsh drew a 10-pitch walk, after falling behind 0-2 to start the at-bat, moving Gimenez to second. Drew Smith gave the Ducks the lead back driving in Gimenez with a base hit to left field and Aroz followed with an RBI single through the right side, scoring Walsh from second. Box Score Notes: The win was Oregon’s 11th in a row, matching its longest winning streak of the season (Feb. 22 – March 9) … Oregon can tie the longest winning streak in program history with a win on Friday … Umlandt’s quality start was his third in five starts this season … Mattox moved into a tie for 10th all-time in single-season saves at Oregon … Oregon moved its record in conference tournament games to 5-4 all-time … The Ducks are 11-1 in the month of May with their last loss coming at Michigan State on May 2. On Deck: Oregon will square off with Nebraska on Friday in a must-win game to advance to Saturday’s semifinals. Both teams are 1-0 in “Pool A” with only the pool winner advancing. First pitch is at 4:03 p.m. (PT) on the Big Ten Network.

Ducks win 4-2 as Seth Mattox comes in and closes them out 1-2-3. I should not fret so much, as Garcia only had 15 pitches in his 1.3 innings, and Mattox only had 11 pitches in his inning. Yes, this win helps the national appearance, but the next three games are the money games. The good news is that we won without any one of our three starters, and our relievers did not pitch much.

4-2 Ducks after eight innings. Santiago Garcia puts them down 1-2-3, but we are using our best relievers for a non-counting game. I have no idea who we will turn to in the clutch in a few days... THREE MORE OUTS!

4-2 Ducks after seven innings as Umlandt gave up a run, and was replaced by Santiago Garcia to get the last out of the side. Dominic Hellman hits to short center field for a single, as it replaced by Jax Gimenez as a pinch runner. Jacob Walsh walks, and then Drew Smith scooped a curve ball out, and knocked it into left field to score the speedy Gimenez from second base. Anson Aroz hits a grounder to right field to score Walsh from second, but Our Beloved Ducks stranded two to end the inning again that could have sealed this game!

2-1 Ducks after six innings. I getting nervous as we are wasting innings where we don't score, and Umlandt is keeping us alive. Ian gave up a hit, but kept the inning scoreless again. Michigan State can play loose, go all-out, and play everyone as their season is done in an hour. I don't like this...

2-1 Ducks after five innings. Good thing Umlandt has had a good game thus far, as Oregon is having trouble getting the bats going at timely moments. Ian has 74 pitches after five innings, so perhaps he can go two more innings?

2-1 Ducks after four innings, as Oregon left bases-loaded stranded! Ian Umlandt is getting his groove as he put down the Michigan State hitters 1-2-3. Great catch by Drew Smith!

2-1 Ducks after three innings, as damn...Oregon stranded two runners. Michigan State is getting hits and on base with a plink, but Umlandt comes through to keep the Spartans scoreless for the inning.

2-1 Ducks after two innings, as Ian Umlandt generated a sweet double play to end the inning as Ryan Cooney fielded the grounder, stepped on second, and fired to first! Oregon left a runner stranded on second, as Michigan State is replacing their starting pitcher.

Game summary will be at the end of the thread later! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-1 Ducks after one inning, and you need to be aware that the fields in this stadium are HUGE. It looks like twice as much distance for fielders to cover, and should open it up for more hits, which can lean things in a direction of a good hitting team....like Oregon. Another element? My guesses about using freshman pitchers and taking it as a "throwaway game," was a wrong take. Coach Waz explained in the pregame interview that he wants to WIN all four games in order to be a National Seed, and be able to host both the Regionals and Super-Regionals. So, my opinion was worth what you paid for...nothing! With that...Waz pulled a great reliever, Ian Umlandt, and made him today's starter. The Spartans got a good hit that went for a double, (which is MUCH easier in this ballpark) and then sacrificed him in for their run. Dominic Hellman walked, and Drew Smith bunted to first to put runners on first and second. Then Anson Aroz batting left-handed, had the shift to cover his right-field tendency...and then he hits a screamer into deep extreme left field to give him a double, score Hellman, and even score the swift Smith from first.

It does not matter whether we win or lose tonight at all. There is no need to play the game, because if Nebraska beats Oregon on Friday...they would be 2-0 and advance. If Oregon loses tonight and then beats Nebraska, then all teams are 1-1, but the highest seed, the Ducks, would advance. So bottom line is that tonight's game is meaningless beyond the two teams' overall record, although it will be Michigan's State's last game of the year...hence they will want to win. For Oregon...the only game that matters is Friday's versus the Cornhuskers. Back-Up Catcher was Also Freshman of the Year!

I agree with you, as the Iowa game tonight...as the Michigan State-Oregon game tonight has no bearing on anything...so why are we playing these games?

Something that might be overlooked is that while Oregon was rated No. 6 in the final poll, (And given a No.16 Seed?) the Cardinal were ranked No. 16 in the nation, thus they had recognized talent to take a game off a higher ranked team. Liberty was not in the top 25, but received enough votes to effectively be No. 28 in the nation, and caught TAMU on either an off-day or two, a hot day or two for Liberty, or a combination of both of which happens in sports! The Flames had enough talent to be recognized, and it is evident they are better than their final ranking.

No, as reported in another thread...he pitched 104 pitches on Tuesday against Nebraska, and thus will not available for us.

I think the rest time is only important for the pitchers, and again, the Sports information director told me that the starters will be resting for seven days regardless. We could put nothing but freshman pitchers out there on Thursday, and lose the game, but we have everybody rested for a normal three day weekend series, so I think we will be OK. We have three catchers, and plenty to sub for infield and outfield that are quality players with little to no dropoff. I think everyone knows me well enough to confirm that if I was really concerned about this now, I would be asserting it strongly as I usually do. We may disagree, and that is fine. I actually think that throwing freshman pictures out there Thursday that haven’t had any action in a month or so besides practice, would be good for them in case we need to turn to them in the playoffs for an inning or two.

Meh. If I know Coach Waz...he will remind the team that they've been playing three straight games a weekend for a couple of months, with a number of weekends of four straight games. They have their routine, and know how to approach it. Frankly, breaking up the routine might have made it worse? In his interviews he explains that he tells the team..."instead of practice--we get to play BASEBALL!"

Four games slated for Thursday at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, Rescheduled OMAHA, Neb. – The Big Ten Conference has announced a schedule change to the 2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Presented by IFS.ai. With inclement weather in the forecast, first pitch for three pool play games on Thursday will move up by one hour. The new start times are 9 a.m. CT for UCLA versus Michigan, 1 p.m. for USC-Penn State and 5 p.m. (3:00 PM PST) for Oregon-Michigan State. In addition, the Iowa-Indiana contest, originally scheduled for Friday, will be played at 9 p.m. on Thursday. All four games Thursday will be carried by the Big Ten Network.

To answer your question, Mr. Waddler, I believe no, after talking to the Sports information Director for Baseball. They want seven full days of rest for their starters, in particular Grinnell, because he’s going 100 pitches these days. So I don’t think they will save him for Sunday, as I believe they will use him on Friday this week so he is fresh for the regional, as that is first priority. Now, with that being said, they may not play Grinnell, against the number four seed in the regional on Friday, and perhaps save him for Saturday next week? Just another means of entertainment…trying to figure it out!

Jon...your points are more important and valid than what the writer suggested, and yet....I do not think ND will ever join, full-time, a conference. They will continue to play footsie with the ACC because it suits their purposes, IMHO.

I love it...between mid-February and the end of August...we get HUNDREDS of predictions, or I should say "opinions" about where Our Beloved Ducks end up. I like what he has to say, but damn...I hate this Playoff format, and yeah...we have beaten it to death. This is a very, very good team returning, but like everyone says, it all comes down to QB play. It should NOT come down to that! Why? Because Oregon is one of the few teams in the nation that could bring in an experienced, talented QB as a portal transfer every year as we have done with Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel. In my biased view, we should ALWAYS have an experienced QB every year...always. Why? Because we CAN, and it will make the difference in the high-leverage/profile games. Oregon should not be crossing their fingers that things work out at QB, and yes...I think Moore is talented, and I believe Novosad is talented as well. But they have very little college experience--especially in the big games, and Oregon should not be rolling the dice when a hundred players, a ton of coaches, their families, and staff rely on the success of the football team. And that success can be assured with a talented AND experienced quarterback from the portal.

The more I think about it, we need to win Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and we effectively have enough pitchers for three days. So the fourth game, Michigan State,, is a throwaway. Pitch the freshman and those who have very little experience and give them battle pressure for the future.

Good gosh…the Michigan State game is truly a throwaway. The result does not matter, so yes, hold Grinsell for Friday. Start freshmen against Michigan State, and no valued relievers?

Great information Jon…my bad.

So if I understand it, and that’s not certain… Regardless of our game with Michigan State, the game with Nebraska decides who goes to the semifinals? Because even if we lost to Michigan State, but beat Nebraska, we would be tied with the cornhuskers, and the Spartans, but would advance as the higher seed. Although… If if we beat the Spartans, and lose to Nebraska and we are tied again with the cornhuskers and would advance automatically? I have not got the rules of all this down yet!