Charles Fischer

I was so delighted to see that Drew Smith returned for his senior year. He is getting all the attention nationally now, and it should help his draft stock when he is hitting .478 and was actually over .500 over the weekend for a bit. We have a couple of Ducks who are trending better in hitting after a tough start to the year. Maddox Molony was over .300 last year, and is now up to .258 and climbing. Gabe Miranda had a difficult start of the year, and has improved it to .228 and has hit three homers, and driven runs at key moments recently. Let's check them all... Drew Smith .478 Angel Laya .368 Jax Gimenez .356 Brayden Jaksa .355 Ryan Cooney .320 Burke-Lee Mabeus .317 Dominic Hellman .313 And yes, I know this is only 17 games into the season of 56 games...but I like the trendline. Batting averages will get boosted by some weak Big-10 opponents like Indiana (7-9), Penn State (4-11) and Washington. (6-10) And it will get dragged down later facing UC Santa Barbara (13-2) No. 1 UCLA (14-2) and No. 25 USC. (17-0) Drew Smith will sacrifice bunt to help the team! We did not know what to expect this year, and thus far it is looking promising. We've lost two games because of pitching, and one game against Purdue (2-1) where we had tons of hits, but not when players were on base, or not a crunch moments. Our of 17 games...you will have one like that, and another you won with poor hitting, but the hits coming at the perfect time. I love the development I am seeing, as Burke-Lee Mabeus had just two home runs last year, and has four this year already including one last night that ignited the team. And Drew Smith? He had five homers last year, and has six already in 2026! This team is fun to watch! Jax Gimenez after his GRAND SLAM!

Doesn't matter what they call him--I am glad he's back!

OK...I gotta wave my Pom-Poms. All those serious shortcomings listed in the posts above--in the last two years occurred against the National Champion, both years. Not the other games, you know how we won a record 13 games a year...twice?

Stewart Mandel was asked this in The Athletic, and here is what he wrote... Has Dan Lanning reached his peak as a head coach? Meaning, the Nike money obtains him talent to the point he can make the Playoff and win a game or two, but the final eight teams all have talent, so coaching becomes the differentiator. — Jorge A. Mandel: I get that Lanning’s teams have suffered blowout CFP losses the last two years, but I don’t consider that a knock on his coaching ability. His teams have been wildly successful. They’ve only lost five games in the last three years, and all five were to teams that won or reached the national championship game (2023 Washington twice, 2024 Ohio State once, 2025 Indiana twice). They also beat those 2024 Buckeyes during the regular season, and the two Washington losses were both decided by three points. The Ducks have also had some bad CFP luck the last two years. They drew an uber-talented Ohio State team in that 2024 quarterfinal; the Buckeyes would have been a higher seed in the new format. With true seeds, Oregon might have reached the championship game. And last year the Ducks had to face Indiana with seemingly no running backs left on their entire team. Oregon probably would have lost anyway, but perhaps it would have been more competitive. If college football were as simple as “the team with the most NIL money wins,” Texas Tech would have won at least one CFP game last season, Steve Sarkisian would have a national title by now and Mario Cristobal would have two or three. You still have to hit on the right players, come up with the best gameplans and call the right plays. History has shown that if a coach can win at a high level, year-in and year-out, he’s probably going to break through at some point. See: Tom Osborne. Or Bobby Bowden. Or Mack Brown. Or more recently, Jim Harbaugh, Kirby Smart and Ryan Day. Lanning’s day is coming. I agree with Mandel...do YOU?

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2026 BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball Pinch-Hit Homer Sparks Ducks To Victory EUGENE, Ore. — For six innings Wednesday, the tension built. It exploded in the seventh, and Burke-Lee Mabeus was the detonator. Playing off the bench Wednesday, Mabeus hit a pinch homer in the seventh that broke a scoreless tie, electrified both dugouts and provided a jolt of energy that permeated the rest of the game before Oregon hung on for a 6-3 win over Xavier at PK Park. The Musketeers had the tying run at the plate in the ninth, but the Ducks pulled it out thanks to a five-run seventh inning sparked by the homer from Mabeus. "We were able to tack on some runs right there, which was really important — was the difference in the ball game," UO coach Mark Wasikowski said. Mabeus pulled his pinch homer to right field, which got both teams chirping at each other on the field and from the dugouts. Once order was restored, the Ducks rallied for four more runs, riding the surge of momentum provided by Mabeus' clutch hit. Burke-Lee Mabeus after his homer "I didn't think it was gone off the bat," Mabeus said. "I had been sitting down for a little bit, and I was thinking, like, hopefully my legs are ready to leg out a double. And then it got over the wall, and I was relieved that I could slow down a little bit." Oregon's seventh-inning rally made a winner of reliever Ryan Featherston (3-0), one of five UO arms to appear out of the bullpen following the first start in nearly three years by right-hander Leo Uelmen. The Ducks (14-3) will take a three-game win streak into their Big Ten home opener Friday against Indiana. "Really excited to be in Eugene, but it starts with taking care of a good practice Thursday, making sure the team's right, spending quality time together and making sure we take care of business Friday," Mabeus said. "And we'll go from there." How It Happened: Uelmen made his first start since May 5, 2023, and pitched into the third while allowing one run. He benefitted from two double plays — left fielder Josh Schleichardt had a memorable first start, catching a flyball in the first and then throwing out a runner at home, and shortstop Maddox Molony snared a line drive before diving to beat a runner back to second base to end the second. Uelmen left with two on and two out in the third. "Good story," Wasikowski said. "He's a worker. He's a great kid, a really good human being. And you know, his stuff now is better than it's ever been." One of those inherited runners came around to score, but that only tied the game after Oregon had scored in the bottom of the second. Gabe Miranda singled to lead off that inning for the Ducks, and later scored from second on a base hit by Naulivou Lauaki, who was also making his first career start. The game remained tied into the seventh, when Mabeus entered as a pinch hitter and untied it. He said UO assistant coach Jack Marder gave him a scouting report on the Xavier pitcher before he stepped into the box. "When we get those rundowns, I've got full faith and trust in those, and so, yeah, I knew what I was getting," Mabeus said. "I was just looking for a ball over the plate, hunting a fastball there, and I was able to get my pitch." Dominic Hellman watches his 3-Run Blast Oregon's dugout exploded in jubilation, and Xavier's did so in frustration. When things calmed down, Schleichardt was hit by a pitch, Ryan Cooney singled and Jax Gimenez walked to load the bases. Dominic Hellman promptly unloaded them with a three-run double, before scoring on a Miranda double that made it 6-1. "Basically it was just keeping what I was doing the same," Hellman said of his approach in that at-bat after being 0-for-3 up to that point. "I mean, obviously I didn't have a great day at the plate before the double, and it was just knowing what I did well throughout the day and knowing how they can possibly pitch me." The Musketeers responded with a two-run homer in the eighth. In the ninth, a leadoff walk drew Oregon closer Devin Bell from the bullpen, and he promptly coaxed a double play. "As soon as I came out of the pen, I talked to Maddox and told him, be ready for the ball," Bell said. "I wasn't looking for strikeouts. I was looking to get the ball in play, turn a double play there. That's what happened." The next two batters reached, but Bell stranded both runners in scoring position with a strikeout to end the game. On Deck: The Ducks open a three-game series against visiting Indiana on Friday (4 p.m., B1G+).

I completely agree, as we actually had a perfect result. We gave young pitchers who are trying to acquire their confidence some valuable game experience, and yet we still won the game.

You and Me.....

I don't see that on GoDucks.com...but it appears my ancient definition of an "assistant" is now extinct. In the old days, you had a head coach, and the other eight were assistant coaches. Now we have coaches listed like A'lique Terry as "Offensive Line," and I suppose Cavanaugh could be an assistant OL coach. They list Koa Ka'ai as "Assistant QBs," so you are correct with the current rendition of "assistant." Thanks for letting me know, as I have to change my terminology to fit what they are doing these days.

Oregon wins 6-3, as Miles Gosztola comes in for one batter, walks him, and pitching coach Matt Flores doesn't like what he sees and replaces him with transfer Devin Bell, who has two saves. Bell was throwing at 95 and 96 mph, and generated a double play, but with two outs Bell gives up two hits. So Xavier has two runners in scoring position and with two outs....Bell strikes the batter out. Whew!

6-3 Ducks after eight innings. Ryan Featherston was doing well...until he gave up a two-run Homer over RF. Three more outs!

6-1 Ducks after seven innings. It was getting to "nervous" time! Josh Hollis had four straight strikeouts to bring it to two outs, but then Ryan Featherston was called from the bullpen to strike the batter out! Coach Waz made an interesting move to pull catcher Brayden Jaksa and put veteran catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus in to bat...and he hits a line-drive over the RF wall! Josh Schleichardt got plinked, and Elijah Cook took over at first as a pinch-runner. Ryan Cooney singles into short RF, and Cook flies to third. Jax Gimenez then walks to load the bases....with Dominic Hellman coming up? He did not disappoint as he smashed the first pitch of a new reliever to the wall to give him a double, and clear the other bases for three runs scored! Gabe Miranda's bat is sure waking up lately, as he hit a double off the RF wall to score Hellman! That was such a beautiful swing...

1-1 after six innings, and Josh Hollis looked good putting them down 1-2-3. We finally got the opposing starting pitcher out, but their reliever is no help for the Good-Guys as we got nothing.

1-1 after five innings. Highly regarded true freshman Oregon pitcher Josh Hollis takes over, and while he has taken some lumps in the earlier games--those forge the experience needed for continued innings to build his confidence. He kept Xavier scoreless as the fielding made some great plays to assist him.

1-1 after four innings. Michael Meckna gave up a hit, who then took second...who was then picked-off on a wonderful example of teamwork between Meckna and Ryan Cooney. He kept them scoreless, and is emerging as a reliable option in the Oregon bullpen. The Musketeer pitching is much better this game, and kept us handcuffed.

1-1 after three innings. Leo Uelmen looked much better than we had seen in the past, but with two outs and runners on the corners...Oregon decided to bring in Michael Meckna. Breaking in Ulemen gradually is a good idea, and he looks like another piece to build in the bullpen. Meckna gave up a hit to allow Xavier their first run, but with a huge moment with bases loaded...got the strikeout!

1-0 Ducks after two innings. Leo Uelmen has a nasty inside curve, and a deceptive changeup to compliment his fast ball. The highlight of the inning was a great low catch by Maddox Molony, and then he scrambles on the turf to get to second base to put that runner out. Double Play! Gabe Miranda got a hit through the RF shift against him, and Drew Smith was plinked. Then comes our new DH for this game RSFr. Naulivou Lauaki, another big-guy on the team at 6'5" 265 pounds...who nails one through the LF/CF gap to score Miranda. Oregon stranded two on base...

0-0 after one inning. The surprise starter is Leo Ulemen, who was a big recruit years ago, and sat out most of the last year and a half due to injuries. He gave up a double to the lead off hitter, who got to third on a wild pitch. Then...the throw from the outfield on a caught fly was overthrown to the backstop, and that was an invitation for the runner to take home. But Ulemen got to the ball in time and fired it to Brayden Jaksa, who made the tag at home for the out! He also had a strikeout on the final batter to get him through a nervous first inning unscathed. Good for him!

Everyone is welcome to join in, and I have no idea who we are starting today...

They have a link in the article to the 25 minute podcast/interview, and to hear it all gives you more perspective. For one...he is humble, and knows what an incredible opportunity he has, but he is also confident because he has called plays to two other D-1 programs before and was the voice in the booth for Will Stein. He called himself, "even-keeled and analytical" which is important in the heat of so many big moments, so many big plays needed. He was offering information and advice to Stein at every play, and Lanning listened to all of it in his headset. There were three items (below) from the interview that I thought was important that the article above did not touch upon. Booth: When asked about whether he would be on the field or in the booth this year...he hedged at first to say that they will make that decision later. But later he admitted that he has a better view above, and because he and Dante know each other so well--it was not as crucial for him to be on the field. Everytime the game cameras showing Moore on the field phone and looking at a pad with formations on it...he was talking to Mehringer. So my bet is that he will be in the booth this year. Balance: When asked his offense preferences...he firmly spoke of a Balanced Offense being crucial, and able to attack through both the ground and air. He taught tight ends how to block, so I know he loves the running game, but he also made hay with their pass catching abilities, so he loves that side of the offense as well. He emphasized determining our offense's strengths, and playing to those strengths based on the personnel, the game, and the situation. Bird-Bombs! I know that fellow Duck-Buddy Mike West and I have been clamoring for more long-balls, and Mehringer brought that up on his own and reminded everyone that it is easier to complete a 50 yard bomb, than it is to create a 50 yard explosion run. He stated that we have the players who can implement those attacks, and that he would be looking to include it more in the offense. My Reaction to That was Muted...

I am glad to see Cavanaugh back, but he is an analyst, not an assistant coach as Coach Terry is. Thanks for posting the article, as it answered our earlier questions...will Mehringer be both TEs coach and OC, or QB coach and OC? The answer is neither, as he will just be the OC, and they hired Koa Ka'ai for QB coach, (who I know nothing about) and the new tight ends coach is Jack Smith. (Who I also know nothing about) But I trust in Lanning!

The Drop-Kick is a lost art, and this rule could revive interest in it. Problem is...those who did it well have long since passed.

Amen. In tournaments you need a fourth or fifth pitcher as you progress, and often it is at crunch time. This was an important building block of confidence for him because he almost blew the first inning. But he came back and gradually refined his control and then really did well.

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2026 BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball Ducks Run Rule Xavier in Win EUGENE, Ore. — Jax Gimenez belted a grand slam while three Oregon pitchers combined on a one-hitter in Oregon’s 10-0 (8-inning) win over Xavier in game one of their two-game midweek nonconference series at PK Park on Tuesday. Toby Twist, making his second start of the season, surrendered just one hit in five innings of work to pick up the win. Twist (2-0) matched a career high in innings pitched while also tying his career best with six strikeouts. Tanner Bradley and Blake Crawford combined to toss three hitless innings out of the bullpen with both striking out three Musketeer batters. Gimenez hit one of two Oregon homers in the game. Drew Smith added his sixth long ball of the season to tie freshman Angel Laya or the team lead. How It Happened: Oregon (13-3) jumped out early, scoring five runs in the bottom of the second. After Smith walked and Laya singled to put runners on the corners, Burke-Lee Mabeus drove in Smith with an infield hit to the second baseman. Ryan Cooney loaded the bases with a bunt single, before Gimenez belted a 384-foot blast over the center-field wall for a grand slam and a 5-0 lead. Toby Twist Oregon tacked on another run in the third inning when Smith led off the frame and hit the first pitch he saw 420 feet over the scoreboard in left field. The Ducks added two more runs in the fourth inning to push the lead to 8-0 without the benefit of a hit. UO loaded the bases with a walk, hit-by-pitch and a throwing error on a force play at second. A Gabe Miranda ground out and a Maddox Molony sacrifice fly to right field drove in the runs. The Ducks swiped another run in the fifth. With two outs, Brayden Jaksa intentionally got in a rundown while attempting to steal second. Mabeus took advantage and scored from third before Jaksa was tagged out. The Ducks finished Xavier (5-12) off in the bottom of the eighth. Cooney reached on an infield single and moved to second on Gimenez’s second hit of the day. Pinch hitter Naulivou Lauaki Jr. then collected his second pinch hit in as many games driving in Cooney to end the game. Box Score Notes: Jaksa made his first career start in right field while Laya started his first game in left field … Gimenez’s grand slam was the third hit this season by the Ducks … Gimenez, Cooney, Miranda and Mabeus all finished with two hits … Oregon’s pitching staff combined for 12 strikeouts, the 10th time this season Oregon has double-digit strikeouts … On Deck: The Ducks and Musketeers wrap up their two-game midweek series on Wednesday. First pitch is at 3:05 p.m. Quotes: Head Coach Mark Wasikowski On if Toby Twist is emerging as a mid-week starter… “I don’t know, good question. We’ll probably break that down and talk about it in the coaches’ room. Toby is really good. He wasn’t super sharp at the beginning, but he was able to find it. He turned what was a bit of an interesting start into something that was really positive and productive for him. We got the win. He pitched well and really found his rhythm. It took him a little bit to get a feel for things. I was just happy with his resilience.” On what he liked from the bullpen pitchers… “There is a lot of talent down there. I’ve said it a lot: the experience piece is a big thing. We don’t have a bunch of guys who have a ton of experience. The only way they are going to get that experience is to actually pitch in these games. Every day is good from an experience standpoint. It’s not totally pretty and smooth yet, but I hope they continue to progress by the end of the year. There is a lot of arm talent down there.” On what he liked from Brayden Jaksa at centerfield and why Jack Brooks wasn’t there… “Jack Brooks went into the wall the other day at Purdue. He is not 100% right now. Nevertheless, Jack was our starting centerfielder, so we needed to make adjustments. Brayden Jaksa is a really talented player and getting him more plate appearances and finding places for him to play is great.” On how big Gimenez’s second home run with the Ducks is… “It’s really big. He is a talented player and a really athletic kid. His having more experience now and gaining more experience by the day is only going to help him and us as a team.” Toby Twist On his defense being able to support him... “It’s great. I feel comfortable with the guys behind me while I’m making my pitches.” On getting more strikeouts without giving up runs... “Nothing changes. Strikeouts happen. I just try to make pitches and get ahead when I can to bury guys.” On a shaky first inning... “It was a weird first inning. I was getting behind in counts and things weren't going my way, but it was good to get ahead.” Jax Gimenez and Ducks celebrate his Grand Slam... Jax Gimenez On his grand slam and good team performance... “I think the biggest thing is the team performance. Last week our biggest thing was the day after an off day, making sure we show up midweek. With back-to-back weeks coming back from being on the road, last week we didn’t show up. I think we beat ourselves last week, and the goal was to come out and play our game today, and we did that really well. Overall, I liked how we bounced back this week as a team.” On batting behind great players... “I bat behind Ryan Cooney, who’s one of the best lead-off hitters in the country, and I have Dominic Hellman and the rest of the team behind me to help clean it up. It helps when you’re surrounded by those guys, and everyone, top to bottom, does their job. When we do our job, we’re good, but it doesn’t hurt to come up with the bases loaded and be able to get guys home. On his thoughts of his increased performance... “I try to do what I do well. I feel like when I play my game, I’m successful. It’s still early in the year, so I can continue to learn a lot. There’s a lot of season left ahead. There are things today, both offensively and defensively, that I could’ve done better, so I’ll keep continuing to grow from each game, but I think I’ve done a good job at that so far.” On gaining power while staying efficient... “I think I’m at my best in two-strike hitting, bunting, slashing, doing whatever it is I need to be doing. I need to execute what is being called. I’m not trying to hit home runs, that’s when I am at my worst. I try to keep the ball low right through the middle of the field. I think that’s done in the weight room. I try not to overswing. Today, I struck out at my first at bat. I think I was doing too much and chasing the 3-2 pitch for a strikeout. For my second at bat, I tried to get a good swing on it, which is where the power comes. I think I’ll keep continuing to elevate my hits and the power will come from that.”

Oregon Run-Rules Xavier 10-0 in the eighth inning. Redshirt freshman from West Linn, Blake Crawford, a 6'4" lefty got some good experience in striking out the side! Ryan Cooney gets on base due to a fielding error, and Jax Gimenez hits a mid-field looper between 1st and 2nd to get on base. Redshirt freshman Naulivou Lauaki Jr. got a hit up the middle to score Cooney...and the game was declared! MUCH better pitching for this mid-week game than last week versus Beavis. Another tomorrow at 3:00 PM PST!

9-0 Ducks after seven innings. Tanner Bradley did not take long in the rain... Look at the action on his pitch...