Charles Fischer

It sucks to lose a great pitcher....been-there! (Feels great to get the best one in an entire conference? Whew!)

(From Oregon Athletics Press Release) EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon head coach Melyssa Lombardi announced on Monday that sophomore pitcher Elise Sokolsky is transferring from UConn and will join the Ducks for the 2023 season. Sokolsky was a unanimous all-Big East first team selection as a freshman in 2022 and led the conference in wins with 20 and strikeouts with 180. The Rogers, Ark., native went 20-6 with a 2.55 earned run average for the Huskies last season. Elise Sokolsky, RHP (B-R/T-R), Rogers, Ark. (Bentonville West HS / UConn) Unanimous all-Big East first team selection after leading the conference in wins (20) and strikeouts (180) … Went 20-6 with a 2.55 earned run average in 159.0 innings over 39 appearances … Had five complete games and three shutouts … Struck out a season-high 10 batters three times (Butler, Villanova, Providence) … Threw a one-hitter in an 8-0 win against Western Carolina (Feb. 26) … Was named Big East pitcher of the week once, and Big East freshman of the week twice … Named to the Big East all-academic team. High School: Was the No. 62 pitcher in the class of 2021 and No. 121 overall player … Was a 6A all-conference performer for Bentonville West High School … Led Bentonville West to the 2019 6A Conference title and a third place finish in the state tournament … Lettered her sophomore and junior seasons before having her senior year cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic … Was invited to the 2016 USA Elite Select Futures All-American Game … Helped pitch her club team, New Jersey Intensity, to a runner-up finish in the 2019 Wilson World Series … Graduated with High Honors from Bentonville West. Elise Sokolsky on Oregon “This program has been built on greatness, and to be a part of this amazing legacy is an honor. The coaching staff and team is goal-oriented, but also extremely welcoming. I’m so excited to be able to put in the work to win a national championship as a Duck! This team is destined for greatness. The drive that not only the players hold but also the coaches have is unlike anywhere else.” Coach Lombardi on Elise Sokolsky “Elise is a competitor with great energy on the mound. She has sharp movement, great command and high velocity. Her personality, work ethic and competitive drive fit perfectly with our veteran team. She's already been very successful at the D-I level and has the experience to make an immediate impact on our rotation. We are excited for her to be a big part of our journey.”

Utah plays great at home, and clearly had an off-day in Autzen. Plus...it is hard to get "up" for a team that you plastered last season....twice. I've watched OSU, and they are for real and could beat us, IMHO.

Look, I know it is not woke, political correct, or Peta-Approved, and is in fact quite bizarre. But it is fun once a year, and can't help but amuse, if not fascinate you. Beat the Beavers!

What does this say to YOU? I'll bet they all went with Oregon the week before...and it goes to show how hard prognostication really is. And they are the "experts"...

We are ahead of Washington in both polls, and that ought to frost a few Husky fans!

A very big element of Oregon's success running the ball this season has been the surprises popped on the opposing defenses. The Jumbo package, the "I" formation, and the Twin-Backs are examples. We had no surprises in the run game vs Utah, as I imagine the game-plan was centered around the basics for Ty getting ready, and the focusing upon the short passing game that we saw in the first half. So no practice time for running game surprises that were unleashed on other teams, and when we play a vanilla running game? It is certainly easier on any defense.

That, and Penix is so much better than most fans realize, IMHO. Nothing UW did surprised me in scoring, and we needed to outscore them...and should have. While it was a tremendous defensive effort vs. Utah, I do have my first "Critical Analysis" of the coaching staff coming out on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see if anyone agrees with my contentions.

Well, my interpretation is different. Penix is damn good, so much better than Rising, IMHO, in addition to the Husky receivers were a ton better. I was not surprised to see UW score 37 points on us, since their average was 39 points a game, and I figured we would have to outscore that. We had our chances to win that game and didn't, and I will have an article on Tuesday about my first "Critical Analysis" of this coaching staff. But I did not see this defensive performance coming vs. Utah at all. But again--the Utes did not challenge the Ducks the way the damn Huskies could. What an incredible QB...

You are very kind, as Utah fans have been the best here, and while I feel bad for them--I am grateful for the victory. If Rising had a decent day, and Bo was healthy--what kind of game would THAT have been? Good luck on the rest of your season, and do stay in touch here!

Last week we had so many close entries, while this week--everyone was a mile off. But the winner is VegasDuck, and congrats to him. Actual Score: Oregon, 20-17 VegasDuck: 27-26, for a total differential of 16 points. (And that was the winner!) Second place went to woundedknees, with a 33-24 score and a total differential of 20. Fun for all to take a crack at, and harder than it looks!

TT has bad karma...it all goes wrong when he goes in there.

Is there a doctor in the house? Will Bo be better by next Saturday? I mean...he might have a swelled up ankle for days as it is now. The Beaver defense is tough, and we gotta score more points. Any opinions on this?

In the end, the Utah offense only scored 10 points? Insane! Where did this Oregon defense come from? Now I get it, Cam Rising did not have a good game, but our QB was hampered just a bit as well. 😉 Un-fricken-believable. Show us the way Jeffrey!

Incredible game, I'm going to lock this game thread--so let's start new threads on the front page. Wow!

Taking a break from game notes, but boy--scoring 17 in the first half is OK, not great....but the defense holding Utah to only 3 points? Unbelievable! We have a chance to WIN this game!

Here we are my friends, the thread for discussing the actual game as it happens. Let's discuss before, and during the game! The vast majority of you are GREAT in this thread, but you must remember that this forum is different, as we require civilized discussion. Rule No. 31d covers GameDay thread conduct, and it is not hard for the vast majority of us. But a tiny few who do need to reign it in. Let's Have Fun Posting During the Game!

Note he said, "centers." Is the backup Walk or Jackson Powers-Johnson? This could mean Walk is still out?

"Mario Cristobal held the Oregon offense down better than any defense since Auburn of 2010!" He knows better than we do...right?

Look, I have no idea how reliable this is, but it was tweeted recently!

That game you refer to was in 2019, and this is his fourth year.

I don't think so at all. He does not have an NFL arm, IMHO. He could be an NFL journeyman, a back-up for a while, but I think he may make more at NIL next year, than being on an NFL roster. Remember, the draft is thick with QBs this year; if you could choose Nix or Penix for your NFL club....?? But I sure love what he has done, and what he could do at Oregon for another year.

Nice.

Yes, he is leaving...unless he is badly injured and needs another year to get the Draft status he needs. We'll find out soon!

Translation: "The NIL is not as much as want, and I putting myself out to bid to other parties."