Charles Fischer

Hellman Belts Two Grand Slams, Ducks Roll to Win EUGENE, Ore. — Dominic Hellman belted a pair of grand slam home runs to lead No. 11 Oregon to a 20-11 win over Columbia in game one of a four-game series on Friday night at PK Park. Hellman, who went 3-for-5 with eight RBI and three runs scored, hit the home runs in the Ducks’ seven-run second inning and UO’s four-run seventh inning. He finished with three extra-base hits, doubling to leadoff the fifth inning as well. How It Happened: Some early fireworks as the two teams combined to score 10 runs in the second inning. After the Lions put three on the board with a two-run homer and an RBI double, the Ducks answered with seven in their half of the inning. Anson Aroz led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Maddox Molony hit before Burke-Lee Mabeus put UO on the board with an RBI double off the top of the left-field wall. Jack Brooks walked to load the bases before a Ryan Cooney hit-by-pitch and Carter Garate bloop single both scored runs to tie the game 3-3. Hellman stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and launched the first pitch he saw off the scoreboard beyond the left-field wall for a 7-3 Ducks’ lead. Oregon (7-2) tacked on a run in the third to make it 8-3. Mabeus led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to second on throwing error by Lions’ pitcher Will Harrigan. Cooney picked up his second RBI of the day driving in Mabeus with a line drive to left field. Dominic Hellman hitting one of his Grand Slams... Columbia (1-3) cut the lead to 8-4 with a run in the fourth inning, but Oregon countered with another big inning in its half of the frame. Jeffery Heard led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run over the right-center field wall. Hellman reached on a HBP before moving to second on an Aroz single and to third when Molony got hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, Mabeus ripped his second double of the game, this time a two-run shot into the right-field corner. He scored on a Brooks’ groundout after Molony scored on a wild pitch to make it a five-run inning. The Lions got three back in the sixth to cut the UO lead to 13-7, but Oregon responded with a pair of runs in its half of the inning. Cooney reached on an error to lead off the inning and moved to second on a Garate bunt single and to third on a wild pitch. Heard collected his second RBI of the game with a liner to left to score Cooney, before Garate scored on an Aroz sacrifice fly. The two teams traded four-spots in the seventh inning. After a three-run homer cut Oregon’s lead to four, the Ducks got them all back with one swing of the bat again by Hellman. After Oregon loaded the bases with two outs, Hellman launched his second grand slam of the game over the left-center field wall to push the lead back to eight runs. Oregon added to the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. Mabeus reached base for the fifth time in the game when he was hit by a pitch. Another HBP and a walk loaded the bases allowing Garate to drive in Mabeus with a sacrifice fly. Jaxon Jordan shut the Lions down over the final 2.1 innings allowing just one hit with a strikeout to close the game out. Box Score Notes: Hellman’s grand slams were the third and fourth of the season for the Ducks with all four coming over an eleven-inning stretch between last Sunday’s series finale against Rhode Island and the series opener vs. Columbia … Hellman’s eight RBI tied a program record set by current Ducks’ assistant coach Jack Marder vs. Nevada on March 19, 2010 … Seven Ducks were hit by a pitch during the game matching a program record set on April 14, 2014 when San Diego plunked seven Ducks and matched on April 12, 2023 when San Francisco hit seven Ducks … Oregon’s 20 runs scored tied for the eighth most in program history, marking just the ninth time UO has scored 20-or-more runs in a game … It was the most runs scored by a Ducks’ team since UO matched the program record with 23 runs scored on Feb. 25, 2022 … Grayson Grinsell struck out seven in 5.1 innings of work, moving into eighth on Oregon’s all-time strikeout list passing Dean Kegler (1978-81) and Robbie Snow (1962-64) … Grinsell (1-1) go the win, the 10th of his career. On Deck: The teams play a doubleheader at PK Park on Saturday with a 11:05 a.m. first pitch. Coach Mark Wasikowski On the team’s offensive approach... “We swung the bats well. We were able to win a high scoring game. You have to win a lot of different ways if you’re going to be a good club and it was good to see. It’s good to see us be able to continue an offensive attack and we had some big swing obviously, but it took a lot of good at bats to get to the big swings.” On winning in different ways... “We just want to play good baseball and I thought we played good baseball today. We played an errorless game. We gave up some runs, but we got a lot more runs. We need to get Ryan (Featherston) back on track because at some point we’re going to need Ryan. That’s an obvious takeaway. Grayson (Grinsell) pitched well. Jaxon Jordan came in and was fantastic again. I think that’s his second straight outing in live games where he has been outstanding and he’s been really good at practice as well. So it was good to see Jaxon and Grayson but it’s just unfortunate, we need to get Ryan going.” On Anson Aroz playing center and having Jeffery Heard back... “It’s great to have Jeffery back out there. It’s also great to have Maddox Molony back out there. Just the more healthy bodies we can get. I think fans are going to really like a kid named Parker Stinson. He hasn’t even played for us yet this year and he was our best hitter for the fall and the spring. He’s really good and we’re hoping he can get healthy where fans can see him. He’s a special talent.” Jaxon Jordan On what was working tonight… “A lot of trust in my stuff, I’d say, you know. Not overthinking, which has been a problem in the past. Just kind of going out, letting it loose, a lot of trust. I know that I’m good, I know why I’m here.” On development and role on the team… “Not really worries about roles too much. Just like I said, just going out there and winning games for my team. You know, they deserve it. They work their tails off. So, I mean the least I can do it just go out there, free minded and go shove.” Burke-Lee Mabeus On what was working tonight… “I was just staying loose through the middle. I think this was my first at-bat against a lefty in college. That was a big at-bat for me. Marder pulled me aside and he was just saying, really trust your, you know, talent that you have and stay through the ball. Just trying to be as relaxed as I can and put a good spin on balls.” On growth so far… “Yeah, well, you know, especially even in fall ball this level, it’s just going to be where pitchers pitch you. And I’ve learned that. I’ve tried to learn that as quick as I can and shift my approach to the other way. And, you know, continuing to stay loose and see balls a little bit deeper has helped me with, not only fastballs, with off-speed as well.” Dominic Hellman On aggressive approach today… “It’s all about just being through the middle. A huge part of what I worked on the past year was make sure my discipline was good, and I could actually see the ball and put some barrels to the ball. I feel like when my direction is going through the middle, I can see the pitches a lot better and recognize spin and recognize when I’m on time to a fastball. So, my whole goal is just to be on time to a fastball and recognize spin.” On second grand slam… “I actually didn’t even realize that the bases were loaded. I kind of just blanked and was like, ‘Okay, well we got two outs. So just stay on the ball and try to extend the inning a lot longer’, and we did extend it a lot longer.”

After seven innings it is 19-11, Oregon after Dominic Hellman hit his second GRAND SLAM of the day! Whew!

15-7 Ducks! (After six innings)

After four innings, 13-4 Ducks! Good gosh the freshman catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus is on fire going 3-3 already this game with two doubles and a perfect bunt. Whew! Grinsell righted the ship with three straight outs and I suspect he will go another inning.

8-3 Ducks! (After three innings) Anson Aroz is such an athlete who can play catcher and the outfield. He made an incredible catch on the run!

After two innings, it is 7-3 Ducks! Grinsell has not looked great, and got hit a ton more than we would have thought... But then Our Beloved Diamond Ducks went to work. Burke-Lee Mabeus continued with his torrid streak to hit a double and score two. This might the major "confidence-building" moment for Dominic Hellman, as he hit a GRAND SLAM home that bounced off the scoreboard! Whew! All this is happening without our best hitter, Mason Neville who is not playing, and I have to assume is injured. One of our best hitters of last year, Chase Meggers, still hasn't played yet this year, although Burke-Lee Mabeus has done as good or better at catcher. A seven run inning? Whew!

Check the bottom of this thread for a game summary! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Coach Waz explained in the pregame presser that he wants to schedule teams who are either favored to win their conference, or win 30 games this year. That competition helps our team, and he spoke of how he has not had the complete team on the field yet. Part is due to early season and not clicking completely, but the other is due to injury. He said that transfer "Parker Stinson is probably our best hitter, and our fans have not even seen him play yet." There are other examples of that, but the depth that Waz has recruited has come through. He stated also "this team has not come even close to their potential yet," which speaks volumes about what he has seen, and what he expects yet this season. Columbia has won the Ivy League title six years in a row, and is predicted to do so again...

I am in the process of talking to everyone who indicated interest to begin to get the information to them. Bottom line is that we gotta make arrangements NOW or be left with few, and expensive options later. I am calling you to discuss lodging and head-count, and we do have a shuttle from the Hampton Inn to the game and back. I am working on a shuttle of some type from the airport to the Hampton Inn, and then back on Sunday. The shuttle Joe has arranged to the game and back from the Hampton Inn on Saturday will cost somewhere between $70.00 and $100 per person for the round trip. (We'll know accurately when I get the final head-count) And the shuttle company has invited us to their tailgate at the stadium! This is going to be fun, my friends! Joe, (NJDuck) has been incredible in all the research he has done, and he got four tickets to the game yesterday for him, his wife, son and I for $350 each, and they are on the 40 yard line. (Unbelievable!) Good tickets in decent locations remain, but they are selling VERY fast. You need to get your football tickets and airline arrangements immediately. Yesterday, I booked the last seat on the 6:50 AM Southwest Airline flight out of Eugene, so I would get on it NOW. I need to know everyone's arrival time in the Pittsburg International Airport so we can coordinate shuttles to the Hampton Inn. Let me know asap at charles@fishduck.com or call me. The three sites to buy football tickets on are Vivid Seats, Geek Seats and StubHub. Joe got ours on Vivid Seats, and the link to that site and the game tickets are right here, and again, I would do this TODAY. Our gang of four are in the upper deck Section WFU Row 78, on the 40 yard line. Other sections around ours are WJU, WHU, WGU, WDU, WCU, WBU, and WAU. On the other side of the stadium there are sections EJU, EHU, EGU, EFU, EEU, EDU, ECU, EBU, and EAU.

Jon...I had no idea that Clemson was that loaded for 2025. Your research is amazing, and I have to admit former state of Oregon QB, Sam Leavitt, looked pretty darn good for a freshman last year. Great information!

That 2021 Georgia team was so incredible...one of the best ever in CFB. The timing for Lanning was perfect... Thank you Mario!

This will be a break-out year for Stewart because, 1) it needs to be for his NFL future, and 2) I'd like to think we will be throwing long a little more often this year. He can make the 50/50 Catch...

Xavier Lherisse is a Rivals 4-Star, and was offered a scholarship from Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Alabama, Penn State, USC, Michigan, Tennessee, Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, LSU, Florida State...you get the idea, as he was highly sought after. Xavier Lherisse | DuckSportsAuthority N.RIVALS.COM Xavier Lherisse - 2026 4 Star Nickel for Eau Gallie (Melbourne, FL) on Rivals.com

Nevada, you do not understand. We are not taunting Beck or your Georgia heritage, but the thought that Mario Cristobal will take a quarterback and help him improve? After all that we had seen at Oregon, and what he did to the quarterback, who ended up transferring to Wisconsin? We did not see anything more from Cam Ward in Miami that we saw in the Pac 12 when he played at Washington State. This is the coach who wasted Justin Herbert! It is an absolute riot to think that he will do anything, but deteriorate under Mario Cristobal. My apologies, my Georgia friend… Charles

I hear you, as another poll has them at No. 13...

EUGENE, Ore. – A day after being recognized by the Big Ten Conference, Lyndsey Grein and Rylee McCoy picked up some national honors on Tuesday. Grein was selected as the Wilson/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week, while McCoy was named the Freshman of the Week nationally by D1 Softball. Grein was also singled out at one of Softball America’s “Stars of the Week.” Grein is the first Duck to win NFCA Pitcher of the Week since Brooke Yanez in 2021. McCoy and Grein helped lead Oregon to a 5-0 record at the Mary Nutter Classic for the first time since 2020. The Ducks defeated five teams that played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament – California, No. 5 Tennessee, Utah, No. 25 San Diego State and No. 22 Missouri. At 15-1, the Ducks are off to their best start since 2021 (24-1). Oregon opens the home portion of the 2025 schedule with two games Friday – San Diego (3:30 p.m.) and Portland State (6 p.m.). Grein threw 18.0 shutout innings and won four games. She pitched in all five games and allowed five hits while striking out 24. Opposing batters hit just .088 against her. She pitched the final 3.1 innings against No. 5 Tennessee, striking out five and allowing no hits in the Ducks' 1-0 win in eight innings. In 4.2 innings in relief against No. 22 Missouri, Grein went 4.1 innings and gave up one hit while striking out eight. She struck out six, walked none and allowed just one hit in the Ducks' 2-0 win over Utah. Grein has not allowed a run in her last seven appearances (24.1 innings) and is 9-0 on the season, which leads the nation. She is second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with 62 strikeouts and fifth in the Big Ten with an 0.95 earned run average. McCoy, who was also named tournament MVP by D1 Softball, hit four home runs at the Mary Nutter Classic. She hit two homers in the Ducks' 11-3 win over No. 22 Missouri and also had home runs against California and Utah. She hit .438 for the tournament (7-of-16) and slugged 1.313. On the season McCoy is tied for second in the Big Ten with seven home runs, is third in slugging percentage at 1.114 and eighth in batting average (.457).

Oh Yeah!

Amen: Decision-making is what separates QBs in my opinion. They all have talent, but when to throw and where....

That Michigan was in the 'Natty championship games as recent as 2019...points to cold weather teams as "possible" as Oregon State has done three times.

Those are the throwbacks to 1954, the last time we made the College World Series and I love them too. Jacob Walsh

I agree with you, as I am often stunned at the superb coverage on B1G+ of Wrestling, Hockey....and Lacrosse! The former Pac-12 teams are going to complement the B1G, by bringing our power to sports they have been traditionally weak at. Besides Baseball, the four former Pac-12 schools will DOMINATE in softball, and I am OK with this as we can schedule non-conference to build our RPI, and have enough credibility before joining the B1G to host our own regional if we win as much as before. We are cold-weather teams, and always have been, thus Oregon fits in fine. Mason Neville hit a stunning home run this last weekend in the driving rain. That's a Duck!

His first week playing, and gets conference freshman of the week already? "Greatness and Weakness Emerge Early" ----------------------------------------------------------------------- EUGENE, Ore. – Coming off a series win over Rhode Island, Oregon catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus has been named the Big Ten Conference Co-Freshman of the Week. Mabeus (Henderson, Nev.) started a pair of games behind the plate for the Ducks leading Oregon to wins in both games while slashing .444/.500/.778 with a 1.278 OPS. He slugged his first career home run, a grand slam, while driving in a team-high eight runs with two runs scored and a stolen base. In a 19-12 win in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday, the Ducks’ freshman went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Mabeus tied the game at eight in the bottom of the fourth when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, before adding an RBI single in the Ducks four-run fifth inning. On Sunday in Oregon’s 15-2 series clinching win, Mabeus went 3-for-4 with a home run, six RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. He gave Oregon the lead in the bottom of the first with a two-run single before swiping second base. After adding a leadoff single in the third inning, the Ducks’ catcher broke the game open belting a two-out grand slam to push Oregon’s lead to 8-4. Mabeus is Oregon’s first baseball player to earn a conference weekly honor from the Big Ten Conference in its inaugural season in the league. He is also Oregon’s first ever freshman of the week award winner. The Pac-12 Conference did not recognize a freshman of the week, but Mitchell Tolman did win Pac-12 Player of the Week honors on May 6, 2013 as a true freshman. Mabeus’ six RBI were the most RBI by a Ducks’ freshman since Tolman did it vs. Seattle in Everett, Wash., on April 30, 2013, which eventually led to the player of the week honor. All-Time Big Ten Conference Freshmen of the Week Burke-Lee Mabeus (2/24/25) All-Time Pac-12 Conference Players of the Week Jacob Walsh (3/11/24; 4/3/23) Drew Cowley (5/1/23) Gabe Matthews (4/13/21) Kenyon Yovan (3/9/21) Spencer Steer (4/15/19) Scott Heineman (5/25/15; 4/15/13) Shaun Chase (5/5/14) Mitchell Tolman (4/14/14; 5/6/13) Ryon Healy (4/29/13; 2/19/13) Aaron Payne (5/7/12; 4/29/12) Brett Thomas (4/9/12) Danny Pulfer (5/16/11) Aaron Jones (3/21/11) Eddie Rodriguez (5/17/10; 3/8/10) Damn good recruiting by Coach Waz, as this is a great freshman class. Four freshman pitchers who have done well already besides this catcher!