Charles Fischer

Random, but interesting! Is that really Jedd Fisch, or did he just see what is left of the team?

With the way the Bastard Beavers keep winning...Oregon needs to keep winning to stay in close touch with them in the Pac-12 standings. Another conference win would also begin to put some space between the Ducks and other teams that are in the top half of the conference. C'mon Our Beloved Ducks, let's get it done! Put them OUT!

Gritty Effort Clinches Another Series Win EUGENE, Ore. — A similar formula provided a similar result for the second day in a row Saturday, as the No. 17 Oregon baseball team parlayed a solid start buoyed by strong defense and timely hitting for a 5-3 victory over USC before 2,494 fans at PK Park. The start of the game was delayed 90 minutes by rain, before UO starter Grayson Grinsell grinded through five innings. Ryan Featherston followed with three shutout innings helped by two slick double plays turned by Oregon’s infield, protecting a lead the Ducks took thanks to a four-run fourth inning that didn’t include a single extra-base hit. “With the weather conditions today, that was just a real challenge,” UO coach Mark Wasikowski said. “… I really respect our guys, being out there and fighting through that and coming out on top with the win. It was a very gutsy performance.” The Ducks improved to 25-9 overall and 10-4 in the Pac-12, a game behind first-place Oregon State pending the result of OSU’s game later Saturday. The victory for Oregon clinched the Ducks’ fifth straight series win to open conference play, two more than the program’s previous best to open a Pac-12 season. “There’s a lot of room to improve, a lot more we can do, but we’re still getting the job done,” freshman shortstop Maddox Molony said. “And that’s what’s fun about it, is that you’re getting the job done but you know, I can get better. It makes every day fun. It makes the game fun.” How It Happened: Grinsell had to warm up multiple times due to the pregame weather delay, then pitched around a four-pitch walk to open the game. Oregon’s infield defense had its first of several highlights in the second when, with runners at second and third and one out, a ball to third base caromed to Molony at short. The freshman was able to throw home, getting an out that saved a run. USC then loaded the bases, but Grinsell got out of the jam. “The game ball went to our infield coach, (Marcus) Hinkle,” Wasikowski said. “He’s really worked hard with this infield group this year, and it shows. We’re starting to get some real returns on the diamond, and that was probably the biggest reason we won the game.” The Ducks gave Grinsell a lead in the bottom of the second, when Jeffery Heard walked, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a double by Anson Aroz. But USC took a 2-1 lead in the third on a sacrifice fly and a UO throwing error, then added on in the fourth with a solo homer. Grinsell then struck out the side in the fifth, however, ending his outing on a high note. “It was just a day to go out and compete and give everything I had,” Grinsell said. “Obviously we got the ‘W’ on the board. So that's all that matters.” But that time, his team had the lead. Heard walked again to open the fourth, and Aroz followed with a single. With one out, Chase Meggers came up and singled up the middle, drawing the Ducks within a run. Aroz took third on the play, and Meggers ended up at second after an error. He's OUT! Meggers drove in a run for the second game in a row, after his RBI groundout Friday encapsulated Oregon’s unselfish approach at the plate in the Ducks’ series-opening win. “We talk about plus-ABs, and just being positive in the box — whatever that looks like,” Meggers said. “We don’t need everybody to hit a home run. Just consecutive plus-ABs, good at-bats, show presence in the box. Doing that will lead to scoring runs. We’re a gritty group; we’re going to find ways to score runs.” Molony proved that again in Oregon’s very next at-bat, dropping down a bunt on a play designed to try and bring across both runners in scoring position. It was executed to perfection, and Oregon had a 4-3 lead after Meggers slid into home safely behind Aroz. “Our whole lineup knows that at the end of the day, we're all gonna be better off — we're all gonna play better — when we want the team to win,” Molony said. “And wanting the team to win doesn't mean you go up and try to hit a home run every time. You do what the situation needs.” After Molony took second on an error, Bryce Boettcher capped the four-run inning with an RBI single for a 5-3 lead. Grinsell wrapped up his outing in the fifth, then handed the ball to Featherston, who pitched a 1-2-3 sixth. In both the seventh and eighth innings, USC put two runners on with one out. And in both innings, the UO infield turned inning-ending double plays behind Featherston. Bradley Mullan pitched the ninth for the Ducks, and induced a grounder to first with the bases loaded and two out to finish off his fourth save of the year. On Deck: The Ducks and Trojans close out the series Sunday at noon.

The play of the year? Look how hard it is raining, and how it went off the third baseman's mitt and Maddox Molony scooped it and made the throw to prevent the run!

Good gosh, what a great bunt from the Springfield freshman!

This is what I'm talking about!

Bradley Mullan came in to close it out, and it got dicey with bases loaded, but he pitched out the save! Grayson Grinsell was shaky, but got the win with three runs given up in five innings. Ryan Featherston went three innings that was also "iffy" at times, but he held Tommy-Trojan scoreless, and Mullan finished the ninth with the save. Whew! A record FIVE Pac-12 series wins in a row, and this marks the halfway point of the Pac-12 season. Five big series to go!

After eight innings, Ducks lead 5-3. Three more outs! The last two innings ended with sweet double plays! The Oregon infield has solidified and become really good in the past 10 games.

End of seven innings with no change.

End six innings; Oregon still leads 5-3. Featherston came in relief and did well.

Then Grinsell strikes all three Trojan batters! (it goes to show what I know!)

After four innings, Oregon leads 5-3. The pride of Springfield, Maddox Molony, bunted perfectly down to first base to sacrifice for the runner on third. But the Bunt was so perfect, that he was safe at first, and the whole play so distracted the USC infield that the runner from second scored as well! Next play Bryce Boettcher hits a single to score Maddox. Grayson Grinsell is very shaky, And he may not last much further…

Oregon leads 1-0, after two innings. Some brilliant defensive plays to thwart a serious USC threat.

Now 3:30…

First pitch now at 3:05 PM…

New Update: Game's first pitch is 15 minutes later at 2:50 PM PST.

Game delay until 2:35 PM, due to a massive downpour 20 minutes ago. Still raining, but a normal drizzle… Perhaps the Trojans will shudder at this, being used to SoCal weather? For Oregon? Just water-off-a-Duck!

See end game updates at the bottom of this thread. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Taking on the Bastard Trojans at 2:50 PM. (Updated) To watch on your computer...go to GoDucks.com, then Baseball, then schedule, and scroll down to today's game and click on "Oregon Live-Stream." The second game of USC-Oregon State is when the Beavers suffered their worst loss this year (28-4) at 17-4. Get the bats ready!

Amen, Duck-Brother. I sincerely believe that we will have an uptick in exposure and recognition that we cannot possibly foresee right now.

I had no idea.....a pretty strong resemblance!

No sweat. I am not a musician, but to my raw ear....they sound almost identical, and most people I believe would agree. We will disagree, and that's fine. I LOVE our fight song, and a prank I like to do on occasion is leave a voice-mail message of my bellowing out the fight song with fellow Duck-Buddies. Either they love it, or think I'm nuts...or both.

My friends...listen to this below. It is very, very similar. At the time, he told me a bit of the history, and he is a personal friend.

A friend who is a Yale graduate gently explained that our fight song sounds precisely like theirs...and theirs has been around much longer. Oh well!

Elite Pitching, Defense Fuel Friday Night Victory EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon baseball team got its best start of the season on the mound Friday, helped by spectacular defense, and backed it up with a professional approach at the plate to open a three-game series against USC with a 4-1 victory before 2,401 fans at PK Park. RJ Gordon (5-2) continues to blossom as the Ducks' Friday night starter, coming within two outs of a complete game before Logan Mercado came out to earn his sixth save by recording the final two outs. Oregon's defense was outstanding, including a catch by center fielder Bryce Boettcher that saved a three-run home run, and the Ducks pushed across single runs in four different innings to win a series opener for the fourth straight weekend. "RJ obviously was the story of the day," UO coach Mark Wasikowski said of Gordon, who allowed one run on five hits and three walks, with three strikeouts — his fourth straight start allowing two earned runs or fewer. "I thought RJ was tremendous." Boettcher scored two runs on the night, and also brought back a potential three-run home run in the fifth inning. That play came after Jeffery Heard laid out for a diving catch in right-center to open the inning, and the Ducks also turned two double plays that helped limit Gordon's pitch count and allow him to start the ninth. "It could easily be a different game if some of those plays aren't made," Gordon said. "And I think that's what's great about Oregon baseball, is when we all play the way we should, every position, no one's gonna beat us. It's great having those guys behind me for sure." RJ Gordon How It Happened: After Gordon struck out the game's first hitter, the next three batters reached and a sacrifice fly gave USC a 1-0 lead. That was all the Trojans would end up getting off the Ducks and Gordon. "He's pitching like a Friday night guy — as good as there is in the conference right now," Wasikowski said. "That was one of his goals, and he's doing that at this point in time." Gordon would face the minimum over the next three innings, helped by a double play turned by Maddox Molony, Drew Smith and Jacob Walsh that negated a one-out single in the fourth inning. And by the time Gordon took the mound for the fifth, Oregon had a 3-1 lead. The Ducks got started in the second, when Heard hit a leadoff single, took second on an error, was sacrificed to third by Anson Aroz and scored on a passed ball. Boettcher singled with two out in the third, advanced on a balk and scored on a base hit by Bennett Thompson, and in the third Chase Meggers came up with one out and runners at second and third, and smartly hit a ground ball to the right side that scored Aroz. "I just thought it was an unselfish offensive day," Wasikowski said. After Heard's diving catch to open the fifth, USC put two on. With two outs, the Trojans' leading hitter, Jacob Galloway, smashed a ball to center that Boettcher tracked to the wall before jumping to bring back what would have been a three-run home run that gave USC the lead. Boettcher said plays like that are things the UO outfield works on in practice drills. "Then it just carries over into batting practice, and just crashing into walls, diving for balls," said Boettcher, a Eugene native who doubles as a linebacker on the UO football team. "People will say you gotta save your body, which, maybe if you're playing 160 games. But in the fairly short season that we've got, you can afford it. And to make those plays, I think it benefits the team." Another double play helped Gordon pitch a 1-2-3 eighth inning, when Walsh snared a line drive with one on and one out, then stepped on first to double up the runner. The Ducks added on in the bottom of the eighth, without a hit — Boettcher struck out but reached on a passed ball, Walsh walked with one out, Aroz walked with two out and Ryan Cooney was hit by a pitch to force in Boettcher for a 4-1 lead. Gordon was pulled in the ninth after a walk put runners at the corners with one out. But Mercado slammed the door for the save, and preserved the win for the Ducks and their Friday night starter. "I think that's a position for older guys, just to kind of set the tone for the weekend," Gordon said of accepting the Friday night role. "And overall it hasn't been easy for me — I've grinded through a lot of not-great outings, good outings, just kind of trying to find that happy medium of what my process is on the mound. I think I'm starting to creep to it; I still think I've got a lot of ways to go, but yeah, it's great." On Deck: Game two of the series is Saturday at 2 p.m.