Charles Fischer

9-0 Oregon after three innings!

Ducks lead 2-0 after two innings. Oregon native Ian Umlandt on the hill!

Great point, and I believe it is an understated element in why many of our redshirt freshmen are ready in their true freshman year. They've had real game experience.

EUGENE, Ore. — Two days after scoring but a pair of runs and failing to complete a series sweep of USC, the Oregon baseball team bounced back in a big way Tuesday. The Ducks (26-10) tied a program record with six home runs Tuesday, with Jacob Walsh hitting a pair as part of a four-hit day in Oregon’s 14-9 win over Gonzaga at PK Park. Chase Meggers also had four hits, and he hit the last of the Ducks’ half-dozen homers as they fended off a comeback attempt by the Bulldogs. Oregon entered this week third in the Pac-12 with 47 home runs this season, but the Ducks hit just one in their series win over USC this past weekend. They still managed to produce runs well enough to win twice over the weekend, but Tuesday’s power surge was a welcome sight on the heels of Sunday’s two-run, five-hit performance. “The other day the lineup didn’t look very long, and then today it looks like, man, it just kept going,” UO coach Mark Wasikowski said. “There’s a lot of talented players here; they’re just young and they haven’t played a full college baseball season. So unfortunately, some days you just feel like it’s a little light or inconsistent. And then other days like today you go, holy cow, that was something else.” The offensive explosion backed another strong start from sophomore left-hander Ian Umlandt. Six days after allowing four runs across seven innings to beat Sacramento State in his first collegiate start, Umlandt (3-0) limited Gonzaga to two runs on three hits in six innings Tuesday. “The difference between this year and last year has been huge,” said Umlandt, who threw 17.1 innings as a freshman across 17 appearances, all in relief. “Both on and off the field — making changes with diet, when I’m going to bed, being on time for certain things, or early. Those obviously play a big tole in transforming things on the field.” How It Happened: The Ducks gave their starting pitcher an early lead, scoring twice in the first. Jack Brooks singled to lead off the game for Oregon, and two batters later he came around to score on Walsh’s first hit of the game. That base hit also moved Meggers into scoring position, and Anson Aroz drove him in to make it 2-0. The Ducks broke the game open in the third. Meggers doubled with one out, and Walsh followed with a towering home run to right-center field. Jeffery Heard doubled, Aroz walked and Maddox Molony made it 7-0 with his fourth homer of the year. After a pitching change, Mason Neville doubled and Bryce Boettcher hit his own fourth home run of this spring, giving Oregon a 9-0 lead. Heard doubled again to lead off the fourth, and Neville made it 11-0 with his sixth homer of the season. Gonzaga finally touched Umlandt for two runs in the fifth, but he limited the damage after four of the first five hitters in the inning reached base. “There's been moments that I've had the last two starts that would have kind of snowballed last year — getting runners on and getting out of it with two runs rather than four or five,” Umlandt said. “I think that's a testament to just my growth and maturity. From a pitching standpoint, being able to get soft contact when I need it, keeping balls in the infield and keeping the ball out of the middle of the plate has helped me avoid damage the last two starts, definitely.” Logan Mercado Closing... It was still 11-2 entering the seventh, when Gonzaga put together its own seven-run inning off three UO relievers. But Walsh’s 14th homer of the year made it 12-9 in the bottom of the seventh, giving him his fifth career multi-homer game and third of the season. “I’m feeling good,” Walsh said. “Just sticking to my approach, getting good pitches to hit and putting good swings on balls.” Meggers hit his second homer of the year in the eighth. Walsh followed with a double and Heard’s RBI single made it 14-9, before Logan Mercado struck out the side in the ninth. “Our hitters are really good, and we haven't been acting like it,” Meggers said. “And even when we're not acting like it, we're still winning games, which means we're really good. And we can be better. I think today it was a glimpse of it — but I still think we can get better.” On Deck: The Ducks open a three-game series at Stanford on Friday at 6:05 p.m.

Like so many of you, I have been stunned at the recruiting of high school and portal transfers by the Dan Lanning staff. Oregon is deeper at nearly every position than I have ever known following Ducks football. So, after looking over the roster and seeing what other pundits say--I have settled on ONE position that Oregon could add to through the portal this spring. Nose Tackle So, for the front four on the defensive line I see starting/playing: Defensive End: Jordan Burch (No brainer) Defensive Tackle: Jamaree Caldwell (A big transfer brought in to replace Brandon Dorlus) Edge: A rotation of Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti, and Blake Purchase Nose Tackle: See below... The perfect solution would have been the Michigan State Nose Tackle, Derrick Harmon, (above) who was massive and experienced, but the former Bastard Beaver Jonathan Smith convinced him to stay. Yet, I wonder if we even should go after a transfer? We could hurt the locker room with so many young-guns brought in for this purpose over the last two years, and considering one upperclassman. Here the candidates that could come from our current roster... Nose Tackle Candidates: Kenyon Ware-Hudson: He can play defensive tackle and has quite a bit, in addition to Nose. But is he stout enough for Nose Tackle? Terrance Green: Reports are this guy is huge, strong, but still raw. Some big upside here if we play him enough to improve. A' Mauri Washington: He is a redshirt freshman, but you have read and heard how he is huge, AND strong. Big upside here as well. Jericho Johnson: He was a highly coveted recruit for precisely this position. He is raw, but 330 pounds can plug the A-Gaps! Dan Lanning's 4-2-5 MINT Defense is dependent upon a big, strong Nose Tackle who can plug both A-Gaps and require a double team each time. Why? Oregon only has two inside linebackers in this defense, thus we need the NT to free up the fast ILBs Oregon has to make plays. There was a defensive tackle at Louisville who became available, but the word is that he is not the size Oregon wants for Nose Tackle. How would you proceed? Thoughts? Jericho Johnson was a BIG recruit...

Jon...that is fantastic research, as I knew that Blue-Chips mattered, but not to that degree. Good thing we have a HC who not only recognizes it, but can actually git-it-done!

Miami, like so many on that list are going to pale next to the Oregon offense this year, IMHO.

Now, can anyone convince Mullens of that?

Brady Bidwell, son of Oregon punter and long-time NFL punter Josh Bidwell has announced he is going to Oregon on social media and it was in the Eugene R-G. He must be a walk-on, as there has not been any official confirmation or postings by AD. He is going to Marist in Eugene, and is a 6'4" wide receiver!

D1Baseball Top 25: Texas A&M ascends to No. 1, four new teams enter • D1Baseball D1BASEBALL.COM Texas A&M takes over the No. 1 spot in the D1Baseball Top 25, and four new teams join the rankings after a tumultuous week. Oregon baseball continues to rise in major polls following 3-2 week 247SPORTS.COM Oregon baseball continues to rise in major polls following 3-2 week

There are a ton of Baseball polls, but the one I keep my eye on the most is D1 Baseball, and they have moved Oregon to No. 16 in the nation. It is vital that Oregon remains in the top-16 in order to be able to host an NCAA Regional again. To host a Super-Regional, you have to be in the top-8, of which the Bastard Beavers are in line for at No. 5 in the nation again this week. Arizona has moved up to No. 21, thus only three Pac-12 teams in the top-25. What about other conferences? SEC: Eight teams in the top 25, including No. 1 thru No. 4 at the moment. ACC: Seven teams in the top 25! How about the B1G? How many from that esteemed league? Gonna be some opportunity to clean up in that league next year! (Remember this when you hear their blustering about their conference)

Remember the massive risk to taking a portal player? If the player did not work out--you were stuck with him, and burned a scholarship. Now the rules have changed, and they can leave immediately in the next portal opening period! Boy this could alter portal recruiting strategy... Coaches can take a flyer on a player with only the one-year scholarship at risk! A coach could burn through a TON of players this way to find the good ones sooner?

Something I forgot to mention is how the "elite" schools will lose TONS to the portal every year of players who do not see them moving up the depth chart, or have already been passed by underclassmen. As you know, Dan wants to continuously recruit the best he can at each position. When you have four-deep at every position, then whoever is not playing or does have low prospects of playing are leaving. Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia--all will have highly ranked HS players who leave because they got beat out by other highly ranked players. It does not bother me anymore, and it is the natural way. (The opposite of what is happening to the Pig-2 teams) And another area I did not point out is how Danno has had very few misses with the portal; their analysis has been superb. Evan Williams was truly a BIG-HIT for Oregon...

Amen.

The Athletic has created an article about the different strategies used by CFB teams in recruiting from the portal. They are... The Portal Enthusiasts The Desperate Portalers The Need-Based Portalers The Portal Denier The NIL Barons Here is when Oregon is mentioned... ---------------------------------------------------- The NIL Barons If these guys have offered, (the player you want) you’re out of luck. The programs that do the best job in portal recruiting aren’t always the ones operating with the most NIL money, and players don’t always pick the highest bidder. But those that spend the most tend to get who they want. “If you have good player relationships and if you have a collective that’s run really well,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said, “you then stand a chance in this portal world.” In December and January, the schools consistently battling and setting the market for elite transfers were Oregon, Texas, Ole Miss and Ohio State. ---------------------------------------------------- I will not explain all the strategies, because I think you can guess how they operate based upon the title of each. I believe the Ducks are mislabeled, because our numbers of recruiting the portal are not even in the top half of what other schools do. And we are told often by insiders that Oregon does not bid the highest on NIL, but sells the total package of what the Oregon experience can provide the player. I believe Oregon is a Need-Based strategist, that happens to have a good collective in Division Street backing it. The amount of portal transfers coming to Oregon will gradually decline as Dan's top-ten classes that are freshmen and sophomores mature as players, and within our systems. In fact I would bet that Danno wants to eventually be like Alabama and Georgia in taking only a few that fill immediate needs, or are exceptional offerings. This Was a Good Transfer...

Don...this is a great article that gets me pondering and asking even more questions. Good coaches who have a track record, (and thanks for the research into his time at St. Mary's and Gonzaga) do not get incompetent over-night, thus I cannot explain it. Yet the slide in five years is dramatic.

Ducks lose 4-2, and not great decisions batting today.

After eight innings, Ducks trail 4-2, let’s go!

After four innings, Oregon leads 2-1, as the Trojans got a HR. Giving up only one run in four innings is a great start for Kevin Seittrr.

After two innings...Oregon leads 2-0 on a bomb off the fists of Dominic Hellman on the foul pole...and a bases loaded walk.

I missed this, and it is HUGE! The Ducks moved into the Top-10 at No. 9 with only giving up 16.50 points per game? Whew! That was fast; Danno put us in the top ten in just his second year? Whew! Two elements need to be into account; first, we were gifted with an easy foe in the Fiesta Bowl. Had Oregon been in the Playoff--we would not have looked as good in the final stats. Second: it is one thing to do this when you are in the slogging-offense B1G, but to do that in the Pac-12? Remarkable. And we are nowhere NEAR where Danno will take us on defense....agree? NCAA College Football FBS current team Stats | NCAA.com WWW.NCAA.COM Discover the current NCAA FBS Football leaders in every stats category, as well as historic leaders.

Damn Right!

Dilly is a good man...