Washington Waddler

Kai likely not the only base runner to have utilized this springboard approach, and gotten away with it. Like pitchers getting caught pushing off with their pivot foot, base runners who have done this will now have to modify their take-off; otherwise, we’re in for a lot more riveting moments of watching umps staring into a little screen.

Agreed, get this game out of their system so they can start from scratch in the regionals. Like your tourney header said FD, “ . . . A Bad Matchup?”

Yes, wasn’t thinking Big Picture. And yes, too much fun scratching my head over OBD’s baseball future.

With Dzierwa going 6 innings, and Broderick 3.1 in Michigan State’s loss to Nebraska, does Wasikowski now strategize the pitching order with an eye towards the championship game by going by committee tomorrow, and then reversing his starting order in order to save Grinsell for a possible show down with UCLA?

Starting to regret they ever invited us to the party? You can just never be too careful, can you?

Huge for the freshman to get the job done under match play-off pressure. Well done An!

Regarding the Stanford logo, you can keep the ‘S’, but make the other part a stump.

Yes, so many moments, so many heroics, but it was Staci’s 4+ innings that kept us in it and allowed the offense to chip away.

My wife and I were sitting in ‘The Bob’ when Lombardi and Oklahoma came to town in 2018. That 5-0 Duck victory left a lasting impression on her of the program and facilities. But, what probably tipped the scale (as she has mentioned many times) was the fan support. Even by Oklahoma standards, it moved the needle.

Tournament time is all about pitching. Lombardi is (understandably) tight-lipped regarding any issues effecting her staff. We are left to speculate and wonder. She has two remarkable pitchers in Grein and Sokolsky. That said, there still remains a significant difference between recruiting the top national prospects, and attracting talented projects from less competitive programs looking to use their last year or two to their advantage. Irregardless of their accelerated rate of development, that difference often does show up at tourney time when facing the toughest competition. Image wise, Oregon’s softball commitment and stability probably took a big hit among high school coaches and players when it refused to pony-up in order to keep one of the most successful head coaches in the game from moving on. By earning the program’s first regional hosting since then, Lombardi has begun to close that perception gap; and, along with her stellar credentials, will hopefully now start getting commitments from the kind of talent that she will need down the road.

Yes, feels a bit like softball’s tourney game against Michigan: a strong, traditional B1G opponent that will likely feel obligated to put the new comers in their place, and try to stop the onslaught on B1G championships. Finding agreement in the polls is about as rare as an unassisted triple play.

Irregardless of how this loss effects their regional/super regional draw, if it locks them into tournament focus, it was worth it.

Anyone else beyond tired of recruits playing into the click bait tease game that seems to be the only reason for most (OBD not included) sports sites to exist so they can offer nothing but last weeks news? I’ve nothing but admiration for those athletes who announce their schools of interest and then shut up.

Garate has been playing like a Golden Glove candidate.

Pent-up rivalry payback can carry you a long ways. That’s the beauty of rivalries. The emotions are unseen and unknown - until they happen. Put most any other team up against Beavis but the Ducks, and they’re probably still No. 3. Wouldn’t be surprised if all they’re dreaming about right now in Corvallis is getting the chance to match up with us one more time in a super regional.

First time Melyssa Lombardi’s Ducks have been ranked ahead of Mike White’s Longhorns. Feels good to be turning that corner.

Staci Chambers delivering under pressure bodes well for the team as it moves towards trophy time. Filling a role that’s been reserved for Grein and Sokolsky could offer the two starters some relief when things start to heat up. The slow but steady growth of her program is well displayed by how Lombardi is now beginning to attract and develop good transfer pitchers into some of the best in college softball. Finding that culture identity fit with Oregon like she had at Oklahoma (where for 21 years she was in charge of pitcher development) hopefully will translate into top drawer recruits taking a closer look.

Send that guy a free pass to the Ducks Beavers football game - in the student section.

Good to see Walsh getting his big bat going again. Go Ducks!

As Scott Reed points out, Dan’s recruiting strategy for this cycle has been to pass on the singles, and swing for the fence. When your quantity is low because you’ve limited your prospects to a select few, the transfers, decommits, and recruiting whiffs are going to hurt a bit more. As others have pointed out, this cycle is a work in progress, and Dan’s record would indicate there’s a lot left in his bat.

Heads up to LC.

Preview to the B1G championship? Can’t wait!

Kinda doubt either Bruin team will be resting on their laurels with a rubber match on the line. Our teams saw them at their best which can be an advantage, if we play to ours - which they have not seen. Go Ducks!

Whatever the source, it’s the kind of desperation move that’s easy to believe the Bruins might make. That’s a program that’s lacked an identity for so long that fishing expeditions have become 2nd nature.

Getting to be that hairsplitting time for poll rankings as the season starts to move into its final games. About now, provincial prejudice and bias starts to trump objectivity among rah-rah poll voters. Like fans who will side with their conference after their team is no longer in play, the east coast-centered sports media voters apparently will side with any team east of the Mississippi River. Oregon’s youthful inconsistency in home losses to inferior teams (Oregon State and LMU) most likely came into play to justify their hairsplitting.