EastBayDuckDad

I think PDuck had it in another thread on Pro Ducks but I'm glad it has it's own thread. Absolutely must watch video. Sabrina's ability to set her feet and have near perfect repetitive mechanics for each shot is muscle memory at it's most refined. She has better shooting motion now than when she was the GOAT at Oregon. Here's hoping every young hooper in NYC wears her jersey and follows her example.

Bo Nix makes his calls at the line of scrimmage. He pumps and dumps it off to Bucky who puts it in the endzone. Push up that margin of victory. Ok, no more cheesy investment puns, I've had enough.

Autzen Blitz'ems? Thundering Earth-Quackers?

Finebaum's perspective outside of the SEC reminds me of the old New Yorker cartoon with the same degree of sniffing condescension:

It's a funny indicator that g*d-given is turned into Good Gosh-given by the algorithm AI.

OBD wisely avoids the discussion of religion in these forums, but I think this is a valid topic if tread wisely. I'm hoping there is enough of a distinction to make general comment. Acknowledgement of the faith environment that a lot of these kids were raised in is important for parents and recruits. They want to know that it will be supported and nurtured. Players like Bo Nix are not shy about their beliefs and appear to be leaders by example. There is a reason you see players from both teams kneeling together in the endzone after games. Lanning's personal beliefs aren't really advertised and I don't get the impression anything is shoved down the throats of the athletes or they are told to comform to any belief system other than 'team first'. I did get the impression from some exit comments of players that followed Mike White to Texas few years back, that incoming softball coach Lombardi ruffled some feathers with her beliefs. That is the only exception I can point to and most of what I read was pretty veiled. These kids are told from childhood that they are gifted athletically and many believe those gifts are Good Gosh-given. Maybe that is parents telling their potential superstar kid to not get too big for their britches. Mormon faith is strong in the Polynesian community, traditional Christianity in the south and so on. It would seem supporting that would make sense in recruitment.

AI for sure. Unless it is a really, really boring Fusky fan who wonders why no one talks to them at the office water cooler or at cocktail parties.

I'm sure someone in that superior academic institution's braintrust will figure out a way to make those numbers work.

One gripe. The home plate umpire was really inconsistent with the strike zone. Calling low and away to both sides of the plate hitters was painful to watch. The called strike three on Ceballos was the worst. Blue missed the catcher interference on Nishida's at bat and Waz had to hold his feet to the fire to get a review. We can only hope they move him out to second base and have someone else behind the plate I think the review umps got it right, even on the calls that were against the Ducks and too close to call in real time. If they are as consistent tonight as they were last night, the game won't be altered by crappy umping.

That ORU team is solid offensively, led by CF'er J. Cox. The middle of the lineup is a murderers row of hitters. Only one of the starters has a BA under .300. The eight run inning last night was no fluke. They will jump on and exploit iffy pitching. To call them a 4th seed in the regionals is almost a joke, based on Summit conference weakness more than anything else. They are a top 20 team and deserve to be where they are as much as anyone. I expect they will come out tonight with a big fat chip on their shoulder and get on it. They have the respect of Coach Waz and every player on the Oregon roster. That said, first blood has been drawn and losing like that in game one has to be a gut punch. They're not in Oklahoma any more. They gave Oregon all they had and still let one slip away. Last night you could see their confidence slowly seep out as the Ducks fought back and the PK crowd got to them. Their second reliever, Patten was solid in the 8th but got rattled by the crowd and threw 8 straight balls putting Grant and Nishida on with BBs to lead off the 9th. To get the game winning walk off hit on their All-American closer Denton has to be a confidence crusher. The Ducks need to bring that same sense of urgency and fight tonight. On to Omaha!

Oregon Baseball: Coach Mark Wasikowski credits fan electricity for win DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM “Our fans wouldn’t let us lose,” Coach Wasikowski said. “Our fans were amazing, and I don’t think PK Park... So gracious of Coach Waz to celebrate the PK crowd. After the stunned silence that followed the eight run 3rd inning shellacking that Oral Robert's laid on the Ducks, the only thing that could be heard was their fans chanting "ORU...ORU!" behind the visitors dugout. With a few turning around and taunting (in moderation) the green and yellow faithful behind them. As the Ducks clawed their way back into the game, the crowd came alive, starting with the back to back dingers by Walsh and Thompson to start the bottom of that same inning. When the crowd exploded into "Shout", the game was tied and Duck fans behind the ORU section were yelling back "Who RU..Who RU?". Like the great philosopher Yogi Berra once said, "It ain't over 'till it's over, even when it looks like it's over". I was standing behind home plate when ORU brought in their All-American closer Denton, to shut down the Ducks in the bottom of the 9th. He was throwing 95mph heaters, then a bit of an offspeed pitch that it looked like Cowley had been coached to know was coming. Then boom, walk off base hit, Rishida crosses the plate, the fat lady sings and pandemonium in PK. What impressed me was the support from the rest of the Oregon sports firmament. I walked by Kelly Graves, Dana Altman, Pat Kilkenny and Bo Nix, all standing in line for food and beverage, chatting folks up and enjoying the PK atmosphere. Dana looked to be with a granddaughter, and Bo with his wife. It reminds one of what a great place this is and why we are so proud to be Ducks. One more W and it's Omaha bound. Don't let up. Pack PK again tonight. Give ESPN more highlight footage and.... Go Ducks!

Answering 7 burning Super Regional questions 247SPORTS.COM The NCAA Super Regionals begin Friday, with Omaha on the line. This guy is a SEC tool, specifically Vanderbilt as the article admits. He has Alabama knocking off #1 seed Wake Forest. Both Stanford and Oregon lose at home to Texas and ORU. Two worst pitching staffs left in the tournament? You guessed it, both PAC12 teams. With Oregon dead last. Not a peep about staff injuries and how the Duck freshman arms have stepped up big time. He had Vandy winning their regional in straight games instead of what transpired. And Stanford was supposed to lose to TA$M in their regional. Sour grapes, especially after Vandy got bested at home. Oregon needs to prove it to the rest of the nation on the field at a sold out PK this weekend and get to Omaha. Go Ducks!

As much as it grieves to say it, the NCAA got most of the regional selections, and it's SEC bias, right. Granted the home fields were heavily SEC, and that probably made a difference in some of the outcomes. No BIG teams. Had hoped that there would be more PAC teams, especially OSU. Like Mr. Fishduck noted yesterday, the Beavs ran out of rested and healthy arms to finish off LSU. The breakdown for teams in the supers by conference: SEC. 6 ACC. 3 PAC. 2 B12. 2 Missouri Valley, Sunbelt, Summit. 1 each Getting stoked to watch the Oregon v Oral Roberts match-ups starting Friday. Go Ducks!

Reserved seats all sold out, GA still available. So PK will be packed and rocking!

I have a lot of optimism about the O-line. Harper (if healthy), Jones, JPJ and Conerly all have experience at Oregon, Jones and Harper as starters. Cornelius brings tons of snaps into the mix, Angilau as well. With a bunch of up and comers in the room like Iuli and Laloulu. The experienced D-line along with Burch and Dorlus will push them to get better, and fast. The major IDK factors will be the loss of experience and leadership of last year's guys that played next to each other for 4 years, and the savvy of Forsythe calling formations and assignments from the center. I think the 2023 version may not be as experienced, but they have more talent and will gel into a formidable crew.

I received that same UO athletic department notice. I suppose it's possible that the powers that be stick the super regional in Tulsa, but Oregon was the #2 seed and Oral Roberts the #3 in the regionals. That should give Oregon the nod, in spite of the W-L records. The Summit Conference teams aren't exactly the Pac12 in quality, but cred to Oral R, they knocked off Washington and host Okie St to move on. A formidable opponent for the Ducks regardless of where they play. Since UO controls PK, I'll bet there are stipulations in place for hosting games if there is a conflict with the Ems and NWL games. Hopefully it won't factor in negatively.

No dilemma, Charles. Even in baseball the SEC gets nod nationally. I would love to see Oregon v Washington in the super regional, but it's looking much more likely that the Fuskies will get eliminated by Dallas Baptist (who are those guys?) today and Oregon will move on. 8db1b0cb-8d48-4450-8fbf-93efcf1789dd_text.mp4

Xavier on the brink of ousting Vandy 2-1 in the top of the 9th. Then lightning hits close enough to Nashville that they've delayed the last inning! Oregon will play (if the bad weather holds off) one or the other tonight, but I love the idea of only needing to win one of two against Xavier.

Maybe a super regional for Oregon at PK? Just win one more!

Hoo-wee, they sure tried to give it away with that HR in the bottom of the 9th, but hung on. After being up 8-4 in the 7th. Like Yogi said, "It ain't over till it's over, no matter how over it looks".

Ditto here. Thanks Charles, for the video highlights. I had to miss the game and didn't tape it. ".@ColbyShade goes high off the left-field wall to tie the game. #GoDucks" Watch that one again and see Shade wait on that high hanging inside breaking ball. Woulda been a dinger twenty feet to the right. As one who always had trouble with that pitch in high school, I greatly appreciate the eye and patience of the hitter who can send it for a big ride. On to the winner's round for the Ducks!

As Charles notes, it will come down to healthy arms and if the Ducks can hit really good pitching, particularly from Vandy. I'm hoping they still have some magic left in the bats and we get either Stoffal (optimal) or Ayton back for enough innings to make a difference. The PAC tournament showed it can be done even without those starters. Coach Waz and crew have been coaching their fannys off and managing games well. They've got a decent punchers chance to make the super regional. Go Ducks!

Awesome game! Pac12 champion Oregon Ducks. Let's hope they get a regional NCAA berth at PK.

Ducks up 4-3 bottom of 7. Great game, really good pitching, inside the park homer by Romero of Arizona and a towering HR by Walsh over the R centerfield wall. 6 outs to go. Go Ducks!

Ducks won 12-7. 20 hits, so the bats were blazing. Ceballos with a dinger and 6 ribbies. Tanner Smith was big with his bat and glove. Grinsell is the new closer, just shut Washington down last 3 innings. 5 strikeouts, I think. Sweet revenge for that abysmal home series a few weeks back. Great team victory. Gloat amongst yourselves!