Sanford, Ducks Blank Penguins 3-0 (Press Release with Quotes)

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2026

BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball

 Sanford, Ducks Blank Penguins in Game 2

EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon baseball team got a terrific outing from starting pitcher Will Sanford and three scoreless innings from the bullpen in a 3-0 win over Youngstown State on Friday afternoon at PK Park.

A day after the offense put up 18 runs in a series-opening victory, it was the pitching staff that carried the Ducks (6-0) in game two of a four-game set. Sanford (2-0) struck out six batters across six scoreless innings before Tanner Bradley delivered 2.1 strong innings of relief and Devin Bell (1) closed out the save.

“There was really good execution today,” head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “Really solid pitching and defense. They were able to slow the game down and execute when they needed to. Our pitchers came in and made big pitches.”

Sanford and Youngstown State starter Braden Gebhardt (0-1) were locked in a pitcher’s duel from the onset. The Ducks managed just two hits across seven innings against Gebhardt but were able to push across a run on a passed ball in the fourth inning before manufacturing a pair of insurance runs against the Penguins’ bullpen in the eighth inning.

The win marked the 300th of Wasikowski’s head-coaching career.

“I'm blessed to be at this place,” Wasikowski said. “Working at the University of Oregon is unbelievable. It's a dream of mine, and I got an opportunity to do it. Thanks to Mr. (Rob) Mullens for being able to represent this great school; it is something that I take a lot of pride in.”

How it Happened: Sanford walked his first batter of the game but bounced back immediately to retire the next three with a pair of strikeouts. He did the same over the next three innings, giving up a single in each but never allowing a runner to get past second base.

 Will Sanford

“I felt good,” Sanford said. “Just knowing that I have a good defense behind me, letting balls get put into play. I felt like I could beat them with my fastballs and that’s what I did.” 

Oregon was able to get to Gebhardt in the fourth, with Jax Gimenez working a leadoff walk before Dominic Hellman followed with a double for the Ducks’ first hit of the day. Gebhardt was nearly out of the inning after retiring the next two batters, but a passed ball brought Gimenez in from third and put the Ducks ahead.

Sanford set the Penguins (0-5) down in order in the fifth and then erased a leadoff hit-by-pitch in the sixth with a double play. He then stranded an infield single with a flyout to center field to complete six shutout innings.

“Will Sanford made big pitches all day when he needed to,” Wasikowski said. “He matched their ace … I thought his stuff was good. I don't think it was his best stuff, but I thought he had good stuff today. But his mentality, I thought, was fantastic, just knocking them loose.”

The Ducks got to the Youngstown State bullpen for a pair of runs in the eighth, as freshman Owen Morgan legged out a pinch-hit, infield single and stole second before coming around to score on an error and a wild pitch. Jack Brooks then worked a walk, stole second, got to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Gimenez.

Bradley came on for Sanford in the seventh and set down the first six batters he saw, recording three strikeouts to send the game to the ninth with Oregon up, 3-0.

Bradley returned to the mound for the ninth to try and finish the three-inning save, but he walked the bases loaded with one out before being relieved by Bell. With the tying runs aboard and the go-ahead run at the plate, Bell struck out the first batter he faced on a full count and then ended the game with an infield popout.

“I think we have the best staff in the nation,” Sanford said. “I think every guy in the pen can shut a game down. Having Tanner and Devin follow me after that, I have so much faith in those guys to shut it down and, you know, they put up three zeroes.”

Box Score Notes: Sanford gave up just four hits and one walk across six shutout frames, and he has now thrown 11.0 scoreless innings to open the season … Bradley has combined to throw 4.1 scoreless innings of relief in two appearances this season without surrendering a hit … Bell earned his first save as a Duck and Oregon’s first save of the season … Hellman, Morgan and Ryan Cooney accounted for Oregon’s three hits, and Gimenez worked a pair of walks … Oregon recorded its first shutout win of the season.

On Deck: Oregon will go for the series win over Youngstown State on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.

(Mr. FishDuck Note: We have a great GameDay Thread of the game below with more in-depth description and videos of the action.)