I am hoping that Ryan Featherston is not injured, and that we see him get some innings. What a fantastic pitching day yesterday--can we back it up on a mid-week?

Toby Twist

4-0 Ducks after one inning. The Tritons started another freshman pitcher, but unlike last night...this guy pitched like a newbie. BTW...Dominic Hellman has been given a rest today, and giving RS Freshman Naulivou Lauaki (6'5" 265 pounds) a chance to get some at-bats.

Ryan Cooney hits a leadoff double down the 3rd baseline and into the LF corner. Jax Gimenez gets plinked, then Drew Smith comes up and blasts a 3-run homer over the CF wall! Then we got a good base hit by Angel Laya in the CF/RF gap, while both Maddox Molony and Gabe Miranda got plinked. Brayden Jaksa then sacrifice-flies to short CF to score Laya.

Toby Twist is Oregon's starting pitcher today, and puts them down 1-2-3, as he has a side-sweeper as a lefty, a fastball with jump, and a drop-curveball that we've seen already in one inning.

A Good Start!

4-2 Ducks after two innings. Nothing on offense as we faced a new pitcher, but Toby Twist for Oregon lost control this inning. He plinked two guys, walked another, and gave up a triple that scored two. Fortunately, he turned it around to leave San Diego with bases loaded and no further scoring.

4-2 Ducks after three innings. Nothing on offense again as the relief pitcher for San Diego has done well.

Toby Twist went back to his winning ways of the first inning, as he kept them easily scoreless this inning.

6-2 Ducks after three innings. Gabe Miranda walked, and Brayden Jaksa nailed a pitch, and sent it over the CF wall for a 2-run homer!

Toby Twist got his confidence back, and now has pitched his third scoreless inning for Oregon.

6-3 Ducks after five innings. Toby Twist give up a single, a double which scores a runner. Nothing on offense.

8-3 Ducks after six innings. Ryan Cooney gets a hit, and Jax Gimenez walks. Naulivou Lauaki gets a deep hit to CF/RF gap that bounces against the wall, and scores Cooney and Gimenez!

Michael Meckna keeps the scoreless for Oregon in relief of Twist.

8-4 Ducks after seven innings. Nothing on offense, and Meckna's relief was replaced by redshirt freshman from West Linn, Blake Crawford. He is a strong looking 6'4", and the run scored by San Diego was on a passed ball by catcher Brayden Jaksa.

9-4 Ducks after eight innings. Ryan Cooney gets a hit in shallow CF, and is advanced to second on a groundout. Drew Smith then hits through the left infield to score the lightning-fast Cooney from second base!

I was very surprised to see Tanner Bradley come in to pitch? Isn't he usually the first relief pitcher on Friday? Did he bring him in just for the eighth inning, knowing that if the Tritons are going make a move--it has to begin this inning? 🤷‍♂️

The last game Ryan Featherstone pitched was on Wednesday, March 11th against the Xavier Musketeers. He only pitched 1.1 innings, giving up two hits and two runs. He had one wild pitch and struck out for batters. He threw 31 pitches.

Ducks win 12-4 from the relentless hitting attack in the late innings. Maddox Molony walks, and for the second time today....Gabe Miranda gets plinked.

Then Brayden Jaska gets walked, and Josh Schleichardt hits to shallow CF that the fielder bobbles which allows Molony and Miranda to score! The runners advance due to a groundout, and then Jax Gimenez sacrifice-flies to score Jaksa.

True freshman Cooper Markham came in to pitch the ninth for Oregon, and dispensed with them 1-2-3 to finish the game!

Official press release--as always is 2-3 hours after the game, and posted below.

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026

BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball

Potent Offense Gives Ducks a Sweep at UC San Diego

LA JOLLA, Calif. — Senior Drew Smith and freshman Brayden Jaksa both hit towering home runs over the centerfield wall so spark No. 20 Oregon to a 12-4 win over UC San Diego in nonconference action on Saturday at Triton Field.

 

Smith’s 410-foot shot in the first inning gave Oregon the early lead before Jaksa bested him slugging a 447-foot line shot off the batter’s eye in fourth inning. Smith finished 2-for-6 with four RBI while Jaksa went 1-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.

 

With the win, the Ducks (21-4) finished a two-game series sweep of UC San Diego (9-13).

 

How It Happened: Oregon did not waste any time taking control of the game, scoring four runs in the first inning. Ryan Cooney laced a double over the third-base bag to lead off the game before Jax Gimenez reached on one of three hit-by-pitches in the first. After an out, Smith made it 3-0 with his team-leading ninth home run of the season.

 

Following the home run, San Diego native Angel Laya singled and moved to third on back-to-back hit batters to Maddox Molony and Gabe Miranda. Jaksa made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly scoring Laya from third.

An unrelenting hitting attack...

UCSD cut the lead to 4-2 in the second, but Oregon got those two back in the fourth. Miranda led off the inning with a walk, before Jaksa crushed a two-run home run to center field.

 

After the Tritons scored one in the fifth, Oregon answered with two in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Cooney singled and Gimenez walked to put a pair of runners on for freshman Naulivou Lauaki Jr. The Ducks designated hitter ripped a two-run double into the right-center gap to push Oregon’s lead to 8-3.

 

UCSD put another run on the board in the seventh, but UO shut the door with a run in the eighth and two in the ninth. Cooney led off the eighth with a single before scoring on a Smith base hit.

 

In the ninth, the Ducks loaded the bases on three free passes (BB, HBP, BB), setting up pinch hitter Josh Schleichardt who came through with a two-RBI single. Gimenez capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Box Score Notes: Jax Gimenez, Maddox Molony and Gabe Miranda all reached base four times … Three Ducks had multiple hits led by Ryan Cooney (3-for-6, 3 R) … Michael Meckna picked up the win after going 1.2 innings in relief … Blake Crawford, Tanner Bradley and Cooper Markham combined to get the last nine outs without allowing a hit or walk with four strikeouts between them.

 

On Deck: Oregon continues its California road trip when the Ducks open a three-game series at UC Santa Barbara on Friday.

That's a big three game series against a very good team, great opportunity to pick up some wins against a team that should be in the tourney, we don't get much of them in the Big 10, biggest games are of course going to be against UCLA and USC.