Oregon Baseball Starts Season in Hawaii on Friday, Former Starter Reed Becomes New Closer

Oregon Ducks Dugout at PK Park. Omaha is always on their mind. JustinPhillips//KPNWSports

It may be raining in Eugene but that won’t stop the Oregon Baseball team from kicking off their 2014 season this Friday. You see, for the second year in a row the lucky Ducks get to begin the year in Hawaii. The four game set begins Friday, February 14th with Left Handed Pitcher Tommy Thorpe. Lefty Jordan Spencer gets Game 2. A key piece of the 2013 team Pitcher Cole Irvin will miss the season after undergoing successful Tommy John Surgery a few weeks ago. George Horton has made the decision that Freshman Lefty Matt Krook, who decided becoming a Duck was more important than joining the Florida Marlins, will start Game 3 of the series vs the Rainbow Warriors. Monday’s starter will be Right Hander Jeff Gold.

Oregon will  be playing against Hawaii for the fifth straight season. Along with another season where the Ducks are contenders to play in Omaha for the College World Series Oregon Coach George Horton has some career milestones that will be hit in 2014, one may happen with the series against the Rainbow Warriors. He needs just four wins for 900 victories in his career. Horton is also within 30 wins for 700 in Division I and is closing in on 200 wins with the Oregon Ducks.

One name that is not on the Starting Pitching roster for Oregon is former Starter Jake Reed who will take

Players warmup during Oregon Baseball Media Day at PK Park. KPNWSports

over as the Ducks Closer. He will be following in the footsteps of Jimmie Sherfy from last season but he is confident that he can fit the role. Announced on Wednesday Sophomore Relief Pitcher Garrett Cleavinger was named to the National College Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Watch List, along with three others in the Pac-12.

In glancing at the National Baseball Polls the Ducks are ranked anywhere from sixth to eleventh. In state rival Oregon State is ranked ahead of them in every poll and is expected to win the Pac-12 this season. One advantage the Ducks have is in their schedule.

The Ducks are home at PK Park for a month in March. The Ducks will host five series against Cal State Fullerton, Seattle, Ohio State and Pac-12 foes USC and Utah.

The four game series in Hawaii begins Friday at 8:35pm PT, Game 2 is Saturday at 8:35pm PT. The third game is slated for Sunday at 3:05pm, as well as the finale Monday at 3:05pm. There is no tv for the games, but audio can be heard locally in Eugene on 1320 AM and on GoDucks.com

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