Oregon Softball: Ducks Lose Miranda Elish, Lauren Burke To Texas

Oregon Softball takes on UCLA at Jane Sanders StadiumJustin Phillips/KPNW Sports
Oregon Softball takes on UCLA at Jane Sanders StadiumJustin Phillips/KPNW Sports

Over the weekend both Miranda Elish and Lauren Burke announced their intent to transfer from Oregon Softball. Now we know their destination.

Mike White had the option four months ago to stay with the Ducks. He decided to leave Oregon and head for a fresh start with a new team in Texas with the Longhorns. The NCAA Transfer rules are different for Softball then say for Football or Basketball as we discussed on Saturday. We now know that the two former Oregon Standouts are leaving the Ducks to join White and his staff in Texas.

Last season Starting Pitcher Miranda Elish went 25-2 leading the Ducks along with Megan Kleist back to the NCAA Tournament. Oregon swept through the Eugene Regional but stumbled again in Oklahoma City. Following White’s departure, Oregon hired Melyssa Lombardi, an Oklahoma Assistant who was ready for Primetime.

The team is coming off a Fall Season schedule that saw Starting Pitcher Maggie Balint show that she can be a force this season. She threw a perfect game and pitched a no-hitter. With the departure of Elish and also Eugene native Lauren Burke, who helped on Offense with key home runs during the Ducks’ postseason run last season. She hit  .351 in the process, Oregon will likely have more plate appearances for Cherish Burks in 2019.

With the transfer both Elish and Burke will be eligible to play for the Texas Longhorns for the 2019 season set to begin in just a few months. While both left Oregon, Lombardi could also find some help by way of the NCAA Transfer rule – that is, if the right type of player is available.

Lauren Burke and Miranda Elish announced their intent to Transfer on Twitter last Saturday and are the first to higher profile student-athletes in College Volleyball to use the Transfer rule. Elish is entering her Junior year. Burke joins Texas as a Sophomore.

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