Oregon used a four-run second inning and errorless team defense behind starter Grayson Grinsell to put away Minnesota 5-2 on a wet, windy day in PK Park. The No. 9 Ducks ran their Big Ten record to 4-0 and their season mark to 16-3, with the second game of the three-game series scheduled for Saturday at 11:05 a.m. PDT.
Grinsell pitched five innings of scoreless baseball, striking out seven and walking just one while scattering five hits. Righthander Jason Reitz took over in the sixth, a 6-11 righthander from San Jose, Calif. Protecting a 5-0 lead he gave up a pair of runs over three innings. The Gophers touched him for five hits but he struck out three.
Sophomore Cole Stokes took to the bump in the 9th, a powerful 6-6 righthander from Redondo Beach, Calif. He walked one but struck out two, recording his first save of the season. In five appearances this year he boasts a 0.00 ERA and .095 opponents' batting average while striking out 12 in 6.2 innings.
The Ducks grab a 5-2 win over Minnesota 🦆@OregonBaseball moves to 4️⃣-0️⃣ in conference play 👏#B1GBaseball pic.twitter.com/sCaTyJcDOz
— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) March 15, 2025
Head coach Mark Wasikowski said, "It's not easy. It was a tough day, but for them to play error-free baseball and come out with a win and play clean in tough conditions with the wind the way it was, and then at the end of the game with the wet, it was a tough day."
The Ducks jumped out to a lead with a four-run rally in the second. Leftfielder Anson Arroz ripped a double to right center to score first baseman Jacob Walsh, then scored on an error by the Minnesota second baseman. With the bases loaded designated hitter Dominic Hellman walked on four pitches. Catcher Chase Meggers rapped a single up the middle to bring home another run and Grinsell had a 4-0 cushion, which he used to run his record to 2-1 in his fourth start.
Shortstop Maddox Molony blasted a solo home run in the fourth to extend the lead to 5-0, his sixth circuit clout of the year. The bats went quiet after that, but pitching and defense got the Ducks back to a dry locker room with their 16th win.
𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐌@maddox_molony launches his 6th HR of the year over the left field wall. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/BP0q7XHcEk
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 14, 2025
Today's game can be found on the Oregon Sports Network for radio, Big Ten Plus for TV.