In the opening game of the Austin Super Regional in Texas, Oregon batted 0-14 with runners in scoring position. They stranded 17 baserunners over nine innings and struck out 15 times. It was a Little League level of futility, adding up to an 11-3 loss.
The pitching was no better. All evening long at UFCU Disch-Falk Field the five Oregon hurlers missed the strike zone and fell behind in the count. They issued eight walks. In the fifth inning alone they walked seven and threw three hit by pitches.
In the press room after the game head coach Mark Wasikowski said, "Disappointed in the fact that that's what we brought to the Austin Super Regional in the first game. I think we're a whole lot better than what we showed tonight."
The good news is, it's just one game. The Ducks can even the best-of-three series with a different brand of baseball, something they're fully capable of. After all they won 43 games this year, three at the Big Ten Tournament and three straight at the Eugene Regional.
Will Sanford pitches Game 2, their most consistent starter all season with a 9-2 record over 16 starts.
In the winner's bracket of the Eugene Regional Sanford pitched a 4-0 gem, striking out 14 over 6.2 innings, allowing just one hit and walking two. He's capable of being dominating-- in that game he struck out the first five batters of the game.
His 119 strikeouts this season stands as the second-most in program history behind David Peterson's 140 in 2017. Sanford has walked just 41, less than two batters per game.
In the top of the eighth in Austin Drew Smith launched a ball over the left field fence, a three-run homer, cutting the Longhorns' lead to a touchdown at 10-3.
In their postgame comments the Ducks expressed frustration about their response to pressure in a big game, a familiar theme for Oregon sports over the last few years, a pattern they have to break. "We didn't execute well enough," outfielder Jax Gimenez said.
They actually outhit their hosts 9-8. The beauty of baseball is, that game is history. If they can respond tonight with a focused performance at the Disch, all the pressure shifts to their opponent. They could win a trip to Omaha on Monday.
The game tonight is at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN and the Oregon Sports Network.
Last night they did everything possible to lose a Super Regional. Maybe tonight they can do something to win one.
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