Sports Column

Year 2 looks brighter for UO baseball

On Sports

By kerry eggers

The Portland Tribune, Mar 4, 2010, Updated Mar 8, 2010

Tyler Anderson returns as a mainstay for the Oregon Ducks, who look to improve on their 14-42 record a year ago.

© 2009 Eric Evans

EUGENE – The second chapter of the “Rebirth of Oregon Baseball” is going to be much more pleasant than the first.

That much we know for sure.

I’m not going to tell you the Ducks are going to make the NCAA tournament, as coach George Horton predicted in ill-fated fashion before his first season at the UO helm. In Oregon’s first season since 1981, the Ducks went 14-42 overall and 4-23 in Pac-10 action, wobbling to the end of the campaign on a 13-game losing streak.

Oregon hit .227, ranking 287th of 288 D-I teams — ahead of only 0-29 Coppin State (.226). Horton, who coached Cal State Fullerton to the NCAA championship in 2004 — was humbled by the experience.

But things are different this season, as evidenced by Tuesday night’s 6-2 nonconference victory over Washington in the inaugural game of fully equipped PK Park.

Oregon won with standout pitching, solid defense and great execution at the plate.

Alex Keudell — a sophomore right-hander out Jesuit High — and Joey Housey shut down Washington on six hits. The Ducks turned three double plays, and Andrew Mendenhall and Curtis Raulinaitis each made sensational diving catches in left field. There were six successful sacrifice bunts as well as two bunt singles.

Oregon had 10 hits, all singles, six of them in a four-run first inning in which the Ducks batted around and scored on, among other things, a bases-loaded walk.

“I was happy with the style of hitting,” Horton said. “The guys were staying behind the baseball, using the other side. That’s the kind of attack we’ll need.

“The bunting game was a big part of it. Patience was, too. That’s Duck baseball. That’s going to be our style of game. Then once in a while we can run into a ball and hit it over the fence. That’s always good, too.”

Small ball. Pitch, field, scratch out a few runs and win.

Sound familiar?

It’s the same method Pat Casey has used to win a lot of games — and a pair of national titles — at Oregon State.

1 | 2 Next Page >>

Facebook	Digg	Del.icio.us
Newsvine	Stumbleupon	Reddit