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The Oregon Ducks are headed south after sweeping the Eugene Regional, landing in the Austin Super Regional against the No. 6 seed Texas Longhorns. It’s a tough draw for the No. 11 seed Ducks, but one Mark Wasikowski’s squad will need to persevere through to make it back to Omaha for the program’s first College World Series appearance since 1954.
This will be the fourth super regional appearance in Oregon history. The Ducks fell at home to Kent State in 2012 and Oral Roberts in 2023. Last time the Ducks were in the super regionals, they also made a trip to the Lone Star State. Oregon lost the first two games against Texas A&M in 2024.
Texas is a powerhouse program with six championships, the third-most in the country. The Longhorns haven’t won it all since 2005, but the program has made a record 38 trips to Omaha, the latest in 2022.
It won’t be easy for the Ducks to take down the SEC force, but if they do, Oregon could be among the favorites to win it all in Omaha. Let’s take a look at what type of challenge Texas presents in the super regional.
Texas is hosting a super regional for the first time since 2021. The Longhorns are 43-13 this season, but only managed to make it to the quarterfinals in the SEC Tournament before falling to Arkansas.
The Longhorns made up for the early exit by sweeping the Austin Regional. They won 19-1 against Holy Cross and 16-2 against Tarleton State in the first two games. UC Santa Barbara gave them a scare in the regional final, but ultimately the Longhorns prevailed with a 6-4 win to advance. Texas was fortunate to avoid the Gauchos’ ace, Jackson Flora, who is the top pitching prospect in the upcoming MLB draft.
In one of the best conferences in the country, Texas is among the SEC leaders in runs, walks, ERA and stolen bases. The Longhorns are a very well-rounded group, which should be expected of a team led by veteran head coach Jim Schlossnagle, who has 1,030 wins in his career.
Like Oregon, Texas has a stable of talented arms to run out to the mound, especially in the starting rotation. Graduate righty Luke Harrison and senior righty Ruger Riojas have allowed the Longhorns to dominate their schedule, losing only two series this season. Harrison (4.36 ERA) and Riojas (3.86 ERA) give the Longhorns length in the rotation, but the headliner is sophomore Dylan Volantis (1.94 ERA). With three dependable starters, Texas is well-suited to take on the Ducks in a three-game series. The Longhorns pitch for strikeouts, so it will be vital for Oregon to work counts and get to the bullpen quickly.
Offensively, the Longhorns are aggressive on the bases, ranking third in the SEC with 109 stolen bases this season. Seven players have 10 or more steals this season, and the Longhorns are efficient as well, only being caught 15 times. That will be a big challenge for Oregon catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus to navigate.
At the plate, the Longhorns are consistent in taking patient at-bats and taking what the opponent gives them. They can hit for average and power the ball over the fence as well, hitting 99 home runs this season. Texas walks a ton and doesn’t strike out much, so Oregon’s strikeout-heavy rotation could face some adversity.
Texas can be beat, and the bullpen could be the key. While the Longhorns have some talented arms, they did get whacked around by UC Santa Barbara in the final game of the Austin Regional. Volantis rolled through Tarleton State, but the Longhorns used 10 relievers in the other two games in the regional.
While they should be rested by the time Oregon comes to town, the bullpen has struggled to throw strikes at times and has been hit around as a result. Freshman closer Sam Cozart, who earned first-team All-SEC honors, gave up five hits and a run while trying to close out the Gauchos on Sunday. Talented and inexperienced arms could be forced into action if the Ducks can create stress on the bases early on.
Texas also hasn’t hit well against top-of-the-line starters this season. The Longhorns lost five series openers and fell to Arkansas in the conference tournament because they had a tough time against great pitching. Will Sanford is red-hot on the mound right now, while Cal Scolari and Miles Gosztola have been great starters down the stretch. If they can go deep in games like they did last weekend, the Ducks have a great shot.
To beat Texas, the Ducks have to go through Dylan Volantis. The sophomore ace has a 1.94 ERA, third-best nationally and best in the SEC. Volantis pitches for the strikeout, notching 116 this season, and works deep into games. He won’t blow you away with his velocity, but a five-pitch mix including a fastball, curveball, cutter, changeup and slider gets hitters off balance.
Aiden Robbins won the SEC Newcomer of the Year after transferring to Austin from Seton Hall and turning in a great season. Robbins is among the nation’s leaders with 23 home runs, four of which came in the regional. He’s steaming hot at the plate right now, so the Ducks should be careful with how they pitch to him. He is susceptible to swing-and-miss stuff, so the Ducks’ pitchers could try to speed him up.
Texas also has one of the best freshmen in the country in SEC Freshman of the Year outfielder Anthony Pack Jr., who leads the team in batting average (.358), doubles (16) and stolen bases (20). He also has 11 home runs and is the heartbeat of the Longhorns’ lineup. Pack hit three home runs against Holy Cross to open the regional. He’s great at both starting a rally and cashing in on one out of the three-hole in the lineup.
On paper, Texas and Oregon are similar statistically and in terms of overall makeup. Strong starting rotations, bats that can hit for average or power, and veteran head coaches who have seen just about everything.
The difference could be the bullpens, and Oregon’s showed up big in the regional on the heels of strong starts from Scolari, Sanford and Gosztola. The Ducks have had their fair share of bullpen blowups, particularly against clutch teams like UCLA, but if they get enough from their starters, the bullpen’s job becomes much easier.
The path to victory for Oregon is a clean finish from the bullpen and timely hitting, which didn’t happen often in the Eugene Regional. The Ducks should be able to slug homers out of UFCU Disch-Falk Field, which is fairly short to right field. I think Oregon wins the series in three games if they can knock Texas’ top starters out of the game early.
However, if the moment becomes too big for Oregon’s staff, it might get ugly quickly. Fortunately, the moment hasn’t been too large yet, and Wasikowski is counting on the staff’s calmness continuing to prevail.
Oregon and Texas will begin the Austin Super Regional on Saturday at 5 p.m. PT. The game will air live on ESPN.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: What to know when Oregon baseball plays Texas in Austin Super Regional
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This will be the fourth super regional appearance in Oregon history. The Ducks fell at home to Kent State in 2012 and Oral Roberts in 2023. Last time the Ducks were in the super regionals, they also made a trip to the Lone Star State. Oregon lost the first two games against Texas A&M in 2024.
Texas is a powerhouse program with six championships, the third-most in the country. The Longhorns haven’t won it all since 2005, but the program has made a record 38 trips to Omaha, the latest in 2022.
It won’t be easy for the Ducks to take down the SEC force, but if they do, Oregon could be among the favorites to win it all in Omaha. Let’s take a look at what type of challenge Texas presents in the super regional.
Season Overview
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Texas is hosting a super regional for the first time since 2021. The Longhorns are 43-13 this season, but only managed to make it to the quarterfinals in the SEC Tournament before falling to Arkansas.
The Longhorns made up for the early exit by sweeping the Austin Regional. They won 19-1 against Holy Cross and 16-2 against Tarleton State in the first two games. UC Santa Barbara gave them a scare in the regional final, but ultimately the Longhorns prevailed with a 6-4 win to advance. Texas was fortunate to avoid the Gauchos’ ace, Jackson Flora, who is the top pitching prospect in the upcoming MLB draft.
In one of the best conferences in the country, Texas is among the SEC leaders in runs, walks, ERA and stolen bases. The Longhorns are a very well-rounded group, which should be expected of a team led by veteran head coach Jim Schlossnagle, who has 1,030 wins in his career.
Strengths
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Like Oregon, Texas has a stable of talented arms to run out to the mound, especially in the starting rotation. Graduate righty Luke Harrison and senior righty Ruger Riojas have allowed the Longhorns to dominate their schedule, losing only two series this season. Harrison (4.36 ERA) and Riojas (3.86 ERA) give the Longhorns length in the rotation, but the headliner is sophomore Dylan Volantis (1.94 ERA). With three dependable starters, Texas is well-suited to take on the Ducks in a three-game series. The Longhorns pitch for strikeouts, so it will be vital for Oregon to work counts and get to the bullpen quickly.
Offensively, the Longhorns are aggressive on the bases, ranking third in the SEC with 109 stolen bases this season. Seven players have 10 or more steals this season, and the Longhorns are efficient as well, only being caught 15 times. That will be a big challenge for Oregon catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus to navigate.
At the plate, the Longhorns are consistent in taking patient at-bats and taking what the opponent gives them. They can hit for average and power the ball over the fence as well, hitting 99 home runs this season. Texas walks a ton and doesn’t strike out much, so Oregon’s strikeout-heavy rotation could face some adversity.
Weaknesses
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Texas can be beat, and the bullpen could be the key. While the Longhorns have some talented arms, they did get whacked around by UC Santa Barbara in the final game of the Austin Regional. Volantis rolled through Tarleton State, but the Longhorns used 10 relievers in the other two games in the regional.
While they should be rested by the time Oregon comes to town, the bullpen has struggled to throw strikes at times and has been hit around as a result. Freshman closer Sam Cozart, who earned first-team All-SEC honors, gave up five hits and a run while trying to close out the Gauchos on Sunday. Talented and inexperienced arms could be forced into action if the Ducks can create stress on the bases early on.
Texas also hasn’t hit well against top-of-the-line starters this season. The Longhorns lost five series openers and fell to Arkansas in the conference tournament because they had a tough time against great pitching. Will Sanford is red-hot on the mound right now, while Cal Scolari and Miles Gosztola have been great starters down the stretch. If they can go deep in games like they did last weekend, the Ducks have a great shot.
Three Players to Know
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To beat Texas, the Ducks have to go through Dylan Volantis. The sophomore ace has a 1.94 ERA, third-best nationally and best in the SEC. Volantis pitches for the strikeout, notching 116 this season, and works deep into games. He won’t blow you away with his velocity, but a five-pitch mix including a fastball, curveball, cutter, changeup and slider gets hitters off balance.
Aiden Robbins won the SEC Newcomer of the Year after transferring to Austin from Seton Hall and turning in a great season. Robbins is among the nation’s leaders with 23 home runs, four of which came in the regional. He’s steaming hot at the plate right now, so the Ducks should be careful with how they pitch to him. He is susceptible to swing-and-miss stuff, so the Ducks’ pitchers could try to speed him up.
Texas also has one of the best freshmen in the country in SEC Freshman of the Year outfielder Anthony Pack Jr., who leads the team in batting average (.358), doubles (16) and stolen bases (20). He also has 11 home runs and is the heartbeat of the Longhorns’ lineup. Pack hit three home runs against Holy Cross to open the regional. He’s great at both starting a rally and cashing in on one out of the three-hole in the lineup.
Prediction
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On paper, Texas and Oregon are similar statistically and in terms of overall makeup. Strong starting rotations, bats that can hit for average or power, and veteran head coaches who have seen just about everything.
The difference could be the bullpens, and Oregon’s showed up big in the regional on the heels of strong starts from Scolari, Sanford and Gosztola. The Ducks have had their fair share of bullpen blowups, particularly against clutch teams like UCLA, but if they get enough from their starters, the bullpen’s job becomes much easier.
The path to victory for Oregon is a clean finish from the bullpen and timely hitting, which didn’t happen often in the Eugene Regional. The Ducks should be able to slug homers out of UFCU Disch-Falk Field, which is fairly short to right field. I think Oregon wins the series in three games if they can knock Texas’ top starters out of the game early.
However, if the moment becomes too big for Oregon’s staff, it might get ugly quickly. Fortunately, the moment hasn’t been too large yet, and Wasikowski is counting on the staff’s calmness continuing to prevail.
Oregon and Texas will begin the Austin Super Regional on Saturday at 5 p.m. PT. The game will air live on ESPN.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: What to know when Oregon baseball plays Texas in Austin Super Regional
Continue reading...
