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Whether Oregon baseball gets the opportunity to host an NCAA regional at PK Park in 2026 will not necessarily be decided this week.
But a strong showing against one of the top teams in the country could go a long way toward bolstering the Ducks' chances of playing postseason baseball in Eugene.
In its final series of the regular season, No. 20 Oregon (36-14, 18-9 Big Ten Conference) will host the No. 8 USC Trojans (41-12, 19-8) for a three-game set beginning at 7:05 p.m. May 14. With the Big Ten Tournament slated for May 19-24 in Omaha, Nebraska, there is plenty at stake for both programs.
USC sits in third place in the Big Ten standings behind first-place UCLA (46-5, 26-1) and second-place Nebraska (38-14, 20-7). The Ducks are in fourth place, and Purdue (34-15, 18-9) is in fifth. All three ball clubs will be fighting for a top-four spot in the conference, as that automatically pushes them into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
Alternatively, the No. 5-12 seeds in the tournament will play in a double-elimination bracket throughout the first three days in Omaha.
If the Ducks were to take two games against USC this week, it would almost certainly lock them into a top-four seed. It would also give Mark Wasikowski's squad a big boost in the all-important RPI rankings, which could strengthen their chances of hosting a regional.
As of May 14, Oregon owns an RPI ranking of No. 20. USC is No. 8.
In its latest field of 64 projection, D1Baseball lists the Ducks as the No. 16 overall seed and has them hosting a regional in Eugene that also features No. 19 Arkansas, Gonzaga and Wright State. In that scenario, Oregon is the final hosting team.
Baseball America is less bullish on the Ducks in its latest projection. The publication tabbed Oregon as the No. 21 overall seed and has it headed to the College Station Regional, where Texas A&M would play host to a four-team field that also features UTSA and Tarleton State.
Nothing is guaranteed this time of year, and Oregon is vying with No. 17 Ole Miss, No. 18 Coastal Carolina and No. 19 Arkansas, among others, for the final hosting bid. But a series win over the Trojans and at least one win at the Big Ten Tournament could put the Ducks in a strong position.
Oregon did not announce its starting pitchers for the week. Nor did USC.
Will Sanford (6-2, 4.19 earned-run average) has operated as the Ducks' Friday starter all season, while Collin Clarke (5-3, 4.58) has occupied the Saturday role. Miles Gosztola (2-3, 3.91) has held down the Sunday role since late April and is providing a spark at the back of the rotation. In each of his last four starts, the junior left-hander went at least 4 1/3 innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs.
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jarrid_denney
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: What's at stake for Oregon baseball heading into series vs. No. 8 USC
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But a strong showing against one of the top teams in the country could go a long way toward bolstering the Ducks' chances of playing postseason baseball in Eugene.
In its final series of the regular season, No. 20 Oregon (36-14, 18-9 Big Ten Conference) will host the No. 8 USC Trojans (41-12, 19-8) for a three-game set beginning at 7:05 p.m. May 14. With the Big Ten Tournament slated for May 19-24 in Omaha, Nebraska, there is plenty at stake for both programs.
USC sits in third place in the Big Ten standings behind first-place UCLA (46-5, 26-1) and second-place Nebraska (38-14, 20-7). The Ducks are in fourth place, and Purdue (34-15, 18-9) is in fifth. All three ball clubs will be fighting for a top-four spot in the conference, as that automatically pushes them into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
Alternatively, the No. 5-12 seeds in the tournament will play in a double-elimination bracket throughout the first three days in Omaha.
If the Ducks were to take two games against USC this week, it would almost certainly lock them into a top-four seed. It would also give Mark Wasikowski's squad a big boost in the all-important RPI rankings, which could strengthen their chances of hosting a regional.
As of May 14, Oregon owns an RPI ranking of No. 20. USC is No. 8.
In its latest field of 64 projection, D1Baseball lists the Ducks as the No. 16 overall seed and has them hosting a regional in Eugene that also features No. 19 Arkansas, Gonzaga and Wright State. In that scenario, Oregon is the final hosting team.
Baseball America is less bullish on the Ducks in its latest projection. The publication tabbed Oregon as the No. 21 overall seed and has it headed to the College Station Regional, where Texas A&M would play host to a four-team field that also features UTSA and Tarleton State.
Nothing is guaranteed this time of year, and Oregon is vying with No. 17 Ole Miss, No. 18 Coastal Carolina and No. 19 Arkansas, among others, for the final hosting bid. But a series win over the Trojans and at least one win at the Big Ten Tournament could put the Ducks in a strong position.
Oregon did not announce its starting pitchers for the week. Nor did USC.
Will Sanford (6-2, 4.19 earned-run average) has operated as the Ducks' Friday starter all season, while Collin Clarke (5-3, 4.58) has occupied the Saturday role. Miles Gosztola (2-3, 3.91) has held down the Sunday role since late April and is providing a spark at the back of the rotation. In each of his last four starts, the junior left-hander went at least 4 1/3 innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs.
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jarrid_denney
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: What's at stake for Oregon baseball heading into series vs. No. 8 USC
Continue reading...
