It’s been a while since you threw up an O at Autzen and you may have recently come down from a March Madness high, but Oregon’s spring sports are in full swing.
There is a plethora of events this weekend for Ducks athletics, ranging from exhibition volleyball to a huge Pac-12 matchup in softball. Although the Ducks will host seven different sporting events in Eugene this weekend, baseball and men’s tennis, along with track and field, will represent Oregon on the road.
Here’s a roundup of what to look for during this jam-packed weekend for Oregon sports:
Softball:
The Oregon softball team is leading the Pac-12 so far this season with a 10-2 conference record. The Ducks will look to keep that top spot in the dominant Pac-12 as they face the Arizona Wildcats this weekend at home.
In this week’s polls, Oregon took the sixth spot by USA Softball and was ranked No. 7 by the NFCA.
The Ducks are 33-6 overall and undefeated at home. Oregon has been dangerous from the mound due the strong pitching of senior Jessica Moore and freshman Cheridan Hawkins. On Tuesday, Moore was announced as a top 25 finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year. Moore also won Pac-12 pitcher of the week after her performances against Cal and Utah last weekend.
The No. 17 Wildcats travel to Eugene for three separate games Friday through Sunday. The final game on Sunday will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
Volleyball:
Fresh off a second-place finish in the NCAA tournament in the fall, the women’s volleyball team will face Oregon State in an exhibition match Friday night at Matthew Knight Arena.
Although the squad lost four seniors, including AVCA National Player of the year Alaina Bergsma, the Ducks will return two starters with setter Lauren Plum and outside hitter and three-sport star Liz Brenner.
Lacrosse:
The women’s lacrosse team will have its final home game of the season versus St. Mary’s this Sunday.
The Ducks started the season strong but have struggled in conference play so far.
Oregon’s leading scorer, Kate Cathell, has been sidelined due to injury, which has caused other players such as junior Hayley Milner to step up on offense. Milner has proven to be a threat for the Ducks, tallying 19 goals for the season.
The first draw is set for 1 p.m. at Papé Field.
Tennis:
The women’s tennis team will conclude its Pac-12 games this weekend when the women face No. 6 UCLA and No. 5 USC this weekend.
The Ducks are 12-8 overall and 1-7 in conference this season. Oregon struggled last weekend, losing both of its last Pac-12 matches versus Cal and Stanford.
Patricia Skowronski and Nicole Long have played strong for the Ducks, picking up 13 wins in doubles this season.
The men’s tennis team will travel to Southern California to challenge high-ranked UCLA and USC.
Baseball:
The No. 16 Ducks head to the Bay Area to face the California Golden Bears this weekend. The team is 9-3 so far in conference play.
Oregon is coming off a 6-3 Civil War victory against Oregon State on Tuesday Night. Sophomore Jake Reed will get the Friday start for the Ducks. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Track:
Since this is TrackTown USA, last but certainly not least, Oregon’s track and field team will compete at the John Knight Twilight at Western Oregon University.
Oregon will primarily send throwers to compete on Friday. Jillian Weir will compete in the women’s hammer and Laura Bobek in the women’s discus. Other competitors for the women are Lauren Sens, Annie Whitfield and Rachel Sherrell.
For the men, Tanner Harris, Miles Walk and Marcus McArdle will represent the Ducks in the hammer.
Other entries include Ryan Hunter-Simms in the shot put and discus, Ron Perkins in the shot put and Bradley Laubacher in the high jump. Runners for Oregon will be Trent Warren in the 800 meters and Hank Morrison in the 1,500 meters.
The event kicks off at 2 p.m.