The Oregon softball team wasn’t supposed to lose, at least not in the super regionals.
After struggling to come up with consistent hitting, the Ducks were upset by No. 14-seeded Nebraska in the Eugene Super Regional at Howe Field in front of a home crowd that fully expected them to advance to the Women’s College World Series with ease. The Ducks looked like they could contend for a title and instead failed to live up to their No. 3 seed as Oregon’s magical season came to an abrupt end.
Heading into the postseason, the Ducks held an impressive .338 team batting average (sixth best in country) and were considered to be one of the offensive powerhouses in the nation with four batters batting above .400, but in retrospect, this had no bearing on their future results.
As the Ducks dropped to a dismal .242 batting average in the postseason, both their confidence and image transformed into a team that managed to only come up with eight runs in three games against a Nebraska team they had previously defeated 11-2 earlier this season.
Sure, the early season matchup virtually had no influence on the results in the super regional, but it did add some perspective as to what team showed up more prepared in the games that actually mattered moving forward.
As the Ducks now say their goodbyes to their outstanding senior core in Jessica Moore (Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year), Samantha Pappas (All-Pac-12 Second Team), Kaylan Howard (All-Pac-12 First Team) and Allie Burger, the Ducks can’t help but turn to their postseason offensive struggles in flat-out disappointment.
This was the year to go all the way and the Ducks simply could not raise their game to the necessary level. Now as the Ducks try and regroup for their upcoming season, two questions lie: Will Cheridan Hawkins be able to step up accordingly and will the Ducks be able to get over their offensive hump in future postseason series?
These are the questions that will differentiate the Ducks from falling short in the super regional to dumping Gatorade on Coach White’s head while holding up a national title. This is something that separates good teams from teams that are remembered for generations to come, and it will be up to the Ducks to take full advantage of the cards they hold moving forward.