During Oregon baseball season, our sports staff will discuss various topics surrounding an upcoming series. Today, Emerald digital sports editor Victor Flores and sports reporters Madison Guernsey and Andrew Bantly discuss the loss of Matt Krook, No. 19 Oregon’s nine-game winning streak and the weekend series against between the Ducks (31-10, 10-5 Pac-12) and No. 5 Oregon State (28-8, 11-4 Pac-12).

1) How much will Matt Krook’s season-ending Tommy John surgery hurt the Ducks?

Flores — It’s the nail in the coffin for any Pac-12 or national championship hopes. This team can still sneak past the Regionals if it gets favorable matchups, but Trent Paddon and Brando Tessar aren’t going to replace Krook’s production. Losing Cole Irvin and Scott Heineman already wounded Oregon’s postseason aspirations, so Krook’s absence is the final blow.

Guernsey — Krook’s injury will either doom the Ducks and keep them away from Omaha or spark a miracle run and inspire the team to play above its ability level and reach the promised land. However, my money is on the first scenario. Tommy Thorpe and Jeff Gold have been great, but neither is a true ace. Losing Krook and Irvin really depletes the rotation and pitching staff as a whole, and the bullpen has been too inconsistent to turn to lesser-used arms in desperation.

Bantly — It will hurt the Ducks the most when they start playing in Regionals and, if they get there, Super Regionals. This is because a team typically needs more than one dominant starter — assuming Thorpe would be dominant in game one. It also puts a ton of pressure on Thorpe because whenever he pitches, it is a must-win game. The Ducks can no longer afford Thorpe to be off his game.

2) Who should be the Sunday starter going forward?

Flores — Brando Tessar has thrown 14 straight shutout innings, and his most recent excellent start came against a solid San Diego squad. Trent Paddon looked good in his start Saturday against Washington State but my money’s on the guy who’s gone deep into two straight starts.

Guernsey — Tessar. He’s really come on as of late and has been more consistent overall than Paddon and Jordan Spencer, who’s started three games but has pitched much better in a relief role. Tessar appears to be more poised and has the experience edge over Paddon. He gives up too many hits (.270 opponents’ batting average) but finds a way to get out of trouble and has good command. Two players (Tessar and Gold) that wouldn’t have been weekend starters before injuries are now huge parts of the rotation and will be leaned on just as if they were there all along.

Bantly — Paddon. Brando Tessar has looked good of late but still needs to improve. His last two starts came against relatively weak competition — San Diego and Portland. Yes, he has 14 straight shutout innings between San Diego and Portland, but he also gave up four runs (all earned) in 2.2 innings to Gonzaga and he hasn’t even pitched in the Pac-12 this season. I don’t think you throw Tessar against Oregon State for his Pac-12 opener. Paddon, on the other hand, has a 1.65 Pac-12 ERA (three runs in 16.1 innings pitched) and, in his most recent game, pitched well against Washington State – 6.0 IP, one run (earned), one walk and six strikeouts.

3) What is your biggest takeaway from the nine-game winning streak the Ducks are currently riding?

Flores — Encouraging but not necessarily meaningful. Of the four teams Oregon has played on this winning streak, only one of them (San Diego) owns a record over .500, and several of Oregon’s wins could have gone either way. If the Ducks don’t play well against Oregon State, these last nine games will simply look like a good team feasting on mediocre competition.

Guernsey — They’ve certainly shown they can win close games, and Jake Reed is a sure-fire closer. The competition hasn’t been great, but the Ducks could have crumbled with Krook’s left arm but instead stood strong and are playing more inspired than they have been all season. Four of Reed’s 10 saves have come during the streak, and he’s going to need to replicate that success going forward.

Bantly — They are finding ways to win while dealing with serious adversity. The hitting is leading this team — something we are not accustomed to seeing — and the defense is playing great and heads-up. In Oregon’s last game, Austin Grebeck made one of the best plays I have seen all year throwing out a guy attempting to get to second instead of throwing home to get the lead runner. Grebeck got his man out at second, which was the final out of the inning and moments before the runner crossed the plate at home. Oregon won that game 2-1.

4) Who will win this series? In how many games?

Flores — While I’m skeptical of Oregon’s true talent level based on these last nine games, I think the Ducks will go into Goss Stadium— “the most hostile place I’ve ever played at in any sport,” Reed told reporters Wednesday — and take two of three in a neck-and-neck series. The Beavers are the better team, but the Ducks will continue to perform well against their toughest opponent of the season.

Guernsey — Oregon State wins two of three games. The Beavers’ first two starting pitchers (Ben Wetzler and Jace Fry) are as good as they come and Zack Reser is lights out at the back end of the bullpen. Offensively, Oregon State is led by Michael Conforto (.408, 3 HR, 41 RBI) and has a number of starters hitting over .300. With Krook and Irvin healthy, the Ducks may have swept this series. Given the injuries and Oregon State’s overall level of talent, the Beavers get the better of their rivals at home this weekend.

Bantly — I think Gold (9-0, 2.54 ERA) continues his monstrous season by winning the Saturday game but I don’t see Friday or Sunday going the Ducks way. I don’t think Thorpe will out-pitch Wetzler (6-1, 0.68 ERA) and I don’t think that whomever Horton picks to throw on Sunday will have success against the Beavers offense, let alone beat Fry (7-1, 1.95 ERA). This is probably the best pitching rotations the Ducks have faced all year, rivaled only by Cal State Fullerton.

Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415
Follow Madison Guernsey on Twitter @guernseymd
Follow Andrew Bantly on Twitter @abant3