It is nearly impossible to follow Pac-12 baseball and not place major implications on the four games played between Oregon and Oregon State in mid-May. The two teams are at the top of the conference, and most polls have them both ranked in the top 10 nationally, with Oregon State usually just a few spots above Oregon.

Over the past three years, every series between the two has resulted in a sweep, with Oregon State taking two of the three series. If history repeats itself, one team would likely be able to separate from the other enough to not only win the conference, but pick up one of the top eight national seeds and thus earn the right to host a regional and super regional in June.

Oregon seems to be on a roll, winning six of their last seven going into the weekend. The Ducks played Seattle on Tuesday and Wednesday, winning one of two, and are headed into a weekend series against a sub-par Washington State team. Even if Oregon does roll into the Civil War series red hot, Oregon State will be no pushover.

In fact, the teams are pretty similar statistically, with Oregon State generally taking a slight edge in most categories. Oregon State bats .286 compared to Oregon’s .267 and has driven in 239, while Oregon has scored 236 runs.

Oregon generally holds an edge on the mound, boasting three quality starters, a strong bullpen and an All-American closer, but Oregon State also has the edge in ERA, leading the Pac-12 at 2.02 while Oregon comes in third at 2.81.

One category where Oregon far exceeds Oregon State — and the rest of the country for the majority of the season — is defense. The gaudy .988 fielding percentage that Oregon held has been bumped down to .979 after error-filled games against UCLA and Portland and Seattle, but they still rank eighth in the country while Oregon State is 67th.

Oregon is fortunate to get the series at home as the home team has won every series between the two since the resurgence of the Oregon baseball program in 2009. Aside from that, they are an impressive 19-5 in the expansive PK Park and give up only two-and-a-half runs per game.

At some point though, weighing their statistical achievements against each other resembles splitting hairs; both are contenders to go to Omaha, Neb. None of that will matter when the two teams meet. They will have three games to prove who deserves the conference and likely who deserves to host regional play.

Oregon baseball was fresh off a five game winning streak, including their first series win of the season against a ranked opponent, but slipped up during a mid-week two game series against Seattle, going 1-1. In the first game they were helped by freshman Mitchell Tolman, who had a career night with seven RBI.

They were less fortunate in the second. Tolman played well again, driving in the only two Oregon runs, but it wasn’t enough as they lost 3-2. The team will now regroup for their road series this weekend against Washington State.

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Jimmie Sherfy and Ryon Healy were both added to the Golden Spikes watch list. The list for the most coveted award in baseball currently has 60 players on it.

Healy has established himself as the Ducks best offensive player by a large margin, batting .349 with nine home runs and 45 RBI.

Sherfy, a pre-season All-American, has only improved on the success he saw last season. He is second in the nation with 14 saves and boasts a .90 ERA.

The final decision will be announced July 19.

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Portland Trail Blazer rookie Damian Lillard won Rookie of the Year honors yesterday, as expected. Lillard had a sensational season, breaking the record for most three-pointers in a single season by a rookie and leading the league in minutes played. Lillard averaged 19.0 points, 6.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds, in 38.6 minutes per game.

Lillard became just the fourth ever unanimous Rookie of the Year selection, joining Ralph Sampson, David Robinson and Blake Griffin.

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Looking far into the future, some NFL analysts are already creating mock drafts for next year’s NFL draft. After sending five players to the NFL in last weeks draft, Oregon looks like they will again produce top prospects.

Multiple mock drafts floating around have Oregon players Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, De’Anthony Thomas, Colt Lyerla and Marcus Mariota being high draft picks with some even projected to be first-rounders. Ekpre-Olomu is projected to be the first Duck drafted and, as of now, certainly looks like a first round choice.

Rob Moseley of The Register-Guard has more.

For the second-straight night, Oregon struggled against a lowly Seattle team. Tuesday, helped by an incredible seven RBI by Mitchell Tolman, the Ducks came out with a 12-7 victory. Wednesday was a different story as the Ducks were unable to match their offensive production from the night prior and lost to the Redhawks 3-2.

Tolman again was the most prolific Duck, going 1-3 and driving in Oregon’s only two runs to give him nine runs batted in in two games. Brett Thomas was the only Duck with a multi-hit game, going 2-5. Scott Heineman, Aaron Payne, and Steven Packard all chipped in a hit as well.

Clayton Crum got the start for Oregon, going three innings while giving up two runs. Cole Wiper came in to throw the fourth and fifth, giving up a run on two hits. Jared Priestley, Jordan Spencer and Garrett Cleavinger all went an inning, holding off the Redhawk offense, to close the game.

Turning Point. Oregon threatened a rally with corner bases in the top of the ninth with one out. Thomas took to the plate but ended up grounding out into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and Oregon’s six-game winning streak.

On the Horizon. Oregon will take up play again Friday when they head to Pullman, Wash., to take on Washington State. The first of the three-game series will kick off Friday at 6 p.m. Tommy Thorpe will take the mound for Oregon.

Oregon broke past a pesky Seattle team in an 12-7 road victory Tuesday night with help from freshman Mitchell Tolman who had a career night.

Tolman hit 3-4, driving in seven runs. The seven RBI were the most in a single game by a Duck since the talented Jack Marder drove in eight in the 2010 season.

Tolman didn’t do it all though. Ryon Healy went 2-3 with three RBI, and Aaron Payne and Ryan Hambright both chipped in  a couple of hits as well.

Oregon did as they have all season in mid-week games with a pitch-by-committee approach. Jeff Gold got the start but only went two innings before Christian Jones was called in for relief. Jones pitched just one inning, giving up two runs on three hits, before Darrell Hunter came in to pitch the fourth and fifth. Derek Smith closed out the final three innings, shutting Seattle out and allowing just three hits.

Oregon inevitably came out with the win, but it wasn’t pretty. The Ducks gave up seven runs on 12 hits to a far inferior Seattle team and again struggled defensively. After leading the nation in fielding percentage for much of the season, Oregon has steadily dropped in the rankings over the past two weeks. Tuesday was no exception, with the Ducks committing three errors.

Turning Point. After being down 5-2, Seattle responded with a three-run third inning to tie the game. Oregon battled back in the fourth with two outs, with Healy and Tolman combining to drive in three runs and give Oregon an 8-5 lead.

Oregon added four more insurance runs, two in the sixth and two in the eighth, to stave off Seattle and get the win.

On the Horizon. Oregon and Seattle will go head-to-head again Wednesday at 4 p.m.

The No. 11 Ducks (33-10, 16-5 Pac-12), fresh off their sweep of Stanford, look to extend their win streak to a possible seven games with a two-game series on the road against the Redhawks.

Oregon was helped with a strong weekend from Ryon Healy, who hit .400 (6-for-15) for the week with two home runs, a double, seven RBI and three runs scored, earning him Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. The award was the second for him this season.

The games against Seattle will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Tuesday’s game starting at 6 p.m. and Wednesday’s at 4 p.m. Jeff Gold will get the start Tuesday where he will face lefty Kyle Doyle. Oregon has yet to announce their Wednesday starter, but speculation based on history would say Cole Wiper will get the nod, facing Connor Moore.

Likely, as Oregon head coach George Horton has done often this season during mid-week games, pitching will be done by committee, with the starters only going two to three innings.

Sports Illustrated came out with a shocking cover story this Monday morning on NBA journeyman center Jason Collins. The profile story portrayed him as a fascinating individual off of the court. SI delves deep into his life, yet all is seemingly overshadowed by the basketball player using the profile as an opportunity to announce he is gay. He becomes the first active athlete in one of the four major American sports to come out of the closet. Many players congratulated him; even former president Bill Clinton sent a congratulatory tweet.

I’m proud of Jason Collins. Keep keepin it real. And be yourself always. #muchrespect

— ..::⚡C⚡::.. (@ThaRealCL) April

I have to respect @jasoncollins34 . Hope people will respect his decision and respect for the courage it took.#support#respect#NBAfamily

— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) April 29, 2013

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After drafting Geno Smith and still having Mark Sanchez on the roster, the Jets have decided to part ways with Tim Tebow. Tebow was waived by the Jets this morning and is currently a free agent. The Associated Press has more.

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The Western Hockey League has announced the schedule for the WHL Championship series between the Portland Winterhawks and the winner of the Eastern Conference finals: the Edmonton Oil Kings or Calgary Hitmen.

Dion Jordan was drafted third overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2013 NFL Draft. The Dolphins acquired the pick via trade with the Raiders. Miami sent the 12th and 42nd overall picks to Oakland for the rights to Jordan.

Jordan is the 13th Duck to go in the first round of the draft. The highest drafted Oregon player was former Oregon quarterback George Shaw who went first overall. Joey Harrington went third in the 2002 draft.

Jordan was drafted after Eric Fisher by the Kansas City Chiefs, and Luke Joeckel by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jordan had five sacks and 44 tackles last season while dealing with injury. Jordan saw his draft stock sky-rocket due to his impressive showing at the NFL combine where he ran a 4.60 forty-yard dash, had a 32.5 inch vertical leap and a 122 inch broad jump.  

The six-foot-six defensive end has had scouts drooling due to his ability to play outside linebacker and drop into coverage, his speed and his ability to spin-off linemen and get to the quarterback. Jordan has also drawn numerous comparisons to the 49ers Aldon Smith, who was second in the league in sacks last year with 19.5.

Many thought that Jordan would never reach the NFL, or even a major college program, after a life-threatening accident caused third degree burns to cover his body. For Jordan, being a first round pick on the NFL is just the latest in miraculous feats.

Later in the draft, the Chicago Bears selected the Ducks Kyle Long with the 20th overall pick. Long was a standout offensive linemen for the Ducks in his lone year at Oregon.

Spring practice and the spring game provide an opportunity to many football players who will be returning next season. The standout seniors are gone and members of the highly touted recruiting class has yet to strut in. This is their chance to stand out to the coaching staff and earn their role for next season.

That will certainly be the case for both kickers and punters. Jackson Rice and Rob Beard are graduating and leaving vacancies in both positions. Alejandro Maldonado, who filled in as kicker for much of last season, would like to think he sits atop the depth chart, but his three infamous misses, one against USC and two against Stanford, will remain branded into Oregon fans’ memories for years to come.

Kicking and punting, however, can be as mental as they are physical, much like pitching in baseball or goaltending in hockey. Maldonado would surely have to make a strong case for himself this spring, then into fall, to be named either kicker, punter or both, but it’s not impossible.

And while those losses seem to stand out, it was a rough year overall for Oregon’s kicking game. Beard and Maldonado combined to make just half of their attempted field goals, and they only attempted 14. They went 1-5 from 40 yards or further, and late in the season Chip Kelly often elected to either squib kick the ball or keep the offense on the field.

If Maldonado plans on being named either starting kicker or punter heading into the fall, he not only needs to prove to fans, the coaching staff and his teammates that he can be counted on in pressure situations, he needs to believe it himself.

While he tries to put the past behind him, he also can’t forget that he is in a competition for both the kicking and punting job with Dylan Ausherman, who spent last year red-shirting. Ausherman, who came out of California in 2012 as a two-star recruit, has been looking forward to the 2013 season knowing Beard and Rice would be graduating and will surely give his all in the spring in attempt to earn the job.

Perhaps whoever wins the top spot through the spring will just be gearing up for a second competition this fall with three-star recruit Matt Wogan, another athlete who can both kick and punt. Wogan is one of the top ten kickers in the country coming out of high school and as high as second on some lists.

Wogan’s longest in-game field goal measured 58-feet, but hit a 60-yarder in a kicking camp held by the University of Oregon last June, impressing Kelly and earning him a scholarship.

Wogan seems to have all of the abilities to make a difference on the field for Oregon, but after all he is still a freshman and everything must be earned. Most likely both Maldonado and Ausherman will play for opposing sides in the spring game, capping off their spring practice campaign. Who ever is most impressive might head into fall camp first on the depth chart, but a fierce competition will likely ensue for both roles.

Heading into the spring game and looking to next season, Oregon football is adapting to change. Head coach Mark Helfrich has replaced Chip Kelly, Scott Frost is taking over as offensive coordinator and Oregon has lost standouts on both offense and defense.

Perhaps the biggest mystery lies in Oregon’s running game after the departure of leading rusher Kenjon Barner. Oregon has built its reputation on this type of game with backs like Jeremiah Johnson, Jonathan Stewart, LaMichael James, LeGarrette Blount and Barner. For the first time in years, the Ducks will open their season with some questions surrounding their ground attack. 

De’Anthony Thomas has surely earned his way to the top of the depth chart, but with his small stature, there is uncertainty about how many carries he should get. The spring game — and more specifically the production of second-year running back Byron Marshall — will give a lot of insight as to how carries will be split next season.

The 5-foot-9, 173-pound Thomas is smaller than most traditional backs, but he claims to have hit the weight room in anticipation for a larger role in the Oregon offense.

“I’m not really trying to gain weight,” he said. “I’m just trying to get stronger in the weight room. I got a lot stronger, and I feel like I got a lot faster too; so, it feels great.”

He averaged 7.6 yards per carry last season, third in the nation just behind former Oregon running back Lache Seastrunk, but he only had 92 rushing attempts. The fear with using Thomas as an every-down back is not only that he would get beat up, which is a legitimate concern, but that with more carries, he would be less prolific.

“In this league, you take a beating, and we’ve had bigger guys who’ve had more reps, but they’ve really ended up getting beat up,” said Oregon running backs coach Gary Campbell to The Register-Guard. “Because of his ability to make big plays, hopefully he won’t have to touch it any more than that.”

In the past two seasons, Oregon used him as a hybrid back with him playing running back, slot receiver and wide out. At times, he seemed to excel most in the slot. However, making him work as a traditional running back could hinder his full potential. He said he wants the same role this season.

“I feel like I should have the same role,” he said. “Just being momentum builder and a game changer.”

The biggest thing to watch for in the spring game will be Byron Marshall’s carries and yardage. With the transfers of Seastrunk, Dontae Williams and Tra Carson, he is second on the depth chart by default and is unproven. Last season as a true freshman, he played in 11 games, rushing for 447 yards on 87 carries with four touchdowns. With Thomas being as small as he is, Campbell is depending on Marshall to be productive. 

“He’s going to have to step up and really try and become that second guy,” Campbell said to The Register-Guard. “I don’t want to beat De’Anthony up a lot. I want to give him 15, 20, maybe more reps per game. And then I expect Byron to come in and pick up some of the slack.”

Frost will likely give Marshall the majority of the reps in the spring game to help figure out how much of the workload should be placed on him headed into fall. If he has a strong game and fall camp, it would make sense for Oregon to start the season splitting reps between him and Thomas.

Of course, in typical Oregon fashion, they will likely get rushing yards from other positions as well. Quarterback Macus Mariota will likely take to the air more often as he matures as a passer, but he will still take what the defense gives him. Expect him to break off down field from time to time.

Another possible outlet for rushing yards is tight end Colt Lyerla. He played sparingly at tailback last season, usually in short goal line situations with former back up quarterback Bryan Bennett (amassing 77 yards). While he will mostly be used at tight end, the emergence of sophomore Pharaoh Brown could allow Frost the freedom to move Lyerla around. The spring game would be an ideal situation for this type of experimentation.

Unfortunately, it won’t shed light on the abilities of the Ducks’ recently recruited backs Thomas Tyner and Kani Benoit. Tyner, Oregon’s lone five-star recruit, has the physical abilities to be the future of the Oregon rushing attack. His 6-foot, 200-pound frame fits the college running back mold, and his 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash fits the mold of Oregon’s speed in the backfield.

“Tyner is a combination of top-end speed and size the Ducks probably haven’t had since Jonathan Stewart,” Oregonlive.com producer Sean Meagher said in September. “What we’ve seen from him at the prep level is not only the top-end speed, but the ability to slip through tackles and shake any defenders who attempt to tackle at the pad level. That, of course, won’t translate directly to the next level when everyone else is more comparable size-wise, but he can hit the gap as well as run on the outside.”

Benoit is another six-foot, 200 pound back who will likely be used as injury insurance his freshman season. He rushed for 2,260 yards and 36 touchdowns while averaging 7.93 yards per carry while in high school. His 40 time of 4.48 is a little bit slower than average for Oregon, but they hope in time he can prove to be a solid backup.

While the spring game won’t showcase the two new recruits, it will give the coaching staff — and fans — a better understanding of what will be asked of them next season. If Marshall can continue to grow as a rusher, Tyner will probably have less of a role his freshman year with Thomas and Marshall getting most of the carries. However, if Marshall struggles in the spring game and into fall camp, it might prompt the coaching staff to give Tyner a bigger role next season.

Oregon is coming off a stretch of four games where they were lucky to go 2-2. The first win avoided a sweep at the hands of UCLA while the second came against a Portland team that should have been easy competition. Oregon committed 11 errors in the games, including five against Portland, roughing up their .988 fielding percentage that led the nation.

“Obviously Tolman had a bit of a rough go in the UCLA series,” said coach George Horton of Mitchell Tolman, who accounted for four errors against UCLA. “Yesterday was very, very uncharacteristic of us. I guess it explains to me how special the .988 was all along and the consistency because every once in a while I think that devil pops up in every college team.”

Horton continued to say he hopes that the team has gotten the defensive jitters out of its system because against Stanford and Mark Appel, the Ducks can ill-afford to make a mistake.

Appel was slated as a top five draft pick last year but elected to come back to school for another year. Currently, by most projections, Appel is slated to go number one over all.

Although, the Ducks don’t seem too afraid of Appel. They had success against him last year by having stubborn at-bats and taking him deep in pitch counts to try to tire him out. J.J. Altobelli said that they have also placed emphasis on putting the ball in play rather than taking strike outs to force the Cardinal to work harder.

“Obviously he’s a really good pitcher and is supposed to be a top draft pick,” said Altobelli. “Last year he pitched really good against us and we just kind of hung in there and battled. That’s what we have to do this year; just battle pitches off and have a tough mentality at the plate. Put the ball in play with two strikes and just do what we do, we can’t think about it too much.”

Appel will be a tough test for Tommy Thorpe and the Ducks on Friday. It will be a rare game when the “friendly confines” of PK Park might not be so friendly. With a deep outfield, PK is made for pitchers. It is the ideal park for a guy like Appel to give hitters fits.

Brett Thomas, as well as the rest of the team, is fully aware of the arsenal Appel holds.

“He’s firm,” said Thomas. “He can throw the ball. He can reach three digits. He’s got a power slider and a pretty good change, so we got some work to do. We did fairly well against him last year. Hopefully we can use the same formula and have success this year as well.”

A win would be a big statement for the No. 13 Ducks who have struggled lately and have failed to win a series against a ranked team.

“Why would we be complacent when we really haven’t been able to tackle the giants of this industry,” said Horton. “We have a ways to go as far as calling ourselves national contenders, or even league contenders. Until we can prove that we can get a series against the likes of Stanford or Oregon State, why would we suspect we could be successful in regional play or super-regional play?”

Horton has made it clear that he wants his team to content against the top teams and top prospects. For Oregon to be competitive against Appel and other top guys, they need to tighten up their defense and find ways to take advantage of mistakes by the opposition; something they have done all season.