Friday’s rendition of the NCAA Track and Field National Championships featured the literal title runs for each of the men’s events. Members of the Southeastern Conference flexed their conference’s depth. 

USC and Texas A&M split the week with a tie for 41 overall points while Arkansas claimed third (40), Auburn took fourth (35) and New Mexico rounded out the top five with 31 points.

Another chapter of Hayward Field history is in the books.  

Oklahoma’s Ralford Mullings got the title-claiming day started by winning the Men’s Discus title by nearly three meters over anyone else. His 69.31-meter throw finished well above second-place-finisher Mykolas Alekna’s (California) mark and got an impressive field day for the Sooners started. 

The first track event to name a winner was the Men’s Wheelchair 100m. Illinois’ Evan Correll (14.46 seconds) bested a trio of Arizona Wildcats, spinning his wheels as fast as he could to claim a national title for the Fighting Illini. 

Patrons began to trickle into Hayward Field as the Men’s 4x100m Relay took center stage. Auburn’s men took first with a combined 38.33-second road, besting the USC Trojans (38.46), who were looking for every possible point on a day where they hunted an overall championship. 

Washington’s Nathan Green (3:47.26) took first in the Men’s 1500m for the second time in three years, bringing another track and field title to Mont Lake, Washington. The Huskies boast a stellar track and field program, with athletes like Green showing why. 

The Oklahoma Sooners dominated the Men’s Triple Jump with teammates Brandon Green Jr. (16.81m) and Floyd Whitaker (16.41m) claiming the top two respective spots. 

BYU’s James Corrigan took home the Men’s Steeplechase National Championship with his 8:16.41 time. The Olympian dazzled at Hayward and received a secondary round of applause during his post-run interview by announcing that he and his wife are expecting a child at the end of the year.

Ole Miss junior Arvesta Troupe claimed victory in the Men’s High Jump with a 2.27m leap, the only in the field to do so after several tiebreaking rounds. He took the title over a pair of Texas State Bobcats — Kason O’Riley and Aiden Hayes — who tied for second with a 2.20m mark. 

Auburn’s big day continued as Ja’Kobe Tharp claimed first place in the Men’s 110m Hurdles with his 13.05-second time. Nearly half the field tripped at some point in the race, but Tharp stayed steady to claim victory. 

Jordan Anthony won the Men’s 100m in a flash with his 10.07-second time. The Arkansas Razorback won the SEC-loaded field in the 10 most electric seconds of the day. USC’s Mac Thomas finished just one ten-thousandth of a second ahead of LSU’s Jelani Watkins as the two took second and third respectively. 

Oregon fans in attendance didn’t have much to get rowdy for on the home side on Friday. Not a single Duck took first in any event and Oregon was far from making the overall leaderboard. 

Alabama’s Samuel Ogazi claimed victory in the Men’s 400m dash with a 44.84-second time in a sprint that was never really in question. The Iron-Bowl rivalry of Alabama and Auburn dazzled at Hayward on Friday as the SEC flexed its dominance. 

Texas A&M’s Sam Whitmarsh, who took second in the event last year — dominated the Men’s 800m from the start to win it with a time of 1:45.86. Oregon’s Matthew Erickson took second with a time of 1:46.32. His teammate, Koitatoi Kidali, was wincing off the start, but rallied to return to finish ninth in the event. 

Whitmarsh pointed out the SEC’s presence at the Outdoor National Championships after his win, saying “just look at the field”, one that was full of SEC representatives in nearly every event.  

A pair of Razorbacks placed in the event, bringing the Arkansas men into a tie with USC for first overall with six events left to be scored. Minnesota and New Mexico, which started the day in first and second respectively, fell to seventh and fifthth overall by the time the day ended. 

The Men’s 400m Hurdles was an especially-electric event after it was delayed by several distractions. Once it finally got going, Hayward Field got rowdy as Baylor’s Nathaniel Ezekiel ran away with a title with his 47.49-second time, a new personal best. He fell to the ground after falling just short of the 47.02 NCAA record. 

The Men’s 200m ended up being one of the closest races of the day. Kentucky’s Carli Makarawu set a new Zimbabwe national record with his 19.84-second time. Three athletes ran under 20 seconds as Auburn’s Makanakaishe Charamba (19.92) and USC’s Garrett Kaalund (19.96) took second and third respectively. 

24 long-distance runners competed in the Men’s 5000m, but it was Oklahoma State’s Brian Musau’s 12:20.59-second time that won it all when it was all said and done. The leading pack dwindled with each passing lap until one Cowboy remained to claim victory. 

The Men’s 4x400m ended the day and the men’s 2025 track and field season. The Bulls of South Florida earned a national title for the Sunshine State with a 3:00.42-minute time and finalized the team scores for the week. 

The medal ceremony and presentation capped off another impressive year of athletic feats and built the anticipation for Saturday’s women’s slate. 

The post NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships: Day Three appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski ended his press conference after being eliminated from the Eugene Regional the same way he always does: “Thank you all for your coverage.”

It’s a “see you later” in layman’s terms, but for me, it hit like a goodbye. 

The final weeks of the two years I spent covering Oregon baseball for The Daily Emerald had disappointing results, but the experiences were unbelievable and unforgettable. 

It started in the Midwest, where the Ducks hoped to finish their season, but fell short once again. 

I was thrilled for the chance to see the historic Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, during the 2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament. 

Fifteen games took place over a span of six days before the hometown Nebraska Cornhuskers were eventually crowned. While people voiced their hatred of the tournament’s pool-play format, citing that it created “meaningless” games, I don’t think I watched a single contest that didn’t matter for NCAA tournament seeding or the players on the field. 

They know how to treat the media in Omaha. Some of the best buffet spreads I’ve seen awaited me three times a day. Any stat I could ever hope to know was easily accessible. I had the best seat in the (mostly empty) press box for each game. 

Oregon got bounced in pool-play after defeating Michigan State 4-2 and falling to Nebraska 7-3. It was a shorter trip than the Ducks had hoped for, but it gave me the chance to watch the other talented teams that the Big Ten boasts.

But what made it especially meaningful was the simple fact that I, a student journalist, was the only Oregon media member to make the trip.

34 minutes after the final out was recorded in the Ducks’ loss to Nebraska, Wasikowski walked into an empty press conference room. I sat there and faced him as he gave me and the desolate space his opening remarks. 

“First thing I’d like to say is it’s an honor to be in the Big Ten Tournament. I thought the Big Ten did a really nice job with their details and things that they were about. Very impressed with their organization’s operation and disappointed that we didn’t play at our best potential to be able to show the people of Omaha our best reflection of our team,” Wasikowski said.

I agree on both fronts. The Ducks didn’t play well — they scored seven runs in two games — but the tournament was awesome. 

For me to be the only Oregon media member in Omaha was really important to not only myself, but student journalists everywhere. We’re often overlooked, dismissed or not seen as “real” journalists. 

Well, when my voice is the only one in the presser, I become a lot harder to ignore. 

I was able to run press conferences with both Oregon and Michigan State. My interviewing skills got much better because I knew they had to answer my questions. I’m grateful that The Daily Emerald gave me that chance. 

Just as I did last year in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the final Pac-12 Baseball Tournament, I watched the championship game from the bleachers. This time, I got to see Nebraska explode from its dugout after winning its second Big Ten Tournament title in as many years. The Huskers needed to win the tournament outright to make the NCAA Tournament, and they got it done. 

After all the negative narrative around the Big Ten Tournament’s format, Nebraska reminded me why we still play conference tournaments: it’s not for the teams that have already punched their tickets and are only playing for seeding. It’s for the underdog, Cinderella stories of teams with nothing to lose who aren’t ready to give up on their dreams, seniors or season. 

The news that Oregon would host an NCAA Regional came with a sense of relief; my time at PK Park wasn’t over yet. 

I knew what to expect covering baseball games in Eugene, but I never expected the Ducks to roll out as flat as they did — despite watching their ups and downs for two years. Their biggest names were nowhere to be found, they hit .242 with runners on base and they made too many costly blunders. 

As Cal Poly sent Oregon home with a 10-8 win and I walked my way to media, I physically deflated. I spent 158 games covering this baseball team. I knew the end was coming, but I didn’t expect it to be so early into the weekend. 

Just like in Scottsdale and Omaha, I saw the rest of the Eugene Regional through. Admittedly, my main motivation was to soak in every remaining second as a credentialed media member.

A picturesque sunset at PK Park smiled over the Arizona Wildcats as they won the Eugene Regional, but selfishly, I took it as the park saying goodbye. 

The Daily Emerald allowed me to turn feelings like that into stories for the past four years. Sports are so much more than an outcome or a score. There’s so much emotion and storytelling, especially at Oregon. 

I got to tell the stories of transfer quarterbacks Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, the Ducks’ final season in the Pac-12 and their first in the Big Ten. I got to cover a baseball team that made two playoff appearances and won a Big Ten Regular Season Title. I got to write about and interview athletes from Oregon’s track and field, basketball, tennis, softball, football and baseball teams for the better part of four seasons. I’d like to think I did a pretty good job. 

Thanks to The Daily Emerald, I was able to travel to Corvallis, Seattle, Portland, Ann Arbor, Indianapolis, Pasadena, Las Vegas and Omaha. I got to cover a Rose Bowl Game, a Pac-12 Championship Game, a Big Ten Championship Game, a Pac-12 Baseball Tournament, a Big Ten Baseball Tournament, a thrilling win over Ohio State and a handful of rivalry clashes. 

I went behind the scenes at ESPN’s College Gameday, a share of NCAA tournament selection shows and both Oregon’s 2023 and 2024 Pro Days. While I’d love to say I didn’t take a moment for granted, the weight of graduation tells me that I probably did. 

While writing for The Daily Emerald has given me more joy than I’ll ever have the words for (ironic, right?), I can take solace in knowing I’m leaving the sports desk in good hands and on an upward trajectory. 

The Daily Emerald doesn’t owe me a thing. It gave me a voice, more experience than I could have hoped for from a student-ran publication and lifelong friends. The clips I’ve obtained will help to land me jobs, but the memories will always mean more. 

The post Ruth: A bummer ending to an unforgettable year and experience appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Arizona hit six homers and only surrendered six hits as the Wildcats won the Eugene Regional with a 14-0 win over Cal Poly.

Arizona went 3-0 in and breezed through the regional, beating the Mustangs twice and Utah Valley once. 

Sunday’s championship game was never competitive. 

One night after Arizona set a program record with eight homers against Utah Valley, Aaron Walton picked up right where his Wildcats left off. He blasted his 12th homer of the year off the batter’s eye in center to give Arizona a 2-0 lead before Cal Poly starter Ethan Marmie recorded an out. 

In all, the Wildcats tallied five hits in the first frame to open up a quick 5-0 lead. All nine hitters in Arizona’s lineup hit in the first, seven of them reaching safely. 

Marmie was not long for his championship-game start. He was quickly pulled after relenting his sixth hit in 30 pitches. Cal Poly had to turn to its bullpen much earlier than the Mustangs had hoped as their season hung in the balance. 

The pitching change didn’t change much. Walton hit his second two-run blast in as many innings and Maddox Mihalakis left the yard as Arizona plated three more in the second. The Wildcats left no doubt as they earned their first Super Regional bid since 2021.

On the defensive side, Arizona’s Smith Bailey was stellar. Through the first four innings, Cal Poly only had two hits and neither of them left the infield. He finished with six shutout frames and limited the Mustangs to four hits and five strikeouts. He was elite in the Wildcats’ win. 

Walton left the yard again in the sixth with another two-run homer. He became the second Arizona slugger in as many nights to record a three-homer game after Mason White did it in the Wildcats’ 14-4 dismantling of Utah Valley. 

Mihalakis hit Arizona’s sixth homer of the night — and its 15th of the series — in the eighth to deal an unneeded final blow. Five of the Wildcats’ six taters were two-run shots and came in five different innings.

Arizona is on to the Super Regionals. The Wildcats will play the winner of the Chapel Hill Regional, which will be decided on Monday.

The post No. 2 Arizona claims Eugene Regional Championship with 14-0 blowout win over No. 3 Cal Poly appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Ride, Mustangs, ride!

Zach Daudet played hero for Cal Poly in Eugene on Sunday, blasting a solo homer in the 11th inning to send the Mustangs past Utah Valley 7-6.

It was a must-win game for both teams as they looked to earn rematches with No. 2 Arizona in the Eugene Regional Championship. It ended up being one of the best games PK Park saw all weekend, action-packed from start to finish. 

Cal Poly pushed a run across in the second and held Utah Valley without a hit until the third. A monstrous grand slam off the bat of Landon Frei put the Wolverines up by three and created a lead that would quickly be erased.

A five-run fourth inning from Cal Poly saw the Mustangs hit through their order and featured five hits. It chased UVU starter Jacob Heppner and completely altered the game’s momentum. Five of the hits and four of the runs came with two outs and Cal Poly finished the game hitting .333 with two outs. 

Dominic Longo II brought the Wolverines back within a run with his 11th homer of the season, a solo shot that just kept drifting in the Eugene wind and snuck over the wall in right. 

An inning later, UVU’s Jayden Smith knotted the game back up with an RBI double to left field. 

It was truly a great ballgame. PK Park would have loved it had Oregon not been the first team eliminated from the Eugene Regional. Mustangs and Wolverines went deadlocked to the ninth, in danger of becoming the first two teams to have to play extra innings in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. 

Utah Valley loaded the bases in the top of the ninth with a single and a pair of walks, but Jake Torres entered to face Mason Strong and got him to ground out, prompting a rowdy cheer from the Cal Ply contingency in attendance. 

The Mustangs also got their leadoff man aboard in the ninth as Ryan Fenn legged out an infield single. A sacrifice bunt from Alejandro Garza moved him to second with one out, prompting an intentional walk to set up a potential double-play ball. It ended up working out as Cam Hoiland flew out to send it to extras. 

The deadlock continued with both bullpens trading zeros until the 11th, when Daudet’s ninth homer of the season — and second of the Eugene Regional — snuck over the fence in center. 

His blast sent the Mustangs to the Eugene Regional Championship and ended Utah Valley’s incredible season. If Cal Poly wins again on Sunday night (first pitch is set for 7:35 pm), the Wildcats and Mustangs will play again on Monday in a winner-take-all contest. Arizona beat Cal Poly 3-2 on Friday in the first game of the Eugene Regional despite getting out-hit 10-2. 

The post No. 3 Cal Poly outlasts No. 4 Utah Valley 7-6 in 11 innings appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Game four of the Eugene Regional featured eight home runs. Arizona hit all of them as the Wildcats cruised past Utah Valley for a 14-4 win.

Arizona is on to the Eugene Regional Championship and is a game away from moving on.

A pair of “Masons” delivered the game’s first runs as the Wildcats and Wolverines traded two-run first innings.

A Mason White two-run shot off the right-field foul pole got the scoring started in the top of the first. Utah Valley trailed by two before it got its first swings in against Arizona’s Raul Garayzar. 

UVU’s Mason Strong delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the first. The Wolverines tacked on another run on a Dominic Longo II RBI double before the frame ended to erase their early deficit. 

A perfectly-executed hit-and-run set Arizona up with runners on the corners and one out in the second. Easton Breyfogle sent what was expected to be a sac fly out to center, but it was dropped. Fortunately for Utah Valley, starter Colton Kennedy was able to get a pair of strikeouts to avoid any further damage in the frame.

White went yard again in the top of the third, extending the Wildcats’ lead to 4-2. A remarkable catch in center by Nate Bach robbed Adonys Guzman of what would have been back-to-back homers with a heroic snag over the wall. 

Tommy Splaine kept the party going with a solo shot over both walls in center field. Brendan Summerhill followed it up two batters later with Arizona’s fourth homer in as many innings. The Wildcats scored in each of their first four innings and six of nine overall. 

When White got up again in the fourth, there was little doubt what he was going to do. He blasted his third homer of the game out to center field as the Wildcats broke open a 7-2 lead. White tied the school record for career extra-base hits with a double in the seventh, giving him 110 all-time. 

A trio of free passes loaded the bases for the Wolverines in the bottom of the fourth, chasing Garayzar from the contest. UVU got a pair of runs on two RBI groundouts to crawl back within three. 

A six-run seventh inning from the Cats’ bats put the game out of reach for good. Two more homers — from Summerhill and Guzman — brought Arizona’s homer total to seven, tying a school record. 

Garen Caulfield set the new mark in the eighth as he put one on the roof in right field. Six different Wildcats homered in their historic win. 

Arizona moves on to the Eugene Regional Championship and will face the winner of Sunday’s game between Utah Valley and Cal Poly. First pitch is set for 3:05 pm

The post No. 2 Arizona rolls past No. 4 Utah Valley 14-4 on Mason Strong’s career night appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Nine days ago, Oregon was riding an 11-game win streak and was ranked No. 4 nationally. On Saturday, the Ducks lost their third-straight game, ending their season and becoming the first host team in the 2025 NCAA Tournament to be eliminated. 

Five homers from the Ducks weren’t enough to overcome their pitching struggles as they became the only host team to go 0-2 in 2025.

“We ran into a couple teams that outplayed us the last couple of days and now we go home for the season and we have to regroup,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. 

Cal Poly scored early and often. Oregon’s biggest names were nowhere to be found. It was a recipe that ended the Ducks’ 42-16 season. 

Oregon found itself in another early hole on Saturday. Dylan Kordic took Grayson Grinsell deep to center field in the bottom of the second, giving Cal Poly a 2-0 lead. It took the Ducks until the third inning to even earn a baserunner off Mustangs starter Josh Volmerding. 

Ryan Cooney ripped a ground-rule double in the gap and Carter Garate walked to put a pair of men on with one out for the top of Oregon’s lineup. Dominic Hellman singled Cooney home to pick up his 42nd RBI of the season and put the Ducks on the board. 

The Mustangs got the run right back in the bottom of the frame. Dante Vachini led the inning off with a double and came around to score on a Ryan Fenn sac fly as Cal Poly reclaimed its two-run advantage. 

Hellman came up again in the fifth with Garate on first and two away. Garate took second on a wild pitch and third on a balk, forcing a mid-at-bat mound meeting. When it concluded, PK Park got rowdy and induced a mistake pitch from Volmerding. 

Hellman didn’t miss it.

His 13th homer of the season hit the scoreboard in left, knotted the contest and gave life to a team and stadium that needed it badly.

But, again, Cal Poly had an immediate answer. Fenn picked up his second RBI of the day with a two-out single to right to plate Vachini (2-3, three runs).

Jeffery Heard, who got the start after Anson Aroz was ejected and suspended in Friday’s loss, re-tied the game in the sixth with a solo shot off the batter’s eye. A few hitters later, Cooney left the yard for the sixth time in 2025. His tater plated two, gave Oregon its first lead in nine days and chased Volmerding from the game. 

The Mustangs’ lefty allowed six runs on nine hits across 5.2 innings of work. What started as a promising outing turned sour quickly as he relented five runs — all on homers — across his final two frames.

To nobody’s surprise, the Mustangs got right back to work offensively. Casey Murray Jr. (4-4, three RBIS) took the second pitch of the bottom of the sixth out to center field to bring the Mustangs back within a run. 

The homer parade carried over into the seventh. Drew Smith sent his third homer of the series into the parking lot in left-center field to give Oregon an insurance run and continue to swing the momentum pendulum. Heard followed it with his second homer of the day (and Oregon’s fifth) to climb ahead by three. 

Heard wasn’t expected to start at any point in the Eugene Regional, but filled Aroz’s spot with a tremendous 3-5, two RBI day in the sweetest storyline of the day. 

“Personally, it felt good in those two at-bats, hitting those homers,” Heard said. “It’s been an up and down year for me, but I felt God just telling me to stay patient. Obviously, I’m disappointed with the outcome, but looking back on it, we had a great year. Great group of guys, my best friends for life.”

Grinsell’s day after issuing a leadoff walk in the seventh. He was far from his best on Saturday, allowing six runs on seven hits and only fanning two, but he exited to a nice ovation after what may very well have been his last appearance at PK Park.

“Obviously, it wasn’t one of my best,” Grinsell said. “I obviously don’t want to go out on that note, but I still felt like I went out there and gave it everything I had and that’s all you can do.” 

Cal Poly loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh and Murray Jr. made the Ducks pay again with a two-RBI single to left field. RBI hits from Cam Hoiland and Kordic put Cal Poly back in front as the four-run inning sucked the life out of the stadium. 

Zach Daudet sealed the deal with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth. The Mustangs scored in six of their eight offensive frames and each of their final four. Oregon outhit Cal Poly, but for the third-straight game in the Eugene Regional, the team with fewer hits scored more runs. 

A strikeout from Maddox Molony ended the Ducks’ 2025 baseball season. 

With the loss, many Oregon athletes played their final game at PK Park and in an Oregon uniform. Grinsell made his final start as a Duck, as did Mason Neville, Jacob Walsh and several others. Aroz ended up getting ejected in his final game of the season and possibly his collegiate career. 

“When it comes to our team, I’m thrilled to have the chance to be around Jacob Walsh, Jeffery Heard, the other seniors that we had that are out of eligibility,” Wasikowski said. “Some still have some eligibility left and time will tell with all of that. From our locker room’s standpoint, I love these kids. Fantastic young men and we just came up short today.”

Oregon’s season is over after going 0-2 in the Eugene Regional. Cal Poly will live to play another day. The Mustangs will take on the loser of Saturday’s Arizona/Utah Valley game at 3:00 pm on Sunday. 

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We may not see a wilder game at PK Park throughout this entire Eugene Regional. 

Entering Friday, 93% of Regional Champions since 1999 won their first game of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 12 Ducks will have to overcome those odds after dropping Friday’s contest to fourth-seeded Utah Valley 6-5. 

Oregon (42-15) never led in its second-straight loss despite outhitting the Wolverines (33-27) 10-5. Both of the teams that recorded more hits in Friday’s Eugene Regional games lost. 

Two fateful innings sunk the Ducks as they got pushed to the brink of elimination by the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Champions. 

“I think they’ll play great tomorrow,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “These guys play their best baseball when (they have their backs up against the wall. I think we’ll play much better and probably cleaner tomorrow.”

Jason Reitz got the nod for Oregon as he hoped to help the Ducks punch their ticket to Saturday’s 1-0 game. He got off to an efficient start, retiring the first six batters he faced. 

Utah Valley starter Corbin Kirk, however, ran into traffic early in Friday’s contest. Four different Ducks reached in their first time through the order, but Kirk was able to work around the runners, getting some key outs from his defense. He used 46 pitches across his first two innings of work, but kept the Ducks off the board until the third.

Reitz allowed back-to-back men to reach in the third on a walk and a single, setting Utah Valley up with a nice scoring opportunity. The Wolverines cashed in with back-to-back hits from Jimmy De Anda and Luke Iverson to take a 2-0 lead. Mason Strong doubled the lead three batters later with a two-RBI single into left field as Oregon fell into an early hole. 

The Ducks nearly worked themselves out of their deficit in the following frame. A two-out single from Jacob Walsh led to Drew Smith and Anson Aroz going back-to-back to bring Oregon back within a run. Smith’s third homer of the year snuck out to the opposite field before Aroz’s monster blast hit halfway up the light tower for his 17th of the season. 

“Our coaches set a really good game plan going into the game,” Smith said. “So we just trusted their game plan.”

Reitz settled in nicely after the four-hit, four-run third. He collected back-to-back clean innings in the fourth and fifth. He got Utah Valley to go 1-2-3 in five of the seven frames he appeared in.

Kirk’s day ended early in the fifth inning after relenting a leadoff single to Dominic Hellman. He reached second before an out was recorded, but was stranded. Oregon went 0-3 in the fifth with Hellman in scoring position and left five men on base through the first five frames.

Reitz set a new career-high with his 12th strikeout to open the top of the sixth. His final tally reached 14 (the most by a Duck since Kenyon Yovan fanned 15 against USC in 2018) after his six-inning outing was all said and done. His day ended after issuing back-to-back free passes to start the seventh inning. 

“The 14 Ks is what it is,” Reitz said. “But the bottom line is I don’t feel like I did my job to the standard that I needed to help us win the game.”

Santiago Garcia inherited the jam and De Arda picked up two more RBIs with a single up the middle. De Arda finished 2-4 with three RBIs from the nine hole in the Wolverines’ win. 

The decision to bring Reitz back out for a seventh inning despite being over 100 pitches cost Oregon. He finished with five earned runs (six total) in his outing, all of them coming in two fateful frames. 

“He wouldn’t let us take him out of the game,” Wasikowski said. 

The opportunities were there for Oregon in Friday’s loss. The Ducks took 19 at-bats with runners on base, but only tallied three hits in such opportunities. 

“They threw multiple pitches over the plate for strikes, which is what you’ve got to do,” Wasikowski said. “We chased some balls out of the zone and we didn’t do enough with our opportunities.”

Oregon turned a double play to end an ugly top of the eighth inning as Landon Frei was gunned out at the plate on an attempted double steal. It gave Oregon some momentum to take into the bottom of the eighth, which Smith used to send his second homer of the game out to left field. 

Then, the game turned on its head in a moment in Oregon baseball history that will be talked about for a while. 

Now within two, Oregon worked runners to the corners with nobody out. Chase Meggers flew out to center and Aroz collided with UVU catcher Mason Strong at home plate. The Wolverines challenged for “malicious contact” and somehow, got the call. Aroz was called out and ejected from the contest, killing momentum and sending PK Park into a livid frenzy. 

“They said it came from Pittsburgh and it was out of their hands,” Wasikowski said. “I’m really proud of the way that Aroz went into home plate. I was taught to play hard. I was taught to get after it by my dad and by my coaches growing up. Unfortunately, playing hard was not rewarded tonight by whatever rule was supposedly violated by a player that was playing hard.”

The crucial — and highly-controversial — sent Oregon to the ninth, trailing by two. The Ducks brought runners to the corners with one out in the ninth. Walsh missed what would have been a game-winning homer by mere feet, flying out to deep right-center field. Carter Garate scored to bring Oregon within a run, but that’s as close as the Ducks would get. 

Oregon lost by a run, one that would have been scored if not for the controversy at the plate. 

Utah Valley will advance to Saturday’s 1-0 game to face Arizona at 6:00 pm. The Wildcats beat Cal Poly 3-2 earlier on Friday to send the Mustangs to the elimination game. Cal Poly will play The Ducks on Saturday at noon. The loser of that game’s season will end. 

“I guess the silver lining is we get a chance to be able to play for a regional championship four more times at PK Park,” Wasikowski said. 

The post No. 12 Oregon drops a wild game to fourth-seeded Utah Valley 6-5 appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Arizona wasn’t the better team on Friday, but the Wildcats still managed to open the Eugene Regional with a 3-2 win over Cal Poly. 

They only tallied two hits, but they were enough to push the Wildcats into the 1-0 game on Saturday. 

The No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Eugene Regional of the NCAA Tournament got the weekend kicked off with a nail-biter of a pitcher’s duel. Cal Poly outhit Arizona 10-2, but runs are the only stat that matters at the end of the day. 

Both squads send their aces to the bump for the regional-opening contest. Cal Poly’s Griffin Vaess looked to get the Mustangs to Saturday’s 1-0 game while Arizona countered with righty Owen Kramkowski. 

Casey Murray Jr. opened the top of the second by taking an 0-2 offering from Kramkowski over the wall for a ground-rule double, giving the Mustangs their first runner in scoring position. It would be in vain, however, as Kramkowski struck-out the next three hitters to escape the jam. 

The bottom of the Arizona lineup came alive in the bottom of the second to open the scoring. Tommy Splaine recorded a two-out triple to plate a run and give Arizona its first hit. A batter later, Easton Breyfogle launched his fifth homer of the season out to right-center to break open a 3-0 lead. 

Cal Poly left the bases loaded in the fourth. The Mustangs had considerably more traffic on the bases in the early goings of Friday’s contest, but stranded seven men on base through the first five frames. 

Naess found his groove after the three-run third inning. After allowing the homer to Breyfogle, he retired 14-straight across the second to seventh frames. He finished his day with seven very good innings of three-run, two hit ball. The two extra-base hits from the second would be the extent of the damage done against him. He collected five strikeouts on 106 total pitches. He was far from the reason the Mustangs fell on Friday.

Murray Jr. doubled again to lead off the top of the sixth inning and this time was able to come around to score as Dylan Kordic got the Mustangs on the board with an RBI single. 

Kramkowski’s day ended after seven very good innings of work. He allowed just the one run on eight hits while fanning seven and walking one across 99 pitches (67 strikes). 

The Arizona defense dazzled behind him all afternoon. Maddox Mihalakis made several impressive plays at third base and Breyfogle made a nice catch on a ball hit over his head in left. Kramkowski even snagged a hard-hit comebacker to end the top of the seventh and keep Arizona ahead by two. 

Garrett Hicks took over on the bump for the Wildcats in the eighth, but quickly relented a solo homer to Cam Hoiland. The designated hitter’s fifth blast of the season made it a one-run game.

The Mustangs led the top of the ninth off with a single up the middle, but a game-ending double play sent Cal Poly to the brink of elimination. The Mustangs will play in Saturday’s elimination game against the loser of the Oregon/Utah Valley game, which is set to start at 6:00 p.m.

The post No. 2 Arizona opens Eugene Regional with 3-2 win over No. 3 Cal Poly appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Arizona wasn’t the better team on Friday, but the Wildcats still managed to open the Eugene Regional with a 3-2 win over Cal Poly. 

They only tallied two hits, but they were enough to push the Wildcats into the 1-0 game on Saturday. 

The No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Eugene Regional of the NCAA Tournament got the weekend kicked off with a nail-biter of a pitcher’s duel. Cal Poly outhit Arizona 10-2, but runs are the only stat that matters at the end of the day. 

Both squads send their aces to the bump for the regional-opening contest. Cal Poly’s Griffin Vaess looked to get the Mustangs to Saturday’s 1-0 game while Arizona countered with righty Owen Kramkowski. 

Casey Murray Jr. opened the top of the second by taking an 0-2 offering from Kramkowski over the wall for a ground-rule double, giving the Mustangs their first runner in scoring position. It would be in vain, however, as Kramkowski struck-out the next three hitters to escape the jam. 

The bottom of the Arizona lineup came alive in the bottom of the second to open the scoring. Tommy Splaine recorded a two-out triple to plate a run and give Arizona its first hit. A batter later, Easton Breyfogle launched his fifth homer of the season out to right-center to break open a 3-0 lead. 

Cal Poly left the bases loaded in the fourth. The Mustangs had considerably more traffic on the bases in the early goings of Friday’s contest, but stranded seven men on base through the first five frames. 

Naess found his groove after the three-run third inning. After allowing the homer to Breyfogle, he retired 14-straight across the second to seventh frames. He finished his day with seven very good innings of three-run, two hit ball. The two extra-base hits from the second would be the extent of the damage done against him. He collected five strikeouts on 106 total pitches. He was far from the reason the Mustangs fell on Friday.

Murray Jr. doubled again to lead off the top of the sixth inning and this time was able to come around to score as Dylan Kordic got the Mustangs on the board with an RBI single. 

Kramkowski’s day ended after seven very good innings of work. He allowed just the one run on eight hits while fanning seven and walking one across 99 pitches (67 strikes). 

The Arizona defense dazzled behind him all afternoon. Maddox Mihalakis made several impressive plays at third base and Breyfogle made a nice catch on a ball hit over his head in left. Kramkowski even snagged a hard-hit comebacker to end the top of the seventh and keep Arizona ahead by two. 

Garrett Hicks took over on the bump for the Wildcats in the eighth, but quickly relented a solo homer to Cam Hoiland. The designated hitter’s fifth blast of the season made it a one-run game.

The Mustangs led the top of the ninth off with a single up the middle, but a game-ending double play sent Cal Poly to the brink of elimination. The Mustangs will play in Saturday’s elimination game against the loser of the Oregon/Utah Valley game, which is set to start at 6:00 p.m.

The post No. 2 Arizona opens Eugene Regional with 3-2 win over No. 3 Cal Poly appeared first on Daily Emerald.

Arizona wasn’t the better team on Friday, but the Wildcats still managed to open the Eugene Regional with a 3-2 win over Cal Poly. 

They only tallied two hits, but they were enough to push the Wildcats into the 1-0 game on Saturday. 

The No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Eugene Regional of the NCAA Tournament got the weekend kicked off with a nail-biter of a pitcher’s duel. Cal Poly outhit Arizona 10-2, but runs are the only stat that matters at the end of the day. 

Both squads send their aces to the bump for the regional-opening contest. Cal Poly’s Griffin Vaess looked to get the Mustangs to Saturday’s 1-0 game while Arizona countered with righty Owen Kramkowski. 

Casey Murray Jr. opened the top of the second by taking an 0-2 offering from Kramkowski over the wall for a ground-rule double, giving the Mustangs their first runner in scoring position. It would be in vain, however, as Kramkowski struck-out the next three hitters to escape the jam. 

The bottom of the Arizona lineup came alive in the bottom of the second to open the scoring. Tommy Splaine recorded a two-out triple to plate a run and give Arizona its first hit. A batter later, Easton Breyfogle launched his fifth homer of the season out to right-center to break open a 3-0 lead. 

Cal Poly left the bases loaded in the fourth. The Mustangs had considerably more traffic on the bases in the early goings of Friday’s contest, but stranded seven men on base through the first five frames. 

Naess found his groove after the three-run third inning. After allowing the homer to Breyfogle, he retired 14-straight across the second to seventh frames. He finished his day with seven very good innings of three-run, two hit ball. The two extra-base hits from the second would be the extent of the damage done against him. He collected five strikeouts on 106 total pitches. He was far from the reason the Mustangs fell on Friday.

Murray Jr. doubled again to lead off the top of the sixth inning and this time was able to come around to score as Dylan Kordic got the Mustangs on the board with an RBI single. 

Kramkowski’s day ended after seven very good innings of work. He allowed just the one run on eight hits while fanning seven and walking one across 99 pitches (67 strikes). 

The Arizona defense dazzled behind him all afternoon. Maddox Mihalakis made several impressive plays at third base and Breyfogle made a nice catch on a ball hit over his head in left. Kramkowski even snagged a hard-hit comebacker to end the top of the seventh and keep Arizona ahead by two. 

Garrett Hicks took over on the bump for the Wildcats in the eighth, but quickly relented a solo homer to Cam Hoiland. The designated hitter’s fifth blast of the season made it a one-run game.

The Mustangs led the top of the ninth off with a single up the middle, but a game-ending double play sent Cal Poly to the brink of elimination. The Mustangs will play in Saturday’s elimination game against the loser of the Oregon/Utah Valley game, which is set to start at 6:00 p.m.

The post No. 2 Arizona opens Eugene Regional with 3-2 win over No. 3 Cal Poly appeared first on Daily Emerald.