Grayson Grinsell dominating on Friday nights is starting to become routine for the No. 5 Ducks. He threw seven shutout innings as No. 5 Oregon (36-13, 18-8 Big Ten) served Washington (27-22, 15-9 Big Ten) a goose (or duck) egg on the scoreboard. 

Oregon was determined to win after a pregame ceremony to officially name the Ducks’ home “Bob Kilkenny Field at PK Park”. With Pat Kilkenny and family in attendance, Oregon didn’t disappoint.

The Ducks got right after Washington starter Max Banks. Mason Neville drew a leadoff walk to tie the Oregon single-season record with his 50th walk of the year. Parker Stinson bunted him to second before Jacob Walsh drove him home with a single into right. 

Walsh came around to score on an RBI single from Anson Aroz as Oregon opened a 2-0 lead just 13 pitches into Banks’ outing. It didn’t get much better for the UW righty in the first as he brought in the Ducks’ third and fourth runs of the frame on his fourth and fifth free passes of the inning. Oregon put up a four-run first inning while only recording a pair of hits as Banks spent 32 of his 103 overall pitches.

“We jumped out there and got on a guy that gave us some opportunities,” Aroz said after his three-hit night. “We want to give Grayson all the run support we can and beat good pitchers because we’re going to run into them down the road.”

The first-run outburst gave Grinsell more than enough cushion to get his outing started in the right way. He only allowed one Husky to reach base during his first time through the Washington lineup. 

He ran into trouble in the fourth as he loaded the bases with a pair of free passes and a Jackson Hotchkiss single, but he got Blake Wilson to chase a high fastball to end the threat on his 56th pitch of the night. Grinsell ended four of his seven innings with a strikeout. 

“He had that one inning where the bases got loaded and he had to make some really good pitches,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “(The Huskies) are a feisty group. Washington played their way into a really good spot in the Big Ten Conference.”

At the halfway point of the contest, Oregon only had three hits, but two of them came with a runner in scoring position. The Ducks’ four-run first frame held as the game’s only tallies until the seventh. 

Banks settled in very nicely after his awful first inning. He didn’t issue another free pass or run across his six-inning outing. Oregon got two of its four hits off of Banks in that fateful first inning, one that ultimately spelled defeat for the Huskies. Banks was served his first loss of conference play.

“He didn’t give up,” Aroz said. “He didn’t have any quit in him today. Tip your cap to that. We like playing against guys that like to compete.”

Grinsell continued his dominant junior season with seven more innings of shutout ball. He held his seventh-straight opponent to under three runs. He didn’t have his best stuff on Friday and got himself into some deep counts, but he still tallied eight strikeouts and earned his eighth win of the season. He brought his season ERA to 2.53 and his ERA in Big Ten play to 1.53.

“Everyone wants to be the Friday guy,” Grinsell said. “Your job as the Friday guy is to set the tone for the rest of the pitching staff and the rest of the weekend. I just try to go out there and give my all on every pitch and that’s what I feel like I’ve been doing.”

He threw a season-high 121 pitches and only allowed five baserunners (three hits). Grinsell could very well add another Big Ten Pitcher of the Week accolade to his impressive 2025 season resume. 

“Grayson wanted to finish the game and we had to pry the ball out of his hand, even after the seventh inning,” Wasikowski said. “We were like, ‘no, you’re done, man. Go sit down and cool down.’ But he pitched very well and he’s a true competitor.”

Gunnar Nichols took over on the mound for the Huskies in the seventh, but he was quickly greeted by Jeffery Heard, who sent his third homer of the season out to right field to add to the lead. 

“It felt really good,” Heard said. “It’s no secret that it’s been a minute since I’ve hit one, so it felt nice for sure.”

That would be the extent of the offensive production for the Ducks, who recorded seven hits and six strikeouts in the win, but it would be more than enough. Cole Stokes pitched the eighth inning for Oregon and picked up a quartet of strikeouts in the frame. Seth Mattox threw a scoreless ninth to seal the Ducks’ 36th win of the season.

Oregon earned its seventh shutout win of the season and first since Mar 29. The Ducks will go for the series win on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2:05 p.m. Collin Clarke is expected to start for the Ducks.

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An emphasis that Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski has put on his squad is a necessity to be able to win games in a variety of ways. Unsurprisingly, the Ducks found that winning comes easy when they limit baserunners.

No. 5 Oregon (35-13, 16-8 Big Ten) didn’t issue a single free pass to Saint Mary’s (26-22, 10-8 WCC) hitters and limited the Gaels to five hits in its 8-1 win on Wednesday night to sweep the midweek series. 

“We haven’t played midweeks consistently well throughout the year,” Wasikowski said. “For us to show now that we’re able to handle midweek games…I was happy to see us win two games in the midweek.” 

It was a predictably unusual type of game for the Oregon pitching staff on Wednesday. Four different Ducks toed the rubber in the win. Julian Hernandez made his second start of the season and worked through the first inning with only eight pitches. He threw a trio of scoreless frames while collecting five strikeouts to lower his season ERA from 10.29 to 7.20 before relenting the pitching duties to Ryan Featherston in the fourth. 

“It was a good win,” Hernandez said. “Strikeouts are strikeouts, but (i just try to) keep doing my best, keep throwing strikes and keep attacking batters.”

Saint Mary’s took the term “bullpen game” to another level as the Gaels rolled out eight different arms in eight innings on Wednesday. The strategy kept the Ducks from finding any sort of groove until the sixth as they were outhit through the first five frames. The Gaels had six different pitchers throw fewer than 23 pitches in their 22nd loss of the season.

The Ducks loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with a single from Carter Garate and a pair of walks before Jacob Walsh and Drew Smith picked up RBIs on a groundout and sac-fly, respectively. Oregon plated the contest’s first runs and took an early 2-0 advantage. 

Featherston relented back-to-back doubles to start the top of the fourth and allow the Gaels to get on the board, but the RBI double from Ryan Pierce would be the extent of the damage any Oregon pitcher allowed in its 35th win of the year.  

Oregon loaded the bases again in the fourth, but were unable to push anything across after a pair of unproductive outs with runners in scoring position. The Ducks left 11 men on base in the win. 

Facing a different pitcher in each inning meant the Ducks never got a look at the same arm twice, posing a unique challenge in a midweek game. 

“It’s not easy going against new guys every inning,” Oregon catcher Chase Meggers said. “But we’re taught to barrel up the ball and just do what we can, and it works.”

Oregon again loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of singles from Ryan Cooney and Garate and a walk to Mason Neville (one of three he was issued on Wednesday). Two frames after leaving the bases loaded with a flyout to left, Meggers did his job in the sixth, plating two with a two-RBI infield single.

Walsh was intentionally walked (one of three on the night) to reload the bases for Smith, who walked to bring in another run. Maddox Molony added a two-RBI single to the Ducks’ six-run sixth frame as they jumped way out in front of the Gaels. 

Featherston turned the pitching duties over to Jaxon Jordan with one out in the seventh inning. Featherston was responsible for 3.1 innings of two-hit, one-run ball with three strikeouts on 58 pitches. He retired a string of 10-straight from the fourth to seventh innings. 

The most impressive stat of the night came from the Oregon pitching staff. The Ducks didn’t walk a single batter while collecting nine offensively. Jordan and Tanner Bradley combined for a 1-2-3 eighth. The Ducks limited the Gaels to five total hits, none of which came after the fourth inning. 

“With no walks tonight, I thought that was a tremendously-pitched game,” Wasikowski said. 

After the two-game sweep, Oregon now leads the all-time series between the Gaels 7-5. The Ducks remain at PK Park this weekend for their final home series of the season as the Washington Huskies roll into Eugene for a three-game series. First pitch on Friday is set for 5:05 p.m.

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It didn’t matter if they won big, close, clean, ugly or a combination of the four. What mattered was that the Ducks needed to leave East Lansing, Michigan, with another Big Ten series win.

They got it done. 

No. 6 Oregon baseball (33-13, 16-8 Big Ten) entered the weekend third in the Big Ten standings and needing a weekend win to maintain their spot, especially with the other top teams in the conference battling each other across the country. They dropped the series opener, but rallied for wins on Saturday and Sunday to maintain a good spot in the Big Ten standings with the Big Ten Tournament rapidly approaching. 

The Ducks didn’t play their best brand of ball. They saved that for last week’s four-game sweep of the Oregon State Beavers. But, they were good enough to avoid what was almost a disastrous weekend.

It didn’t start off too great. Oregon lefty Grayson Grinsell became the first Oregon pitcher since 2017 to pitch a complete-game loss. He only allowed one earned run (a solo shot from Parker Picot) across eight stellar innings. Grinsell fanned nine and only allowed two hits in his incredible complete-game effort. 

But it wasn’t enough. The Ducks’ offense was shut down on all fronts by Joseph Dzierwa, a Golden Spikes Award candidate. Dzierwa held the mighty Oregon offense to three hits across nine shutout innings. He fanned 11 Ducks and benefited greatly from the Michigan winds that held several well-hit balls in play. 

It was a bummer of a loss, but stuff like that happens. Sometimes, a pitcher gets the best of a team. Heck, Oregon’s certainly shown the ability to do that to others. The major downside of it happening to the Ducks on Friday was that it gave them no wiggle room on either Saturday or Sunday. 

As it turns out, it wouldn’t matter. Oregon’s offense returned to form on Saturday, blasting four homers in a dominant 13-5 win. Mason Neville homered twice and both Jacob Walsh and Anson Aroz added to their season totals. 

The Ducks got six solid innings from Collin Clarke, who allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in the win. Ian Umlandt went the rest of the day to secure his first save of the season. Oregon evened the series with a much more characteristic appearance.

But everything was on the table on Sunday.

Early runs from the Oregon offense in the second and third innings gave the Ducks an early 2-0 advantage, but it would be all the run support Jason Reitz would get on Sunday. 

He threw 6.1 innings of three-hit, one-run ball while collecting four strikeouts. Cole Stokes relieved him and was brilliant, stranding several runners and Seth Mattox closed the door in the ninth after a solo shot from Aroz gave the Ducks a much-needed insurance run in the top of the frame.

Game, Ducks. Series, Ducks. 

Somehow, three runs on only five hits was enough to secure the series win on Sunday. It wasn’t their best offensive series, but it was enough to keep pace in a competitive Big Ten. 

The interesting part of the weekend was the errors. Neville was named Oregon’s designated hitter for the weekend, moving Aroz to center field and Walsh to left for the first two games while Dominic Hellman played first. 

Michigan State scored unearned runs in each of the first two games on errors by guys in new positions. While the prompting of the defensive shifts is unknown, it’s hard to call the experiment a success. 

Still, Oregon will be (at worst) third in the Big Ten standings with two weekends left. It’s important for the Ducks to be a top-four seed in the Big Ten Tournament, as it would allow them to potentially lose a game and stay alive in Omaha. Oregon will play Washington and Iowa to close out the season, both of which are also fighting for top seeds in the conference. 

The Ducks need to be on top of their game moving forward in conference play, especially with the Huskies making their way to PK Park next weekend.

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No press box seat? No problem! I was still able to attend and cover the No. 6 Ducks’ 8-4 win over No. 7 Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon on Tuesday night. 

Goss Stadium sits on the Beavers’ campus and has its quirks. Unfortunately for me, it’s a fairly old ballpark and its press box is quite small. 

I was told ahead of time that there wouldn’t be room for me in the press box, but I’d still be granted a credential. So, I took an unconventional approach to my coverage.

I took the chance to fully explore the ballpark and moved around every few innings, plopping myself in the few open seats I could find in OSU’s ninth-largest crowd in Goss Stadium’s history. 

The fireworks started right away. Both Jacob Walsh and Gavin Turley homered in the first innings as the Ducks and Beavers traded solo shots. Walsh’s blast was his fourth of the season against Oregon State. He homered in each of the four rivalry games. 

“There’s a lot of energy that goes into this series,” Walsh said. “It means a lot on both sides. The guys just kind of came together and said, you know, ‘We haven’t done well against them since I’ve been here.’ And it was like, ‘We’re done with that. We needed to get [them] this time’.”

The Ducks got to the Beavers, all right. Oregon (31-12) outscored OSU (32-11) 28-9 across the four-game set. 

Freshman Will Sanford struggled with control on Tuesday as he issued five walks in two innings of work and allowed a two-out single from Trent Caraway to give the Beavers a 3-1 lead. 

“I actually thought the ball was really coming out of his hand good tonight,” Wasikowski said. “And, again, it was just he wasn’t in the strike zone enough for him to be effective. But the stuff was there.”

Ryan Featherston entered in the third and delivered one of the game’s biggest moments. He worked out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam without allowing a run to cross. “Mark that one down in case Oregon ends up winning this game,” I told myself. “That was a crucial mistake from OSU.”

Spoiler: it mattered. 

Ryan Cooney got one back in the third with a monster blast off the batter’s eye in center field. His third homer of the year was a loud one that cut the deficit, but Featherston balked in a run in the fourth to make it a two-run game once again.

I moved around and found a new spot down the third-base line (maybe to change the mojo?) and felt the energy shift in the sixth. Back-to-back batters reached to start the frame, prompting a pitching change. 

Jeffery Heard recorded a pinch-hit RBI groundout to set up another big moment. Cooney grounded a ball toward second base, but the throw to first pulled Jacob Krieg away from the bag. Heard scored and Drew Smith never stopped running, coming around from second to put Oregon ahead by a run in the sixth. 

“(Wasikowski) always talks about being old, and I think that we’ve really taken that to heart,” Cooney said. “Guys are taking old at-bats, being old on the mound. Really taking your breath and relaxing is what’s been really important for us.”

A pair of blistering doubles from Mason Neville and Walsh in the seventh added to what was now an Oregon lead. A hush fell over Corvallis. The fans realized what was ahead: a sixth-straight loss to the Ducks that dates back to last season. 

The Ducks’ bullpen locked it down from there. Oregon used seven pitchers in the win, with Jaxon Jordan and Cole Stokes providing especially stellar outings. 

I moved to behind home plate for the final outs. It was the closest I’d be to the press box itself. The Beavers got their first two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, trailing by four, but Santiago Garcia and Seth Mattox combined to work out of another jam and slam the door shut. 

Game, Ducks. Series, Ducks. 

I made my way to the field for media as Goss Stadium quickly emptied in a mixture of stunned silence and ongoing frustrations. Nobody likes losing to a rival, but the Ducks won’t know the feeling against the Beavers in 2025. 

“They battled back. They didn’t quit,” Wasikowski said. “They showed a lot of toughness with that. This is a hard place to play. It’s a very good program. I was happiest with just the personality of our team, to be able to fight through some adversity and be able to play their best when they needed to tonight.”

Would I have liked a press box seat? Sure. But my unconventional coverage method triggered a unique memory. When covering a full season of baseball, it’s easy for games to blend together. I doubt I’ll forget this game or experience any time soon.

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He’s not on any award watch lists. He’s not the first name broadcasters mention when talking about Oregon’s star-studded lineup. He’s not going to lead the team in extra-base hits. But every team should get itself a Ryan Cooney. 

The Ducks’ second baseman isn’t jumping off the statsheet or turning heads at PK Park, but that’s not his game. He’s incredibly self-aware of the strengths he has that led Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski to call Cooney an MVP of the squad. 

Near the bottom of the lineup, tucked behind huge names like Mason Neville, Jacob Walsh and Maddox Molony sits Cooney. A true team player, plus-300 hitter, steal threat, RBI machine and maybe the toughest out in the Ducks’ lineup.

“Just a very good baseball player,” Wasikowski said. “Heady, solid, team-leader, you know, can’t say enough about Ryan.”

As of April 21, Cooney leads the team in sacrifice flies (six) and stolen bases (10) despite being seventh in at-bats (117). His 32 RBIs are the fourth-highest on the squad, an impressive mark coming from the Ducks’ eight-hole hitter. He’s maximizing his opportunities at an incredibly effective level.

“It’s everything to be honest,” Cooney said of his ability to be a tough out. “It’s something I’ve had my identity in my entire career and I think — especially the spot I’m in in the lineup — that’s extremely helpful.”

Oh, and he’s one of seven players to be hitting over .300. 

“He’s a good one,” Wasikowski said. “Although we’ve got a guy maybe leading (the country in home runs) and all that, Ryan could make an argument for being the MVP of the club right now. He’s played that well.” 

A Portland, Oregon, native, Cooney grew up with Duck ties that led to him getting recruited to play at PK Park.

“It’s really special to me,” Cooney said. “My parents went to school here and we’ve been Duck fans my entire life. To be able to be out there and having them watch, it’s really special.”

He’s making the Cooney name proud in Eugene. He’s solidified himself as the Ducks’ everyday second basemen on a team that entered the season with seemingly countless middle-infield options. Even when Drew Smith — someone who likely started the season as Cooney’s biggest competition at second base — returned from injury, he found his new spot in Oregon’s lineup in right field. 

“Everyone has their strengths,” Cooney said. “Maybe I’m not going to be the guy that’s going to blow the game open with a home run, but I’m always going to be there and the guys know I’ve got their backs.”

That’s exactly what Cooney’s identity on the Ducks is: a team player and a clubhouse guy. 

He was an occasional pawn in the chess match of Oregon’s 2024 season. He only tallied 79 at-bats across 22 appearances and he struggled, only hitting .203 and tallying more strikeouts (22) than hits (16). Still, it was seen by Cooney as a season of growth. 

“Being able to recognize my strengths,” Cooney said of his freshman-year growth. “Being able to play defense a lot last year and recognizing that I’m lock-down out there and improving what I was weak on, which was obviously striking out and the slopes of hitting.”

He saw the opportunity to make an impact on the 2025 roster and jumped at the bit. 

“So, I just focused on where I was weak in the offseason and worked from there,” Cooney said. “My approach is something I really wanted to work on. Taking the team at-bats. More walks, more sac-flies. Doing what the situation’s calling for.”

2024 did more than bring him some self-awareness. It gave him experience, something just as valuable in college athletics. He was a factor of a team that made an NCAA Super Regional for a second-straight season. 

While a third trip to the Super Regionals — and then moving on to Omaha — is the expectation for this year’s Oregon team, Cooney doesn’t see it as a daunting prospect. According to him, it’s not hard to grasp the idea of getting back again this year. 

“I honestly think it’s easier, personally,” Cooney said. “Our team is very talented and we’ve got great coaching, so I think, yes, it’s an expectation, but it’s one that we have the ability to meet and we’re all working hard to get there.”

In the meantime, Cooney will continue to produce from the eight-hole in the Oregon lineup. He and third baseman Carter Garate have found a pattern of success turning the lineup over and getting on base for the power hitters in the Ducks’ order.

They call themselves the “eight nine merchants”, as they ensure that there is no weak spot in Oregon’s 2025 lineup. 

“It’s just a funny name we came up with,” Cooney said. “Just a way for us to fire each other up and keep going and turn it over for guys like Mason (Neville) and Dom (Hellman).”

Call it whatever you want, but call it productive. 

There’s another thing that distinguishes Cooney from his teammates: his smile. All throughout warmups, batting practices and media availabilities, Cooney’s smile and energy never lack. It’s another key trait for a clubhouse leader to have, and Cooney’s certainly had plenty of successes to smile about in 2025. 

“Baseball’s a really negative sport at times,” Cooney said. “Just inherently. And for me, being able to smile and laugh is what keeps me focused but also enjoying that I’m playing a kids game at the same time. It’s really nice just to keep that positive attitude.”

But where does the most joy come from? In true team-player fashion, Cooney says he has the most fun watching his guys get out and compete. 

“For me, I think it’s honestly watching other guys play,” Cooney said. “Watching Mason and Jacob (Walsh) and Dom and Chase (Meggers) play and being a part of that team is really what’s the most fun for me.”

Who wouldn’t want a guy like that on their team, especially with the kind of numbers he’s producing game-in and game-out? 

Wasikowski certainly has found his second baseman for years to come, and Cooney’s already demonstrating traits that’ll help him continue to be a leader, team player and clubhouse guy as Oregon’s stock — along with his own — continues to grow.

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By the time Oregon State got on the board in the top of the sixth, the Ducks had already tallied nine runs and 10 hits. That’s the sort of lopsided rivalry contest that went down at PK Park on Saturday as Oregon earned a 13-1 win over the Beavers. 

Each of Oregon State’s first three pitchers allowed four runs as the No. 13 Ducks (29-12, 14-7 Big Ten) smacked four two-run homers in a blistering win over No. 3 Oregon State. (32-9).

“We hit the long ball today,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “We got some guys on and were able to capitalize on some mistakes thrown up in the zone, which is good. Sometimes you miss them, but tonight we got them, so we were fortunate.”

The Ducks were on the board before OSU starter Dax Whitney recorded an out. Dominic Hellman (2-4, four-RBI) sent his 12th homer of the season out to center field on Whitney’s seventh pitch of the night to drive in a pair of runs and give Oregon an early advantage. 

The next two batters also reached in the first, but Whitney worked out of the jam to limit the damage to two early runs. The Ducks were 0-3 with a man in scoring position in the first and 4-15 overall in the win. 

Whitney created another pickle to work out of in the second as he loaded the bases with free passes. This time, however, he couldn’t escape it as Drew Smith singled in two runs and doubled Oregon’s lead with the second hit of his 3-4, two-RBI day.  

Whitney’s day ended after three innings. He allowed four runs on four hits while walking four and fanning four. He only threw 68 pitches in his second-shortest outing of his freshman season. 

Reliever AJ Hutcheson wasn’t much better. He allowed three runs in his FIRST inning of work, two on Jacob Walsh’s 13th homer of the season and another as Maddox Molony singled in Smith, who added a triple to his day right after Walsh’s (1-3, two-RBI) blast. 

Oregon starter Collin Clarke, however, was harder to get to on Saturday. Through his first five (shoutout) innings, he limited the Beavers to just two hits and a walk.

While Oregon’s lead did nothing but grow during his start, he kept OSU from mounting any sort of comeback until the sixth inning. 

“I was just in the zone more today,” Clarke said. “I was able to control the ball a little bit better than the past couple (starts).”

While Clarke only collected four strikeouts, he forced a lot of weak contact and utilized his defense for a pair of double-play balls. 

“I think having a good defense behind (me) was pretty helpful,” Clarke said. 

His impressive day ended after six innings of one-run, four-hit ball. He threw 93 pitches (60 strikes) in his outing and kept the No. 3-ranked Beavers’ offense completely at bay.

He was lights-out today,” Wasikowski said. “Throwing the ball over the plate, strikes with all of his pitches and he did a tremendous job.”

Mason Neville added to the homer parade in the bottom of the fifth, taking James DeCremer deep to center field for his nation-leading 21st homer of the season and Oregon’s third two-run shot of the day. 

“To go out and have your (first three) hitters all hit two-run home runs is pretty tough to do,” Neville said. “It just puts pressure on the other team and puts pressure on the pitcher. I mean, they don’t want to throw to us it seems like.”

Molony (2-5, three-RBI) recorded the fourth with a two-run blast in the bottom of the sixth that put the Ducks ahead by 10.

“The game of baseball’s hard,” Molony said. “It’s going to challenge you so it’s nice to have some success like that for sure.”

Carter Garate doubled down the first-base line later in the frame to plate two more as Oregon added more unneeded insurance runs in a four-run sixth

Oregon turned to its bullpen in the seventh. Just like Friday’s win, the Ducks’ relievers were highly effective. Ryan Featherston pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings before Jaxon Jordan and Sam Boyle combined for a quick ninth frame.

“I thought the entire pitching staff (over) the last two days have just been excellent,” Wasikowski said. 

The Ducks earned their second win over Oregon State in as many days. Oregon has clinched at worst a series split with the Beavers as the two squads will play two more times over the next three days. First pitch on Sunday — the final game of the series at PK Park — is set for 12:05 p.m.

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Oregon’s season’s had its fair share of ups and downs, but Friday has to be its peak thus far. 

The Ducks welcomed their rivals into PK Park, looking to give their season a boost and make a true statement to the college baseball world. 

After their 4-2 win over No. 3 Oregon State (32-8), that message should read: Grayson Grinsell elite and the Ducks have the capability to beat anyone they play. 

No. 13 Oregon (28-12, 14-7 Big Ten) utilized some timely two-out hitting and received a much-needed solid outing from its bullpen to snatch a Friday win at home.

“We’ve got a good record,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “We’ve got a really good record and all that kind of stuff, but (we) still feel that we’re way better than what we’ve shown on a consistent basis.”

It’s wins like these that show that potential.

Grinsell got the start on the mound for Oregon. The lefty’s incredible outing got off to an impressive start as he retired the first seven hitters he faced. 

A Trent Caraway double would be the first runner he allowed, but it would cost him as Caraway came around to score on an Aiva Arquette RBI single as the Beavers got the scoring started in a two-run third. 

The Beavers’ Friday starter, Nelson Keljo, made an early statement by striking-out the side in his first inning of work. The left flamethrower was regularly touching 96 mph in his 4.2-inning outing. 

“The guy’s a really good pitcher,” Wasikowski said. “He’s got a really strong arm.”

Keljo gave Oregon’s offense fits early. He collected five strikeouts during the Ducks’ first time through the lineup. Oregon’s first hit didn’t come until the third inning, a monster homer off the bat of Mason Neville. His 20th homer of the season put the Ducks on the board and cut OSU’s early lead in half. 

A double steal in the bottom of the fourth put a pair of runners in scoring position for Ryan Cooney, who delivered a clutch two-out, two-RBI double to left field to put the Ducks ahead 3-2. Each of Oregon’s first three runs came with two outs in their respective innings. 

“I was just trying to put a ball in play hard,” Cooney said. “That’s all I usually try to do when I’m up to bat.”

Unfortunately, it was a trend that wouldn’t continue in the fifth inning. A trio of Beaver-issued free passes loaded the bases with two away, but Maddox Molony flew out to right to end the threat. The fifth inning, however, chased Keljo (three earned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts) from the contest.

Grinsell’s outing was everything the Ducks needed it to be. His seven full innings of work featured 117 pitches, five strikeouts and only two runs on four hits. He got into long battles with hitters that caused his pitch count to spike, but he avoided any damage outside of the third inning. 

“He pitched really well,” Wasikowski said. “He didn’t really want to come out of the game.”

Oregon’s lefty has only allowed three earned runs across his last two outings — 16.0 innings of work against two top-10 ranked teams. 

“I’m going to go out there and just execute to the best of my ability and go for every pitch, and that’s what I did today,” Grinsell said.

He gave the bullpen a lead to protect, one that doubled with Jacob Walsh’s 12 homer of the season, a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh that made it 4-2. 

Ian Umlandt came in to pitch the eighth, recorded a pair of outs but allowed a pair of free passes to reach, prompting a pitching change. Cole Stokes came in and got Gavin Turley looking to end the threat and keep the Beavers off the board in the eighth. 

Seth Mattox came in for the ninth. He allowed a two-out double, but kept Oregon State off the board as he slammed the door shut. The Beavers only scored in the third inning in their eighth loss of the season.

The bullpen, which has been the subject of much criticism over recent weeks, was lights-out against the No. 3 Beavers. In all, Oregon’s pitching staff limited the Beavers to two runs on five hits and three walks while collecting eight strikeouts. The bullpen only allowed one hit while fanning three.

“Those guys have electric stuff,” Wasikowski said of his bullpen. “So, I’ve got confidence in them. The zero was probably really good for them because it probably got them a lot of confidence in themselves.”

Oregon State will look to even up the series on Saturday while the Ducks attempt to secure (at worst) a series split. The two foes will play two more games in Eugene this weekend before a midweek clash in Corvallis on Tuesday to wrap up their four-game season series. First pitch for tomorrow’s contest is set for 4:05 p.m.

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The Ducks had a phenomenal first season in the Big Ten and have a lot to build on moving forward in their new conference. But with new successes come new responsibilities. Oregon now assumes the role of top dog and the king everyone wants to dethrone. That’ll be the part Oregon plays this fall, and 12 teams will look to take its crown. While the season is still months away, the Ducks’ 2025 opponents are set. Let’s take a look at the slate that Dan Lanning’s Ducks look to conquer.

Non-conference Competition

The Ducks’ will play a trio of games against teams outside of the Big Ten. Oregon starts its season at home against Montana State. Despite being an FCS school, the Bobcats — like the Ducks — entered last season’s playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the FCS bracket. Montana State will be an incredible early-season test for the Ducks to see how prepared they are for FBS competition down the road. The Bobcats shouldn’t be overlooked. After all, Idaho sure gave Oregon a run for its money in last year’s season opener.

Oregon will also play host to a pair of OSUs. Both the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and Oregon State Beavers will attempt to tame a rowdy Autzen crowd. The Cowboys are coming off a rough 2024 season and will look to rebuild in 2025, providing a beatable opponent for the Ducks, who are 1-0 all-time against Oklahoma State. Then, the little-brother Beavers come to town. Oregon State hasn’t found a win at Autzen Stadium since 2007, and there’s no real reason to think that’ll change in 2025.

Road Warriors

All five of the Ducks’ road games will come against Big Ten teams next season. Their first road test will be sandwiched between the OSU games when Oregon heads to Northwestern on Sept. 13. Two weeks later, the Ducks will face their toughest opponent of 2025: Penn State on the road. Happy Valley is a brutal place to play and the Ducks will find out firsthand in late September. Lanning and his staff will have to have their squad ready to compete at the highest level just four games into the season. 

Oregon will also face Rutgers for the first time ever, along with Iowa in early November and Washington on the road to finish the season. 

Autzen Opponents

One of the finest establishments in college sports will play host to four conference games this fall. Indiana makes its second all-time trip to Autzen Stadium on Oct. 11. The Hoosiers are coming off a remarkable 2024 season and could prove to be a ranked opponent come conference play. The Wisconsin Badgers haven’t played in Eugene since 2021 and will look to create as tense a home crowd in Eugene as the Ducks created in Madison last season. The Minnesota Golden Gophers boast a 3-1 all-time record over the Ducks, but will make their first trip to Eugene in November. 

Oregon’s senior day will come against that team from Los Angeles that Oregon fans love to hate: USC. The Ducks have protected their home turf from the Trojans since 2011, but that’ll be a marquee matchup toward the end of Oregon’s quest for repeating dominance. 

Bye Weeks

The Ducks will have two bye weeks in 2025, one after the Penn State game and the other after facing Wisconsin. Oregon will have two weeks to prepare for both the Indiana and Iowa matchups. Something to note about the Ducks’ schedule is that they’ll have to face four teams — Penn State, Indiana, Minnesota and Iowa — following their respective byes. 

2024 was a thrilling season to be an Oregon fan, but 2025 offers exciting matchups, too. Autzen Stadium has plenty of action-packed gamedays to look forward to in the fall. 

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The Pilots sat in the eye of the hurricane. The No. 13 Oregon Ducks played a midweek game against Portland, sandwiched between two series against ranked opponents that will end up defining their 2025 season. 

But those Pilots continued to be a major thorn in the Ducks’ side, defeating Oregon for the second time in less than a month. The Ducks dropped another heartbreaker to the Pilots as the bullpen collapsed. It was deja vu of the previous loss to Portland, one that’s stood as one of the ugliest blemishes on Oregon’s 2025 season resume. 

Tuesday may have added a new low. 

Oregon led both 5-0 and 9-5, the latter being the score entering the seventh inning. The latest collapse from the Oregon bullpen erased the Ducks’ hot start at attempt to avenge their first loss to a sub-.500 Portland (18-23, 9-6 WCC) squad. 

“At surface value, we didn’t throw the ball over the plate good enough to win the game,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. 

Before there was a lead to blow, the Ducks had to get ahead. 

No. 13 Oregon (27-12, 14-7 Big Ten) got started right away. Mason Neville led the bottom of the first off with a double in the right-center gap and Jacob Walsh drove him in with a single up the middle. Walsh, too, would come around to score on a two-RBI single from Anson Aroz. 

Moments later, Ryan Cooney added a two-RBI single of his own to the Ducks’ first-inning bombardment of Portland Starter Kaden Starr, who lasted just 0.2 innings. The Eugene native was tagged for five runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks across his 36-pitch outing. 

Portland got a pair of runs back before an out was recorded in the second frame on a two-run blast from Zach Toglia. 

Oregon got the two runs back in the third as Logan Anderson (2.1 IP, two runs, one hit) loaded the bases with free passes and balked in a run. Drew Smith brought another home on an infield single as Oregon starter Will Sanford’s cushion grew. 

Sanford made his first midweek start of his collegiate career on Tuesday. The freshman recorded a couple solid innings of work before he walked the bases loaded in the fourth, ending his outing. Ryan Featherston entered to try and work out of the jam, but his first pitch sailed to the back stop to plate a run. 

Henry Muench brought another Pilot home with an RBI groundout in the inning, bringing Sanford’s final line to 3.1 innings, four runs, two hits, three strikeouts and five walks on 71 pitches of work. 

“He’s out there competing,” Wasikowski said. “He’s a young guy with a good arm. He’s out there competing. He had some moments of really good and he had some things that I’m sure he wants to clean up.”

Oregon added to its lead in the sixth with some small ball. The Ducks dropped a pair of bunts down and used some heads-up baserunning to push a pair of runs across and take a 9-4 advantage. 

“You have to be able to execute in order to win tight games,” Wasikowski said. “Overall, tonight, I thought the offense did a nice job of executing what we tried to do.”

Featherston threw nicely for a while after the wild pitch. He fanned five-straight hitters from the fourth to six innings, but ran into serious trouble in the seventh. 

He allowed a trio of hits and a pair of walks to allow the Pilots back into the contest and claw within two runs. Cole Stokes relieved him with two on and two outs and got Riley McCarthy swinging, but the game had reached an uncomfortable stage. 

“Nine (runs) should be enough to win,” Wasikowski said. “I think that’s pretty simple, but it wasn’t enough to win.”

Despite the timely strikeout, Stokes only faced one batter. Seth Mattox came in to pitch the eighth, but allowed the first two hitters he faced to reach. He was an out away from working out of the jam, but Brady Bean had other plans. The Pilots’ right fielder launched a ball way out to left field, a three-run shot that put Portland ahead for the first time. 

The Ducks’ offense had no response. The Oregon bullpen that had been subject to much criticism in the month of April cost the team another win. The Pilots are 2-0 against Oregon this season despite sitting well under .500. 

The bullpen was responsible for six runs on six hits in the loss. Oregon led by five runs at two different points in Tuesday’s contest, but no lead was safe. 

The biggest test of Oregon’s season awaits the Ducks this weekend. No. 3 Oregon State comes to town for three of the four games the two rivals will play in 2025. The Ducks need a good showing to prove their salt against a high-quality opponent and will look to lefty Grayson Grinsell to get them a series-opening win Friday night at 5:05 p.m.

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The biggest game of Oregon’s season to date became one of the most entertaining contests PK Park has seen this season as the Ducks outlasted UCLA with a 10-6 win. 

A four-run eighth inning became the final blow in a back-and-forth affair as No. 10 Oregon (27-11, 14-7 Big Ten) earned the series win over No. 10 UCLA (29-10, 13-5 Big Ten).

The Ducks smacked a trio of well-timed homers and got a much-needed, bounceback outing from their pitching staff. 

“It’s good to win a conference weekend,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “They’re hard to win and (especially) against a good program. The guys played a complete game today.”

The Ducks sent RHP Jason Reitz to the mound as they looked to take the series. He had a respectable outing aside from an unfortunate fourth inning that featured a pair of errors and allowed UCLA to take an unearned lead. 

Oregon got the scoring going in the bottom of the second. A string of three singles to left field from Drew Smith, Anson Aroz and Maddox Molony led the inning off and opened up a 1-0 lead. A bunt from Burke-Lee Mabeus moved runners over before Ryan Cooney brought Aroz (2-4, two runs) in with an RBI groundout for the second run of the inning. 

“We wanted to be the tougher team,” Wasikowski said. “We felt like we hadn’t given that to our fans from time to time and that was a sore subject for the team.”

UCLA got one right back in the following frame. A one-out hit-by-pitch moved to third on a Dean West double and came in to score on a Roch Cholowsky RBI groundout. The free pass hurt Reitz, but a nice play from Carter Garate (1-3, two runs) at third kept a second run from scoring and kept Oregon in front for the time being. 

Roman Martin took a pitch to straight-away center field and nearly struck the top of the batter’s eye to tie the game with a monster blast. Two more hits followed suit to set the Bruins up with runners at second and third with nobody out and they capitalized with a Chashel Dugger RBI groundout to take their first lead of the day. 

Unfortunately for Oregon, an error from Molony at short extended the inning and allowed a third run to cross in a fourth inning that saw UCLA take a 4-2 advantage.

Oregon got a quick response on Aroz’s 11th homer of the season, one that nearly cleared the PDA in right field. A pair of two-out singles from Cooney and Garate set Mason Neville up for a chance at history.

He delivered, launching a long three-run homer to the roof of the PDA to put Oregon back ahead 6-4. His 19th blast of the season set the new Oregon single-season home run record and sparked an eruption from the Ducks’ dugout. 

Neville’s (3-4, two runs, three RBIs) heroics chased Landon Stump from the game. UCLA’s Sunday starter lasted 3.2 innings and allowed six earned runs on seven hits (both tying season-highs) across his 67 pitches. 

“I’d say it’s all about the team, really,” Neville said. “I want to go to Omaha. Never been there. I’d say that’s goal number one and that might be the only goal.”

Retiz’s day ended after a scoreless fifth frame. Across his 97 pitches, he fanned four and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits. 

“Grit,” Wasikowski said of what he saw from Reitz in the win. “Grit. He battled through…He showed grittiness that we need out of our pitching staff and he was a very  good example of that today.”

Ian Umlandt took over in the sixth and allowed a run in an inning that featured five different Bruins on base, but he got Mulivai Levu looking to leave the bases loaded and keep Oregon ahead. 

The Ducks squandered two crucial opportunities in Sunday’s win. In both the fifth and seventh innings, Jacob Walsh and Smith drew back-to-back walks before an out was recorded, but Oregon couldn’t push anything across in either frame. The Ducks left nine runners on base in the win. 

UCLA hit four-straight singles in the eighth to tie the contest, load the bases and chase Umlandt from the game. Seth Mattox entered and utilized a 5-2 double play to escape the jam and keep the contest knotted, much like the stomachs of those in attendance. 

Mabeus didn’t let the tie last for long. He sent the first pitch he saw in the eighth inches over the wall in left to put Oregon back ahead with his second homer of the season. 

“I wasn’t so sure it went over,” Mabeus said. “I was looking for the umpires, trying to see if they were going to tell me if it was over or not. I think I found out (while) rounding second, still sprinting.”

The Ducks loaded the bases later in the inning. This time, they cashed in. 

Walsh (2-3, two BB, two RBIs) brought a pair of insurance runs in with a two-RBI single and Smith added a sacrifice fly to his 1-2, two-walk day. 

Series, Ducks. Oregon earned its first regular-season series win over a top-10-ranked team since April of 2023. 

The Bruins still own a 39-21 lead over the Ducks in their all-time series and are 19-10 against Oregon in Eugene, but the Ducks got the crucial series win when their RPI, ranking and Big Ten standing needed it. 

The Ducks will play Portland at PK Park on Tuesday before welcoming the No. 6 Oregon State Beavers into town for a crucial three-game rivalry series on Friday. Oregon dropped a heartbreaker to the Pilots up in Portland earlier this year and look to salvage a season split on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m.

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