Rain clouds and a grey sky loomed over PK Park at the start of Sunday’s series finale between Oregon and Cal State Fullerton. For the Ducks, things didn’t get much brighter as the Titans completed the three-game sweep with a 5-4 win.

After Saturday’s contest was interrupted by a 23-minute rain delay, the start of Sunday’s game was pushed back 17 minutes due to the rain.

Aaron Payne led off the bottom of the first for Oregon with an opposite-field line drive that bounced off the glove of Fullerton left fielder Greg Velazquez and went all the way to the wall. Payne made it to third base on the play and would score later in the inning on a Tyler Baumgartner groundout, giving the Ducks their first lead of the series.

The rain would strike again after the first inning, resulting in a second rain delay that lasted one hour and two minutes. Despite the lengthy delay, starting pitchers Porter Clayton and Grahamm Wiest both remained in the game.

Leading off the second for the Ducks was Kyle Garlick, who hit a grounder past a diving Matt Chapman at third base for a double. Garlick moved over to third on a wild pitch and would score on a safety squeeze by Shaun Chase that gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead.

Clayton – making his first start since 2011 for Oregon – kept Fullerton off the scoreboard through three innings despite allowing the leadoff man to reach base in each frame. The Titans would finally capitalize in the fourth, scoring three runs and knocking Clayton out of the game.

With runners at first and second and no outs, Jake Jefferies hit a comebacker to Clayton, who elected to get the lead runner at third rather than throw to second base to attempt a double play. The next batter, A.J. Kennedy, smacked a line drive over the head of Garlick for a double, scoring Clay Williamson and moving Jefferies to third. The Titans would add two more runs before Clayton was pulled from the game. The left-hander lasted just 3.2 innings and surrendered three runs on four hits and five walks.

“It was just one of those days where I didn’t have much going for me,” Clayton said. “I was struggling to locate, which isn’t good early in the game.”

Oregon added another run in the fifth inning to tie the game back up 3-3, but Fullerton would regain the lead in the seventh inning.

Freshman right-hander Stephen Nogosek was cruising along in relief of Clayton, but with two outs and the bases empty, Fullerton cleanup hitter J.D. Davis deposited an offering from Nogosek over the left-field fence to put the Titans back up by a score of 4-3.

Fullerton tacked on a crucial insurance run off Oregon closer Jake Reed in the ninth inning to give the Titans a two-run cushion. The Ducks would cut that lead back to a single run after Payne picked up his second opposite-field RBI single. However, Payne was thrown out stealing with J.B. Bryant at the plate, to give Koby Gauna his second save in as many days and Fullerton the three-game sweep.

Between Clayton and the bullpen, the Ducks issued eight walks on Sunday, which head coach George Horton pointed to as a crucial factor in his club’s loss. The other key mistake that Horton acknowledged was the missed opportunity at a double play in the fourth inning, which could have potentially limited Fullerton’s big inning.

“We made some mental mistakes today,” Horton said, pointing out Clayton’s decision to get the lead runner. “That’s youth and inexperience and ultimately that’s the coach’s job to make sure those kind of things didn’t happen.”

Picking up the win for Fullerton was Phil Bickford (1-0), who was masterful in 2.2 innings of relief. The right-hander was selected 10th overall out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays in last year’s draft and showed exactly why on Saturday, striking out seven of the 10 batters he faced. Nogosek (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Oregon.

The Ducks will look to bounce back on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the first of two home games against Seattle. Jeff Gold is slated to make the start for Oregon.

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After falling to Cal State Fullerton by a final of 9-2 on Friday night, Oregon turned to freshman Matt Krook on Saturday in hope of bouncing back. The Ducks fell to the Titans 3-2 after the bullpen allowed the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, but the game was a lot closer than Friday’s matchup due in large part to the performance of freshman starting pitcher Matt Krook. The left-hander possesses arguably the most electric repertoire on the pitching staff, which Oregon fans were able to witness firsthand for the first time on Saturday.

“It was awesome to pitch at home for the first time,” Krook said, when asked whether he felt any nerves prior to the game. “It was a new experience and I wouldn’t say (it was) nerves. A lot more excitement than nerves and I think that showed in the first few innings.”

Krook ran into trouble in the second inning, giving up two runs on a single, two walks and a hit batsman. He needed 33 pitches to get through the inning.

After the third inning, Krook had to wait out a 23-minute rain delay, through which he put on a warmup jacket and tried to stay loose. When he came back out, he was unhittable, striking out the next five batters and retiring the final nine that he faced.

Krook had thrown 94 pitches through five innings, after which head coach George Horton considered pulling him from the game. But Krook talked Horton into letting him pitch the sixth, which took him to a final pitch count of 111 (66 for strikes).

The Titan hitters were able to run up Krook’s pitch count early, as each hitter worked a plate appearance of at least four pitches the first time through the order. Through two innings, Krook had thrown 53 pitches — only four of which were his signature slider.

“It didn’t feel great in the bullpen,” Krook said of his slider, “so I was just using my fastball more to try and get ahead.”

Horton noticed that Krook struggled a bit early on and indicated that his mechanics and rhythm appeared to be slightly off.

“He’s been sharper,” Horton said. “(He) didn’t have all of his pitches in the bullpen but what was unusual was that when the game started he didn’t pound the strike zone and ultimately that’s what created the problem.”

Without a great feel for his slider out of the gate, Krook admitted that he relied on the fastball more than usual on Saturday, especially with two strikes. Of his 111 pitches, he threw 85 fastballs – over 75 percent of the time. When he had hitters in a two-strike count, he utilized his heater 25 times compared to just 15 breaking pitches.

Despite not having the best command for his most devastating pitch, Krook was still able to keep Oregon in the game.

“Krook’s got good stuff and even though he was a little bit all over the place, sometimes those guys with his kind of stuff are hard to hit,” Horton said. “So he created a little bit of his own mess but he was good enough to throw some pretty nasty pitches. So that didn’t compound itself.”

Freshman Jack Kruger has caught Krook during all three of his starts and Horton indicated that he would likely continue to do so going forward. Kruger explained that it’s not just Krook’s sharp breaking pitches that make him so good, but also the late life on his fastball.

“Catching him is an adventure,” Kruger said. “He’s so filthy – it’s really incredible. I’ve never caught a guy like Matt Krook before.”

The final line from Krook was rather impressive, as he held the Titans to just two runs on three hits and struck out eight batters compared to two walks. Saturday was Krook’s first test against a ranked opponent and while he ran into trouble during the second inning, he faced the minimum in the subsequent four innings.

The Ducks ultimately lost on Saturday, but Krook showed why the Miami Marlins took him with the 35th overall pick in last year’s draft. On a night when he was without his best stuff, he was still able to hold the No. 5 team in the country to just three hits and two runs.

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After opening the season with eight straight wins, the Oregon baseball team hit its first bump in the road on Friday night. Led by the masterful pitching of Thomas Eshelman, Cal State Fullerton dominated Oregon by a final of 9-2, handing the Ducks their first loss of the season.

“I didn’t think we were going to go undefeated,” head coach George Horton said after the game. “I think it sets up (to be) even more interesting because this is our first speed bump of the year and we’ll see how we respond to a whooping because we got whooped.”

Coach Horton told reporters on Wednesday that this weekend’s series would be the club’s first good test of the season. An eight-game winning streak is impressive regardless of the opponent, but Oregon’s previous three opponents — Hawaii, Loyola Marymount and Portland — all finished below .500 last season. Friday’s game certainly had a different atmosphere.

“We weren’t ourselves tonight,” Oregon designated hitter Kyle Garlick said. “It didn’t feel like (when) we were at LMU. It had a different feel to it. “

Anytime a series takes place between two top-10 teams, there are naturally going to be a lot of eyes on it. This showdown between Oregon and Cal State Fullerton is even more hyped considering that Horton spent over a decade and a half coaching at Fullerton. Garlick admitted that the pressure may have affected the team.

“With so much history that these coaching staffs have together I think we kind of tried too hard tonight,” Garlick said.

Horton also recognized that the team wasn’t quite itself on Friday.

“We noticed some different personality with the guys,” Horton said. “We didn’t take a good infield. … There was some doubt and that’s disappointing to me. As much as we talk about we play the game, we don’t play our opponent. In this case some kids played the opponent.”

After jumping out to a big lead early against Portland on Tuesday, Oregon found itself on the opposite end against Fullerton on Friday. After the Titans scored five times in the fourth inning, the Ducks stared at a 6-0 deficit that widened to 9-0 after six innings.

“I think when things started spiraling, we got caught flat-footed. There wasn’t a lot of encouraging things coming from the dugout. When you’re getting thumped, it’s hard to have positive energy.”

The Ducks did manage to push across a pair of runs in the ninth to avoid the shutout, which Horton hopes the team can take into Saturday’s matchup.

“We won the seventh, eighth and ninth — if there’s a silver lining,” Horton said. “There’s no moral victories. We got thumped. But the fact that we got a little momentum and we still had that characteristic of not rolling over and quitting makes me a little bit less grumpy.”

Oregon will try to take that momentum into game two on Saturday, as freshman left-hander Matt Krook will take the hill in what will be the biggest game of his collegiate career.

“(Krook) can see with his own eyes that they got to some pretty good pitches with Tommy,” Horton said. “I think he’ll be confident and I hope he doesn’t start trying to nibble and make a perfect pitch.”

While Thorpe may have had a tough night on the mound for Oregon, he’s confident that Krook should be able to fair better on Saturday.

“He’s going to do really good,” Thorpe said. “I believe in him 100 percent.”

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Since the days of Chip Kelly, the Oregon football program has preached the concept of competing against a nameless, faceless opponent.

For coach George Horton and the No. 9 Oregon baseball team, the focus is always on self-improvement, but they aren’t blind to the significance of this weekend’s matchup against No. 5 Cal State Fullerton.

“The excitement about Cal State Fullerton is the respect that I have for them,” said Horton, who coached at Fullerton from 1990-2007. “It isn’t just another opponent. It would be ludicrous to say that for me on a personal basis. But like any other top-10 team, it’s exciting. That’s why I coach at Oregon is to play these kind of games.”

The Ducks will face one of the top pitching staffs in the country and one that prides itself on attacking hitters early in the count and limiting walks. Fullerton ace, Thomas Eshelman, had a miniscule 1.48 ERA and 0.77 WHIP last season and issued a mind-boggling three walks in 115.2 innings. Nearly as impressive is Saturday starter Justin Garza, who boasted a 2.03 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with 17 walks in 115 innings.

“We try not to beat ourselves, and part of the way you lose is giving away free 90 foot bases,” Titans head coach Rick Vanderhook said.

Eshelman doesn’t possess an overpowering fastball (it sits in the high-80’s) but is armed with a four-pitch mix for which he has incredible command. Vanderhook said that Garza “probably has the best arm” on the staff and can run his fastball up to 93-94 miles per hour.

“Obviously they’re two really good pitchers and I kind of know how they like to attack hitters,” Oregon corner infielder Mitchell Tolman said. “They love going after guys with fastballs and they make you beat them. So I think that’s what we’ve been working on lately is getting after pitchers. If they’re going to throw strikes, let’s go ahead and hit it.”

Often forgotten on the Titans’ staff is Sunday starter Grahamm Wiest, but the junior right-hander has given up just two runs (one earned) through his first two starts of the season and is fresh off a complete game, 10-strikeout performance against San Francisco.

The Ducks will counter with the weekend rotation of Tommy Thorpe, Matt Krook and Porter Clayton.

Thorpe has given up four runs (two earned) through two starts but has struggled somewhat with walks (six). Krook has flashed elite swing-and-miss ability through his first two collegiate starts, striking out 19 batters in 13.1 innings. For Porter Clayton, Sunday will be his first start since 2011, but he’s been dominant out of the Oregon bullpen, retiring all 14 batters he’s faced this season.

The real challenge for Oregon this weekend will be finding a way to manufacture runs. Through the first eight games, Kyle Garlick, Tyler Baumgartner and A.J. Balta have been excellent sources of gap-to-gap power, but the rest of Oregon’s offense has been predicated on small ball – singles, bunting and aggressive baserunning.

That strategy will be more difficult to implement against Fullerton, who does a terrific job of controlling the running game. Last year, the Titans allowed just 19 steals in 61 games and threw out 44 percent of runners attempting to steal. The trend has continued in 2014, with the unit holding opponents to just two steals in eight attempts.

“It might be tougher (to run),” Horton said. “First of all, getting on base against the pitchers is a little more of a challenge. Those first two guys don’t walk you at all and Wiest was really good on Sunday … So it’s going to be harder to get on first and foremost and then once we get on it’ll be harder to do things that we’ve been extremely successful at, stealing bases and picking the right time.”

“The challenge is they play the game and certain parts of the game extremely well,” Horton added. “We’re going to be have to be on it and take advantage of whatever crack in the armor we can take advantage of.”

Notes:

– Horton revealed on Wednesday that third baseman Scott Heineman missed Tuesday’s game against Portland due to a left shoulder strain and is considered day-to-day. Should Heineman miss time this weekend, expect Tolman to man the hot corner and for freshman A.J. Balta to play first base. Balta played second base and outfield during high school and played at first base on Tuesday.

– A potential matchup to keep an eye on this weekend is one between Oregon freshman catcher Jack Kruger and Cal State Fullerton freshman reliever Phil Bickford. Kruger and Bickford were battery mates at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, Calif., and a matchup between the two would be the first time they’ve faced off as opponents. Kruger said that spending two years catching a talent like Bickford (who was drafted 10th overall in last year’s draft) has helped prepare him to catch Oregon pitchers with electric repertoires including Krook, Thorpe and Garrett Cleavinger. When asked who he thought would have the upper hand in a potential matchup against Bickford, Kruger laughed and replied, “I don’t know. It will be interesting if that happens, that’s for sure. I think we’re probably both looking forward to it.”

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After Tuesday night’s home opener against Portland, Oregon head coach George Horton indicated that the coaching staff would reconsider their Sunday starter for this weekend’s series against Cal State Fullerton. On Wednesday afternoon, Horton said “the coin landed” and that they would go with left-hander Porter Clayton.

“It’s not a case of Jordan Spencer going to the end of the bench or the bottom of the totem pole,” Horton said Wednesday. “We think that Porter’s made a statement for himself and that we might improve ourselves in that third spot with Porter.”

Horton admitted that coming into the season there was a “fine line” in the battle for the Sunday starter role and that there hadn’t been a clear separation between Spencer and a group of pitchers that included Clayton and right-hander Jeff Gold.

Clayton’s dominance out of the bullpen paired with Spencer’s struggles through his first two starts has tipped the scale toward Clayton for the time being. Horton said that the decision to go with Clayton rather than Gold was a tough call and suggested that it was based on Clayton having higher upside rather than a case of Gold not pitching well enough.

Prior to this season, Clayton had last pitched for the Ducks in 2011 and subsequently took two years off to serve his Latter-day Saints mission. Pitching coach Dean Stiles noted that upon Clayton’s return, they worked to tweak his mechanics in order to give him more extension during his delivery. Stiles feels this improved the command of Clayton’s curveball, which he has been able to throw more often for strikes early in the count.

“He came back with the right attitude and he’s worked his tail off to get back into this program,” catcher Shaun Chase said. “It was pretty awesome to watch him all fall. He was always the first one here and last one to leave.”

This season, Clayton has effectively deployed a four-pitch mix that features a fastball Horton says can touch 92 miles per hour, a curveball, a changeup and a slider. After recording two perfect innings on Tuesday, Clayton has retired all 14 batters he’s faced this season.

Spencer, however, struggled with his command out of the gate and Stiles noted that his curveball hasn’t been as sharp as it had been during the preseason. In two starts, Spencer totaled just 7.2 innings, over which he gave up five runs on 11 hits and five walks.

Stiles said that going forward, he expects Spencer to pitch out of the bullpen in a role similar to what Clayton had previously been performing. He’ll likely have the opportunity to come out of the bullpen multiple times during a weekend series, sometimes as a lefty specialist.

“I guess the danger in the quick hook on (Jordan) is the next guy that gets the ball is like, ‘Oh man, I better go out and be perfect,’” Horton said. “I hope they don’t fall into that trap. But it’s more of a case of the excellent guys that we have than a case of Jordan not doing well at all.”

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Oregon baseball put up six runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back, beating Portland by a final of 8-2 in Tuesday’s home opener at PK Park.

Aaron Payne lead off the bottom of the first inning with a four-pitch walk and was sacrificed over to second by Austin Grebeck. The Ducks (8-0) proceeded to string together four straight singles to take a 3-0 lead. With runners at first and second, Shaun Chase launched a 3-2 curveball into the Portland bullpen in left field to give Oregon a 6-0 lead. The Ducks would record five hits and send 10 batters to the plate in the inning against Portland starting pitcher Jackson Lockwood.

“He was throwing me backdoor breaking balls and fastballs on the inner half and then he finally hung the curveball,” Chase said. “It felt really good. It felt effortless.”

Lockwood would last just two more frames, surrendering a run in both the second and third inning. He allowed eight runs on nine hits in three innings.

Staring at an 8-0 deficit, the Pilots (2-6) managed two runs on three hits in the top of the fourth. Caleb Whalen led off the inning with a double down the left field line and would later score from third on a Ryan Littlefield groundout. The next batter, Davis Tominaga just missed a home run that ricocheted off the right field wall. He would settle for a triple and score on a single by the next batter, Ryan Barr.

That was the last hit Portland would muster, as starting pitcher Jeff Gold and the Oregon bullpen combined to limit the Pilots to just a walk and a hit batsman from that point on. Gold finished the night allowing two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and zero walks. The seven strikeouts tied a career high for Gold, who punched out seven batters almost a year ago to the date against Portland.

Despite picking up his second win of the season, Gold deflected praise to his batterymate, Shaun Chase, noting that he did a good job framing pitches throughout the night.

“Shaun works hard for me and I love it,” Gold said. “Me and him have always had a good connection. We’re good friends and we talk pitching a lot with each other. He’s familiar with me and what I like to do.”

Chase finished the night 2-for-4 at the plate, adding a bunt single in his second at bat. Coach George Horton talked up Chase’s performance both at the plate and defensively for Oregon, saying that he was “one of the best players of the game.”

Left-hander Porter Clayton relieved Gold and registered three strikeouts in two perfect innings of relief. Clayton has yet to give up either a hit or walk in 4.2 innings of relief this season. Brando Tessar and Stephen Nogosek each pitched scoreless innings of relief to close out the game.

Alex Fisher pitched four scoreless innings in relief for Portland. Earning the win for Oregon was Gold. Lockwood was saddled with the loss for Portland.

The Oregon bats were clicking on Tuesday as Chase, Grebeck, Tyler Baumgartner, J.B. Bryant and A.J. Balta all picked up two hits for Oregon. Despite playing in a noted pitcher’s park and having a team more known for its starting pitching, Chase was confident that the Ducks will be able to build on their impressive night at the plate.

“We’re the 2014 Ducks,” Chase said. “We’re going to be able to hit this year. PK Park better watch out for us.”

Baumgartner, Mitchell Tolman and Connor Hoffman all picked up steals for the Ducks, who are now 19 for 26 in stolen base attempts this season.

Coach Horton noted that Jordan Spencer is not expected to start Sunday’s game against Cal State Fullerton and indicated that Gold, Clayton and Trent Paddon are all in the mix to get the nod.

Oregon will host Cal State Fullerton at PK Park on Friday at 6 p.m in the first game of a three-game series.

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As the Oregon baseball season was approaching, there was a great deal of excitement surrounding freshman Matt Krook. Though the left-handed pitcher from San Mateo, Calif. was the 35th pick in the MLB draft, he elected to attend Oregon. Krook has certainly lived up to the hype through his first two starts, but he isn’t the only freshman who has quickly made an impact for Oregon.

Freshman catcher Jack Kruger and first-year outfielders Austin Grebeck and A.J. Balta all hail from Southern California, having connections with each other before coming to Eugene. Kruger and Balta have played on travel teams together since they were 10 years old and Grebeck also played with Balta during scout ball and at various showcases.

After the first two weeks, the three newcomers have already played a huge role. Assistant coach Mark Wasikowski called Kruger “the player of the game” for the first game of the series against Hawaii due to his receiving and pitch-blocking. Balta and Grebeck each had key RBI hits that broke the game open for Oregon the following night and Grebeck scored the game-winning run of Sunday’s 4-3 win against Loyola Marymount.  

“The freshmen have been stepping up great,” senior outfielder Tyler Baumgartner said. “It almost seems like they’ve already been here for a year. They just didn’t miss a step.”

Balta has emerged as Oregon’s starting left fielder and Grebeck has been a valuable bat off the bench. Kruger has split time behind the plate with junior Shaun Chase and sophomore Josh Graham and has expressed how valuable it has been to learn from and work with them.

“I would not be where I am today or even have the chance to play without the help of Shaun and Josh,” Kruger said. “It’s really cool ’cause we’re a really tight-knit group of guys and we enjoy hanging out together and we really want each other to succeed.”

All three first-year players stressed the significance of the leadership of the upperclassmen and the values that they have fostered.

“If you were doing something wrong, they’re going to let you know and get you back on track,” Grebeck said. “That’s what’s really helped this team get as far along as we think we are.”

Kruger agrees, adding that working together is an integral part of the game.

“The whole idea is that we’re one team and we’re all trying to get better,” he said. “By making you better, I’m making myself better because you’re going to push me and it just goes back and forth. It’s a really, really cool vibe that I don’t think a lot of teams have.”

The freshmen have the added benefit of being a part of the team throughout the fall and winter terms, having played fall ball and becoming accustomed to PK Park. With the inclusive team environment that resonates throughout the team, it’s no surprise that the newcomers have been able to contribute out of the gate.

“With everyone pulling for you, it makes it that much easier for success to be able to happen,” Balta said. “Everyone is just treating us like a brotherhood so the freshmen class just fits in with everyone else.”

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Tyler Baumgartner has a knack for making spectacular diving catches.

With the score tied at three apiece in the bottom of the eighth, LMU had a runner at second base with two outs. Tanner Donnels hit a pitch off Oregon reliever Garrett Cleavinger to right-center field that looked like it would give the Lions the lead. However, Baumgartner laid out to make yet another tremendous catch, which kept the score tied. Oregon would go on to win by a final score of 4-3.

It was the second time this weekend and the third time this season that the Oregon right fielder made a highlight-reel play. Sunday’s catch was perhaps the best of the three.

The scoring started in the third inning. Kevin Minjares started things off with a single up the middle and advanced to second base after Scott Heineman was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up 90 feet after Aaron Payne executed a perfectly placed bunt single to the third base side.

It looked like the Lions would escape with minimal damage when LMU starting pitcher Carlos Fuentes got Baumgartner to hit into a 4-6-3 double play, which plated Oregon’s first run of the day and left Heineman on third with two outs.

With Mitchell Tolman at bat, Heineman took off for home on a straight steal and was called safe on an extremely close play. The pitch beat Heineman to home, but it appeared that the Oregon third baseman was able to get under the tag of LMU catcher Kevin Garcia. Despite arguments from Garcia and LMU head coach Jason Gill, the play stood.

With the bases empty, Tolman tagged the very next pitch from Fuentes over the right-center field fence to put the Ducks up 3-0. The home run was Tolman’s first of the season and Oregon’s second in as many games.

With one straight steal of home under their belts, the Ducks tried their luck again in the top of the fifth.

Baumgartner roped a one-out double into the left-center field gap and advanced to third base on a groundout by Tolman. The Lions elected to intentionally walk Kyle Garlick, bringing up A.J. Balta with runners at the corners and two away. With two strikes on Balta, Baumgartner broke for the plate and LMU pitcher Sean Buckle stepped off the rubber to throw him out at home and squash the Oregon scoring threat.

The Lions knotted the game up in bottom half of the frame with a rally started by a leadoff single by Garcia. After being sacrificed to second base, Garcia came around to score LMU’s first run of the game on a single by their leadoff hitter, David Fletcher. The next batter, Austin Miller, knocked Oregon starting pitcher Jordan Spencer out of the game with an RBI triple to right-center that went all the way to the wall.

With the score 3-2, coach George Horton brought in reliever Trent Paddon to try and preserve the lead. The first batter Paddon faced, David Edwards, hit a ground ball up the middle, which was handled by Minjares for the second out but brought home Miller to tie the score up at 3-3.

Oregon would take the lead in the ninth inning. Austin Grebeck led off with a pinch-hit double and advanced to third on an error by center fielder Miller. Grebeck came in to score what would be the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly by the next batter, J.B. Bryant. Jake Reed got the Lions out in order in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn his third save of the season.

Cleavinger picked up his second win of the season in relief while Buckle was saddled with the loss for LMU. Neither starting pitcher was able to make it through five innings, as Oregon’s Spencer allowed three runs on six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings and LMU’s Fuentes allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in 3.0 innings.

Oregon will take Monday off before hosting its first home game of the season on Tuesday against Portland. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at PK Park.

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Two and a half weeks ago, the Oregon men fielded two sub-9:32 distance medley relay teams at the University of Washington Invitational. Flotrack.org, one of the internet’s most popular running websites, released a video this morning showing the workout that coach Andy Powell had the eight runners do after posting the second and fourth best DMR times in the nation.

Each of the four pairs of legs did a different workout. The 400 meter runners, Jack Galpin and Arthur Delaney, ran four reps of 150 meters in about 15-16 seconds for each. The 800 meter runners, Russell Hornsby and Boru Guyota, ran 200 meter reps in about 25-26 seconds each. Hornsby did five reps and Guyota did six.

The 1200 meter runners, Brett Johnson and Mac Fleet, ran an 800 meter rep at 2:08 followed by two 400 meter reps in 52 and 51 seconds. They finished off their workout by running two 200 meter reps, each in 26 seconds.

The 1600 meter runners, Edward Cheserek and Trevor Dunbar ran four 800 meter reps in 2:08, 2:06, 2:04 and 2:02.

You can watch the full video here.

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Growing up the son of a musical icon, Russell Hornsby didn’t have an ordinary childhood.

Russell, a junior middle-distance runner on the University of Oregon track and field team, grew up in Williamsburg, Va., the son of two-time Grammy Award winner Bruce Hornsby.

The nature of his job required Bruce to spend four-to-six months a year on the road, even after the birth of Russell and his identical twin brother, Keith, in 1992. Their mother, Kathy, recalls having a map labeled “Where is daddy?” hanging in the kitchen.

“We would plot his routes,” Kathy said, “so the kids were really good at U.S. geography as they got into school.”

As Russell and Keith entered elementary and junior high, they would travel with their mother a few times a year to meet up with Bruce while he was on tour. In addition to watching their father perform live, they enjoyed other perks of having a celebrity in the household.

The brothers met George Lucas and Oprah Winfrey on a yacht in New York during the 20th anniversary celebration of Spike Lee’s production company (Lee is one of Bruce’s best friends). They also got to hold the ball racks during the 2002 NBA all-star three-point shooting contest.

“Growing up around it when you’re little, you don’t really think about it,” Russell said about his father’s celebrity status. “I wish I could do a lot of that stuff now that I can actually appreciate it for what it was.”

While Bruce is most passionate about music, he is also a noted sports fanatic and watched Russell and Keith both develop a fondness for athletics at a young age. Rather than push them into the realm of his profession, Bruce let them find their own hobbies.

“Our dad just kind of saw that’s what we wanted to do,” Keith said. “He’d only push us into (music) if we really showed a love for it and we had our own thing, so he didn’t find that necessary.”

During high school, the brothers branched out, with Keith focusing on basketball and Russell specializing in middle distances on the track. During their final two years of high school they attended separate boarding schools, where they were able to hone their skills.

With Bruce still touring and Russell and Keith living away from home since their junior years of high school, moments when the whole family has been able to spend time together have been scarce. But a special weekend arose last November as Keith, who is sitting out this college basketball season after transferring from UNC-Asheville to LSU, was free during Thanksgiving for the first time in several years.

Bruce, Kathy and Keith all flew up to Eugene and celebrated Thanksgiving with dinner at King Estate Winery before watching the nail-biting Civil War football game the following day. Despite being on their own paths in life, the family remains very close as Russell and Keith each consider the other his best friend.

“It was really special,” Russell said about that weekend. “It’s something that needed to happen over the past couple of years.”

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