After Wednesday’s practice, Mark Helfrich talked about the new rule that would allow student-athletes unlimited meals and how important that would be for walk-ons. He also discussed one of the walk-on players, quarterback Taylor Alie.

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The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named Oregon third baseman Mitchell Tolman the national hitter of the week on Tuesday, a day after he earned Pac-12 player of the week honors. He now has two NCBWA hitter of the week awards in his career (first this season).

Tolman hit .600 (9-for-15) with six RBIs in No. 23 Oregon’s five wins over Portland and UC Riverside last week. The sophomore cleanup hitter leads all Ducks this season with a .351 batting average (ninth among Pac-12 hitters) and is second in on-base percentage (.466) and slugging percentage (.504).

Tolman had another strong performance at the plate in Monday’s 4-3 win over San Diego. He went 1-for-3 with two intentional walks.

“I love coming up with guys in scoring position,” Tolman told reporters after the game. “They pitched around me, it is what it is and I have faith in all the guys behind me.”

The Ducks (28-10, 7-5 Pac-12) get Tuesday and Wednesday off before playing their first Pac-12 series since April 6. They’ll take on Washington State (16-15, 7-4) for a three-game series at PK Park starting Thursday at 6 p.m.

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Brando Tessar posted his second straight gem on Monday. The senior Oregon baseball pitcher threw seven scoreless innings in the Ducks’ 4-3 win over San Diego, just like he did against Portland last Wednesday.

In each start, he appeared in more innings than all of last season.

“I’ve been hurt for the last two years and the rehab process has been pretty long, going through its ups and downs,” Tessar said after Monday’s game.

Arm injuries sidelined the right-hander for the majority of the 2013 season, limiting him to 6.2 innnings, four appearances and two brief starts. In 2012, he made just 11 appearances due to a muscle strain, making his last of nine starts on April 15. He appeared in one more game, which happened to be Oregon’s last of the season.

Now, almost exactly a year after his 2013 season was cut short, Tessar’s 2014 campaign might not have even reached its apex. He’s made five straight starts and has been clearly excellent his last two. If he keeps pitching this way, head coach George Horton may have no choice but to give him the third weekend rotation spot, something the Ducks desperately need to shore up.

“I’d say Brando is yelling at us that he belongs there,” Horton said. “Instead of being in my office, he’s doing it on the field.”

Tessar’s emergence is especially important because the Ducks are without arguably their top two starters. Left-hander Cole Irvin is lost for the season and fellow lefty Matt Krook might soon join him. Tommy Thorpe and Jeff Gold have pitched well, but the other starters that have taken turns in the rotation are inconsistent, unproven or both.

Trent Paddon started his first game as a Duck on Sunday, going four innings and giving up three earned runs. Porter Clayton and Jordan Spencer have both made three starts, with similar results to Paddon’s each time out.

Tessar might not be the answer, of course. His five starts haven’t come against the greatest competition and before last Wednesday, he struggled as much as Paddon, Clayton and Spencer in a starting role.

But over the course of the season, Tessar’s been excellent. He’s posted a 2.73 earned-run average, struck out 25 batters and walked just two in 29.2 innings. Plus, he’s proven the ability to go deep into games, something only the rocks of the rotation (Thorpe, Gold and Krook) have done this season. Tessar doesn’t have throw seven shutout innings every time out to be valuable, but if he can approach that output, the Ducks have a great chance of making a postseason run.

On a personal level, Tessar is happy simply to be injury-free. Consistent greatness would be gravy to him.

“It’s just good to be on the mound,” Tessar said.

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Oregon baseball’s hitters drew eight walks and were hit seven times by San Diego pitchers on Monday afternoon at PK Park, helping the No. 23 Ducks (28-10) sneak by the Toreros (25-11) 4-3 for their sixth straight win.

San Diego compiled twice as many hits as Oregon (12-to-6) but the walks, hit batters and one huge error proved to be the difference in the game.

“It is hard to just flat out get hits when you’re getting hit a lot or walking a lot or the pitchers are a little bit all over the place,” head coach George Horton said postgame. “We did just enough to win.”

Brando Tessar pitched seven innings without giving up a run, which he also accomplished last week against Portland. He gave up seven hits and one walk while striking out four on Monday.

“I felt good,” Tessar said. “I was on a little bit of short rest, four days rest, from my last outing, so I was a little tired today. But the defense played great and it’s easy to pitch when you’ve got a defense like that.”

One good defensive play came in the top of the first inning. Andrew Daniel blasted the first pitch he saw from Tessar, but left fielder Kyle Garlick tracked it down right in from of the wall to end the inning

The Ducks got on the board in the third. Aaron Payne and Balta both got hit by pitches to lead the inning off, then advanced on a wild pitch. Baumgartner fouled out and Pac-12 player of the week Mitchell Tolman was intentionally walked to set up Kyle Garlick, who grounded out softly to the pitcher CJ Burdick. That allowed Payne to score and give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Desmond Santos got hit by a pitch to lead off and was moved over on a Mark Karaviotis sacrifice bunt. Payne then came up and got hit for the second straight inning but Balta struck out to set up Baumgartner. He delivered, driving in Santos with a double to right.

But the Ducks scored two more runs on the play. Toreros catcher Connor Joe couldn’t handle the throw home and the ball bounced into San Diego’s dugout. That allowed not just Payne to score but also Baumgartner, giving the Ducks a 4-0 lead. San Diego head coach Rich Hill came out to argue the ruling and was ejected.

The Ducks wouldn’t score after that despite getting six more runners on base, including four in the sixth inning.

“We should’ve been able to capitalize in some situations that we didn’t,” Tolman said. “But that’s what practice is for and we’re going to go back and look at that and work on that this week.”

Cooper Stiles relieved Tessar in the top of the eighth. After getting Joe to fly out, Stiles hit Louie Lechich and gave up a single to Daniel. Porter Clayton replaced Stiles after that but gave up a double to the first batter he faced, Austin Bailey, which scored Lechich. Clayton subsequently walked Jesse Jenner and gave up a single up the middle to Kyle Holder to make the score 4-3. Luckily for Oregon, Jenner was thrown out trying to advance to third. The next batter, Jos Goosen-Brown, hit a single off Jack Karraker that might’ve tied the game had Jenner stayed at second. Instead, Karraker retired Hunter Mercado-Hood to end the inning.

Garrett Cleavinger gave up a lead-off double in the ninth but was able to get out of the jam and earn his first save of the season.

The Ducks’s next opponent will be Washington State. They play at PK Park this Thursday through Saturday.

“Our next two series will be significant because they are, what I think, upper echelon Pac-12 teams,” Horton said. “Hopefully we can continue to take care of those teams, as well.”

Noteworthy:

– Tolman was asked about the Pac-12 player of the week honor after the game and mostly brushed it off. “It is a big honor for me but it’s one thing where it was last week, it’s in the past,” he said. “I would love to do it again and by doing that is putting the work in practice.”

– The injury news for Matt Krook is still in question. Horton said there are some results from Friday’s MRI but he wouldn’t share with the media because Krook is getting a second opinion. “We’re not ready to announce anything until he has a different set of eyes look at the radiology report,” Horton said.

– Horton also said Krook will not start this weekend, meaning Trent Paddon will get his second straight start this upcoming Saturday.

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Oregon offensive lineman Andre Yruretagoyena is going into his redshirt junior season. In a interview with the Emerald after Monday’s spring football practice, he said that he made large strides in the offseason. Yruretagoyena discussed his offseason progression, Oregon left tackle Tyler Johnstone and how the offensive line looks going into the 2014 season.

You’ve been practicing all of the line positions?

“I’ve done everything, but center. I tried learning how to snap, but it didn’t go very well. I’ve been playing guard and tackle since high school, so I go wherever I’m needed.”

How’s that been? Do you like playing guard?

“I love playing them both. I like tackle more, but I’m not Jake (Fisher’s) and Tyler (Johnstone’s) size, so I’ve always thought I’m more of a guard. But I play wherever I’m put.”

What would you say your biggest improvement in the offseason has been?

“I would say my confidence. I’ve gotten way stronger from the last few years. Everything’s finally coming together, I know the whole playbook finally and with that comes confidence. I know it’s OK if I mess up now. That’s what practice is for.”

Have you gained weight?

“Yeah, I’m like 290-295 (pounds). Still trying to get over that, but it’s really healthy. I beat all my maxes this offseason, in both speed and strength, so it’s not bad weight.”

What were you before?

“When I got here, I was like 295, but I was fat. So, I dropped like 40 pounds and I’ve just been gradually putting everything back on. I’ve been in between 280 and 290 the last couple of years, but finally I’ve gotten past that wall towards 300. I’m just going to keep working towards that.”

How confident are you about getting good playing time this upcoming season?

“If I keep playing how I’m playing, I think I’ll be out there a lot more.”

What did you say to Johnstone or what was your gauge of his psyche in the recent aftermath of his injury during the Alamo Bowl?

“He was obviously upset right when that happened, just like any player would be. But Tyler’s always one of the most confident people I know and he wouldn’t let something like this set him back. He was pissed off, obviously, when it happened, but he was pretty much over it afterwards. He knew that he had to get back. He was cracking jokes after it on the sideline on his crutches. I kind of threw him my two cents. I had surgery on my shoulder in high school and it’s a long road, especially with an ACL and how important knees are. But I just told him, ‘You’ve gotta do the rehab and try to get back. Don’t rush it and you’ll be fine.’”

I saw he was messing around with the Texas fans during the Alamo Bowl. Did you notice that?

“(laughs) That’s Tyler. When he gets mad, he does funny stuff. That’s exactly how he is.”

How good do you think the offensive is going to be this season?

“I think it’s going to be a really big year for us. Obviously, we return everybody on the line and hopefully I can get in the rotation. I don’t care if I start, I just want to play. Everyone’s fine, just getting more mature.”

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After Monday’s spring football practice, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota discussed how his backups have performed this spring and his reaction to likely losing Bralon Addison for the season.

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The Oregon baseball team (26-10) clinched the series victory over UC Riverside (14-16) on Saturday afternoon with a 7-4 win. The Ducks nearly surrendered a four-run lead, but a strong performance from the bullpen and some late insurance runs sealed the game on a sunny day at PK Park.

Jeff Gold got his first Saturday start of the season and pitched well, but the Highlanders were able to string some hits together in the third, fifth and sixth innings to tag Gold with four earned runs, the most he’s given up in an appearance this season. He threw 6.1 innings, giving up nine hits and no walks while striking out five.

“It needs to be better,” Gold said postgame.

Oregon head coach George Horton was much happier with Gold’s performance and said Riverside’s hitting was the bigger cause of the four runs than poor pitching. Horton especially liked having an efficient pitcher in the Saturday role, which wasn’t always the case with normal Saturday starter Matt Krook (Horton didn’t have any updates on Krook’s injury status).

“You’d hate to have a blowup on a Saturday because that doesn’t leave you much bullpen on Sunday,” Horton said.

The Ducks didn’t take long to get on the board. After Aaron Payne struck out to lead off the bottom of the first inning, A.J. Balta lined a double to right field. Tyler Baumgartner then came up and hit a sinking line drive to center. Devyn Bolasky’s diving attempt on Baumgartner’s hit failed, allowing Balta to score and Baumgartner to reach third. Mitchell Tolman came up next and delivered a single to left, giving Oregon a 2-0 lead.

Riverside responded in the top of the second with two outs. David Andriese scorched a liner past the diving Baumgartner in right for a double. On the next pitch, Matthew Ellis hit a double down the left field line to score Andriese for the only run of the inning.

Oregon immediately answered in the bottom of the second. Nick Catalano (2-for-3, walk, stolen base) reached first base to lead off the inning on a throwing error from shortstop Nick Vilter and Desmond Santos got on thanks to an error from starting pitcher Zach Varela. Mark Karaviotis moved both of them over with a sacrifice bunt and Payne drove them in with a double to right. Three batters later, Tolman drove Payne home on a single to right center, finishing the second inning scoring for the Ducks, who led 5-1.

The Ducks wouldn’t score again until the seventh. Varela was replaced by senior left-hander Dylan Stuart after the second inning, and Stuart made sure the game didn’t get out of control. He finished with five strikeouts, four hits, one walk and one run (earned) over five innings.

Gold cruised until the fifth inning. After retiring Andriese to start the inning, Gold gave up three straight singles to load the bases. Joe Chavez then hit a sacrifice fly to give the Highlanders their only run in the inning and their second of the game.

Oregon ran into some trouble in the top of the seventh. Drake Zarate hit a one-out double, followed by a single up the middle from Cody Hough to bring Zarate home. Darrell Hunter replaced Gold after Hough’s hit and recorded one out before being replaced by Garrett Cleavinger. With Hough at third, Bolasky hit a short chopper in front of the pitchers’ mound and beat out the throw to first, making the score 5-4. Cleavinger didn’t give up another run in the inning, though, helping preserve Gold’s eighth win in as many starts this season.

Jake Reed closed the game out in the ninth to wrap up a solid performance by a bullpen that has struggled lately.

“I don’t care what people say,” Tolman said. “(Even with) the last couple weekends, they (Oregon’s relievers) are by far the best in the country.”

The Ducks added some insurance in the bottom of the seventh. Tolman (3-for-4, two RBIs) hit a one-out single to bring up Kyle Garlick, who smashed a double into the left center field gap to plate Tolman and give the Ducks a 6-4 lead.

In the eighth, Karaviotis hit a one-out triple and Balta brought him home two batters later on a single up the middle.

“I thought the two runs we got in the seventh and the eighth were critical,” Horton said. “Took a little wind out of their sails.”

Trent Paddon gets the ball for the Ducks on Sunday as they look to sweep the Highlanders. First pitch is scheduled for noon at PK Park.

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The Oregon baseball team (25-10) handled the UC Riverside Highlanders (14-15) by a final score of 7-2 Friday night at PK Park, thanks mainly to starting pitcher Tommy Thorpe and right fielder Tyler Baumgartner.

Thorpe was sharp throughout the night, finishing with seven strikeouts in seven innings while giving up two hits, a walk and an unearned run.

“Everything was working, even my curveball, which normally is never on but today it was,” Thorpe said postgame. ”I was going to it more than my slider sometimes.”

Thorpe said he rarely throws curveballs in games, but for reasons even he couldn’t explain, the pitch felt good out of his hand on Friday. He said he threw it about six or seven times during Friday’s start, which he said was one of his best this season.

Oregon head coach George Horton was impressed with Thorpe but still had some concerns.

“He still, unfortunately, threw some fat pitches with great count leverage,” Horton said. “I sure wish he wouldn’t do that, but we’d rather throw too many strikes than not enough.”

Baumgartner finished 2-for-4 with a game-high four RBIs, all coming with two outs.

Oregon had runners on base the first two innings but each inning ended with a runner caught stealing, the second one being a strike-him-out-throw-him-out with Shaun Chase at the plate and Mitchell Tolman running.

The third inning went much smoother for the Ducks. After an Austin Grebeck strikeout to lead off, Desmond Santos and Mark Karaviotis got hit by pitches in back-to-back at-bats. Aaron Payne struck out next, but A.J. Balta drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs. Baumgartner came up next and drilled a 2-1 pitch to left center field, clearing the bases.

“When I got to the plate, there wasn’t any room for me,” Baumgartner said. “I knew I was going to be getting a good pitch, so I was just able to put a good swing on it.”

Tolman got hit by a pitch – the third HBP of the inning – next to bring up Kyle Garlick. Garlick lined a shot up the middle that caromed off the second baseman, Joe Chavez, for an RBI single. That would be the final hit of the inning, in which the Ducks scored four runs to take a 4-0 lead.

The Highlanders got their first run in the fifth inning. David Andriese reached on Balta error to lead off the inning and Thomas Walker followed that up with a single. Shuyo Chang moved both runners over with a bunt and Matthew Ellis drove Andriese home with a groundout to Payne.

The Ducks increased their lead back to four in the bottom of the sixth. In a 1-1 count, Garlick launched a fastball over the Riverside bullpen in left field to make the score 5-1. It was his third home run of the year and one of the longest hit by a Duck this season.

“It felt really nice,” Garlick said. “I watched that one go out for sure.”

The Ducks would tack on a run an inning later. Baumgartner came up with two outs and, yet again, delivered an RBI double. This time he hit a sharp line drive to right center, just out of the reach of a diving Devyn Bolasky, to score Payne from first.

Oregon’s final run came in the eighth on a Grebeck single that brought home Nick Catalano from third. Catalano pinch-ran for Garlick earlier in the inning.

The Highlanders got their second run in the top of the ninth on a long home run by Andriese off Jack Karraker to right field.

Jeff Gold will take the hill for the Ducks Saturday for the second game of this three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Noteworthy:

– Oregon left-handed starting pitcher Matt Krook received an MRI at 10 a.m. on Friday, but Horton said he hasn’t seen the results yet. Krook left last Saturday’s game against Washington in the third inning with stiffness in his throwing arm.

– Tolman — normally Oregon’s third baseman — was the designated hitter on Friday, causing regular DH Garlick to move to left field and Santos to start at third, his second start of the season (the other came at second base on March 9 against Ohio State). Horton said Tolman’s arm isn’t 100 percent and might not play defense all weekend, but the issue isn’t serious.

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Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich spoke to the media after the first spring football practice at Autzen Stadium. Helfrich was asked if he could confirm Bralon Addison’s reported ACL tear, but he could neither confirm nor deny.

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Oregon men’s basketball sophomore guard Damyean Dotson reached a deferred prosecution agreement Friday afternoon at the Eugene Municipal Court. He was charged with possessing a false identification at Taylor’s Bar and Grill in February.

If Dotson, represented by Eugene-based attorney Jesse Lohrke, meets all conditions of the agreement by Oct. 13, his charge will be dismissed.

The conditions of Dotson’s DPA include a $300 court fee, which Dotson said he plans to pay over time by Oct. 13. He also must attend an eight-hour education class, which includes a $60 fee. He cannot commit any similar offenses to his false ID charge, either.

Dotson, 19, was cited, taken into custody and released by the Eugene Police Department after Taylor’s security determined Dotson was using a fake ID on Feb. 22.

The sophomore just came off his second season with the Ducks. He averaged 9.4 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game and shot 43.8 percent from the field.

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