By Charles Martindale The Stanford Cardinal, leaders of the Pac-12 conference, set their sights on Eugene, as Oregon welcomes the seventh ranked program in the nation for a three game set this weekend at P.K. park. With Spring taking hold in Oregon, the Ducks will look to bounce back after a series loss to rival Oregon state last weekend. Despite the rough series against the Beavers, which was close until a blowout loss for Oregon in the rubber match, the Ducks enter the Stanford series as winners of 13 of their last 15, most recently with a midweek sweep of the University of San Francisco on Tuesday and Wednesday. While head coach Mark Wasikowski said he "wasn't prepared" to talk about the obstacles Stanford presented on Wednesday, the reputation the Cardinal bring is no secret. Tied for first in the Pac-12 with surging Arizona State, Stanford has run through Pac-12 opponents this year again, an area where Oregon, the only team besides Stanford and ASU with 22 or more wins, has struggled. The Ducks 7-5 record in conference play will have to change for the better if they plan on making some strides from fifth place, but their 8-2 record in their last 10 games is an encouraging sign. Part of the recent success for the Ducks offensively has come from the freshman out of Japan, Rikuu Nishida, who is hitting .328, often out of the leadoff spot, as well as leading the team in runs and steals. The spark Nishida has provided at the top of the order, along with his growing comfortability in right field, has given Oregon a steady pulse. Driving in the runs, however, has been Oregon's tried and true trio of upperclassmen: Drew Cowley, Tanner Smith, and Sabin Ceballos. The three are each hitting over .310 with five or more home runs and 20 or more RBI, a formidable motor for an offense which has been the bread and butter of the program for years. Sophomore first baseman Jacob Walsh leads the team with eight longballs, and the Ducks have eight players total with at least 20 games played and an OPS over .800. Stanford also has eight batters meeting that criteria, and their offense, featuring star sophomore outfielder Braden Montgomery and hit machine Tommy Troy at shortstop, has more than enough talent to go toe to toe with Oregon. Pitching matchups for this weekend bring some interesting storylines to light. Never known for their ability to develop pitchers, Oregon had a young and relatively unproven staff at the outset of 2023. However, despite the risky approach, the arms Wasikowski has turned to have made for a pretty solid rotation thus far. Friday night starter Jace Stoffal leads the team in innings pitched and boasts a 3.18 ERA. He'll face senior ace Quinn Matthews, who's cruised so far to a sub three ERA in 50+ innings. Friday night's game is the Duck's best matchup on paper, and it will still take some offensive pop to get to Matthews. On Saturday, Oregon will send out junior Logan Mercado, who's had a mixed bag of a season so far. Despite being the only starter besides Stoffal to throw 30 innings, his ERA sits on the wrong side of six, and the Ducks will require a very gritty performance from him, along with some offensive help, to take Saturday's game, as Stanford two starter Matt Scott leads the Cardinal in ERA in over 30 innings between the bullpen and rotation. Sunday is another shaky pitching matchup for Oregon, who will have Freshman Leo Uelman make his ninth start of the year. Still getting used to college ball, this will be a significant test for the righty, who's ERA sits at 6.55. While Friday and Saturday seem competitive, Sunday's game will likely favor Stanford the most, as Joey Dixon, a third experienced and steady Stanford arm, will take the ball. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday might not determine the Pac-12, but it will give the Ducks a chance to prove their merit against the conference's flagship program, and see how close, or how far behind, they are in relation to the Cardinal.