Has Collin Clarke arrived? It sure feels like it, Oregon’s true sophomore RHP delivered a gem in his 2025 season debut. This season brought questions about the Ducks’ pitching staff this year and whether they could improve from last year despite losing two of their best starters, RJ Gordon and Kevin Seitter.           

During Clarke’s freshman season at Oregon a year ago, he appeared just 13 times and started just once. His freshman year was moderately successful for a young pitcher, allowing 17 runs (14 earned) and striking out 14 batters in 19.2 innings. After his first outing of the 2025 season and just his second career start, he’s already amassed half his strikeouts from last season.

Clarke pushed on strongly despite the lack of run support early in the game. Partially in credit to Toledo’s Luke Walton in left field, who had two jaw-dropping diving catches to end the third and save runs in the fourth inning.  

“I credit their left fielder,” Coach Mark Wasikowski said. “Two plays the left fielder made, both were worth multiple runs, would’ve cleared the bases.”         

Clarke finished his outing after five innings of shutout pitching. The sophomore stud dealt out seven strikeouts while only allowing three hits and a walk. Despite an elite first outing of the season for Clarke, the Ducks needed a fifth-inning score to set him up for the pitching win. Oregon’s second batter of the fifth inning was fellow sophomore star Maddox Molony, he belted a fly ball that looked all but gone until it died and fell into the glove of the Rockets outfielder just short of the wall.           

“I thought he had a couple of jams that he pitched out of,” Wasikowski said after the loss. “Pounded the strike zone. I like what I saw.”

The Ducks’ defense behind Clarke was elite as always, making even the toughest plays look routine on the infield. The defensive support from the Oregon infield helped Clarke pitch relatively stress-free, holding runners on bases and playing clean baseball.           

But once Clarke left the game after the fifth inning, the Ducks’ defense ran into trouble. Senior transfer reliever from Whitman College, Julian Hernandez, entered the game and walked the first two batters he faced, allowing the first base-runner to steal second base. Those pitching woes followed by a Jacob Walsh error to load the bases, opened the door for Toledo to score two runs on an RBI single from Troy Sudbrook. Hernandez would then leave the game and be replaced by Washington transfer LHP Sam Boyle.           

“First game, I think that was the coaching staff’s fault,” Wasikowski said postgame. “Obviously didn’t look like we were very well prepared in about the sixth inning.”

Clarke was punishing the strike zone throughout his first start, throwing 50 strikes on just 71 pitches throughout five innings. While Clarke allowed just four baserunners, the Rockets threatened to score early in the second inning, with runners on second and third base and no outs. He stranded those baserunners with back-to-back strikeouts and then a popout to Molony at shortstop.           

The very next inning Clarke gave up a single and walked another batter, once again faced with a runner in scoring position and no outs. Just as the crowd became unsure of Clarke’s control this far into the outing, he locked it down and struck out another batter on his way to stranding both runners.           

Oregon pitchers have struggled with the single blow-up inning the last few seasons, with the Texas A&M Super Regional matchup still fresh in the minds of Ducks fans, there is hope that this season will provide some more composure with runners on base. The only complaint of last year’s starting pitching staff was the explosive innings. Clarke showed Ducks fans he has the clutch gene needed to avoid those outbursts.           

Oregon’s offense couldn’t finish the job in this one, an explosive three-run eighth inning wasn’t enough as they fell short to Toledo. The Ducks bats hope to be hotter in Game 2 of the doubleheader, but the bright spot in this Oregon loss is unquestionably the dazzling performance from Clarke.           

Following the second game of the doubleheader, Oregon has one more matchup against Toledo on Sunday set for a 12:05 p.m. first pitch. Unsure of the starting rotation this early in the season, fans can assume they’ll see Clarke again for next weekend’s four-game series against the University of Rhode Island Rams.