EUGENE, Ore. – It was the fifth inning of Oregon’s 2026 season opener against George Mason, and junior center fielder Jack Brooks laid down a perfect bunt. Brooks got in safely to first, and a bad throw from the Patriots’ third baseman allowed freshman right fielder Angel Laya to score all the way from second. That play gave the Ducks their sixth run of the game, and their last one, as they beat George Mason by a final score of 6-2.
“I thought Jack Brooks played real well,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “He had the game under control all night.”
The Ducks entered this season after an unfortunate end to last year, when they lost three in a row while hosting a super regional. But Oregon’s lineup looks much different from just a year ago, as 22 new players joined the team, a mix of freshmen and transfers. Leading the way for the newcomers was Angel Laya, who picked up three hits in his first three collegiate at-bats.
“Mentally, he’s good,” senior designated hitter Dominic Hellman said of Laya’s stellar debut. “He’s a vet. I don’t have to worry about him.”
The top of the first inning was all Oregon, as sophomore starting pitcher Will Sanford had three consecutive strikeouts in only 11 pitches.
Coach Wasikowski credited him by saying he had developed in his “mental toughness [and] calmness.”
The first and second innings were where Oregon got the bulk of its points. Sophomore left fielder Jax Gimenez got the day started in the first inning when he hit a double to left-center field, which was quickly followed by a single from Hellman. After the pair of hits, redshirt junior first baseman Gabe Miranda got hit by a pitch to load the bases. Next up was junior shortstop Maddox Malony, but he couldn’t capitalize and struck out swinging. Oregon's first run of the game came just after the strikeout, when George Mason’s senior starting pitcher, Owen Stewart, walked senior first baseman Drew Smith. The first inning ended when the next man up, sophomore catcher Burk-Lee Mabeus, flew out to deep right field.
To start the second, Sanford let up a leadoff single to graduate student center fielder Luciano Terelli. After the next two batters, junior designated hitter Matthew Westley and freshman middle infielder Julius Bagnerise popped out, Sanford was able to get out of the inning by picking off Terelli, who was leading too far off first.
As the first inning ended with only one run for the Ducks, they couldn’t wait to get back on offense and picked up right where they left off in the second. Laya started things with a single up the middle, before back-to-back bunt-singles from Brooks and junior second baseman Ryan Cooney loaded the bases. After a quick RBI on a groundout by Gimenez, Hellman stepped to the plate with two men on base and delivered. The designated hitter crushed the Ducks’ first home run of the season on a bomb to left field. His homer fired up the whole team and capped off the scoring for the second inning. That three-run shot marked Hellman’s first of the year, and 19th of his college career.
“It feels pretty good,” Hellman said of his homer before crediting his teammates. “A bunch of guys in front of me put together some tough [at bats].”
After Oregon’s scoring outburst, it was quiet until the fifth inning when Laya once again got on base by way of a double to left center field. Next up was Brooks, who once again got on base from a bunt, but an error from the Patriots also allowed Laya to score.
Even with a six-run deficit, George Mason was not going down easily. Oregon’s relief pitcher Miles Gosztola walked the leadoff hitter, junior first baseman Jake Butler, and allowed Terelli to hit a single, which set the Patriots up on first and second. A balk by Gosztola gave George Mason even better position. Even though Gosztola was able to strikeout Bagnerise, he had more trouble with the next man up. Senior pinch hitter Laken Tignor blasted one to right field that allowed him to take second after an error. Both runners came around and finally put George Mason on the board.
The rest of the game didn’t go the same for the Patriots, as neither team scored for the last two innings.
Throughout the game, Oregon’s defense allowed two runs on four hits and had one error. On offense, the Ducks executed at a high level; they picked up six runs on 10 hits, and were led in a big way by their new standout, Laya. The freshman had three hits in four at-bats, including two singles and a double. Additionally, Hellman had three RBIs and went 2-for-5, while Sanford pitched five innings with five strikeouts and allowed only one hit.
Looking ahead, the Ducks will host the Patriots in three more games this weekend as they will play a doubleheader on Valentine’s Day and finish off the series on Sunday.