By Liam Baker
Eugene, OR — The #24 Ducks and #2 Beavers will face off for a four-game set with Pac-12 positioning on the line. The two teams met last Tuesday at PK Park, which saw the Beavers pull out a 4-2 win. Oregon State built a 3-0 lead early, and Justin Boyd robbed Jack Scanlon of a two-run home run to help the Beavers win. The first game of this series will take place on Tuesday in Eugene and the final three games of the series will be held in Corvallis starting Friday.
The Ducks broke their three-game losing streak this weekend, taking two out of three from California. RJ Gordon and Isaac Ayon put together some of their best starts of the season and Anthony Hall and the offense continued to light up the scoreboard. The Ducks' offense will need to continue their hot season that has Oregon first or second in most offensive categories in the Pac-12. They will face off against an Oregon State team that has the best pitching staff in the Pac-12 and one of the best in the country.
Potential Starting Pitchers - Oregon
Game 1 - Christian Ciuffetelli
The Ducks will likely bring Ciuffetelli out of the bullpen to start this game as they did last Tuesday against the Beavers. Last Tuesday, he gave up two hits and one run while striking out two in three innings of work. Despite his good performance, he was handed the loss has the Ducks weren't able to come back late in the game. He has a 3.31 ERA in 14 appearances this year.
Game 2 - RJ Gordon
Gordon had his best start of the season against California on Friday. He started the game with three perfect innings before allowing two runs (one earned) in the fourth. He gave up just the two in 5.2 innings of work and struck out four. On the year, Gordon is 2-1 with a 5.98 ERA. He is a pitch-to-contact pitcher and will need to replicate his performance against Cal this weekend to give the Ducks a chance to win.
Game 3 - Isaac Ayon
Ayon, Oregon's only starter that started the season in the rotation, picked up his third win of the season against the Bears on Saturday. He gave up three runs (two earned) in six innings while tying his season-high in strikeouts with seven. Ayon has a 5.25 ERA in 11 starts this season.
Game 4 - Jace Stoffal
Stoffal missed the first two months of the season but has stepped into a starting role since his return. In four starts, he hasn't pitched more than three innings and has an 8.68 ERA. Against California, he pitched three innings allowing one run on four hits. Although Stoffal is making the start, this game will be more of a bullpen game for the Ducks.
Potential Starting Pitchers - Oregon State
Game 1 - Jaren Hunter
Hunter has been the Beavers' mid-week starter this season. The sophomore pitched four shutout innings against the Ducks last Tuesday. He has posted a 1-1 record and a 4.75 ERA this season. He has yet to give up a home run this season, and it will be important for him to keep the ball in the ballpark against a Ducks team that leads the Pac-12 in that category.
Game 2 - Cooper Hjerpe
Hjerpe is the best pitcher in the Pac-12 and a top 50 MLB prospect. He leads the Pac-12 in ERA (2.13), strikeouts (109) and wins (8). Hjerpe suffered his first loss of the season last weekend against Utah despite striking out nine over seven innings of two-run ball. He will face a Ducks team that has the lowest strikeout rate in the Pac-12.
Game 3 - Jacob Kmatz
Kmatz, a freshman, has stepped right into a starting role since joining the team. The Beavers' Saturday starter is 8-0 with a 3.11 ERA. In his last start, he pitched 5.1 innings while allowing five hits and one run. Kmatz doesn't walk many batters (12 walks in 55.0 innings), so expect a lot of strikes out of him.
Game 4 - Jake Pfennings
Pfennings was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 35th round of the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft but chose not the sign. The junior has only made five starts this season but has a 0.66 ERA over 13.2 innings. Pfennings will likely act as an opener for the Beavers in a game that will be a bullpen game for both teams.
Projected Starting Lineup - Oregon
- LF Tanner Smith .326/.524/.912
- 3B Drew Cowley .436/.692/1.224
- DH Brennan Milone .333/.523/.931
- 1B Jacob Walsh .295/.448/.809
- SS Josh Kasevich .322/.444/.848
- RF Anthony Hall .331/.650/1.068
- CF Colby Shade .327/.487/.912
- C Jack Scanlon .136/.305/.551
- 2B Gavin Grant .310/.508/.939
Projected Starting Lineup - Oregon State
- LF Wade Meckler .370/.505/.976
- 2B Travis Bazzana .329/.482/.905
- CF Jacob Melton .368/.687/1.131
- RF Justin Boyd .359/.545/.1.038
- 1B Garret Forrester .343/.436/.933
- C Gavin Logan .307/.465/.863
- DH TJ Wheeler .233/.326/.740
- 3B Jake Dukart .224/.448/.781
- SS Kyle Dernedde .204/.255/.565
Oregon's Keys to Victory
- Gordon and Ayon repeat last weekend's performance
- Bullpen fixes their late-inning hiccups
- Cowley, Hall and Smith continue to power offense
Final Thoughts
This is the best team Oregon might face all season. The last time Oregon faced a pitching staff as talented as Oregon State's, they got swept by UCLA. Since being swept by the Bruins, Anthony Hall has exploded onto the scene and Drew Cowley has made his return from injury, making this offense even more dangerous. The Ducks pitching will decide this series though. If Ayon, Gordon, and the bullpen are able to limit the Beavers, the Ducks will be able to take a few games. If not, it could be a long weekend for the Ducks.
Prediction
The Ducks split the four games.