Sports

EUGENE, Ore. — The afternoon for the Oregon Ducks did not get off to the right start, plain and simple. An unexpected scratch, a slow start offensively, and an early deficit to overcome.

A late scratch is never ideal, as sophomore right-hander Cal Scolari had to miss his start with an illness, forcing head coach Mark Wasikowski to turn to a young arm in his absence.

Freshman right-hander Josh Hollis got the nod but was quickly chased after 1⅓ innings. Oregon found itself down 6-1 at the end of the third inning. The score stood all the way to the sixth inning.

Wasikowski rallied his guys, and that’s when it happened. The offense broke out.

A four-run sixth headlined by a three-run bases-clearing double by second baseman Ryan Cooney was the setup for freshman right fielder Angel Laya to walk it off in the ninth with a single to right, leading the Oregon Ducks (17–3, 5–1 Big Ten) to a 7-6 win, and series sweep of the Indiana Hoosiers (7–12, 1–5 Big…

EUGENE, Ore. — On Sunday, the Oregon Ducks took on the Penn State Nittany Lions on a cloudy day at Jane Sanders Stadium. The Ducks were rocking the white and pink uniforms to honor breast cancer awareness in Game 3 of the series.

After also taking the first two games of the weekend, the first Big Ten series of the season for the Ducks was completed in a 3-0 sweep against the Nittany Lions, as they took them down 6-5 in the final game.

Elise Sokolsky got the start in the circle for the Ducks and struck out two of the first four Penn State batters in the top of the first.

The Ducks had some fielding errors through the first few innings that allowed a couple baserunners, but were able to only allow just that and escape scoreless. 

“I think it’s about having each other's backs. If something doesn’t go our way, it’s the next person doing the next right thing,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said after addressing the mistakes on defense. “This is a really good…

EUGENE, Ore. — After an outstanding performance on Friday, the Oregon Ducks returned to the field on a rare sunny afternoon to face the Penn State Nittany Lions. Oregon carried momentum from its 8-2 win the day before, a game where star pitcher Lyndsey Grein threw a complete game with 12 strikeouts while the Ducks powered the offense with home runs from Elon Butler, Amari Harper and Rylee McCoy.

Saturday’s matchup produced a similar result as Oregon defeated Penn State 10-1 in five innings with a run rule.

“I think we're just putting pieces together, and that’s what I absolutely love about this team,” Butler said. “We have all the pieces to win a World Series and be Big Ten champions. I just love to see us finally putting the pieces down.”

Freshman pitcher Maddie Milhorn made her fourth start of her career after earning her third the previous weekend. She opened the game strong, striking out the first batter she faced and finishing the inning with another…

EUGENE, Ore. — Right fielder Angel Laya’s third home run of the year contributed to a three-run fifth inning, and the Oregon Ducks (16–3, 4–1 Big Ten) took care of business with a 5–1 win over the Indiana Hoosiers (7–11, 1–4 Big Ten) at PK Park on Saturday afternoon.

Laya, who finished the game 2-for-2 with the home run and a pair of walks, scored third baseman Drew Smith, who reached base after working a nine-pitch walk. Smith, who leads the Ducks in batting average, also left the yard, hitting his seventh home run of the year in the second inning.

“He conducts really good at-bats and has the ability to put a good swing on that lefty,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “That lefty hadn’t given up a home run all year, and Angel got him.”

Second baseman Ryan Cooney, who finished 2-for-5, gave the Ducks the lead in the third with a solo home run and drove in the Ducks’ fifth run on an infield single in the fourth. Cooney has four hits over the first…

EUGENE, Ore. — Winners of two straight contests to close out non-conference play, the No. 19 Oregon Ducks (19-7, 1-0 Big Ten) hosted the unranked Penn State Nittany Lions (19-7, 0-1 Big Ten) on Friday night for the first of a three-game set to kick off Big Ten play. These two teams hadn’t met since May 2022, in which Oregon won handily, 12-4. 

The Ducks won 8-2, largely due to their five home runs in the game — their most in nearly a year — while going back-to-back twice in the same game for the first time in recorded program history. Senior utility player Amari Harper contributed to both sets of back-to-back homers, while Elon Butler had two home runs of her own.

“It’s what I’ve been waiting for,” head coach Melissa Lombardi remarked after the game. “You can see that they’re starting to feed each other a little bit more. I see that all the time, so I’m just excited that everybody else is getting to see it too.”

Senior Lyndsey Grein got the nod for Oregon in…

EUGENE, Ore. — Second baseman Ryan Cooney went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, including a sacrifice fly to take the lead in the seventh, and the Oregon Ducks (15–3, 3–1 Big Ten) beat the Indiana Hoosiers 3-2 in the series opener (7–10, 1–3 Big Ten) at PK Park on Friday evening.

The Ducks tied the game in the inning prior as shortstop Maddox Molony hit his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot off the banners in left.

“That’s probably the farthest ball I’ve hit in my life,” Molony said. “I was looking for a fastball up, and that’s what he gave me.”

Will Sanford tossed 6 ⅔ innings and allowed only two runs on three hits while striking out double-digit batters (10) with 111 total pitches. His start ended in a no-decision despite the impressive effort.

“If he’s throwing into the seventh inning every start, I like our chances,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “When you go 6 ⅔ and strike out ten — I thought he pitched exceptionally well.”  …

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon (13-3) came back home to PK Park after their series in Purdue and beat the Xavier Musketeers (6-11) 10-0 Tuesday afternoon, thanks to a rainy five-run second inning.

Oregon hosted the Musketeers on Tuesday in what was the start of their final series before their first Big Ten home games. The Ducks looked to start off strong, and after a shaky first inning, things started to pop off in the second. 

As the rain started to fall in PK, so did the hits, and for Oregon, when it rains, it pours. This was affirmed when Jax Gimenez finished off a five-hit inning by clearing the centerfield wall for a grand slam on just the second home run of his career. 

“I hit behind [Ryan] Cooney and got the rest of them behind me, so it helps when you’re surrounded by those guys,” Gimenez said when asked about his grand slam. “When we do our job, we’re really good, but definitely never hurts to come up with the bases loaded, and I can finish.” 

College baseball season always has turning points. For the Oregon Ducks, that moment often arises before conference play begins. Non-conference games build momentum and confidence, allowing teams to see what is working, but conference matchups are where games truly matter. If Oregon wants to have a chance for the top in the conference standings, it has to be able to have consistency throughout the whole season.

In their first season in the Big Ten last year, the Ducks made an immediate statement, finishing as conference champions. Oregon went 20-8 in non-conference play and 22-8 in the Big Ten. Early in Oregon’s season, it typically shows parts of what it’s capable of. 

Some games show their explosive offense, with runs coming from throughout the lineup, such as their 18-1 victory over the Youngstown State Penguins early in non-conference play. Other games showcase their defensive play — like when freshman Angel Laya robbed a hitter of a home run — or dominant…

EUGENE, Ore. — When fans talk about what makes a softball team successful, the conversation usually revolves around powerful hitters and pitchers. Home runs and high-scoring games tend to take the spotlight. However, so far this season, for the Oregon Ducks, their success may rely heavily on their defense. 

During the 2025 season, Oregon built most of its success around a powerful offense. The Ducks were known for their ability to score quickly, relying on timely hitting, extra-base hits, and big innings that overwhelmed opponents. Many of their wins came from explosive offensive performances, as the lineup consistently produced runs throughout the game. In matchups against teams like Illinois and UCLA last season, the Ducks jumped ahead early, scoring in the first inning and maintaining high-scoring totals throughout the game. That strategy showed just how heavily the team relied on offense to carry them through the season. 

Defense is a fundamental part…

EUGENE, Ore. — A five-run first inning helped the No. 18 Oregon Ducks (18–7) rebound from a loss on Saturday and defeat the Nevada Wolf Pack (16–9) 7–3 at Jane Sanders Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

RBIs from Kaylynn Jones, Rylee McCoy, Emma Cox, and Katie Flannery allowed the Ducks to go through the entire batting order in the first and chase Nevada right-hander Hailey McLean from the game without recording an out.

“I love our lineup, our team is great, I have confidence in every single player one through nine,” McCoy, who plated two runs, said. “I think it's great being a hitter and knowing if I don’t get out and do my job, I have full faith and trust in the people behind me.”

First baseman Stefini Ma’ake plated another run with a single to center in the second inning, scoring right fielder Elon Butler from third. Ma’ake finished 1-for-4, and the Ducks bounced back after dropping their first matchup with the Wolf Pack on Saturday, 8–5, and rounded out the Jane…