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Duck Season 2020
Contents 11 5 8 SOFTBALL’S SOLID PITCHING STAFF
NEW SEASON MEANS A FULL ROSTER FOR SOFTBALL
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WASIKOWSKI LEADS DUCKS BASEBALL GABE INTO 2020
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Duck Season 2020
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Jordan Dail, pitcher for Oregon, pitches to the Bears. (Madi Mather/Emerald)
OREGON SOFTBALL’S WELL-ROUNDED PITCHING STAFF
HAVING MONSTER START BY Clayton Franke • TWITTER @clayfranke1 Oregon softball has found a recipe for success. Up until their Feb. 29 loss to Louisville, the Ducks were a perfect 16-0 on the year and didn’t show any signs of slowing down. They were ranked No. 10 in the nation, according to a Feb. 24 NFCA coaches poll. Even after losses to Louisville and Oklahoma State, Oregon is still one of the top teams in the nation. Several factors have contributed to Oregon’s success this year — including massive offensive production and versatility of position players — but the pitching staff has been lights out. Through 19 games, the pitching staff has posted a 1.53 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, a whopping 160 strikeouts with only 31 walks in 123.1 innings pitched. Ducks pitchers have hurled complete games six times, and they’ve already thrown seven shutouts. It’s pretty easy to be a dominant team when the opponent can’t score.
Oregon’s pitching has improved by leaps and bounds. The team’s ERA was 5.10, and head coach Melyssa Lombardi resorted to position players like Rachel Cid and Haley Cruse to contribute innings. But that has all changed this year thanks to three new faces on the staff who are making a significant impact. Four pitchers have seen time in the circle this season — senior transfer Samaria Diaz, freshman Makenna Kliethermes, junior transfer Brooke Yanez and last year’s go-to pitcher, junior Jordan Dail. While Diaz is the eldest of the group, Dail has the most experience as a Duck. The lefty started 39 games for Oregon last season and threw 248 out of 332.1 total innings, including 23 complete games. The Ducks had to rely on Dail all season, and if she wasn’t on her game, there was almost nowhere else to turn. Duck Season 2020
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“All four of them are completely different,” Lombardi said. “They give four different looks. Last year we really had to depend on [Dail], but for her to be on her best every time she steps on the mound will be huge for her.” Dail is pulling her weight this season, but Oregon’s depth has taken the pressure off her shoulders. She has started games but is also used to close games. Yanez has provided extra help this season and leads the team with 46 innings. As a transfer from UC Davis, Yanez has gelled into the system nicely and has taken a prominent role on the staff. “We’re constantly hyping each other up as a pitching staff,” Yanez said. “We have a really good relationship with all four of us and it’s really nice to have. You can’t have a staff that’s against each other, because it takes the whole staff, not just one pitcher.” The freshman Kliethermes is the youngest of the group; she’s still looking to find her role and has only thrown 5.1 innings. While she’s allowed just one earned run, her lack of
IT’S KIND OF RELIEVING TO HAVE THAT REASSURANCE IN THE BACK OF MY MIND THAT WE HAVE THREE OTHER ARMS THAT WE COULD USE.” JORDAN DAIL UO Softball Picther
Ducks pitcher Jordan Dail (2) warms up prior to the game. (Ben Green/Emerald)
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control makes her somewhat of a liability. Rounding out the staff is Diaz, a graduate transfer from New Mexico State. Diaz is a power pitcher, striking out 228 batters in her 2019 campaign to earn WAC Pitcher of the Year honors. So far this season, Diaz leads the staff with a 0.58 ERA and has contributed 36 innings. Although she’s new to the program, she contributes valuable experience as a senior. “Whether she’s on the mound or not, she gives us great energy,” Lombardi said. “We only get her for one year and you feel a sense of urgency about her. She doesn’t waste a moment in practice, in the weight room or out on the field. She’s very concerned with not taking anything for granted.” The new faces on Oregon’s pitching staff have already made a statement early in the year. They’ve proven this year won’t just be the Dail Show on the mound; they’ve got the depth and security that’s essential for any successful team. Lombardi has stated she would like to find more solidified roles in the circle as the season progresses, but however these roles pan out, she can feel confident in whoever gets the nod.
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SOFTBALL PREVIEW OREGON SOFTBALL READY TO USE FULL ROSTER THIS SEASON
Oregon Ducks outfielder Haley Cruse (26) at bat. (Devin Roux/Emerald)
BY CARLY EBISUYA • TWITTER @CARLYEBISUYA After missing out on last year’s postseason, Oregon softball is hungry to be back on the field with its new-look roster. Last season, the team dealt with a one-person pitching staff, 10 incoming freshmen, a brand new head coach and nine players transferring out of the program. These obstacles played a factor in Oregon’s standings, as they were picked last by the Pac-12 coaches in the preseason conference rankings. After last year’s off-season, Oregon fans can expect a newlook version of the team in the 2019-20 season. At this time last year, Oregon was still holding tryouts to fill out the roster. What a difference a year can make. During the offseason, head coach Melyssa Lombardi and the rest of the coaching staff pulled out all the stops and signed the No. 9 2020 recruiting class per FloSoftball, plus key transfers to fill out the final roster. “I think you’ll really see athleticism throughout our lineup this year, where last year we had some spots where we just didn’t have as many athletes as we do this year,” Lombardi said. One of their biggest changes to the roster is the addition of three powerhouse pitchers: transfers Samaria Diaz and Brooke Yanez and freshman Makenna Kliethermes. Last year, Jordan Dail led the Pac-12 by pitching 248 innings, but this year she will have more support with a four-player pitching rotation. “It’s kind of relieving to have that reassurance in the back of my mind that we have three other arms that we could use,” Dail said. 8
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Joining the transfer pitchers are infielders Mya Felder from New Mexico State and Maddie Hopper from Pacific, with another infield addition of freshman Ariel Carlson. The Eugene native Carlson was a two-time Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year and will provide support to veteran outfielder Haley Cruse and sophomore Jasmine Sievers. Redshirt freshman Terra McGowan will also see the field for the first time in a calendar year after being forced to sit out last season due to NCAA eligibility rules. After sitting a whole season in the dugout last year, the catcher is ready to be out behind the plate. “She didn’t feel like she was just sitting out, that she felt included, she felt like she was learning how to be a leader, so when she did get her opportunity, it wasn’t like she was starting all over,” Lombardi said. Oregon will also be returning its core players from last year in addition to Cruse and Sievers — sophomore Rachel Cid and utility players Allee Bunker and Shaye Bowden will serve as experienced returners from last season. The depth that Lombardi created allows this team to have a more versatile lineup than last year’s roster. This team is loaded with talent that can be pushed to make a run in the NCAA Tournament this year and be one of the top contenders in the Pac-12. Oregon will have the opportunity to showcase its full roster this year and show that they are ready to use their versatile lineup in full force.
BASEBALL PREVIEW
NEW HEAD COACH MARK WASIKOWSKI IS FOSTERING OREGON BASEBALL’S COMPETITIVE ATTITUDE
BY CLAYTON FRANKE • TWITTER @CLAYFRANKE1
Ducks infielder Rachel Cid (20) hits the ball. (Ben Green/Emerald)
Ducks pitcher Robert Ahlstrom (16) throws during warm ups. (DL Young/ Emerald)
The first year Mark Wasikowski coached at Oregon in 2012, the Ducks went 16-11 in conference play and hosted the Super Regional tournament, ultimately falling 7-6 to Kent State in a ninth inning walk-off. They would advance to the regional three of the following four years of Wasikowski’s tenure as an assistant coach, accumulating a .709 conference winning percentage in all five years. Before that, Wasikowski made five regional appearances, a Super Regional appearance and a College World Series appearance in 10 years as an assistant coach at Arizona. It’s the type of resume you look for in a new head coach. Most of the players on the current Oregon roster, on the other hand, have little in the way of success at the Division I level. None of the current players have NCAA Tournament experience, and Oregon’s record since Wasikowski left to take the head coaching job at Purdue is just 34-55. “What I see is a group that’s eager and lacks a lot of experience in terms of being successful at this level,” Wasikowski said. “Not all the way through, but in parts. They’re embracing that and understanding that’s just a fact. We get a chance to take those facts and make a positive out of them as much as we can.” A new head coach and little past success means a blank slate for the Ducks. Everybody has an equal chance to play and prove themselves to the new coach — a coach that knows what type of players need to be on the field to win. The roles set last year by coach George Horton are out the window; there are no favorites. It’s all about competition. And where there’s competition, there’s usually progress. “When you get a new coaching staff in — even all the upperclassmen and sophomores and stuff — were all like freshman again,” sophomore infielder Duck Season 2020
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Ducks third baseman Josh Kasevich (45) warms up on deck. (DL Young/ Emerald)
Sam Novitske said. “We gotta earn everything, come in here and keep working hard and try to earn our spots. You can really see the competitiveness that has gone about this ball club.” The Ducks get somewhat of a fresh start this year, but given Wasikowski’s — or Coach Waz, as the players call him — history with the program, it won’t take him long to get acclimated, which means the team can hit the ground running. Along with the coaching change, Oregon baseball is bringing in new technology to help with player development. This includes video improvements and advanced data analytics that allows players to break down their swings immediately after a round of batting practice or take a deeper look at pitching mechanics after a bullpen. “With the analytics and all that with how the game is changing in that direction, for me personally, on individual swings knowing what I’m doing right or wrong and being able to feel it or repeat it is the biggest thing for me,” senior infielder Gabe Matthews said. “Just having numbers behind it is a big help.” Matthews is one of just four seniors on the team this year and will be a go-to guy when it comes to leadership; he’s one of the few who has had past success. Matthews is entering his senior season tied for fifth in school history in on-base percentage at .389 and ninth in at-bats (580), hits (162), RBIs (87) and slugging percentage (.410). On top of that, he feels he has increased his ability to hit to the opposite field as well as improved his power to all fields. He’s shown signs of early success this year. Through 11 games, Matthews is hitting .357 with four doubles, highlighted
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by a walk-off home run in the victory over Milwaukee on Feb. 28. But what is perhaps even more promising is the potential of redshirt junior pitcher Kenyon Yovan. In 2017 and 2018, Yovan was nominated to the All-Pac-12 team and was the Pac12 Pitcher of the Week twice in 2018. With big expectations for his junior year, he suffered a season-ending hand injury after pitching two innings in the season opener. Yovan sat on the bench and watched the rest of the pitching staff rack up a 5.93 ERA. He stayed in Eugene for the summer, rehabbing and getting his strength back up, and it’s paying off. He’s hitting .462 this season and leads the team with two home runs. “I’m going to go out there and continuously do what I can to help this program. I commited here for one reason: take this team to Omaha for the first time,” Yovan said. “Being an Oregon kid, nothing’s changed. There’s a reason I came back, and we’re gonna make it happen this year.” Yovan is feeling the same competitive drive as the rest of the team. The Ducks don’t have much past success, but given a new coach, the return of a few key players, and the updated technology, this season has the looks of a turning point for the Oregon baseball program. “Our team’s not going to be boring this year. We’re going to go out there and put it on people right away. Our foot’s not gonna leave the gas,” Yovan said. “If we’re up by 10, we’re going to make it 20, that’s what it’s gonna be. We’re gonna make a new style of Oregon baseball; we’re gonna go out there and prove a point that we can play with everyone in the country.”
MARK WASIKOWSKI LEADS 2020 DUCKS SQUAD BY OSCAR DUYCK
The Oregon Ducks cheer on the team. (Emerald Archives)
In 1981, Oregon baseball went on a 28-year hiatus, returning in 2009. And for the first time since reviving the program, the Ducks will have a new head coach in Mark Wasikowski. For the last 10 years, George Horton piloted the program following his successful stint at Cal State Fullerton. But after a disappointing 2019 campaign, with the Ducks posting a record of 27-29, Horton left the program he helped rebuild. “He built the program to a tremendous place for us to spring forward right now,” Wasikowski said. Horton’s departure paved the way for Wasikowski to take over and lead the program in a new direction. Wasikowski has roots at Oregon — he was an assistant coach for the Ducks from 2012-16 before leaving to become the head coach of Purdue in 2017.
Wasikowski has also coached 133 players that were selected in the MLB Draft — with 38 of them playing on major-league rosters. “He’s super caring and just wants the best for his guys,” big-leaguer Mark Melancon said, according to Wasikowski’s GoDucks biography. “He is the best, and there is nobody in college baseball who is going to care for his people more than Coach Waz.” Melancon is a three-time MLB All-Star who currently pitches for the Atlanta Braves. He was coached by Wasikowski from 2004-06 at the University of Arizona. At Purdue, he rebuilt a struggling program that had finished the previous three seasons with a .272 winning percentage. In three seasons at Purdue, Wasikowski was 88-83 and advanced to regionals in the 2018 season. Duck Season 2020
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Wasikowski spoke about what he learned from his experience at Purdue, including how to generate fan interest in the team, a problem that Oregon baseball is familiar with. “We put a product out there that was something that people wanted to pay their hard-earned money for,” Wasikowski said. But Wasikowski will have a tall order in rebuilding the Ducks roster. Spencer Steer, one of Oregon’s best players in its recent history, was drafted by the Minnesota Twins and spent the summer playing for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in the minor leagues. One of the first tasks for Wasikowski is injecting star power on the team. Already, in the first few weeks of the season, some Ducks have stepped up to the plate. Redshirt junior Kenyon Yovan, who missed the vast majority of the 2019 season due to injury, has returned to the plate in good form and already has two home runs on the season. Yovan, who was a second team preseason All-American in 2019, is a player that Wasikowski can rely on. The first few weeks of the season have seen both highs
and lows for the team. After opening the first four games of the season on the road, the Ducks lost close games to Grand Canyon and Wasikowski’s alma mater Pepperdine; however, the team has rebounded at home, winning their last seven games. This highlights what could be a volatile season for the Ducks. Wasikowski was also a successful college baseball player in his own right. He is in the Pepperdine Hall of Fame after he was part of the team that won the College World Series in 1992. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1993 Draft but he ultimately chose to remain at Pepperdine to earn his degree. Wasikowski will have his work cut out for him, developing a program that has largely stagnated as its rival Oregon State competes for national championships on a yearly basis, winning as recently as 2018. But with an influx of new recruits and the development of returning players, Wasikowski will have a chance to improve the program.
An Oregon player smiles in the dugout. (DL Young/ Emerald)
He’s super caring and just wants what’s best for his guys. He is the best, and there’s no one in college baseball who is going to care for his people more than Coach Waz.” MARK MELONCON Big-Leaguer
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Ducks first baseman Gabe Matthews (12) comes home to score. (DL Young/ Emerald)
ONE FINAL RIDE: GABE MATTHEWS ROLLS INTO HIS FINAL SEASON OF DUCKS BASEBALL BY MOJO HILL
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I
t’s bittersweet for senior Gabe Matthews as he suits up in Oregon green and yellow for one final season. The first baseman from Salem, Oregon, has been a fixture for this Ducks squad since his freshman year, when he played in 51 games, starting in 48 of them while hitting .282/.381/.384. Since then, his slugging percentage and home run totals have steadily increased with each passing season, and he’s off to the best start of his career so far in 2020. “I’ve gotten better offensively, and I just try to grow defensively still,” Matthews said. “But offensively, I’ve definitely taken some strides and hope to see that when the season comes.” The left-handed slugger has started in all 11 games in the young season while posting a .357/.509/.571 batting line. He also hit the dramatic walk-off home run in the 11th inning of Friday night’s game against Milwaukee that earned him a pie to the face. Since the team started the season 0-4, Matthews has been a key piece of what has since been a seven-game winning streak that has helped turn the season around for the Ducks. “Definitely power, and just understanding how to backspin balls to the right side of the field,” Matthews said of what he’s improved about his offensive game coming into this season. “The power piece of it, and then understanding how my swing works for me personally.” Matthews is aware that this is his last chance to leave a mark on this program, and he’s not taking any of his final moments for granted. He knows that with all of his experience, he is now a leader for this team. The newer players are going to be looking up to him not just for his ability, but because of the culture and attitude that he brings to the field with him every day. “Having it be my last year, it’s exciting,” Matthews said. “And being able to have all these young guys and bring them up to what my standard is and what [head coach Mark Wasikowski’s] standard is, and being able to show them how to compete, it’s just exciting to get the season going.” Despite the team’s slow start with some tough-luck losses, the club has now gotten things rolling as they head into their final series before Pac12 play begins. Matthews also likes what Wasikowski, the Ducks’ first-year head coach, has brought to the table, and is excited to play his final year under Wasikowski’s leadership. “Waz is really competitive and fiery and wants the best out of all of us at all times, and I think that’s the thing that he’s brought to the table the most for us,” Matthews said. With a new coaching staff and a new sense of energy, Matthews is soaking it all in as he gears up for his final ride as an Oregon Duck. Duck Season 2020
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