Three takeaways from Oregon’s victory over Xavier to sweep the Nashville Regional
For the first time in over a decade, the Oregon baseball program is headed to an NCAA super regional.
The Ducks (40-20) topped Xavier (39-25) by a score of 11-2 to win the Nashville Regional and advance to next weekend’s super, where they will face Oral Roberts.
Oregon, which ran the table at the Pac-12 Tournament last weekend, swept the regional by beating Xavier 5-4 on Friday, beating host Vanderbilt 8-7 on Saturday, and beating the Musketeers once again on Sunday.
This marks just the second time in program history that the Ducks have advanced to a super regional.
Here are three takeaways from Oregon’s historic night at Hawkin’s Field.
Postseason baseball returns to Eugene
The last time Oregon hosted a super regional at PK Park was in 2012.
At that time, George Horton was the head coach of a Ducks’ program that had been revived just four years prior after a 27-season hiatus. Alex Keudell was Oregon’s Game 1 starter against Kent State for that series, and future big-leaguers Ryon Healy, Kyle Garlick, and Jimmie Sherfy all featured for the Ducks.
There are few similarities between that squad — which relied on a small-ball offensive approach and stellar pitching — and Oregon’s current group, which boasts a deep lineup stocked with power bats.
For context, the Ducks’ 2012 super regional squad scored 304 runs in 65. The 2023 version of Oregon has scored 418 in 60 games.
Since Mark Wasikowski took over the UO program in 2020, he has reiterated time and time again that the Ducks won’t be happy with simply reaching the NCAA Tournament. Their ultimate goal is to play in Omaha.
After this weekend’s improbable run through Nashville, they are just two wins away from doing so.
Next man up
The term “unsung hero” has become a cliche for this Oregon group.
The Ducks arrived in Nashville missing arguably their three best pitchers. Isaac Ayon, who was expected to open the year as the team’s Friday starter, has not thrown a single pitch this season due to injury. Ditto for RJ Gordon, who would have been in the mix for the Saturday spot.
Jace Stoffal, who emerged as Oregon’s ace amidst Ayon and Gordon’s absences, has been on the shelf since April 28.
Despite the injury attrition, though, the Ducks’ young pitching staff set the tone throughout the weekend.
On Friday, Dylan McShane, Austin Anderson, and Matt Dallas combined to throw four scoreless innings and bridge the gap to closer Josh Mollerus.
On Saturday, freshman Turner Spoljaric tossed six innings and held Vanderbilt, the No. 6 team in the nation, to four runs.
On Sunday, with the Ducks’ bullpen depleted, freshman Grayson Grinsell tossed a career-high 94 pitches and struck out seven while holding Xavier scoreless through 4.0 innings.
Time and time again this weekend, the Ducks received season-defining performances from pitchers who weren’t necessarily expected to be relied upon when the spring began.
Sabin Ceballos, postseason star
If not for the contributions of junior third baseman Sabin Ceballos, Oregon’s regional journey might have unfolded in a wildly different fashion.
Ceballos went just 2-for-14 over the course of three games in Nashville. But his two hits were major turning points during the Ducks’ final two wins. His RBI single in the fifth inning on Saturday served as the go-ahead run of Oregon’s upset win over Vanderbilt. He also made a jaw-dropping, bare-handed play on a slow roller to third base to get the Ducks out of a bases-loaded jam.
On Sunday, the Ducks and Musketeers were scoreless in the bottom of the fourth until Ceballos crushed a towering solo homer to put Oregon on the board, providing it with some much-needed momentum.
Ceballos is arguably the brightest pro prospect on the Ducks’ roster. He was the only Oregon player to crack MLB.com’s list of its top-200 prospects ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft.
He was selected in the 14th round out of San Jacinto Junior College (Tex.) by the Los Angeles Angels last summer. Despite his standout defense at third base this weekend, some evaluators — including those within the Oregon program — believe that Ceballos’ future lies at catcher.
But there is still some debate as to whether Ceballos is an elite prospect.
On Sunday, he went a long way toward putting those doubts to rest.
The post Three takeaways from Oregon’s victory over Xavier to sweep the Nashville Regional appeared first on On3.
