Notes: No. 1 Ducks Visit Arizona
EUGENE, Ore. - The Pac-12 title is on the line as the No. 1 ranked Oregon softball team closes out the regular season this week at No. 17 Arizona.
Oregon and Arizona meet on Thursday at 7 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks, Friday at 4 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
#1 OREGON DUCKS (44-5, 19-2 Pac-12)
Team BA: .370 | Team ERA: 2.34 | Runs Scored: 378 | Runs Allowed: 136
Recently: Oregon swept No. 18 ranked California last weekend at Howe Field
National Rankings: Oregon is No. 1 in both the NFCA and USA Softball polls
All-Time Series Record: UO trails, 81-23 (Ducks have won four straight series)
Last Meeting: No. 1 Oregon beat No. 9 Arizona, 14-3 in five innings (5/10/14)
Notable: The Ducks have won 23 of their last 25 conference series and are victorious in all seven league series this season, including five sweeps. The Ducks are 17-5 against top-25 foes on the year after back-to-back sweeps of No. 9 Louisiana-Lafayette and No. 18 California. Oregon has won 14 straight games since dropping the first game of the UCLA series on April 3. With one more win the Ducks will match their longest winning streak in six seasons under head coach Mike White (2014). With three other Pac-12 teams currently in the top-8 of the NCAA in runs per game (UA, UCLA, UW), Cheridan Hawkins’ 1.18 ERA (8th in NCAA) shines even brighter.
#17 ARIZONA WILDCATS (37-15, 12-9 Pac-12)
Team BA: .364 | Team ERA: 4.11 | Runs Scored: 425 | Runs Allowed: 226
Recently: Arizona was swept on the road last weekend by UCLA
National Rankings: Arizona is No. 17 in the NFCA, No. 18 in the USA Softball poll
Head Coach: Mike Candrea (30th Season)
Notable: Arizona enters this weekend’s series against the Ducks coming off a sweep by UCLA last weekend. The Wildcats were run-ruled twice by the Bruins, 9-1 in the opener and 15-7 in the finale. Arizona made a season-high six errors and UCLA scored 11 unearned runs in the final game of the series on Sunday. The Wildcats boast some of the best offensive numbers in the Pac-12, with Kellie Fox’s .403 batting average leading the way. Chelsea Goodacre leads the NCAA with 79 RBIs while both she and Katiyana Mauga have 22 home runs. In the circle, Michelle Floyd has a team-high 157.2 IP with a 3.42 ERA. Trish Parks has a 4.50 ERA in 102.2 IP.
BROADCAST INFO
All three games of the Arizona series will be aired live, with the first two on Pac-12 Networks and regular season finale on Saturday on ESPNU. All three games will also be streamed on either the Pac-12 Now app or the WatchESPN app. Live stats will be available via links on the schedule page at GoDucks.com.
PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP RACE
Oregon enters the final regular season series of 2015 with a one-game lead over UCLA for the Pac-12 championship. The Ducks are the reigning back-to-back Pac-12 champs and are looking to become the first team to win three straight titles since Arizona won outright in 2003 and 2004 and shared the title in 2005. UCLA has the record with four straight titles from 1988-91. Oregon clinched its second straight Pac-12 title last year in Tucson when the Ducks won the series opener over Arizona and UCLA lost to Arizona State. That same scenario could happen again, as the Ducks are one-game up on the Bruins and heading to Tucson while UCLA is visiting ASU. If the teams end up tied in conference record, co-champions are named.
LAST YEAR AGAINST THE WILDCATS
Oregon hit .380 in the series last year as the Ducks took 2-of-3 from the Wildcats in Tucson. Oregon won the first game, 7-3, lost the second game, 11-8, and took the rubber match, 14-3, in five innings. Janelle Lindvall slugged a homer and drove in six runs while hitting .556 in the series. Nikki Udria also hit .556 in the series with a double and five RBIs. Koral Costa homered and scored six runs. Cheridan Hawkins picked up both wins in the series with a 3.50 ERA in 14 innings. She struck out 20 batters while allowing 11 hits and three walks. Karissa Hovinga started the middle game, picking up a loss after allowing six runs (two earned) in 2.2 innings.
TAKEDA OWNS THREE UO RECORDS
After breaking the program’s career marks for hits and stolen bases on back-to-back pitches against No. 9 Louisiana Lafayette on April 24, senior OF Janie Takeda became Oregon’s all-time runs leader on senior day, May 3, against California. Takeda went 4-for-4 with four runs and four RBIs in the game, including a solo home run to cap her day. She tied the record with her first run of the day and broke it on her second run, coming on a RBI single by Hailey Decker. Takeda has 196 career runs, breaking Courtney Ceo’s previous record of 193. Takeda is now taking a run at the program’s all-time doubles record as she has 40 doubles in her career and Missy Coe holds the UO mark with 41.
THE WINNINGEST SENIOR CLASS
Oregon’s class of four seniors - Janie Takeda, Karissa Hovinga, Jamie Rae Sullivan and Sara Goodrum - have won 195 games over their four-year careers, the most in any four-year stretch in UO history.
SENIOR DAY MEMORY
Injured senior Jamie Rae Sullivan, who has missed almost the entire season with a back injury, was in the starting lineup at first base on Senior Day in an emotional moment. After the first pitch, head coach Mike White subbed in Hailey Decker. Sullivan was White’s first commit on the recruiting trail when he took the UO head coaching job prior to the 2010 season.
DUCKS ON THE POND
Oregon’s ability to both hit for average and draw walks has put an incredible number of Ducks on the pond. Oregon is averaging 15.3 baserunners per game and 2.6 baserunners per inning this season. The Ducks have tallied roughly 751 baserunners total this season (480 hits, 218 walks, 53 HBP), not counting errors, in 49 games and 290 innings. Oregon had 40 hits, eight walks and one hit-by-pitch in the three-game Cal series alone.
TOP NOTCH COMPETITION
Oregon has played 22 times against a ranked opponent this season. The Ducks are 17-5 against top-25 foes, with wins in 11 straight games. UO’s last loss to a top-25 team (and last overall) was at No. 8 UCLA on April 3 in the opening game of the series in Los Angeles. Oregon has won 11 straight games overall since that loss. Of Oregon’s final 21 games on the schedule, 18 were or are vs. ranked foes.
RPI ANALYSIS
While the Ducks are No. 1 in the polls, Oregon is No. 3 this week in the NCAA softball RPI rankings. After last weekend’s sweep of No. 18 Cal, the Ducks have played the 11th toughest schedule in the nation thus far and have gone 23-5 against RPI top-50 teams. The Ducks have played more top-50 RPI opponents (28) than 50+ opponents (21) this season. With the Ducks at No. 3, Florida is No. 1 and LSU is No. 2.
DECKER, LINDVALL PAC-12 WEEKLY WINNERS
After helping the Ducks sweep No. 18 Cal, Hailey Decker and Lauren Lindvall were named Pac-12 player and freshman of the week. This is the sixth week this season the Ducks have claimed two of the Pac-12 three weekly honors (player, pitcher & freshman). Oregon has won at least one weekly honor for eight straight weeks. Decker and Lindvall both pick up their first career Pac-12 weekly honors as the Ducks have claimed 63 honors all-time. Decker (Keizer, Ore.) hit a whopping .700 in the Ducks’ sweep of No. 18 California, slugging 1.500 as she went 7-for-10 with two doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs. The first baseman opened the series with a 2-for-3 performance on Friday, driving in two runs on two doubles in the 5-2 victory. Decker then gave the Ducks an early lead in Saturday’s 9-0, run-rule victory, going 1-for-3 on a two-run homer in the first inning. In Sunday’s 17-1 win, Decker was a perfect 4-for-4, including another first-inning home run and four RBIs. Lindvall (Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) appeared in two games for the Ducks over the weekend, beginning with a 3-for-3 performance in Saturday’s win over Cal. The freshman homered twice in the contest, both of them solo shots on the first pitch of the at-bat, and added a RBI single to tally three total runs batted in. Lindvall went 1-for-3 in the series finale, scoring another run. In total, she went 4-for-6 on the weekend with three runs scored and three RBIs, adding an errorless performance in the field as well.
WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Week 1 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Player)
Week 1 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 3 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Player)
Week 3 Jenna Lilley (NFCA National Player)
Week 3 Jenna Lilley (USA Softball National Player)
Week 3 Cheridan Hawkins (NFCA National Pitcher)
Week 6 Koral Costa (Pac-12 Player)
Week 6 Gwen Svekis (Pac-12 Freshman)
Week 7 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 8 Geri Ann Glasco (Pac-12 Player)
Week 8 Geri Ann Glasco (USA Softball National Player)
Week 8 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 9 Karissa Hovinga (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 10 Janelle Lindvall (Pac-12 Player)
Week 10 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 11 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Freshman)
Week 12 Jenna Lilley (Pac-12 Player)
Week 12 Cheridan Hawkins (Pac-12 Pitcher)
Week 12 Jenna Lilley (NFCA National Player)
Week 13 Hailey Decker (Pac-12 Player)
Week 13 Lauren Lindvall (Pac-12 Freshman)
LILLEY NFCA FROSH OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Third baseman Jenna Lilley is one of 25 finalists for the NFCA Freshman of the Year award. Despite being a rookie, Lilley is the only player on the Oregon roster to start and play in every game this year. Lilley is hitting .441 with team-highs in doubles (14), runs (54), walks (32) and on-base percentage (.550).
TWO DUCKS PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Both Cheridan Hawkins and OF Janie Takeda were named finalists for the USA Softball player of the year award, the organization announced on April 8. Hawkins and Takeda join 24 others on the midseason list, which cut down the preseason top-50 list. Oregon is one of seven teams to have two players on the list, joining Arizona, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma and UCLA. The list will be cut down again, to a final 10, on May 6 with the final three be announced on May 20. The winner will be announced on May 26 prior to the start of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
WHITE OWNS OREGON WINS RECORD
After the first weekend of the 2015 season, head coach Mike White jumped to first on Oregon’s all-time coaching wins record list. White, now with 273 wins, jumped Kathy Arendsen (2003-09), who had a program-best 231 wins in seven seasons with the Ducks. White reached the milestone in his sixth season. UO’s 8-0 run-rule win over Northwestern on Feb. 7 was his 232nd win, breaking Arendsen’s previous record. To honor the achievement, White was presented with a commemorative engraved bat by SWA Lisa Peterson prior to the Oregon State series.
THE DUCKS UNDER MIKE WHITE
- 10-5 vs. Arizona, 8-12-1 vs. Arizona State, 12-7 vs. California, 15-3 vs. Oregon State, 13-5 vs. Stanford, 10-8 vs. UCLA, 12-0 vs. Utah (2-0 vs. Utah in non-conference play), 10-7 vs. Washington.
- Oregon has outscored foes 2,116 to 997 under White.
- Longest losing streak is just four games (2010)
- Longest winning streak is 15 games (2014)
- The Ducks are 30-11-3 overall in Pac-12 series.
- Won 23 of last 25 Pac-12 series.
- Lost just three Pac-12 series over the last four years
- Ducks have been swept three times in Pac-12 series under Mike White while sweeping opponents 17 times.
HITTING TEAM NOTES
- The Ducks rank second in the nation and are first in the Pac-12 with a .370 batting average.
- Oregon hit a school record .342 as a team last year.
- UO’s .471 on-base percentage is fourth in the nation and second in the Pac-12.
- Oregon’s .620 slugging percentage is sixth best in the nation and second in the Pac-12.
- Oregon ranks eighth in the NCAA averaging 7.71 runs scored per game.
- The Ducks lead the Pac-12 with 85 stolen bases. Second place is UCLA, with 58. The Ducks have only been caught stealing 12 times.
- Oregon ranks 21st in the NCAA, averaging 1.73 stolen bases per game.
- Oregon ranks 15th in the nation, averaging 1.47 home runs per game.
- Of Oregon’s 72 home runs this season, seven have been grand slams.
- Oregon leads the Pac-12 with 13 triples, tied with Cal and UCLA.
- Oregon has had the fewest at-bats in the league, 1,299. Arizona State leads the league with 1,360 at-bats.
HITTING INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Janie Takeda leads the Pac-12 with 33 stolen bases. She is 33-for-35 on the season. Second best in the league is just 17.
- Takeda is averaging 0.73 stolen bases per game, which ranks 15th in the NCAA.
- Freshman Jenna Lilley is second in the Pac-12 with a .550 on-base percentage. Her .550 OBP is 23rd best in the nation.
- Lilley is fourth in the Pac-12 with a .441 batting average. Her 54 runs scored is sixth in the league.
- Freshman Gwen Svekis is second in the Pac-12 with an .843 slugging percentage and is third with a .443 batting average.
- Janie Takeda is fifth in the Pac-12 with a .439 batting average.
- Janelle Lindvall has been hit by 14 pitches this season, tied for the second most in the Pac-12.
PITCHING TEAM NOTES
- Oregon has not allowed more than three runs in a game over its last seven contests. The Ducks have two shutouts in that span, which includes six games against top-25 teams.
- The Ducks rank 23rd in the NCAA and lead the Pac-12 with a 2.34 team ERA.
- UO’s .204 opponent batting average also leads the league.
- The Ducks are second in the league with 330 strikeouts despite having pitched the fewest innings in the conference at 305.0.
- Oregon pitchers have allowed just 233 hits this season, the fewest in the conference. Arizona has allowed 342.
- Oregon has also issued the fewest number of walks in the conference at 97. Arizona has allowed 172 walks.
- The Ducks have hit 43 batters, most in the Pac-12.
- Oregon opened the season with three straight shutouts (8-0 vs. Cal Poly, 9-0 vs. #25 Texas and 8-0 vs. Northwestern).
- Oregon is 38-0 this year when leading after four innings.
PITCHING INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Cheridan Hawkins is eighth in the NCAA with a 1.18 ERA, which leads the Pac-12.
- Hawkins is second in the country in hits allowed per seven inning, averaging just 3.18.
- Hawkins is seventh in the nation with nine shutouts.
- Hawkins ranks 16th in the nation averaging 9.4 strikeouts per seven innings.
FIELDING NOTES
- Oregon’s .963 fielding percentage ranks 102nd in the NCAA. However, Oregon has not had an error in the last two weekends.
