Late Surge Yields Postseason Bid For UO Baseball
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
EUGENE, Ore. — George Horton said Sunday his UO baseball program would cross their "fingers, legs and everything that we can cross" in hopes of making the postseason field, which was announced Monday.
It worked. That, and a scorching hot streak to end the regular season.
Fresh off taking two of three at home against Pac-12 champion UCLA, the Ducks were announced Monday morning as the No. 3 seed in an NCAA Regional at Springfield, Mo. Oregon will play Friday against second-seeded Iowa (11 a.m. PT, ESPN3), to be followed by host Missouri State against Canisius.
The Ducks (37-23) won their final five series in Pac-12 play and nine of their last 10 games to fight their way onto the postseason bubble, following a midseason lull. They posted walk-off wins Saturday and Sunday over the Bruins, who were named the No. 1 overall seed into the postseason field Monday.
Horton's club will make its fourth straight postseason appearance, and its fifth in the last six years. The Ducks have advanced to Super Regionals once since the program's 2009 reboot, in 2012.
Iowa (39-16) is in the postseason for the first time since 1990. The Hawkeyes boast the No. 29 RPI in the country while Oregon got in at No. 66 (RPI as of Saturday morning), but Iowa has struggled of late, losing four of its last six.
Iowa's starter to open the Big Ten Tournament was junior right-hander Tyler Peyton (6-4, 3.18), who allowed one earned run and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings to help the Hawkeyes beat Ohio State. Peyton struck out seven and walked none in the start.
For the season, Iowa has hit .273, led by Peyton's .352 average in double duty at first base. Like the Ducks, the Hawkeyes don't rely on power bats, having combined for just 14 home runs in 55 games.
Missouri State (45-10) was selected to host a regional for the first time in the program's 33 years. The Bears won their third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference title this season. Canisius (34-28) won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this spring.
Click here for Springfield Regional Tournament Central Information.
