Smith sets program hits record as Ducks roll to win

EUGENE – Oregon hit a modern-era program record six home runs while Tanner Smith set a new Ducks' record for career hits in a 16-1 nonconference win over Northwestern State at PK Park on Friday night.
 
Smith started Oregon's 14-hit attack with a second-inning double that broke Gabe Matthews' (2017-21) school record for career hits. Smith's two-bagger gave him 247 for his career and the double was the 55th of his career which is four shy of setting a new school record.
 
Junior third baseman Sabin Ceballos hit two of Oregon's six homers with Smith, Gavin Grant, Jacob Walsh and Dominic Hellman all adding one long ball apiece. Hellman's home run was the freshman's first career bomb.
 
How It Happened: After Northwestern State (13-8) took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third, Oregon (12-7) came roaring back with six runs in the bottom half of the inning on three home runs. Grant start the homer parade slugging a solo shot over the left-field wall with one out to tie the game.
 
Ceballos followed suit. After Colby Shade reached on a two-out double and Drew Cowley walked, the Ducks' third baseman crushed a ball to deep left-center field to give Oregon a three-run lead. After a Smith single, Jacob Walsh went the other way with a two-run shot to give Oregon a 6-1 lead.
 
The Ducks would tack on runs in each of the next three innings. In the fourth, Rikuu Nishida executed a perfect squeeze bunt scoring Grant who had reached on a one-out triple.
 
In the fifth, Oregon scored a pair of unearned runs on a Josiah Cromwick two-out double. The Ducks' catcher drove in Cowley who walked and Ceballos who reached on an error.
 
The Ducks went deep twice in the sixth inning with Ceballos hitting his second three-run home run of the game and Smith making it back-to-back dingers with a solo shot on the next pitch.
 
Oregon added its final three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Hellman, who pinch hit for Walsh in the sixth inning, launched a monster three-run shot over the videoboard in left-center field.
 
Box Score Notes: Oregon scored 14 of its 16 runs with two outs … Oregon's six home runs broke the old record of five set against Central Connecticut State in the first round of the 2021 Eugene Regional Tournament … Oregon also tied a school record with 10 extra-base hits (6 home runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple) set in last year's Louisville Regional Tournament against Southeast Missouri State … Smith's home run was the 23rd of his career, moving him into sole possession of fifth all-time at Oregon … Ceballos (2-for-3) drove in a season-high  six runs … His two home run game was the second of the season by a Duck … Josiah Cromwick hit two against Xavier (Feb. 18) in the second game of the season … Oregon's three home run outburst in the third marked the second time this season that the Ducks have hit three homers in an inning (vs. UCLA 3/11/23) … Ceballos and Smith going back-to-back marked the first consecutive home runs since the same UCLA game when Ceballos, Drew Cowley and Walsh hit back-to-back-to-back bombs … Oregon ran its streak of scoring double-digit runs to three games, the longest streak since the Ducks had a four-game streak last season (Feb. 21-27) … Jace Stoffal (6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K) had his second career quality start while picking up his second win of the season … Three Ducks relievers (Dylan McShane, Jacob Hughes, Logan Olson) held the Demons scoreless over the final three innings.
 
On Deck: Oregon and Northwestern State will play a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch for game one is at 12:05 p.m. with the second game starting 45 minutes after the completion of game one.
 
Quotes:
 
Head Coach Mark Wasikowski:
 
On Tanner Smith's hits record:
"You would have to ask him, I know he credits a lot of that to teammates, coaches and people that were involved and invested hours and time with Tanner. The guy is a grinder, he was the last guy in the weight room before the game today. He's not a guy that says, 'well today is a game day I'm not going to lift, I'll be too tired for the game.' He actually was the guy that I think set a personal best in the weight room today and he was a guy that was in there last, so for a guy like that to be rewarded with the all-time hit record. That goes to a lot of people that have helped him work throughout the years and a lot of teammates that have helped him out as well and he's just a great kid. I'm happy for him."
 
On executing a squeeze play:
"I mean Rikuu (Nishida) was up and we just had an opportunity and it felt like we needed to score another run. We felt that it was an important run for us to score and Rikuu is really good with handling the bat. He does a lot of things well. I don't think we've ever asked him to squeeze yet, but he did that today and he did it very well."
 
Tanner Smith:
 
On breaking the hits record:
"So special. I have an immense amount of gratitude. To think about all of the people that have helped me get to that point. All the coaches, all the players. There's been some unbelievable people that have helped me put a record like that up there and I have to give thanks to everybody that has."
 
On the offense as a whole today:
"It's really just that swagger confidence piece. You can just tell when dudes are stepping in the box it's kind of just a different kind of feel and I think the opposite field power is really just going into the training that we spent with (strength) Coach Darrell (Hunter) and (Jack) Marder on the field and that success and that hard work is paying off."
 
Sabin Ceballos:
 
On coming to Oregon and leaving family:
"Everything I do is for them and then my teammates. They adopted me and that's pretty cool. I feel like I am home. Let's just say that. They do a good job with me and understand everything I do."
 
On strengths as a hitter:
"I can say that my hitting and defense are pretty good and I can bring the ball over the wall, but just waiting for the right pitch and be patient. Just take it easy. Don't try to push myself and just hit the ball.
 
Jace Stoffal:
 
On how he felt today:
"Felt good out there. Throwing fastballs early in counts, getting ahead, that's going to make it a lot easier. Just being able to throw my pitches for strikes. I have four pitches and if I can throw them for strikes, it's going to do a lot better for me."
 
On what he can do to improve:
"Just getting ahead and staying ahead. I get too deep into counts. The last three games that I've pitched, from four to six innings I'm in the 90 range with pitches. I want to be able to go deep into games and to do that I have to be able to throw strikes and not get into full counts. Put people away in three or four pitches, not six or seven."