The Ducks need to figure out their pitching situation.
Oregon baseball (8-5) enters Pac-12 play this weekend with a starting rotation that has suddenly become the team’s biggest question mark. Offensively, things have been going swimmingly for the Ducks. But with an injured ace and lack of consistency in the back half of the rotation, some pitchers are going to need to step up against a talented Stanford team (8-3).
The crop of pitchers going into the year had very little starting experience. Transfer ace Adam Maier impressed as a starter last summer in the Cape Cod League, but he had never thrown a pitch at the Division 1 level. Isaac Ayon and Andrew Mosiello were relievers for the Ducks last year, while freshman Tommy Brandenburg was coming straight out of high school.
An uncertain situation has morphed into a complete disaster. Mosiello and Brandenburg have shown good stuff at times, but neither have been consistent enough to solidify a spot in the rotation. Oregon coach Mark Wasikowksi went so far as to pull Mosiello after just one inning Saturday.
“When you go out there and walk the park and hit a bunch of people, that’s not the standard here,” Wasikowski said after Saturday’s game. “That ain’t what it looks like. And so if that’s the effort that’s thrown out there on the mound, then that doesn’t deserve to pitch.”
A similar situation occurred with Brandenburg the next day, when he issued a bases-loaded walk in a three-run first inning. He threw a scoreless second but was pulled after that.
However, the biggest blow came Friday, when Maier had to leave in the sixth inning after the athletic trainer came out to the mound. The trainer rubbed Maier’s forearm area — not a good sign for a pitcher.
After Tuesday’s 18-2 win over Portland which snapped a two-game losing streak, Wasikowski said there were still no updates on Maier’s status.
“We haven’t determined the rotation quite yet,” he said. “We’ll probably meet tomorrow morning and then release the rotation for the weekend.”
The team did just that, releasing the rotation Wednesday morning. It did not include Maier.
Now, the Ducks have to patch something together. Caleb Sloan is scheduled to start Friday as part of what will presumably be a bullpen game. The only lock is Ayon, who has dominated over his last two home starts and looks to be settling into a prominent role. He’s slated to go on Saturday.
“It’s fun being a starter now,” Ayon said. “I get my own routine, but it’s the same stuff. Just go in and pitch.”
As for Sunday, a starter was not named. Wasikowski clearly doesn’t have full confidence yet in Mosiello or Brandenburg. He’s mentioned RJ Gordon in the past as someone who could slide into a starting role, and Gordon did submit a strong four-inning performance out of the bullpen on Feb. 26.
How Friday’s bullpen game goes will likely be a major factor into Sunday’s plan.
Stanford was already a tough opponent even with a secured rotation in place. Last year, the Cardinal won two out of three over the Ducks and finished third in the Pac-12, right behind Oregon at No. 2.
“They were picked to win our league, and they’re a team that was in Omaha last year,” Wasikowski said. “We fought them like crazy at the end of last year to win a Pac-12 championship, and I think all the games last year against Stanford were really, really great baseball games.”
On a brighter note, the Oregon offense has impressed for most of this season so far. It fell back to Earth against a tough UC Santa Barbara team, but it exploded for a slew of double-digit games against San Diego, St. John’s and Portland. Players like Drew Cowley, Brennan Milone, Jacob Walsh and Colby Shade have been huge additions to the lineup.
“Our transfers are some of the best baseball players I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” freshman pitcher Jacob Hughes said.
Senior outfielder Tanner Smith has also gotten going, with sophomore outfielder Anthony Hall showing signs as well.
“He’s our leadoff guy and one of the best competitors I’ve ever been around,” Wasikowski said of Smith.
The hitters will certainly need to show up this weekend with so many question marks on the pitching side of things. The Ducks lead the Pac-12 with 122 runs scored. Stanford, despite an 8-3 record, has scored the least amount of runs in the Pac-12 with only 57.
Oregon will also need another strong start from Ayon, who’s becoming the dominant pitcher Wasikowski spoke so highly of last year when he joined the program as a freshman.
“I just want to do the same thing I did this past weekend,” Ayon said of his upcoming start. “I just want to fill up the zone, let my defense work and hopefully I’m able to attack those hitters because I know they have some of the better hitters in the Pac-12. Just trust my stuff and let it work.”
He added that the Cardinal like to chase offspeed pitches, so he’s planning on working in a high amount of changeups against them.
Despite Ayon being a bright spot, the pitching is still in some serious trouble. The extent of Maier’s injury is unknown, but the fact that it was around his forearm and that he’s not pitching this weekend are bad signs.
Oregon will look to build off Tuesday’s offensive outburst to play a competitive series against Stanford. The three-game series starts Friday at 6:05 p.m.
“I would anticipate this year at their park, at Sunken Diamond, that it’s gonna be a great baseball weekend on their turf,” Wasikowski said. “Looking forward to it. I know the guys are, too.”
