Despite not entering until the ninth inning, Sunday’s series finale between Oregon and Ball State was all about Tyler Ganus.

“He’s a legend, to be honest with you,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “A living legend.”

The backup utility player, who has acted in Disney channel shows and movies while also singing and making music videos, stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth, using his own music as his walk-up song.

In the fall, Ganus wasn’t even sure if he was going to make the team. Wasikowski told him that he needed to get stronger in his exit meeting, prompting Ganus to gain 20 pounds. He came back in January as a “different person,” by his own admission.

“What he has inside of his heart is a tremendous work ethic,” Wasikowski said. “It comes from his family. The kid is just unbelievable. He’s such a person you can root for.”

Ganus, who hit his first collegiate home run earlier this season, smacked a walk-off single to complete a 7-6 win over Ball State, helping the Ducks secure the series win. Ganus’ teammates rushed out of the dugout and drenched him in Gatorade.

“I’m just really grateful to be here,” Ganus said. “And for Waz and the entire coaching staff to give me the opportunity to continue being here. It’s the biggest blessing of my life.”

Before Ganus’ game-shifting moment, Oregon played a back-and-forth matchup with the Cardinals. As they usually do on Sundays, the Ducks went with a bullpen game. Scott Ellis pitched the first inning, working around a single and a walk to pitch a scoreless frame.

Oregon struck first with a three-run second inning. The scorching hot Anthony Hall started the rally with a single, then a Josiah Cromwick hit and a wild pitch brought home the first run. After Sam Novitske walked, Gavin Grant hit an RBI single. Novitske was cut in a rundown, but the Cardinals’ sloppy play in the field allowed him to safely advance to third.

The third run came in on a Tanner Smith RBI groundout, as the Ducks brought a 3-0 lead into the third inning.

Caleb Sloan was solid in relief of Ellis. He walked the leadoff batter in each of his first two innings, but he made it through three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

“No, they’re not guys that are traditionally gonna go out there and start and give you seven innings, but if they just do what they’re supposed to do, and they did today, it’s fun to see,” Wasikowksi said of Ellis and Sloan.

Stone Churby entered in the fifth. He walked and hit the only two batters he faced, and was promptly replaced by Rio Britton.

Britton gave up a liner to center that right fielder Hall tried to rush in and grab, to no avail. With the bases loaded, Britton surrendered a two-run double that cut the Ducks’ deficit to one. After an intentional walk re-loaded the bases, Britton issued a walk that forced in the tying run.

Ball State took a 4-3 lead on a sacrifice fly, scoring four runs in the inning after all was said and done.

The Ducks hit three consecutive singles to open the bottom of the fifth, but Colby Shade was thrown out by a mile at home. Still, Oregon was able to tie the game on a Josh Kasevich RBI groundout.

Gavin Grant hit an opposite-field solo shot in the fifth, putting the Ducks on top 5-4. It was Grant’s fifth homer of the season.

Oregon tacked on another in the seventh. Ball State third baseman Ryan Peltier made a throwing error on what should have been an inning-ending double play, allowing the Ducks to extend their lead to 6-4.

Dylan Sabia gave up back-to-back homers in the eighth, tying the game at six apiece. Closer Kolby Somers relieved him and pitched two scoreless innings to keep it knotted.

“I thought my fastball command was really good,” Somers said. “My breaking ball was working well too. Going out there in late innings in a tie ball game, you really just want to go out there and pump strikes and execute your pitches and trust your defense behind you, and I feel like I did a good job of that.”

The Ducks’ offense went to work in the bottom of the ninth. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Bryce Boettcher, who pinch ran for Hall in the seventh inning. With Jack Scanlon’s spot in the order due up, Wasikowski elected to sub Ganus in as a pinch hitter.

Ganus smacked the first pitch he saw to left field, bringing an end to a game that clocked in at three hours and 43 minutes. It was Ganus’ fourth hit of the year in seven at-bats.

“You kinda tear up when you talk about Tyler Ganus, because nobody works as hard as him as I’ve ever coached in my life,” Wasikowski said.

Oregon (21-11) will now go back on the road for a three-game series starting Thursday at 7:05 p.m. against Pac-12 foe Washington (15-14).