When Oregon baseball takes the field at PK Park this weekend, under expected 90-plus degree heat, it could be the last time for many of these players.

The Ducks will be honoring the next batch of seniors before Sunday’s regular season home finale. Of course, the team is still in contention to host a regional, but these are the last guaranteed games at PK Park. This year, the honor extends to those finishing their degrees, as well as those who participated in last year’s ceremony but stuck around to play this season.

Tanner Smith, Gavin Grant and Drew Cowley were honored last year, but all three chose to stay for an extra season. Smith has been here for five years, Grant for four and Cowley for the last two after three years at Cal Poly Pomona.

It’ll be extra special for Smith, who’s practically rewritten the entire record book in his five seasons at Oregon.

“It feels like the first game here against St. Mary’s was yesterday,” Smith said. “I spent some time at the field last night, just sitting in the dugout trying to take as much as I could in, and just really reflect on how grateful I am playing here and being at PK every day.”

Grant’s exit is special in its own way, too, because he’s been in Eugene for as long as Mark Wasikowski has been the head coach. In a way, Grant represents the beginning of the Wasikowski era — someone who’s seen all the success Wasikowski has brought to this city even in his relatively short tenure thus far.

“Each season they’ve played here, they’ve been in postseason play,” Wasikowski said. “They’re gonna be able to walk out to that ballpark, whether they’re married or not down the road, and look at those banners and look at the years of the teams that they played on and know that they were in postseason play each and every year.”

Even amidst a critical stretch of baseball, with unfinished business to attend to, Grant has already begun this reflection process. He understands how special this time at Oregon has been for him not just as a player, but as a person.

“I think the big thing is just realizing what we had,” Grant said. “For me personally, it’s a lot of my best friends, and gonna be my groomsmen. Tanner’s gonna be a groomsman at my wedding. Drew Cowley’s gonna be a groomsman at my wedding. All those guys are gonna be in my wedding, and realizing that this is a special culture that we have. And we’re just trying to pass that on to the younger guys…so just live every moment like it’s your last.”

Oregon will be honoring relievers Matt Dallas and Josh Mollerus in the ceremony, who have been with the program for two years and one year, respectively. Utilityman Tyler Ganus will also be honored despite only being a junior; he has a GPA north of 4.0 and will be completing his undergraduate music degree early. Owen Diodati, a fourth-year junior, will be graduating with a GPA above 4.0 as well. Utilityman Towns King will be recognized, considering it’s his fifth year of college baseball (though only first with Oregon). Outfielder Bryce Boettcher is also graduating early but choosing not to be honored. 

“The guys on this team are awesome,” Wasikowski said. “When you’re coaching guys like this and you’re not dealing with issues away from the field and they just are great to be around every day — it doesn’t happen like that every year in your coaching career. You don’t have locker rooms that are this fun to be around the guys every single day.”

This weekend, the seniors and graduating students will be playing not just for themselves, but for the chance at a high seeding in both the Pac-12 and the NCAA tournament. A tough series loss to USC last weekend might have soured the vibes in the clubhouse, as Smith admitted, but it hasn’t affected their conviction — if anything, it’s only fueled them to play even harder this weekend. Sitting at No. 24 in the country, this team could easily be in play to host a regional if they finish strong against Washington and Utah.

“Even when you have a bad week, to get together with them the next day is something that I know every coach is looking forward to doing,” Wasikowski said. “Because they’re genuine, and even getting in there with them today here in just a little bit in the weight room, these guys are killing it. They want it so bad, and at times maybe too bad.”

Oregon (31-16, 14-10 Pac-12) will start this series against Washington (29-14, 13-10 Pac-12) with evening games on Friday and Saturday, then wrap it up with Senior Day at noon on Sunday — with a projected high of 94°, no less.

“It’s a great class,” Wasikowski said. “Love these guys. They’re a lot of fun to be around, and we’re just looking to finish strong.”