Since the Oregon baseball program was reinstated in 2009, the Ducks have qualified for an NCAA Regional tournament five times, including each of the past four seasons. Only once have they advanced to a Super Regional, and never have they reached the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
Last year, the Ducks failed to live up to expectations.
They started the season 13-2 then dropped 13 of their next 18 games, and found themselves struggling to stay afloat in the Pac-12. They managed to win six of their last seven conference series, including the regular season finale against No. 2 UCLA. Although they squeaked into the playoffs, they were eliminated by Iowa after two losses in three games.
“I held myself accountable for a group last year that we felt didn’t achieve its potential,” manager George Horton said at the beginning of fall practice. “We were very encouraged this time last year. Something got in the way of that. We need to play better, coach better — subtle little things here and there we need to do better.”
Now the Ducks have their work cut out for them.
Their two best hitters, Mitchell Tolman and Scott Heineman, and two best bullpen arms, Garrett Cleavinger and Josh Graham, were selected in the first 11 rounds of the 2015 MLB Draft. Pitcher Conor Harber was also drafted in the 16th round. All five juniors elected to forego their senior seasons with Oregon and sign with their respective MLB teams.
The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted starting pitcher Cole Irvin in the 32nd round, but the 6-foot-3, 182-pound left-hander turned down the offer and returned to Oregon. His draft stock fell after his disappointing return from Tommy John surgery, which caused him to redshirt the 2014 season. Restricted by a pitch count limitation, Irvin won just two games last year, as opposed to 12 during his 2013 first-team freshman All-American season.
The velocity on his fastball took a hit during his recovery last season, but Irvin said his arm now feels “100 percent.”
“I’m currently coming back from a long toss program,” Irvin said. “I’m full-blown and ready to go. I’m in all the drills in practice and not skipping a beat. Getting an entire fall behind me is going to be huge for me for this next season.”
Matt Krook, who redshirted last season to rehabilitate his arm from Tommy John surgery, will join Irvin in what pitching coach Dean Stiles described as a potentially “formidable” starting rotation. Krook was also named a first-team freshman All-American for maintaining a 1.79 ERA and striking out 60 batters in 45 innings in 2014. His season was cut short when he left the game against Washington in the third inning due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm.
Krook, who the Miami Marlins chose in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft, played in a summer league with junior shortstop Mark Karaviotis for the past few months. Karaviotis said the 6-foot-3, 205-pound left-hander was, like Irvin, limited by a pitch count regimen during his recovery.
“He dominated pretty much all summer,” Karaviotis said of Krook. “His rehab process is going really well.”
Stiles said Krook has shown no decrease in velocity during his bullpen sessions thus far.
6-foot-6, 235-pound left-hander David Peterson will likely join Krook and Irvin in what Horton described as possibly “the most special rotation I’ve ever had.”
“It has a chance to be our best rotation ever, which is saying a lot,” Horton said. “It also has a chance to be one of the best ever in college baseball. That’s up to them. Potential is one thing and having that come to fruition [is another.]”
18 freshmen and junior college transfers have joined the roster this fall. Karaviotis said the newcomers have done a good job grasping the program just four or five days into the year.
The Ducks begin the 2016 season on Feb. 19 with a road series at San Diego State.
“The journey to Omaha starts right now,” Karaviotis said.
Follow Kenny Jacoby on Twitter @KennyJacoby