After failing to qualify for the postseason despite sky-high expectation in 2011, Oregon’s baseball team is taking a different approach in 2012. At the team’s media day on Wednesday, there was little mention of making it to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., or even winning a Pac-12 title. @@http://www.pac-12.org/SPORTS/Baseball/Standings.aspx@@ @@http://www.cwsomaha.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58606&Itemid=269@@
Instead, Duck head coach George Horton emphasized the importance of focusing on the team’s day-to-day work.
“There’s no sense in predicting or expecting and we fell into that trap with expectations last year,” Horton said. “We can’t really control that. It’s basically what can we do today to get better and improve and earn our way to whatever accolades we might get.”
If the Ducks are to achieve the accolades they want — namely, returning to the postseason for the second time since baseball was reinstated at Oregon prior to the 2009 season and faring well in the Pac-12 Conference — they’ll have to do so with a revamped roster.
Seven players from last year’s squad were signed by Major League Baseball teams and several others saw their athletic eligibility expire. The team’s personnel took another hit this week when Horton announced that No. 1 starter candidate Christian Jones would miss the season due to Tommy John surgery on his elbow. That may force some of the team’s younger pitchers, like freshmen hurlers Tommy Thorpe, Jake Reed and Billy Flamion, among others, into action. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205181465@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=11401&SPSID=94833@@
“As I told the team, what that means is there’s probably 100 innings available for somebody else who might not be as experienced,” Horton said. “But we’re not going to whine and complain about it. We’re going to figure out who gets to go in those roles.”
Jones’ injury will likely result in a promotion for Alex Keudell, the team’s lone 2011 MLB draft pick who returned to school. Keudell is expected to pitch in Oregon’s season-opener against Hawaii next week. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=1599975&Q_SEASON=2011@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=11401&SPSID=94835@@
Keudell and Oregon’s other pitchers will likely be caught by Brett Hambright, who should get the majority of playing time at catcher after losing 20 pounds in the offseason. Hambright’s primary backup will be sophomore Aaron Jones, who will also see time in the outfield.
The infield rotation is also set. J.J. Altobelli will shift from third base to shortstop and be joined by freshman Thomas Wagner (3B), and sophomores Aaron Payne (2B) and Ryon Healy (1B).
“I think the catching and infield positions will be pretty solidified deep into the season unless something happens injury-wise,” Horton said.
The outfield is less settled. Horton indicated Brett Thomas, Andrew Mendenhall, Kyle Garlick and Jones would be in the mix, but said, “The outfield is kind of up in the air.”
The turnover isn’t just limited to Oregon’s players. The Ducks will be without several members of their 2011 coaching staff, including former pitching coach Andrew Checketts (now the head coach at UC Santa Barbara), assistant Mike Kirby (now the top assistant at Cal State Fullerton), and volunteer assistant Bryson LeBlanc (now a full-time assistant at UC Riverside).
In the offseason, Oregon replaced that trio by hiring longtime Arizona assistant Mark Wasikowski as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator, and former Kansas assistant Jay Uhlman as third-base and infielders coach. The team also added former Lane Community College head coach Dean Stiles as a volunteer assistant coach who will help Horton coach the team’s pitchers. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=11401&SPSID=94834@@
The Ducks will open their season next Friday night when they visit Hawaii for the first of a four-game series. After visiting Vanderbilt for another four-game set, Oregon will begin its home slate on Feb. 28 when it hosts Portland.