After last year’s heartbreaking loss to North Carolina in the Club Baseball World Series championship game, the Oregon club baseball team is eager to get another shot at the championship.
The Ducks lost in such a fashion that they know they could’ve won. Four fielding errors that led to three unearned runs in an 8-6 loss to end the season. Junior Jeff Rogers, the club’s coordinator and first baseman, said losing a close game was tough, but the team is using it as motivation to do even better this year.
“With the character of our team being so great, the guys know that we can do it again, we just have to go out and take care of business,” Rogers said.
The road back to Florida started this past fall with tryouts, as head coach Kenny Swartwout looked to replace four key members from last year’s team. Their production and leadership will be missed: Jay Tlougan, Greg Wells and Jonathan Jwayad went a combined 13-4 with an ERA of 3.61, and Travis Brown batted .333 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs. But Rogers thinks the team has reloaded, adding five talented freshmen to what was already a deep bullpen.
“The freshmen will definitely be able to step in and contribute right away,” he said. “But we didn’t lose a whole lot either. Pitcher/infielder Bryan Hansen, outfielder Cam Gaulke, and shortstop Scott Marchione lead a very good group of returning players.”
Very good might be an understatement. One look at the numbers Hansen had, and everyone can see why the players are looking forward to this year. In 2007, Hansen hit .426 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs, scoring 45 runs. From the mound he was just as exceptional, going 9-1 with a 1.70 ERA. Gaulke, who led the team in hits with 56, was also a key role player from last year’s team. To go along with his .421 batting average, he added 31 runs and 33 RBIs.
During fall term the Ducks played two double-headers, one against Western Oregon University, and the other against Lewis & Clark. The team dropped both games against Western Oregon but came back with two wins against the Pioneers to finish up the short fall season. Through the rest of the fall term and the beginning of winter term, the team spent countless hours of practice on the turf fields and hours in the batting cages, trying to keep their edge through the Oregon winter.
“There’s not a whole lot you can do in winter weather.” Rogers said. “It was ridiculous some of the conditions we were practicing in. We’d be out on the turf in the pouring rain and 36-degree temperatures.”
The freezing weather and rain, however, come with the territory. It’s expected that the first month or two is played in sub-optimal conditions on wet fields; however, if the Ducks can get through the cold fingers and noses, the weather will have shaped them into hardened players once playoffs begin.
The Ducks’ first game comes March 8 at George Fox, where they will learn how ready they are. Rogers said the games against the bigger schools will help prepare them for league play.
“We’ve scheduled more junior college, NAIA, and Division III schools to test ourselves early in the season,” he said.
The club baseball team is looking to become seasoned veterans well before the playoffs as they look to make another run at the national championship.