As the old saying goes, hope springs eternal.
And for the Oregon softball program this spring is full of hope.
While the ultimate goal is the school’s second-ever College World Series berth, nothing less than an appearance in the NCAA Regionals will be considered satisfactory, senior infielder/outfielder Jill Robinson said.
“Our No. 1 goal is to get to the World Series,” Robinson said. “As a senior, I don’t want to end with [Pacific-10 Conference] play. I want to go to the next step.
“I think this team can.”
But along the way, the Ducks have to contend with some of the toughest competition in Division I-A softball.
“The Pacific-10 Conference is one of the toughest around,” head coach Rick Gamez said. “Everyone is really tough. You can’t afford to take any games off because there is no weak sister in the bunch.”
Among that tough competition are some of the top-ranked teams in the country. Eight of the top 25 teams reside in the Pac-10. Washington, Arizona, UCLA, California, and Arizona State are the top five, while Stanford also cracks the top 10 at seven. Oregon State is ranked 11th, and the Ducks are the seventh team, ranked No. 23.
Robinson feels that despite the high rankings of some of the teams, the race for the conference title is wide open.
“Every team in the Pac-10 is tough and strong,” Robinson said. “Anybody can beat anybody on any given day. Last year we beat Arizona, Washington and UCLA. We can take on any team in the Pac-10.”
To get prepared for the regular season, the Ducks have played high-caliber opponents, facing six top-25 teams, including Cal.
“We used the preseason to get us ready,” Gamez said. “The caliber of ball we’ve been playing is comparable to the Pac-10.”
Sophomore pitcher Connie McMurren looks at the Pac-10 conference as a whole new season.
“The Pac-10 is hard to prepare for because they are the best teams,” McMurren said. “Top to bottom [they are] best in the country, and we all know what to expect.”
The tough preseason coupled with the talent on the team should pay off for Oregon.
“This is the best team we’ve had here since I’ve been at the University of Oregon,” Robinson said. “Our record doesn’t show what kind of team we are.”
The nucleus of the team revolves around senior Robinson, who is second all-time in home runs at Oregon with 27.
Two other seniors are set to have great final campaigns. Second baseman Andrea Gustafson is batting .388 and rightfielder Lindsey Welch is already Oregon’s all-time RBI leader, with 129.
“Andrea definitely leads by example, she seldom makes an error,” Robinson said. “Lindsey leads by example with her bat, and in the outfield she is amazing.”
However, both Robinson and McMurren feel that the entire lineup is capable of taking on a leadership role.
“Everybody has a leadership position on this team,” Robinson said. “It’s not only the seniors who are the leaders.”
The glue that holds the team together, according to Robinson, is junior catcher Kelly Planche.
“She not only leads by example but she speaks her mind,” Robinson said. “That is something I definitely appreciate because it seems like sometimes there is nobody talking.”
As one of Planche’s battery mates, McMurren also looks to her as one of the team’s leaders.
“I personally look to Kelly as leader,” McMurren said. “She really does a lot to help me with my pitching and keeping me focused throughout the game.”
McMurren (9-8) will share the pitching load with senior Danielle Haag (2-0) and freshman Andrea Vidlund (12-3). Gamez feels he will need all three to be competitive throughout the season.
“Connie and Danielle are coming along very well,” Gamez said. “With both of them having experience it will help Andrea along. She is still young and the Pac-10 is very tough conference to pitch in, so their experience will be key.”
Overall Gamez is pleased with his team’s accomplishments so far, but still says the team has a long way to go.
“We are better now, but still not where we want to be,” Gamez said. “We just need to go out there everyday and compete.”