With seven games left to go in the 2010 baseball season, it’s make-or-break time for the Oregon Ducks.
Tied for sixth in the conference with Arizona, Oregon (35-18) is on the bubble to make it to the postseason, and the team looks at this weekend’s series with the Washington Huskies (26-24) as the perfect opportunity to make a statement.
“We’re anxious to get back to work and show some of the things we have down the stretch run here,” head coach George Horton said. “There’s a lot at stake.”
The magic number thrown out by Horton earlier in the year was 35 wins for making it to a regional, however, the message he has conveyed to his team this week is that the work is never done.
“It’s huge to finish off the season strong, especially in conference,” shortstop KC Serna said. “We played up there a couple of times last year and didn’t do too well, but I think we’ll be alright this time.”
The Huskies and Ducks are very familiar with each other over the past two years. In 2009, the two teams played a total of seven times, with Washington winning six of the games. Then to start the home schedule this year, Oregon split with UW in a two-game series.
But Horton says that after almost a full season’s worth of games separating the last time these two teams played on the same field, there will be differences.
“I think both teams are a lot different,” Horton said. “Coach (Lindsay) Meggs was new, and now he’s had almost a full year under his belt. I’m sure his athletes are more comfortable with him and vice versa.”
Horton and Meggs go way back, perpetuating the saying that the coaching fellowship in college baseball is a tight-knit one. In the early 1980s, Meggs played on a summer-league team that Horton coached, and Meggs is a native of Southern California, where Horton also made his name.
“He was a guy that was in the job search, he bounced around often, and typically I would be supportive of him, whatever I could do as a reference,” Horton said. “We have a good relationship and I know he does a good job.”
Meggs’ team has struggled a bit this year, and the Huskies are currently tied for eighth place in the conference. Oregon is looking forward to the series because the team wants to avenge a 5-3 loss on March 3 in Eugene.
“I actually think they snuck one from us last time,” second baseman Danny Pulfer said. “We came back from that eight game road trip and we came out first game at PK and got them pretty good, but then I think we took them for granted on that second game … We have seen their weekend guys and they haven’t seen ours. It will be a lot different, we won’t take them lightly this time.”
“We were tired,” Horton said. “The significance was our guys reached down real deep for some energy and played a good game (in game one). Then, not taking anything away from the Huskies in that second game, but we kind of just showed up at hit the wall a little bit.”
The Ducks go into Seattle riding a five-game winning streak, after a series sweep of the East Tennessee State Buccaneers this last weekend. They say they are in a good spot both offensively and pitching-wise. But they realize just like what happened against Oregon State a couple of weeks ago when the team was swept, anything can happen.
“We have a lot of confidence rolling into UW,” pitcher Scott McGough said. “It’ll be a lot of fun going up there again. It’s a great place to play. (The Huskies are) a really good team and just like last year everyone in the Pac is really challenging this year.”
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