An influx of young talent will soon be arriving to PK Park.
Collegiate Baseball has ranked Oregon baseball’s 2016 recruiting class No. 13 in the nation. The 11-man class is highlighted by four players selected in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft.
Infielders Spencer Steer and Morgan McCullough, selected by the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners respectively, both hit over .400 in their senior seasons. They should add a nice boost for an Oregon offense that finished last in the Pac-12 in team batting last season.
Right handed pitchers Cameron Jabara and Kenyon Yovan, a 31st- and 32nd-round pick respectively, could become valuable assets to the Ducks’ pitching staff.
Other recruits include right-handed pitchers James Acuna and Ryne Nelson, catcher Matthew Dyer and infielder Gabe Matthews.
The Ducks, however, did not finish with the top ranking in the Pac-12. Arizona State has the No. 1 ranking, while last season’s College World Series runner-up, Arizona, comes in at No. 6. UCLA ranked No. 16 and USC ranked No. 40.
The Ducks will hope the new freshman class, alongside the top-10 2015 class, can help the team bounce back from a 14-16 Pac-12 record and 10th-place conference finish in 2016.
Follow Cole Kundich on Twitter @ckundich