With college baseball season less than a month away, Oregon still has a lot to figure out.

In the field, there are battles at nearly every position. On the mound, head coach Mark Wasikowski didn’t even attempt to name a rotation. And last year’s bullpen lost three of its four best arms, with the fourth likely stepping into a starting role.

So with all this uncertainty, the Ducks have some ironing out to do in the next few weeks. But they believe this just speaks to their strengths.

“Nothing is set in stone out here,” Wasikowski said in Tuesday’s preseason press conference. “And that’s good news, because from a depth standpoint in the field, there’s guys pushing everybody at every spot.”

Oregon had one of the best offenses in the country last year, as well as the best offense in program history. While they lost some of the linchpins of that team’s lineup, they have a diverse new array of talent that could rival its dominance.

“It’s scary. It’s even better than last year,” Ducks pitcher Logan Mercado said. “I think it’s the best we’ve had since I’ve been here. We have legitimately 12, 13, 14 guys who could start right now.”

It begins with Owen Diodati, a power-hitting corner outfielder who transferred from the University of Alabama during the offseason. Diodati said former Oregon pitcher Adam Maier recommended the program to him. Diodati played with Maier on a Junior National Team in high school, and he said he knew he could trust Maier’s opinion.

Under Wasikowski’s leadership, Oregon baseball has become a program that attracts top talent every year. Diodati is yet another in a long list of names.

“The one thing here that really stood out to me was that everyone seemed to like the coaching staff,” Diodati said. “The things they put out, the messages, the culture. I’ve seen nothing but that since I’ve been here, so it’s been amazing.”

Diodati joins returners Colby Shade and Tanner Smith in the outfield, both of whom Wasikowski said have made strides. Shade was recovering from an injury over the summer, but he’s progressed well and should have no trouble starting the season healthy. Smith, the fifth-year senior who’s “about 32 years old now” as Wasikowski joked, has reportedly put on even more strength and figures to be a steady presence in the lineup once again.

Gavin Grant is now primed to be Oregon’s starting shortstop instead of second baseman due to the loss of Josh Kasevich. But according to Wasikowski, veteran Drew Cowley and freshmen Dominic Hellman and Carter Garate could also challenge him for time. Hellman, who stands at 6-foot-6 with a strong frame, has additionally seen some time at first base, where sophomore Jacob Walsh hopes to improve upon his strong freshman campaign.

Then there’s the catcher position, which is deep once again despite the losses of Jack Scanlon and Logan Paustian. Josiah Cromwick is penciled in as the starter, but redshirts Anson Aroz and Chase Meggers are healthy and in the mix, while Bennett Thompson hit .375 with a .459 OBP in a brief stint last year. Wasikowski said that Sabin Ceballos could potentially catch, as well as play just about anywhere on the field, with the left side of the infield being his main skill.

“What I’m looking for is the guy that’s the hungriest guy, that’s the most complete player to help you win games,” Wasikowski said. “Not the most talented or projection guy, but the guy that’s gonna help you win right away.”

The Ducks are already being hyped up as a nationally prominent, winning team: Baseball America placed them at No. 20 in their preseason rankings, while D1Baseball put them at No. 25. Wasikowski admitted his concern, though, that these kinds of rankings can get to a player’s head.

“I think it’s tough for the players sometimes because now with the increased media attention in our game… those can come across like decisions are made,” Wasikowski said. “And that would be the worst thing for anybody, specifically in our locker room, with the depth we have, to read into any of those publications. As good of a job as they do, it’s still based off of stuff that has been projected before we even start our full weeks of practice.”

And even with the abundance of options in the field, there’s still a lot to figure out on the mound. Isaac Ayon was projected to be the ace of this staff, but he was injured during the fall and will miss most, if not all, of the season. Enter Jace Stoffal, who joined the rotation midway through the 2022 campaign and started shaky but settled in by season’s end. He posted a mediocre 5.59 ERA in eight starts, but he finished strong with a dominant seven-inning performance in an important game against the University of Arizona.

“Getting the experience, getting your feet wet, you start to get more comfortable,” Stoffal said. “The more comfortable you get, the better you’re gonna be.”

Stoffal said he’s been working in the weight room nearly every day, which has helped him raise his fastball velocity from 88 miles per hour to 94. He’ll be joined by RJ Gordon, who has rotation experience, though he’s usually found more success in the bullpen. Next in line is Mercado, one of the team’s best relievers last year, but a guy who’s building himself up to handle a starter’s role.

“Last year, what worked for me was going really fast. My rhythm was really fast, and that messed up hitters a lot, but my velocity was down,” Mercado said. “It worked when I was a reliever, but this year, if it’s gonna work in the rotation, I have to figure out how to move better down the mound, use my legs a little more.”

Mercado also noted his improved changeup, which has become a legitimate third pitch after only briefly flashing it last year. Along with the work he’s done on his slider, he said he feels confident in having two really strong secondary pitches.

After those top three, the situation gets hazy very quickly. Matthew Grabmann and Turner Spoljaric are the strongest contenders among the freshmen to compete for a spot. Wasikowski also mentioned sophomore Jacob Hughes as someone who’s stepped up and improved after his struggles as a freshman. Some of these freshmen are certainly going to have to help out in the bullpen, an area which is even less experienced than the rotation.

While most of the fresh faces are a bit of an unknown, Stoffal said he likes what he’s seen from the newcomers, with Leo Uelman particularly sticking out to him.

“They all have to step up. We have a really young staff,” Stoffal said. “I think they’re gonna do just fine. They’re all really competitive, they throw strikes, they’ve got good stuff.”

Regardless, as Wasikowski said, nothing’s set in stone. It’s going to come down to who performs the best and most consistently come time for the season.

“Whatever the expectations are now, they should be to get to the College World Series,” Wasikowski said.

The team will officially begin winter practices on Thursday.