The entire future of the Oregon baseball team changed in a moment.
One second, the Ducks were a bunch of guys sitting at The Cooler Bar and Grill, staring up at an enormous projection showing the 2010 NCAA baseball tournament selection show.
The next second they were a bunch of happy guys as Oregon’s name flashed up on the screen. The Ducks are postseason bound, set to play Connecticut in the Norwich, Conn., Regional on Friday.
Once it was official, sophomore Danny Pulfer pumped his fist, and his teammates yelled in elation all around him. Near the back of the seating, head coach George Horton stood with a smile on his face and embraced senior associate athletic director Joe Giansante, followed by a high five to pitching coach Andrew Checketts and a kiss for his youngest granddaughter, who was in his wife Francie’s arms.
It was a moment Horton has talked a lot about over the past two and a half years, and it’s a moment — though expected at some point — that has come far before anyone’s wildest imaginations.
“I’m honored to be a part of it. This is the first of many experiences,” Horton said to the crowd that had gathered at the bar on Martin Luther King Boulevard, just down the street, where the Ducks made their name.
“It almost brings a tear to my eye to think that it happened this quickly and how proud I am to be sitting in a chair and being a part of a great collaboration and teamwork.”
Oregon took a circuitous route to its first postseason since 1964 (28-year hiatus included), and just the third in the history of the program. A year removed from going 14-42 in the inaugural season of the new era, the Ducks went 38-22 and tied for fifth in the Pacific-10 Conference. The program hadn’t played a game since 1981 before the 2009 season, and under Horton’s tutelage and guidance, it has blossomed.
“I had no idea this was going to happen,” senior catcher Eddie Rodriguez said. “Last year was such a depressing year, winning just 14 games. The great improvement that we’ve done is a big reflection on Coach Horton.”
“It’s just awesome,” pitcher Scott McGough said. “There’s not much you can say now. The teamwork from these past few years has finally paid off … hopefully we can make something special happen.”
The Ducks are the No. 3 seed in the Norwich Regional, which also includes No. 1 seed Florida State (42-17), No. 2 seed and host Connecticut (47-14), and No. 4 seed Central Connecticut State (33-21).
Overall, Arizona State (47-8) was the national No. 1 seed, and UCLA (43-13) also earned a national seed at No. 6, but Oregon making the tournament was precarious after the team lost two of three games to California in Eugene this weekend. It took a Rodriguez three-run home run to complete a 5-2 comeback on Sunday for the Ducks to win 6-5.
The Golden Bears (29-23) most likely played themselves into the tournament with the series win on the road against No. 21 Oregon. And because of it, eight teams from the conference are in (ASU, UCLA, Stanford, Washington State, Arizona, Oregon State, Cal and Oregon).
“The fact that we got eight Pac-10 teams in is I think accurate, and I commend the committee for recognizing the conference’s efforts,” Horton said. “Hopefully the teams including Oregon can go out and prove the committee right, because I do think it was an excellent year in the Pac-10.”
Not to say there weren’t a few nerves about the process. Horton said all week he would be disappointed if his team didn’t receive a bid, but after 32 teams had been named, Oregon was still not up on the board. Then two more regionals were shown, and still no name. A brief sense of desperation crept in, but that was squashed by the elation of finally seeing Oregon on the board.
Horton and his team also gave a brief cheer to the patrons of The Cooler and to fans who have supported Oregon’s endeavors to become legitimate in baseball. He led the Ducks in a “hip hip, hooray” chant with gusto, punching his fist to emphasize the chant.
Horton also said that in the future the Ducks wouldn’t be traveling to play in a regional, but instead hosting. He said the work is far from over.
“I know how to dance, and I know how to manage expectations,” Horton said. “Where I come from, we had expectations that we were always going to go to the College World Series. A regional is just one step. That’s our mission at the University of Oregon. It’s just one step to get to our real goal of winning a national championship.”
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