The Oregon Ducks softball team is once again on the verge of history.
Entering Thursday’s game against Utah, the Ducks are one win away from an unprecedented fourth-straight Pac-12 title.
No team in Pac-12 softball history has won four-straight.
No. 3-ranked Oregon is coming off a series win against California in the Bay Area. The Ducks won two of three games.
“The big thing here is not only the Pac-12 title, but to try and get higher in the RPI so we can hopefully host regionals and super regionals,” head coach Mike White said before Wednesday’s practice. “But it would be special at home, no doubt.”
Only UCLA and Arizona both have won three-straight titles in three years. That means Oregon’s senior class will likely walk away with four titles in four years in Eugene.
“It’s special to be around the home crowd and the friends and the family, especially on senior weekend,” senior Koral Costa said. “Usually you clinch before senior weekend.”
White wasn’t aware that four-straight titles would set the program apart from the rest. A reporter told him during his interview. He responded simply:
“That says it all right there. That’s an incredible feat,” White said. “That says a lot about that senior class.”
Last year when the then-No. 2-ranked Ducks visited Salt Lake City. Oregon swept the series, outscoring the Utes 31-11.
“Utah has always been a good hitting team,” Costa said. “They put down the ball with bunts, they move runners over — team stuff. Just keeping them down in runs is what’s going to help us out.”
This weekend, the Ducks would like more than one win. They currently rank No. 9 in RPI. The top eight teams, announced on Sunday evening in the selection show, will host super regionals in the NCAA championships.
So far this season, Oregon has exploded with 89 home runs, far and away the best in the conference. The second-best team, Washington, has 65 total.
“I like to get those five- to six-run innings where we get doubles and singles,” White said. “But don’t get me wrong, I won’t throw away any home runs.”
Coming into the weekend, the Ducks continue to rank among the best in the nation offensively. Oregon ranks fourth in batting average (.357), first in slugging percentage (.640) and second in home runs per game (1.82). White, though, is focused on keeping crisp and clean fielding. Oregon has comittted the fewest errors of any Pac-12 team this season with 38.
“I want to see how well our defense plays,” White said of the upcoming three-game series. “We need to play good defense out here.”
Game one is set for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Jane Sanders Stadium. Game two is at 7 p.m. on Friday, and the series finale is on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne