Mason Neville (26) takes off to third after a foul tip in the bottom of the 6th. Oregon Baseball take on UC Santa Barbara at PK Park in Eugene, on March 3 , 2024. (Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
Despite the ups and downs that Oregon baseball has faced so far this season, one man has remained a positive constant atop the Ducks’ lineup: their leadoff man and center fielder, Mason Neville.
The junior is having an incredible 2025 campaign having already collected 31 RBIs and 15 homers as of April 10. He leads the team in homers and is tied for first in the 17-team Big Ten conference.
The Ducks have a balance of speed, power and swagger leading them off every game. Through his first 30 games, 24 of his 37 hits have gone for extra bases. That’s an absurd statistic from any hitter, but especially one hitting out of a slot typically reserved for contact hitters.
“I like to set the tone for the rest of the lineup,” Neville said after a win on March 4. “A lot of times, some other guys are on base so I have an opportunity to drive in runs for the team.”
Neville’s valiant efforts earned him a spot on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list. The Golden Spikes Award is college baseball’s most prestigious award and is given to the best player in each season. Think of it as the Heisman of the diamond.
Neville is just the sixth Duck to ever be named to the midseason watch list and the first since 2021.
“Well, he’s been really good and I think that’s why he’s on the Golden Spikes watch list right now,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said.
Neville broke onto the Oregon baseball scene last season after transferring from the University of Arkansas after his freshman year. Neville only started 36 games in 2024 and tallied 149 at-bats, but he still recorded 40 hits — 24 of them going for extra bases for a .268 average.
Incredibly, he’s improved. One area of Neville’s game that plagued him last season was strikeouts — Neville fanned 60 times in 36 starts while only walking 25 times.
Seeing more pitches from his solidified spot at the top of the lineup has allowed Neville to dial in his pitch selection. As of April 10, he’s already drawn more walks (30) than he did in all of last season and has only fanned 30 times — nearly half of his 2025 total in just six fewer games.
“Just wherever the pitch takes me,” Neville said of his approach after a win on Feb 15. “Just staying through the big part of the yard and looking for a ball up is typically the approach.”
During the Ducks’ series win over Michigan, Neville was 5-10 (.500) with three homers and five RBIs. He also walked six times and came around to score eight runs in the weekend series. He’s been the epitome of a five-tool player and a staple of consistency in 2025.
Oregon designated hitter Dominic Hellman — who’s having a breakout season of his own — also praises Neville. The two have played together since high school, prompting Hellman to say that he’s always known that Neville’s ability and skill is there.
Now, it seems the entire college baseball world is getting put on blast, too.