Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski ended his press conference after being eliminated from the Eugene Regional the same way he always does: “Thank you all for your coverage.”

It’s a “see you later” in layman’s terms, but for me, it hit like a goodbye. 

The final weeks of the two years I spent covering Oregon baseball for The Daily Emerald had disappointing results, but the experiences were unbelievable and unforgettable. 

It started in the Midwest, where the Ducks hoped to finish their season, but fell short once again. 

I was thrilled for the chance to see the historic Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, during the 2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament. 

Fifteen games took place over a span of six days before the hometown Nebraska Cornhuskers were eventually crowned. While people voiced their hatred of the tournament’s pool-play format, citing that it created “meaningless” games, I don’t think I watched a single contest that didn’t matter for NCAA tournament seeding or the players on the field. 

They know how to treat the media in Omaha. Some of the best buffet spreads I’ve seen awaited me three times a day. Any stat I could ever hope to know was easily accessible. I had the best seat in the (mostly empty) press box for each game. 

Oregon got bounced in pool-play after defeating Michigan State 4-2 and falling to Nebraska 7-3. It was a shorter trip than the Ducks had hoped for, but it gave me the chance to watch the other talented teams that the Big Ten boasts.

But what made it especially meaningful was the simple fact that I, a student journalist, was the only Oregon media member to make the trip.

34 minutes after the final out was recorded in the Ducks’ loss to Nebraska, Wasikowski walked into an empty press conference room. I sat there and faced him as he gave me and the desolate space his opening remarks. 

“First thing I’d like to say is it’s an honor to be in the Big Ten Tournament. I thought the Big Ten did a really nice job with their details and things that they were about. Very impressed with their organization’s operation and disappointed that we didn’t play at our best potential to be able to show the people of Omaha our best reflection of our team,” Wasikowski said.

I agree on both fronts. The Ducks didn’t play well — they scored seven runs in two games — but the tournament was awesome. 

For me to be the only Oregon media member in Omaha was really important to not only myself, but student journalists everywhere. We’re often overlooked, dismissed or not seen as “real” journalists. 

Well, when my voice is the only one in the presser, I become a lot harder to ignore. 

I was able to run press conferences with both Oregon and Michigan State. My interviewing skills got much better because I knew they had to answer my questions. I’m grateful that The Daily Emerald gave me that chance. 

Just as I did last year in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the final Pac-12 Baseball Tournament, I watched the championship game from the bleachers. This time, I got to see Nebraska explode from its dugout after winning its second Big Ten Tournament title in as many years. The Huskers needed to win the tournament outright to make the NCAA Tournament, and they got it done. 

After all the negative narrative around the Big Ten Tournament’s format, Nebraska reminded me why we still play conference tournaments: it’s not for the teams that have already punched their tickets and are only playing for seeding. It’s for the underdog, Cinderella stories of teams with nothing to lose who aren’t ready to give up on their dreams, seniors or season. 

The news that Oregon would host an NCAA Regional came with a sense of relief; my time at PK Park wasn’t over yet. 

I knew what to expect covering baseball games in Eugene, but I never expected the Ducks to roll out as flat as they did — despite watching their ups and downs for two years. Their biggest names were nowhere to be found, they hit .242 with runners on base and they made too many costly blunders. 

As Cal Poly sent Oregon home with a 10-8 win and I walked my way to media, I physically deflated. I spent 158 games covering this baseball team. I knew the end was coming, but I didn’t expect it to be so early into the weekend. 

Just like in Scottsdale and Omaha, I saw the rest of the Eugene Regional through. Admittedly, my main motivation was to soak in every remaining second as a credentialed media member.

A picturesque sunset at PK Park smiled over the Arizona Wildcats as they won the Eugene Regional, but selfishly, I took it as the park saying goodbye. 

The Daily Emerald allowed me to turn feelings like that into stories for the past four years. Sports are so much more than an outcome or a score. There’s so much emotion and storytelling, especially at Oregon. 

I got to tell the stories of transfer quarterbacks Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, the Ducks’ final season in the Pac-12 and their first in the Big Ten. I got to cover a baseball team that made two playoff appearances and won a Big Ten Regular Season Title. I got to write about and interview athletes from Oregon’s track and field, basketball, tennis, softball, football and baseball teams for the better part of four seasons. I’d like to think I did a pretty good job. 

Thanks to The Daily Emerald, I was able to travel to Corvallis, Seattle, Portland, Ann Arbor, Indianapolis, Pasadena, Las Vegas and Omaha. I got to cover a Rose Bowl Game, a Pac-12 Championship Game, a Big Ten Championship Game, a Pac-12 Baseball Tournament, a Big Ten Baseball Tournament, a thrilling win over Ohio State and a handful of rivalry clashes. 

I went behind the scenes at ESPN’s College Gameday, a share of NCAA tournament selection shows and both Oregon’s 2023 and 2024 Pro Days. While I’d love to say I didn’t take a moment for granted, the weight of graduation tells me that I probably did. 

While writing for The Daily Emerald has given me more joy than I’ll ever have the words for (ironic, right?), I can take solace in knowing I’m leaving the sports desk in good hands and on an upward trajectory. 

The Daily Emerald doesn’t owe me a thing. It gave me a voice, more experience than I could have hoped for from a student-ran publication and lifelong friends. The clips I’ve obtained will help to land me jobs, but the memories will always mean more.