Now, let’s be clear, any team that starts the season 10-1 with two wins in three games against elite competition — UC Irvine, Vanderbilt and — is pretty darn good. Most who follow Oregon baseball felt pretty comfortable about that declaration before the season, and it looks like this year won’t be any different. “Pretty good” isn’t the goal for the Ducks, though, and realistically, any year that doesn’t finish at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb., will be viewed as a bit of a disappointment.

That’s just the reality of competing at the highest level on the field and financially.

All fans can do in most sports, but especially baseball — where Oregon is going to be better than almost all of its opponents this year — is speculate. While it was just one game, the bullpen’s collapse in game two of the Ducks’ weekend in Las Vegas was comparable to past playoff collapses. In Oregon’s 8-6 loss to UC Irvine, the Anteaters scored five runs on just three hits, with the inning punctuated by five walks and hit-by-pitches.

It’s not a perfect comparison, but the collapse showed shades of the Ducks’ seven-walk, nine-run seventh inning in a 2024 Super Regional loss to Texas A&M. Playoff baseball between two evenly matched teams typically has two types of games, one determined by the margins and one by the battle of attrition. It’s worth noting that in the first series of the year with multiple taut contests, the Ducks were limited in the arms that head coach Mark Wasikowski felt good about putting out there.

One aspect that is encouraging, however, is the resolve that Oregon’s pitchers showed in game three. Devin Bell — who was a part of the eighth-inning disaster less than 24 hours prior — was clutch out of the bullpen, retiring three of four batters and getting out of a bases-loaded jam to secure the win.

Another is the timely hitting the Ducks showcased to even get to a point where they could win the game against the Anteaters. It’s worth noting the quick turnover the Ducks had from game one to game two of the series. Oregon’s game the previous night ended around 11:30 p.m., just over 12 hours before the Ducks took on the Anteaters in game two of the weekend. It’s not the only reason why Oregon struggled early, but it’s certainly a factor. The Ducks’ bats did wake up, however, with Dominic Hellman blasting a two-run go-ahead homer to put the Ducks ahead. The lead wouldn’t last, but it’s a positive sign nonetheless.

Overall, it’s hard not to feel great about where the Ducks are at through 11 games. Oregon’s first Big Ten opponent, Purdue, as well as regional rivals USC and UCLA, are the only teams that currently look to stack up well against the Ducks. Everyone else, at least right now, on paper, the Ducks profile as being stronger than.

Again, this is all speculation, but through 99 innings of baseball, there’s only so much fans can know about this Oregon team.