While most students are off on spring break, No. 19 Oregon baseball stayed behind to school the visiting Northwestern Wildcats.

Oregon baseball (18-3, Big Ten 6-1) opened up its series against the Northwestern Wildcats (7-10-1, Big Ten 1-3) with a bang: a dominant 20-6 win off of strong outings from Will Sanford (5 IP, 8 K, 1 R, 1 H), Angel Laya (3-3, 5 RBI, 2B, HR), Dominic Hellman (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 HR) and Jack Brooks (2-3, 4 RBI, 2B, HR).

Northwestern came into Eugene this week off an upset 2-1 walkoff win against No. 11 USC to close out their first Big Ten home series, but the Ducks killed any momentum the Wildcats had quickly after Sanford came out throwing strikes, striking out two in the first.

The bats came alive quickly for Oregon against Northwestern’s Ryan Weaver, with the Ducks getting eight hits in the first, including a three-run homer from Brooks and a two-run single from Maddox Molony to go up 8-0. Weaver got pulled with only one out, bringing on Tommy Bridges, who hit Jax Gimenez with his second pitch, his second hit by pitch of the game. Bridges loaded the bases after walking Hellman, setting up a two-run single from Angel Laya to go up 10-0 heading into the second inning.

Ryan Cooney got two hits in that dominant first inning, and the only Duck to not get on base in that stretch was Hellman, who struck out looking early in the inning.

Northwestern responded to that dominant inning with a solo home run from second baseman Noah Ruiz to make it 10-1 in the top of the second. Sanford bounced back from the homer with two strikeouts to close out the first half of the inning. 

The bats came back to life in the third for Oregon after a quiet inning in the second, with Hellman sending a home run to deep right, followed by a double from Drew Smith and a two-run homer from Laya to go up 13-1

In the bottom of the fourth, Brooks extended the lead with an RBI double, sending home Burke-Lee Mabeus before Cooney flew out to center field, scoring Miranda, but Brooks was tagged at the plate, making it 15-1 heading into the fifth. 

Hellman hit his second solo homer of the game to lead off the fifth inning. Following the deep shot, Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski opted to bring out some pinch hitters to close things out, with one notable substitution being Laya, who was a triple shy of the cycle.

The Ducks loaded the bases quickly in the bottom of the sixth with no outs. A groundout from Naulivou Luaki scored Brooks, who reached on a hit by pitch, before Tyler Holley hit a two-run double to extend the lead even further. Josh Schleichardt continued the slug fest with his second hit since coming on as a pinch hitter earlier in the game, a single scoring Holley to make it 20-1.

The game ended in the seventh inning with the ten-run rule, securing a dominant 20-6 win for the Ducks to open the weekend.

Oregon plays its second game of the series against the Wildcats Saturday at 2:05 p.m. at PK Park.