After just over two months of play, the MLB season is in full swing, and the college season is entering the dog days of the post- season. While Oregon baseball has been clashing with some of college baseball’s best teams in the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Regionals, some former Ducks are making a name for themselves on the world’s biggest stage.

Rikuu Nishida, OF, Chicago White Sox

After three years in the minor leagues, Japanese sensation Rikuu Nishida was called up to the White Sox and made his debut against the Minnesota Twins on May 25. His debut is one that will live in the record books as he marks the first-ever Japanese-born player that played collegiate baseball to play in the MLB. Performance-wise, his debut was solid offensively, going 1-3 at the dish with a single.

His welcome-to-the-MLB moment came in the top of the second inning when Twins catcher Alex Jackson hit a two-out single to shallow right field, which Nishida fielded on the run before immediately rifling the ball back to home plate to throw out Orlando Arcia with plenty of time to spare. During the play, he threw the ball so hard that his shoes flew off.

“Right after I threw, my shoes came off,” Nishida said to reporters postgame. “I tried to find my shoes, and when I looked up, he was already out.”

As of June 3, Nishida is batting .208 with five hits, two RBI and two runs scored in 24 at-bats as the starting right fielder for Chicago. During his time with the Ducks, Nishida spent most of his time in right field as well as second base. Outside of being one of the best hitters on the Ducks roster in 2023 with a .312 batting average and 79 hits, including five home runs, he is also remembered for his unorthodox practice of using a wood bat throughout his college career.

His leadership and coaching skills were also a key part of his game, according to Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski.

“Whenever he’s finished playing baseball, he will be an unbelievable coach,” Wasikowski said in a 2023 press conference. “He doesn’t speak English great, and still, he’s probably one of the best coaches we have, including the coaches on the coaching staff right now. He’s just that type of infectious personality, and with that kind of knowledge — It’s really something, to be around that kid.”

Robert Ahlstrom, LHP, Texas Rangers

Another recent call-up to the major leagues is Robert Ahlstrom, who has spent the last five seasons in the minors. The southpaw was selected No. 213 overall by the New York Yankees in the 2021 MLB Draft before being part of a trade that sent him and pitcher Albert Abreu to the Texas Rangers for catcher Jose Trevino.

On June 3, he made his MLB debut in St Louis in a 5-3 loss against the Cardinals. Ahlstrom allowed zero hits and struck out
two in 1.1 innings of work. Before making his debut with the Rangers, he was solid out of the bullpen for their Triple-A affiliate, the Frisco RoughRiders. In 21 appearances out of the bullpen, he recorded two saves with a 2.76 ERA and has struck out 33 batters.

Ahlstrom was a part of the Ducks for three seasons, from 2019 to 2021. The Eugene native was a member of the All-Pac-12 first team, the Pac-12 Conference all-defensive team and the ABCA/Rawlings second-team all-West region in 2021. During that standout year, he started 14 games with a 2.50 ERA, 92 strikeouts and boasted a 9-3 record.

Ryne Nelson, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks

One former Duck who’s been on the up-and-up following some early-season jitters is Ryne Nelson. The former All-Pac-12 team
member has started all 12 games he’s appeared in for the D-Backs this season and had a 7.71 ERA through April before cleaning things up with an ERA of 2.95 during his six starts in May. Of the four consistent starters for Arizona, Nelson ranks third in ERA, tied for second in strikeouts (52) and second in opponent batting average (.232).