The Oregon Ducks softball team has started their season off with a 14-9 record, a step down from what was expected after being ranked No. 13 heading into the season. However, the Ducks were able to start to turn around their slow start with a series win against the No. 15 Cal Golden Bears 2-1 to start off Pac-12 conference play.
Despite the strong wins, Oregon still finds itself on the outside of the top 25 looking in. A large part of the underwhelming start has been the Ducks’ offense struggling out of the gate. So far this season, Oregon has averaged 5.3 runs per game throughout its first 23 games. However, that number is inflated by five games that have been won on a run-rule, all of which came in non-conference play. The Ducks have been shut out four times already this season, severely hurting their offensive numbers.
Oregon’s problem seems to be getting on base. The Ducks rank sixth out of the nine Pac-12 teams in on base percentage and hitting percentage, as well as seventh in times being walked. There have been multiple games this season where Oregon has not been able to get enough runners on base to threaten scoring plays, leading to low scores in the game. The Ducks’ offense has been plagued by one hit innings early in the season, forcing them to leave runners on base all too often.
Once Oregon is on base, its runners have proven themselves more than capable of creating plays on their own. Despite many one hit innings hurting the overall offensive production for the Ducks, stolen bases have helped them make up the difference and make it easier to score with low hit totals. Kai Luschar, who has totaled 18 stolen bases already this season, leads the Pac-12 in stolen bases. She has been the main contributor in helping Oregon to its first place ranking in the Pac-12 in total bases stolen with 47 so far.
The stolen bases speak to the aggressiveness of the offense for the Ducks. That aggressiveness sometimes comes back to bite them, which is shown by their nine times being caught stealing, the second highest mark in the Pac-12.
Luschar’s base running prowess has been a major factor for Oregon already. She leads the team, and ranks second in the Pac-12, with a .474 batting average. Her ability to get on base, partnered with her stellar baserunning, has helped the Ducks’ offense stay afloat when other methods are not working. Her position as the leadoff hitter for Oregon has given the Ducks a major advantage due to her ability to get on base and create plays.
The Oregon offense picked up its play in the recent series against Cal. The Golden Bears came into the series with a 20-2 record, including a win over No. 6 Georgia. The Ducks were able to pick up a pair of wins over Cal with the offense being a major part of those wins. Oregon scored 14 runs combined between the three games. The two games the Ducks won were low scoring, but they were able to do just enough on offense to come away with a pair of wins.
However, even while picking up some quality wins, Oregon was out-hit by Cal 30-22 in the series. The Ducks were able to string together multiple hit innings, a sign of improvement after an inability to do so earlier in the season led to some losses, but also recorded many innings where they were completely shut down.
The hitting of the Ducks leaves some to be desired. The non-conference slate was uninspiring in that aspect, and that was reflected in the disappointing record. However, there have been glimpses throughout that show there is another level to be unlocked. Oregon has been able to take care of business against lesser opponents, often with dominating offensive performances. The Cal series was the first major showing from the offense against a high-level opponent.
The rest of the season for the Ducks will be about proving that their preseason ranking was accurate and this early slate has been just a blip. There have been major signs of improvement so far in the short season, and Oregon will have to continue to improve on the offensive side of the ball as the season progresses in order to regain its spot among the top teams in the nation.
