On the heels of a freshman no-hit performance Wednesday night, No. 8 Oregon (26-10, 10-5 Pac-12) returns to action Friday night against Washington State (18-15, 5-6 Pac-12)@@http://pac-12.org/SPORTS/Baseball/Standings.aspx@@ for the first of a three-game series with the Cougars.@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&KEY=&SPID=11401&SPSID=94835@@
Alex Keudell@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=11401&SPSID=94833@@ will take the mound for the Ducks Thursday, looking for his 18th career win.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205382700@@ He has had a spectacular month of April, winning the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week award two weeks in a row.@@http://pac-12.org/Baseball/Tabid/1448/Article/152773/Amaral-Keudell-Earn-Weekly-Honors.aspx@@
With a top-10 ranking in the Baseball America Top 25 for the first time in the modern era of Oregon baseball, the Ducks are in unfamiliar territory. But head coach George Horton was quick to point out the Ducks are just halfway through their season and haven’t accomplished anything yet.
“It would be immature and stupid on our part to think that’s a finish line,” Horton said.
He also said the Ducks can’t play the underdog card any longer now that they’re a top-ten team.
“No longer are we going to surprise anybody,” he said. “There’s a bull’s-eye on us.”
The Cougars Friday night starter likely will be J.D. Leckenby, who has a 4-3 record a 3.44 ERA.@@http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/wast/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/2012BaseballStatistics.pdf@@ Overall, Washington State’s pitchers have an opponents’ batting average of over .300.@@see above@@
While that’s a welcoming sign to a Ducks’ lineup missing some of its best hitters with J. J. Altobelli (shoulder) and Aaron Jones (ankle) sidelined with injuries, Horton cautions that in a conference as competitive as the Pac-12, taking any team lightly can be dangerous.
“Any Pac-12 team can beat any other team and sweep any other team,” he said. “We’ve already experienced that. So, for us to take Washington State or anybody else down the road lightly, just because we’re ranked, would be immature.”
Along with Jones and Altobelli, third baseman Scott Heineman and Sunday starter Brando Tessar aren’t expected to play this weekend either, as the former is out due to an undisclosed foot injury and the latter is still struggling with an elbow injury suffered against Stanford last Sunday.
With all the injuries, Oregon will depend on Kevin Shepherd and Thomas Walker to lock up the left side of the infield. Horton said that after Monday’s win over Arkansas Pine Bluff, Oregon’s bench will be up to the challenge.
“We don’t recruit crummy players,” he said.
With half of their conference schedule still in front of them, he will need the Ducks’ role players — who have produced all season — to continue that positive output, like Ryon Healy and Aaron Payne.
Saturday’s pitching matchup will feature a pair of true freshmen in the Oregon’s Jake Reed@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=11401&SPSID=94833@@ and Washington State’s Joe Pistorese.@@http://www.wsucougars.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/wast-m-basebl-mtt.html@@ Reed makes his 10th start of the season for the Ducks.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205415814@@ He has has held opponents to a .204 batting average — the lowest such mark for an Oregon starter.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205382700@@
On Sunday, Washington State will throw in another freshman, giving the ball to Tanner Chleborad@@http://www.wsucougars.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/wast-m-basebl-mtt.html@@ who brings a 2-0 record and 4.38 ERA to PK Park.@@http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/wast/sports/m-basebl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/2012BaseballStatistics.pdf@@ With Tessar still injured, Horton has yet to name a Sunday starter.