Following one of its best regular-season performances in program history, the 11th-seeded Oregon softball team will enjoy home field advantage in the postseason for the first time ever when it hosts the Eugene Regional in the opening round of the NCAA Softball Tournament this weekend at Howe Field. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205427934@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=245&SPSID=4374@@
The four-team regional begins Thursday, when BYU (43-13) of the WAC matches up with SEC opponent Mississippi State (33-22) in the tournament opener at 3 p.m. Meanwhile, the Ducks (39-15), who finished third in the Pac-12 this year, will play Pacific Coast Softball Conference champions Portland State in a 6 p.m. contest. @@http://www.pac-12.org/SPORTS/Softball/Standings.aspx@@
Playing at home will be a welcomed change of pace for the two-time Super Regional-advancing Ducks. Last season, Oregon won the Penn State Regional in State College, Pa., and back in 2010 the Ducks won the Georgia Tech Regional in Atlanta, Ga. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4374&SPID=245&DB_OEM_ID=500&Q_SEASON=2010@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4374&SPID=245&DB_OEM_ID=500&Q_SEASON=2009@@
Being on the other end of a lengthy cross-country flight has the Ducks excited for what’s in store this weekend.
“I’m looking forward to the fans,” junior second baseman Kaylan Howard told GoDucks.com. “Every time we were somewhere else, we always had to deal with the fans yelling and bickering and rooting for the other team. So it’s going to be nice to have home-field advantage and have people root for us.”
Oregon held a 13-9 record at home during the regular season, capped by a crucial series victory over then-No. 14 UCLA this past weekend, which guaranteed the Ducks the right to host in the first round of the tournament. By most measures, Oregon drew a favorable position in the bracket considering it’s already played two of the three teams coming to Eugene.
Thursday’s contest features a Portland State team that fell in both games of a rainy doubleheader to the Ducks, 10-4 and 1-0, at Howe Field back on April 18. Oregon leads the all-time series 102-49-1 with the last four meetings falling in its favor. The Vikings last victory came in a 4-1 decision at Howe Field in 2010. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=245&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204941615@@
What could prove favorable for Portland State is junior right-hander Anna Bertrand’s first appearance against the Ducks this season. Bertrand (21-11) was the unanimous choice for the 2012 PCSC Mountain Division pitcher of the year, and did not throw when the two teams met in April. Neither did Oregon ace Jessica Moore (27-12), however, who was tabbed an all-Pac-12 first team performer for the second year in a row, the conference announced on Wednesday. @@http://www.pacificcoastsoftball.com/news/2012/5/11/SB_0511124019.aspx@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/softball/stats/2012/HTML/ore.htm@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205428308@@
Head coach Mike White decided to pitch freshman right-hander Karissa Hovinga (12-3) in both games of last month’s doubleheader, though he’ll likely stick with the proven veteran in Moore, who beat UCLA in two of three games last weekend.
“I like the way that Jess Moore threw the last two games, that’s an encouraging factor,” White told GoDucks.com on Sunday. “I like the way that we’re starting to get production out of our 3-4-5 (hitters).
“Sam Pappas had a great weekend (against UCLA) and if she continues to swing a hot bat we’re in a good position because we can put her in different parts of the lineup, and I think that’s going to be big.”
Pappas joined Moore on the all-Pac-12 first team this year — an award she also claimed as a true freshman in 2010 — and seems to have found her stride offensively as of late. In facing the Bruins to close out the regular season, Pappas led Oregon with a .500 batting average — 4 for 8 — and tallied four hits, three doubles, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in three games.
Portland State shortstop Alicia Fine, a first-team all-conference performer that was chosen as the PCSC freshman of the year, batted .359 to lead the Vikings at the plate. Her 31 RBI and 11 doubles were both team highs, and she also posted a .971 fielding percentage after being charged with only two errors in 89 fielding chances. @@http://www.pacificcoastsoftball.com/custompages/Statistics/2012/psu.htm?tab=portlandstate@@
Oregon and Portland State also happen to share a common opponent in BYU this season. The Cougars beat the Ducks, 2-1, in just their third game of the year back on Feb. 11, and went on to defeat the Vikings, 4-1, just five days later. @@http://www.goviks.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball@@
“We’ve got to make sure that we’re ready to play defensively,” White said. “That’s been our Achilles’ heel all year and we’ve got to make sure we sure that up.
“If we play great defense and we pitch well, I think our hitting will be there.”