The club baseball team is looking to extend its recent success from past years by returning to the Club Baseball World Series and improve on its 22-11 record last season.
After ending 1-2 and with a fifth-place finish in last year’s series, 11 returning players look to guide the Ducks deeper into the postseason.
“It’s an elite class to be in,” second-year coach Bradley Ficek said. “This year our expectations are even higher.”
The team will be relying on first-team All-American third baseman Travis Chock to supply offensive firepower and defensive prowess once he is fully healed from offseason shoulder surgery. The team plans on using the senior as a designated hitter during his recovery.
Because of various injuries among many of the position players, Ficek believes the pitching staff will have to carry the team through most the season.
“Our pitching staff is going to be a lot stronger this year, so if there’s someone we’re going to be relying on, it’s our pitching staff,” Ficek said.
Ficek plans on using a three-man rotation for most of the season. The pitching staff is headlined by senior transfer Peter Phillips, who played Division I baseball at Pepperdine.
“He’s a five-tool player,” Ficek said. “He’s probably going to be our ace on the staff.”
Phillips will also play shortstop during games he doesn’t pitch in and usually bat between the three and five spots in the batting order.
He came to Oregon looking to play baseball anywhere he could.
“I love it. The practice schedule is a little different,” Phillips said, citing the increased downtime. “It’s not as stressful.”
The staff will also include returning senior and staff ace Jay Tlougan and newcomer sophomore Bryan Hansen.
Ficek believes the team will be better this season because of its deeper pitching staff and a bullpen that Ficek claims should be one of the best in the country.
Among the team’s weaknesses, Ficek said, is its ability to stay healthy, as many key players are currently recovering from either injuries or surgeries. There is also a lack of experience in a few positions as departures have forced the team to put freshmen in the starting lineup.
“Inexperience might be a factor, but at the same time I’m excited about it because all the seniors we have are great leaders and they’re going to be able to help these freshmen along,” Ficek said.
Although Oregon won the Northwest Mountain Conference last year, it expects to be challenged by Western Washington, which is also a top-15 team in the country.
“It’s always a battle because they are our rival in the conference,” Ficek said. “It’s always us and them for the league championship.”
The rest of the league is made up of Evergreen State and newcomer Seattle University.
Due to the past success and the key additions the team received this season, Ficek believes it is capable of going far in the series.
“I think we have a good shot of making a run at the World Series,” Ficek said. “We have a great opportunity to win our league and put ourselves in a great position to get to Regionals and win that. Once you get to the World Series, anything can happen.”