When discussing this year’s Oregon softball team, it’s hard not to recognize the veteran leadership and productivity.
Fifth-year senior Haley Cruse has been a household name in Eugene since her freshman year, and this year isn’t any different. She’s begun the season red-hot out of the leadoff spot with a .423 batting average and a team high 30 hits.
Fifth-year Samaria Diaz has set a dominating tone on the rubber, holding her opponents to a .219 batting average while striking out 35 batters to just four walks and possessing a 2.33 ERA.
Both players have played a monumental role in the Ducks’ 23-1 start to 2021, but it’s been the underclass women who’ve made their presence known, hinting at a bright future for the program.
In the first Pac-12 series against the Utah Utes, head coach Melyssa Lombardi started seven underclass women. All seven of them have earned their spot in the lineup not only for this season, but for seasons to come. Most notably, it’s been two freshman, Alyssa Brito and Hanna Delgado that’ve made names for themselves.
Alyssa Brito
Alyssa Brito has held down both the middle infield and four spot in the order all season. Her eight home runs lead the team by a wide margin and rank her third in the Pac-12, all as a true freshman nonetheless.
Her competitiveness and work ethic have separated herself from the rest of her peers for her entire life.
“We would practice as a team, and she would stay after and hit on a tee by herself for an hour, then go to a hitting lesson after, then a training after that,” former high school coach Tony Arduino said. “The amount of time she has put into her body and swing is really impressive.”
For a freshman like Brito, who played only a handful of games their senior year due to the COVID-19 while having to adjust to a mostly virtual fall camp, the adjustment can be hard. For Brito, it was effortless.
“It doesn’t surprise me how well she’s adjusted,” Arduino said. “She has the first one to get there, last one to leave mentality and she’s a fierce competitor. Those two traits will get her far in the game.”
Perhaps Brito’s most notable moment as a Duck came against No. 1 ranked UCLA. After both teams traded zeroes in the run column for three innings, Brito stepped up and homered against UCLA’s ace to give Oregon the lead, and eventually, the win, handing UCLA their only loss of the season.
It’s moments like those that have already set Brito apart and have excited Duck nation for the next three years.
Hanna Delgado
Hanna Delgado’s transition wasn’t as seamless as Brito’s, but over time, the freshman has shown her true colors.
After starting out the season just 1-8 and mostly playing a platoon role, Delgado finally broke through on March 6 against Portland State with a late two-run single which fired up the dugout and proved to be the difference.
Since then, Delgado has batted .444, and has become the Ducks everyday left fielder and number two hitter. With just one home run and 13 RBIs, the numbers may not jump out like Cruse’s or Brito’s, but Delgado’s offensive versatility has already proven to be an important asset.
“Having a lefty in the lineup gives a different look especially with our right-handed dominant lineup,” Lombardi said. “It allows you to do a lot of different things especially with someone like her who can bunt for a hit, or drive in a run.”
Delgado already proved to be a bat that deserves to stay in the lineup, but it’s her defense that’s been arguably the most valuable part of her game.
As a highschooler, Delgado played second base, a position she mastered over time.
“Her footwork at second base is as good as I’ve ever had, and defensively, she’s about as good as I’ve ever coached,” former club coach Mike Stith said.
At Oregon, Delgado has held down the left field job, but throughout fall ball, she still took reps in the middle infield. It’s this versatility that makes Delgado such a useful player for both this year, and many more to come.
Other bright spots
Allee Bunker has been on fire from the plate all year, shown through her .400 average and team high 29 RBIs. Mya Felder has made huge strides both offensively and defensively from last year, with a walk-off home run against Utah earlier this month serving as her breakout moment. Makenna Kliethermes has been unhittable all season, and she’s coming off a no-hitter in one of her last starts.
For a program that has established itself as a softball juggernaut throughout the past five years, it’s apparent that the underclasswomen of the team won’t allow the hard work from older players go to waste.
“I think our elders have done a really good job at allowing the young athletes to settle in, and getting them to understand what we want out of them,” Lombardi said. “I love how they are all competing: they’re powerful, athletic, and best of all, they’re all really good.
