Freshman shortstop Breanne Sabol is the only Oregon player who has started all 29 games, as well as the only Duck to start at the same position in each game. Sabol is one of four Ducks who is perfect in steal attempts.
Oregon finally has come home.
The Ducks (18-11 overall, 2-5 Pacific-10 Conference) kick off their home season today against Portland State — in a doubleheader that begins at 2 p.m. — for the first two games of 14 the softball squad will play at home during the next month.
No. 20 Oregon’s only out-of-town breaks will be a doubleheader at Portland State next week and a Washington/UCLA road trip in early May.
But first, the team must deal with Portland State.
“Portland State always plays Oregon tough,” head coach Kathy Arendsen said earlier this season. “I expect a battle.”
The Vikings (11-15 overall, 3-1 Pacific Coast Softball Conference) are coming out of a two-day, four-game trip to San Diego, where they split Saturday’s doubleheader and swept San Diego on Sunday.
Portland State opened the season going 1-4 in each of its first two preseason tournaments before the team split its four games in the Tulsa Invitational.
Since then, the Vikings have played six doubleheaders — including the two in San Diego — sweeping three, being swept in two and splitting one.
“We have a win against Oregon State,” Arendsen said. “If we can beat Portland State in this series then at least we’re ahead in the state championship.
“They’re a dangerous team, well coached, talented.”
The Vikings’ coach, Teri Mariani, is in her 27th year as head coach at Portland State. She has spent 31 consecutive years as a Viking — as student, athlete, coach or administrator.
Mariani brought Portland State’s softball program into Division I for the first time five years ago. The Vikings have only been a member of a conference for four seasons — three in the Western Athletic Conference and currently in the PCSC.
The Ducks — a member of the Pac-10 for softball since the league added the sport in 1987 — will try to break their two-game losing streak after being swept at California.
Oregon took a three-game losing streak into Friday’s game at then-No. 12 Stanford.
The Ducks and Cardinal stretched out a 10-inning, 2 hour, 50 minute game into a pitcher’s duel after the teams deadlocked at two runs each in the second inning. Oregon eventually pulled out the 3-2 win.
Junior catcher Jenn Poore scored the winning run in the top of the 10th on a two-out single by senior first baseman Alyssa Laux. Poore also hit her first home run of the season — a two-run shot to left field — in the second for Oregon’s two runs in the second inning.
The Ducks faced California twice — once on Saturday and once on Sunday — to continue the Pac-10 road trip.
Oregon was shut out by then-No. 7 California — the defending national champions — on Saturday with a 4-0 loss. The Ducks only managed two hits in the game.
The Ducks lost again to the Bears on Sunday, 4-1, avoiding being held scoreless in two-straight games. Oregon has scored at least one run in five of its 11 losses this season.
While Oregon is in the midst of its season, assistant coach Mike White was named the Men’s Amateur Softball Association Player of the Year on Monday.
“It’s a great honor, especially with all of the other great players,” White said. “It’s something that I love doing so to be honored this way is a great feeling.”
White led the Frontier Players Casino team to the ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship for the third consecutive year.
Internationally, White helped the USA Men’s team to its first gold medal in 18 years at the 2002 Pan Am Qualifier. He earned a perfect 5-0 record, striking out 25 batters in 26 innings pitched. White’s team earned the top seed in the 2003 Pan Am games.
The Ducks remain at home this weekend for their conference home opener. Washington comes to town Friday, while Oregon faces UCLA on Saturday and Sunday.
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