The Ducks’ incredible run at the end of last season saw them secure a berth in the super-regionals, and they brought a fire that head coach Melyssa Lombardi has been fueling. In her six seasons coaching the Ducks, she has never had a squad with this much hype and excitement surrounding it. 

After a wondrous run in the Pac-12 tournament and an incredible upset in Arkansas against the Razorbacks, Oregon’s red-hot bats carried it to a super-regional matchup with the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. 

The Ducks would not be as fortunate in Stillwater, with their fire being extinguished by the suffocating Cowgirl defense.

“This team is hungry, this team does not like that we were two games away last year,” Lombardi said earlier this season. “Last year’s standard was high, [and] this year’s standard is even higher.”

The most notable difference between the two rosters is the lack of two of Oregon’s most productive players ever — Terra McGowan and Allee Bunker. 

“When Bunk [sic] and Terra were here, [other players] had particular roles as leaders, more of a show by example,” Lombardi said to GoDucks. “You will probably hear more from Tehya [Bird] and hear more from some others this year because we lost two vocal leaders.”

Replacing the tremendous boost given by those leaders is something Lombardi admits may not be possible, but the Ducks can only do their best to pick up the pieces. 

Oregon began the spring season being ranked No. 13 in the initial rankings. However, the Ducks currently rank outside the top 25 with a 14-9 record. 

The Ducks opened their Pac-12 schedule this past weekend, taking two out of three games against No. 15 Cal. 

What has shined through in the early portion of this season is Oregon’s speed. 

Redshirt junior Kai Luschar currently ranks fourth in the country in stolen bases with 18, which already surpassed her 2023 total of 14. 

Excellent base-running has fueled the Ducks’ high powered offense, demonstrated in major wins such as their 17-0 thrashing of Mount St. Mary’s and their most recent 5-2 victory over Cal.

Against Cal, Luschar and co. focused on getting as many baserunners as possible.

“It’s really fun,” Luschar said about the team’s stolen bases. “You can just tell the other team gets nervous when most of our team gets on base because we all create chaos.”

The more the Ducks get on base, the more the opposing team’s defensive rhythm is thrown off. Coupled with Oregon’s speed, the threat of stolen bases is enough to keep the entire defense guessing, a new period in the Lombardi era. 

Oregon has also been an impressive team defensively, recovering from its thrashings in Stillwater, which included 9-0 and 8-1 losses. 

One of the most notable additions has come from an outstanding freshman pitcher in Taylour Spencer. 

“We have one freshman in Taylour Spencer, which I think is great. She doesn’t have to come in as a freshman and take on this major load, just come in and do your part,” Lombardi said.

Spencer has been Oregon’s difference-maker this season on the mound, and is currently second on the team in ERA at 1.75. Spencer also allows the fewest baserunners, posting a WHIP of 1.17 – lowest on the team. 

Her 5-1 record is nothing to balk at, and with Oregon starting to pick up steam as conference play gets going, Spencer will be a reliable ace that the Ducks will need in a deeply talented Pac-12.

While it wasn’t the start it hoped for, Oregon has started to settle into the season much more and is starting to make its case for one of the best teams in the conference. At the same time, the Ducks are beginning to discover their identity: a hard-nosed defensive team that rules the base path on the other side of the game. 

With the addition of some pop in Ariel Carlson, KK Humphreys and Alyssa Daniell, Oregon’s offense has real potential to turn some heads this season. 

The 2024 iteration of Oregon softball is starting to find its groove, and it is on a warpath to get to Oklahoma City this year.

“It’s a new journey, new roles, you know it’s not about trying to match last year,” Lombardi said to GoDucks. “It’s about taking what we learned from last year and taking it into a new journey this year.”