When a college softball program loses three players who combined to hold the all-time records in hits, runs, batting average and homeruns, it’s very common for that same program to take a step back the next year.
Luckily for the Oregon softball program, it’s anything but normal and after years of success, the Ducks are primed to take the next step in their hunt for a national championship.
Led by returning All-Americans Janie Takeda and Cheridan Hawkins, the Ducks will boast a deeper and more talented roster from top to bottom than the one it had last year when they finished 56-9-1 overall, were crowned Pac-12 Champions and lost in the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series to national runner-up Alabama.
“Obviously we want to build off of last year, but having lost the three players we lost — I feel like we got two great transfers coming in to help,” Oregon head coach Mike White said.
Takeda and Hawkins lead a group of seven returning players who all greatly contributed on last year’s team and combined with four incoming freshman and two transfers, this group should ease the losses of Courtney Ceo, Alexa Peterson and Kailee Cuico. Ceo left Oregon as the career leader in runs, hits and batting average. Cuico is the all-time homerun leader and Peterson is a former All-American.
Takeda should help take some of the pressure off the loss of Ceo as she’s expected to move into the leadoff spot after hitting .388 last year with team-highs of 14 doubles and eight triples. Janelle Lindvall, who tied Cuico with 13 homers last year, should take over the power role while Geri Ann Glasco, who transferred from Georgia, and Hailey Decker, who transferred from Nebraska, add power and bat control throughout the middle of the lineup.
What should also help the batting order is Jenna Lilley, the nation’s No. 1 recruit, taking over the spot of the departed Ceo.
“I think more powerful, our offensive numbers should go up as far as home runs and extra bases,” White said. “I think we’ll get more walks as people discover who our power hitters are.”
Also listed as a returning starter is Nikki Udria, Koral Costa and Alyssa Gillespie while Danica Mercada returns from an injury to compete for the starting second baseman position with Decker.
As for the pitching staff, Hawkins reprises her role as the staff ace when she looks to improve upon her 35-6 and 1.60 ERA from last year. Also returning for the staff is Karissa Hovinga who started 25 games for the Ducks and finished the season 17-2 with a 1.80 ERA while Jasmine Smithson-Willett went 4-1 with a 2.88 ERA
“I just think as the pitching staff, we’ve really worked hard and really grinded,” Hawkins said of the preparation in the offseason. “We’ve really learned what flaws we have and what we need to work — all of pitchers have done that.”
The Ducks will open the season Feb. 6 in Tempe, Arizona and stay on the road for the next five weeks before opening Pac-12 play at home on March 13 against Oregon State. One of their main preseason matches will be the battle with reigning national champion Florida, once on Feb. 27 in the San Diego Classic and a week later in the Judy Garman Classic.
Florida was ranked as the No. 1 team entering the season while the Ducks came in at No. 2, receiving 29 first place votes and 694 total, just five shy of Florida’s 699.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @RyanKostecka