There isn’t a single story that is better than that of redemption in the world of sports. From being last, to being the underdog and overcoming large odds, to making it to the postseason, it’s always a feel-good story.
That’s why this spring has been such a great season for Oregon sports. We can forget about the track teams for now because they have solidified themselves as a powerhouse. No, the real story this spring has been of the softball, baseball and golf teams.
Each one of these teams has exceeded expectations and made us on more than one occasion shake our heads in surprise. Two (baseball and softball) have come from dead last in the conference to legitimate postseason teams. Another one (women’s golf) made the NCAA tournament for the first time in 10 years. And we also have the men’s golf team, which took the nation by surprise and is currently ranked No. 1 in the country with a bunch of sophomores running the show.
The most surprising turnaround is that of the softball team. The Ducks finished 16-34 in 2009, going 3-18 in conference. They fired the coach, and 2010 looked to be very much about rebuilding. But instead, New Zealand native Mike White — a future member of the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame — rejuvenated the team. Oregon, 33-19, and 8-13 in conference, earned a bid to an NCAA Regional for the first time in three years.
White did it with a mixture of pitching and offense. When we spoke this previous summer right after he was hired, he said he was going to break down every hitter’s swing to the basics and build it back up again. Same went for the pitchers and their throwing. He said the summer was the perfect time to work on mechanics, and he wanted everyone on the team to fit his mold.
Well, it worked. The team hit .299 as a team, and the team ERA was 2.45. In just one year with players that mostly weren’t his own, White made giant strides. Oregon softball is definitely in good hands.
The same thing can be said for the baseball team. The stat 14-42 pretty much speaks for itself. The Ducks couldn’t have been more terrible last year. But add a year of maturity, another year in coach George Horton’s system, another top-five recruiting class, and a summer of playing baseball around the country and you get a team that finally realized its potential.
Currently Oregon is 35-18 and could very well win five of its last seven games. They are on a five-game winning streak after hitting a road bump against Oregon State a couple of weeks ago. This weekend they play Washington, followed by one more game against the Beavers, then the final series against California. It’s a big stretch that could make or break them getting into the postseason, but many think the Ducks are already in.
It’s unreal to think that in just two years Oregon has come from no team at all to a team that is breaking onto the national scene.
Moving on to the golf teams, it has been just as satisfying to watch as the men’s golf team has climbed to No. 1 in the nation. Casey Martin is one of the nicest people involved with athletics at the University, and he has toiled to make this program great. The finding of this current group of sophomores was a huge success for him, and he has all of a sudden catapulted his team to the top.
The women as well have made a big turnaround under new coach Ria Quiazon, making it to the NCAA Championships, to continue the trend of redemption.
It has been an entertaining spring for Oregon sports, one with feel-good stories and success by teams that only a year ago were cellar dwellers. In the next couple of weeks, every team will compete in its playoffs, capping the accomplishment of the spring, and I hope it only starts a trend that continues for years to come.
Next spring, the column I want to read isn’t one of redemption and turnarounds. The one I want to read is one of continued success.
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