With an 8-16 record in the Pacific-10 Conference and only three games left in the season, Oregon’s baseball team has little of material consequence left to play for.
For all intents and purposes, the Ducks are already eliminated from NCAA Tournament consideration. Their spot in the league’s cellar is secure.
That doesn’t mean this weekend’s Civil War rivalry series with the No. 2 Beavers is totally inconsequential, however. @@http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/baseball/d1/baseball_america@@
Talk to Oregon’s players, in fact, and you’ll hear quite the opposite view.
“I think they’re No. 2 in the nation right now, and it would be a great way to end the year if we could take this series from them,” Duck third baseman J.J. Altobelli said.
For Oregon State, on the other hand, the series has plenty of tangible impact. The Beavers are currently atop the Pac-10 standings, and they will finish no worse than tied for first in the league by taking two of three from Oregon. A series sweep guarantees the Beavers sole possession of first place. @@http://www.pac-10.org/Sports/Baseball/Standings.aspx?sport=Baseball&team=%&season=2010/2011@@
Oregon State is also in position to host a regional in next month’s NCAA Tournament and to finish the regular season among the nation’s top-10 teams, impressive accomplishments for a program that finished last season tied for seventh place in the conference.
All that’s to say the Ducks have a chance to spoil some big Beaver dreams.
“I’d rather anyone be the Pac-10 champions besides the Beavers, let’s be honest, and if we can prevent that it would be great,” Altobelli said.
While others aren’t out for such personal vengeance, Oregon realizes the importance of the series.
“I won’t be jealous if they win (the Pac-10 regular season crown); I won’t be sad if they win it,” Horton said. “Our motivation is not to prevent them from winning it. Our motivation is they’re a good baseball team; we’d like to win the series; we’d like to sweep the series.
“OSU’s a really good team, and I think it’s a measuring stick for us to win a series against a very good team on our home ground,” Horton added.
A win would also give the Ducks unofficial bragging rights for winning the head-to-head battle against both Oregon State and the University of Portland.
That possibility hasn’t been lost on the team.
“We would have a chance to be best college team in Oregon, which is significant, head-to-head,” Horton said.
Also significant is the possibility that several Oregon stalwarts will conclude their Duck careers over the weekend, most notably starter Tyler Anderson.
Other draft-eligible players for Oregon ranked by Baseball America among the top-200 prospects in the country include pitchers Madison Boer (123) and Scott McGough (126).
Anderson, however, is by far the highest ranked of Oregon’s prospects, and thus the most likely to leave school early. There’s a very real possibility that when he toes the rubber this weekend at PK Park, it will be for his last baseball game in Eugene.
“This could be Tyler Anderson’s last start,” Horton said. “Hopefully he’ll go out in a blaze of glory; that’s the plan.”
Anderson, who claims he hasn’t given the possibility of entering the draft much thought, thinks a series win could help boost the team’s confidence and inspire some of the younger players on the team.
“I think it’s big for everybody,” Anderson said. “If you end the season on a positive note like that, not only will the young guys have confidence coming back … that’ll help drive them in practice and in the fall with details, knowing that little things do count.”
Anderson will get the start for the Ducks Friday night against Beaver ace Sam Gaviglio. Neither team announced a starter for Saturday or Sunday.
First pitch Friday night is scheduled for 7 p.m. at PK Park.
Oregon baseball set to conclude season against Oregon State
Daily Emerald
May 25, 2011
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