3/11/19 Emerald Media - Duck Season | Baseball

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Duck Season

Baseball and Softball Preview | 2019

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Duck Season 2019

Duck Season 2019

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JUNIOR OUTFIELDER HALEY CRUSE IS ONE OF

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS 4 SOFTBALL RUNS IN THE FAMILY

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CLUTCH PLAYS ARE HIS BREAD AND BUTTER

REBUILDING AN ALL-STAR TEAM

14 NEW ARM, WHO THIS?

15 A LEADER AS SOFTBALL’S ACE

Ducks infielder Rachel Cid comes from a family of baseball and softball players.

RACHEL CID’S FAMILY SUPPORT LAUNCHES EARLY SUCCESS Her love of softball comes from family, while her hits might just be a product of superstition.

BY MAGGIE VANONI PHOTO BY SARAH NORTHROP

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It was no surprise that Robert Cid’s daughter, Rachel, fell in love with softball.

The whole family played. Rachel’s aunts, cousins, both of her parents and her older sister, Alexis, played either baseball or softball throughout high school and at junior college levels.

“Before T-ball, we let her play a couple different sports, but she just always went back to the bat and loved hitting the ball off the tee,” Robert said. “She always had a good swing.”

With her dad as one of her biggest supporters, Rachel pursued the sport through rec and club teams. And now, at Oregon, she is off to an impressive start in her freshman season as the team’s third baseman.

“She’s been looking forward to this so much that when she’s out there now, she doesn’t look like my little girl anymore,” Robert said. “This is what she’s striven for six to seven years now, and now she’s on the big stage.”

Robert coached Rachel for six years on rec teams in their hometown of Tracy, California. If they weren’t out on the field, they were in their garage or on the front lawn practicing grounders and swings.

“He’s one of the reasons why I am where I am today,” she said. “He cares a lot, pushes me hard and that’s how I’ve become the player that I am.”

Rachel Cid was coached by her dad for six years in their hometown of Tracy, Calif. (Courtesy of Robert Cid)

To Rachel, her dad was not only a coach but also a part of her pre-game ritual.

Starting when she was 10 years old, and playing as a pitcher, Robert always gave her a good-luck high-five when he brought her the game ball.

The high-five turned into a three-step handshake as Rachel became a shortstop and third baseman. Prior to every game and every at-bat, the two would conduct their signature handshake: an open-hand slap five, then a backside slap five with a fist-bump fi nish.

“That’s something that I think will always stick with us,” Robert said. “It means a lot. It’s kind of like our little bond that we’ve always had together.”

Since becoming a Duck, she developed substitute superstitions in place of the handshake, like eating Gatorade chews before the game and rubbing her hands in dirt before at-bats.

“If I rub my hand in the dirt or something, and I do good, I’ll just feel like that’s why,” Rachel said.

The superstitions might be working.

Rachel, Oregon’s starting third baseman, earned the season’s fi rst Pac-12 Freshman of the week honors after playing in the Kajikawa Classic in early February.

As of publication, she is tied for fi rst on the Ducks, with three home runs and 14 RBIs. She is tied for second on the team in runs (14) and hits (16).

“I think we have one of the best third basemen and one of the best hitters in the country with Rachel Cid,” catcher Shaye Bowden said. “I know that I am proud to play behind her, and I know our pitchers love playing behind her.”

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Freshman outfielder Tanner Smith has established himself as a key piece of the Oregon lineup.

PRODUCING IN THE SPOTLIGHT Freshman outfielder Tanner Smith is providing offense and heroics from the bottom of the order.

BY MAVERICK PALLACK PHOTOS BY BEN GREEN

In the top of the ninth inning of Oregon’s Feb. 22 home-opener against St. Mary’s, the Ducks were two outs away from victory. But Oregon reliever Christian Ciuffetelli had trouble locating the strike zone, leading to a tie game.

That dread quickly turned into excitement as Oregon created a game-winning opportunity one half-inning later. Freshman outfielder Tanner Smith stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out.

Saint Mary’s brought in an extra infielder, making it vital for Smith to send the ball far enough in the air for Jakob Goldfarb to score and win the game.

“I knew that coming back in the dugout, in a tie ballgame, that we were gonna do it,” Smith said. “ I was looking to hit something hard and put something in the air and found a way to do it.”

Smith’s drive was hit deep enough to right field to score Goldfarb, and although the ball was caught, he won the game.

Smith has had several high-pressure performances, including a crucial game-winning at-bat against St. Mary’s.

“That’s not a surprise that Tanner was able to go up there and be aggressive and square a ball up,” head coach George Horton said. “He’s done that in the early part of our season consistently.”

Whether it’s reaching base four times like he did in the Opening Day victory over No. 8 Texas Tech, having a pair of two-out RBI singles against Loyola Marymount or coming through with that key sacrifice fly against St. Mary’s, Smith has established himself as a key piece of this young Oregon lineup for the next four years.

“He’s been awfully good for us there,” Horton said. “He’s gotten a lot of key hits. He hits the ball all over the park so it makes him tough to defend.”

“The crucial at-bat against St. Mary’s meant more than just a win for Smith, whose mom, Christy Good, had traveled from Los Angeles to see his fi rst home game.

“The hard work he’s been putting in is coming out on the field, so it’s an incredible feeling, as a mom, to see your son succeed like that,” Good said. “It was no surprise, and I’m glad to see he’s being rewarded for those efforts.”

And he started his list of accomplishments at an even younger age: Smith hit a game-winning home run in April of his senior year at Servite High School against American Fork in Los Angeles.

“It was my fi rst ever walk-off then, and less than a year later, I got to do it now,” Smith said. “It was fun.”

Smith’s production has been very important to Oregon’s success thus far, and the walk-off against St. Mary’s helped his roommate and Servite teammate, Ciuffetelli.

“That was awesome,” Ciuffetelli said. “Wish I could fi nish it, but my teammates picked me up. … Tanner came up and brought it home for us. It’s just guys picking up each other. It’s pretty awesome having Tanner do it just because of our history.”

While some freshmen might be turned away by a stressful situation, Smith lives for them.

“Playing under pressure, it just makes the game more fun,” Smith said. “At the end of the day, pressure or no pressure, you’re gonna go out there and perform your best. Just having a situation behind it, it helps me perform a little better.”

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Duck EMG Magazine Season 2019

What do stories offer? There are the ones that educate or entertain. Those we see parts of ourselves in, and others that help us imagine what we could accomplish.

In what we do, we are surrounded by these types of stories, and this season we want to share them with you. You’ll hear about a manager who helps create a sense of excitement that rivals being in the stands, a student team member pursuing an unanticipated dream, and an artist bridging entrenched

divisions

between

segments

of

Eugene’s thriving arts community.

The purpose of this goes back to the why behind what we do. We believe that everyone has the potential to Be more. Through every interaction — with our team members, partners and customers — our mission is providing whatever it takes to get them there.

With almost 100 years behind us, what you’ll learn is just a snapshot. But a snapshot we hope will educate, entertain and inspire.

Be more.

Duck Season Magazine 2019 || 13 9 Eugene • Portland • Bend •EMG UODuckStore.com

With ďŹ ve freshmen in the lineup, junior Haley Cruse had to step into a leadership position this season. (Devin Roux)

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DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH After a disastrous offseason, Oregon’s small group of returners is leading the team from the ruins.

BY MAVERICK PALLACK

Since the 2018 season ended, Oregon softball has faced a tumultuous offseason in which it needed to replace its all-time winningest head coach, three starting pitchers and eight of the nine starting position players from last year’s No. 1 overall seed team in the Women’s College World Series.

This offseason, it was more of a shock if a player stayed than if they transferred. First-time head coach Missy Lombardi was forced to establish new on-field leaders while reshuffl ing the lineup.

The end of 2018 and beginning of 2019 were fi lled with plenty of bumps in the road for the Ducks — so many that they were picked to fi nish last in the Pac-12.

“We’ve kind of banded together as a group in the last few months,” sophomore utility player Shaye Bowden said.

“We trust each other, and we work with each other, and we build off of each other; and I think freshman, sophomore or junior, it doesn’t matter at this point because we’re one.”

The one name that has stayed through it all is Haley Cruse. After playing sparingly her freshman season, Cruse hit major strides as she took control of the starting right field job last season.

Following an offseason in which nine former teammates transferred, Cruse could have easily followed suit. Rather than doing so, she decided to stay and lead the program from the ashes.

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“I love everything about Oregon,” Cruse said. “To me, Oregon is so much more than just softball. It’s my teammates, it’s the fans, it’s the opportunities that I have outside of softball that really kept me here. I’m really excited to fight for this program.”

Cruse, a self-described leader by example, was forced to change her mindset this season. With five freshmen in the lineup, it became essential for her to become more vocal and confrontational this season.

“I had to step into a leadership role this year, which, coming from a team of All-Americans, I was not expecting,” Cruse said. “I was just gonna keep my head down and keep playing. Being thrown into this leadership role has really been a life-changing experience, and I am really thankful for it and excited for the new challenge.”

Although Cruse is the perfect leader by example with her hustle, defensive skills in center field and ability to hit both leadoff and third in the Oregon lineup, she is not the only commander in the locker room.

Seniors outfielder Cherish Burks and catcher April Utecht have jumped at their fi rst real opportunities to get in the lineup, joining Cruse as leaders for Oregon softball. The two had a combined 12 career starts prior to this season. In 2019, they have started all 18 games thus far.

“They’ve helped me step into this leadership role a little bit more because they’ve also HALEY CRUSE been thrown into the same role [as me],” Cruse said. “It’s been helpful being able to communicate with them and for them to help me communicate better. I’m not the most vocal person on the field, but I will do my best to change that.”

Bowden joins Utecht, Burks and Cruse as the only non-freshman starter.

Bowden is second on the team with a .353 batting average and tied for fi rst with 14 RBIs. She is also the team’s fi rst Pac-12 Player of the Week thanks to her performance in the Mary Nutter Classic.

“I know that I have to step up to the plate and kind of just lead this team by showing them what Oregon softball is and teaching them the ways around this program,” Bowden said. “That’s really the only way I can. I think leading by example and showing that this is just a game

and it’s fun — we’ve just got to play like that.”

Even though Bowden carries a great deal of value in her leadership and offensive skills, her versatility and will to win might be her most important traits. She has been the captain of the infield, lining up behind the plate 12 times while also spending four games at second base and one as the designated player. In an emergency, Bowden is capable of playing outfield, shortstop and third base.

“What’s best for the team is where they put me,” Bowden said. “If they put me at second, that’s where I need to play; if they put me behind the plate, that’s where I need to play.”

Although veterans who have experienced the grind of a collegiate season are important, leading is not limited to returners.

“I think it’s important for us as a team that we have emerging leaders,” Lombardi said.

“That everybody understands that there’s gonna be a moment where they need to take on the leadership and to trust that they can do it, and that we believe in them as well.”

Ace sophomore pitcher Jordan Dail credits the four returners for the work they have done on and off the field but also sees a lot of initiative in the freshman class.

“They’re freshmen and everyone thinks they’re not gonna be leaders, but every single person on this team is a leader,” Dail said. “I think they’ve done a tremendous job in stepping into the shoes they need to step into and kind of supporting each other.”

Third baseman Rachel Cid, second baseman Allee Bunker, shortstop Jasmine Sievers, fi rst baseman Hannah Galey and right fielder Lexi Wagner are the freshmen stepping up thus far. There have been struggles, yet they have produced well given the situation they were forced into.

“It’s been really great knowing that there’s a lot of freshmen starting and we have a key role to play,” Cid, the Pac12 freshman of the fi rst week, said. “We can’t come out playing like freshmen, we have to just play our game.”

As far as postseason outlook, and despite some hiccups along the way, the team remains focused toward achieving the same thing they have every season: winning.

“Everyone’s expectations are the same,” Utecht said. “We want the same goal at the end. It’s just staying with them and going forth.”

“I HAD TO STEP INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE THIS YEAR, WHICH COMING FROM A TEAM OF ALLAMERICANS, I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS YEAR.”

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After many former teammates transferred, Haley Cruse decided to stay with the Oregon softball program. (Sarah Northrop)

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STARTERS GRADUATED

1 4

STARTING OUTFIELDER RETURNED

STARTING FRESHMAN INFIELDERS PITCHERS TRANSFERRED 3 STARTING

SINCE THE 2018 SEASON ENDED:

2

NEW CATCHERS

4

TRANSFERRED TO TEXAS

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LIKE HE

NEVER LEFT After a year of rehab, Cole Stringer is forcing his way into the rotation.

BY GABRIEL ORNELAS | PHOTO BY BEN GREEN Cole Stringer had never suffered an injury — let alone a season-ending injury — in his entire life. But following an outing against FAU on March 3, 2017, his life changed as he began his journey back to the mound after suffering an unidentified elbow injury.

Stringer spent the past year in rehab for not only his arm, but his entire body. After a long layoff, he’s back in the weekend rotation. With ace Kenyon Yovan out due to hand discomfort, Stringer will fi ll the void. However, when the All-American Yovan returns, the Ducks will need to figure out what to do with Stringer. After a strong fi rst showing, it will be hard to deny him a weekend spot moving forward.

Ducks left-handed pitcher Cole Stringer returned from a season-ending arm injury with a strong performance.

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“It might be a nice luxury,” head coach George Horton said. “I know Cole wants to stay in the weekend rotation.

His stuff is probably more conducive to starting rather than being a relief guy.”

The junior lefty had to wait an extra four days to get his fi rst start of the season because the last game of the Texas Tech series was cancelled due to cold weather.

The Portland native returned to Eugene, poised and “itching” after not getting his shot against Texas Tech to pitch in the fi rst home game of the 2019 season at PK Park, and with his family and travel ball coach in the stands, he delivered.

Stringer turned in a strong six innings, striking out six batters, giving up one run on three hits in his return to the mound in Oregon’s 3-2 victory against Saint Mary’s on Feb. 22.

“About time,” Stringer said. “I had already waited a year to get back and to wait another week — I was ready for it. I was just ready for my time to get out there and do what I do best.”

His season-ending arm injury not only came as a shock to Stringer but also to his former travel ball coach.

“He had the livest, most rubber arm I had ever coached, really,” said Joe Duran, the head coach of Stringers travel ball team, the Portland Barbers. “He’d throw five or six innings and 80 or 90 pitches, and he’d be ready the next day. A lot of the times, I have guys who don’t even throw the next day, so that was kind of shocking to me when he was hurt.”

Stringer’s “rubber arm” helped him fi nish as the all-time leader in strikeouts and wins, and he had the best career ERA during his time with the Barbers travel team.

The rehab process of stem cells, spending hours with athletic trainer Tom Embree and tightening the weaker spots of Stringer’s body seem to be paying dividends for him this season.

“I feel good,” Stringer said. “My arm feels as strong as it’s ever been.”

The lefty showed just how good his arm felt in his second game against Loyola Marymount on March 2. He registered a 6.1 inning performance, his longest performance since February 2017, punching out three batters, giving up only two hits and bringing his season ERA down to 0.73.

Now, with two strong outings, Coach Horton will have a decision to make. Horton will need to fi nd a place for Stringer, whether that’s in the weekend rotation, as a midweek guy or even a bullpen weapon moving forward.

“I just want to do what I can to help the team, if that’s midweek starts, if that’s coming in for long relief, if that’s starting on weekends,” Stringer said, “whatever I can do to help the team.”

DEALING DAIL

Sophomore transfer Jordan Dail has quickly become Oregon’s ace.

BY SHAWN MEDOW

Jordan Dail started her career with the Ducks with a 9-0 record. (Photo courtesy of Sam Marshall/GoDucks.com)

One by one, Oregon softball’s three star pitchers of her teammates and Lombardi. left the program this offseason.

During her campus visit, Dail went to Matthew Knight AreMiranda Elish followed Mike White to Texas and Mena to watch Oregon women’s basketball, a sport she played and gan Kleist left the team to join Louisiana Lafayette in the was talented at until going full time with softball when she com2020 season. Then, Maggie Balint ducked out just before the mitted to play collegiately during her sophomore year of high start of the season. school. After the Ducks basketball team beat Syracuse, Dail told The Ducks needed a star in the circle. Cue her dad that Eugene reminded her of Blacksburg — home of sophomore transfer Jordan Dail.

Virginia Tech.

Dail decided to leave Virginia Tech “I thought she was going to make her after one season following a coaching decision in 24 hours,” Mickey said. “She change by the Hokies. She needed a profelt like she had made a mistake when she gram that had a staff and team she trustaccepted Virginia Tech’s offer at such ed, and one that she could have a key role a young age. She said, ‘I don’t want to with. After visiting Eugene in November, make a mistake again.’” she found that program.

Dail has fit into Oregon like a glove.

“I just felt like it was instantly the With freshmen Rachel Cid and Jasright fit,” Dail said. “There was no other mine Sievers as key pieces to the Ducks’ place I’d rather be.” infield, Dail and her teammates have Dail trusts new head coach Melyfound a connection. ssa Lombardi, her staff and the play“She really works hard for ers on the team. Now Dail is Oregon us, and all we can do is have her softball’s ace, starting her career with back.” Cid said. the Ducks 9-0.

Her defense will have to be ready to She went 6-10 and pitched just 98 support her throughout the 2019 seainnings her freshman year at Virginia son with an inexperienced pitching staff Tech, which is about an hour-and-a-half and Dail as the ace. Unlike the last few JORDAN DAIL drive from her hometown of Forest, Virseasons, the Ducks bullpen doesn’t have ginia. Once arriving in Eugene, the left-hander immediately three of the nation’s top pitchers. connected with Lombardi, and the dividends quickly paid off.

Maddie MacGrandle is currently Oregon’s No. 2, while “I think it’s the best thing she ever did,” Dail’s father, MickKailey Krueger has yet to see more than two innings of action ey, said. “I can already see a change in her now just in the short in the circle prior to Oregon’s home opener. The Ducks will period of time she’s been there. The fact that Missy Lombardi’s continue to rely on Dail going forward. the best producer of left-handed pitching over many years, “The girls defi nitely welcomed me with open arms when I it was the perfect fit for her.” got here,” Dail said. “They were super nice, super supportive, let Making the 2,700-mile move to Eugene was me know little things we had to do. … It was a very easy adjustan easy adjustment for Dail, mainly because ment for me, especially with the help of all these girls.”

“I just felt like it was instantly the right fit. There was no other place I’d rather be.”

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