Going into the season, Oregon pitching had defined itself as the top aspect of the team and had higher expectations than the offense, and probably even the defense. Jake Reed was coming off of a strong freshman year when he went 8-4 with 15 starts and a 2.92 ERA and took on the role of the ace, getting Friday night starts. Tommy Thorpe was going to be transitioned from the set-up role he thrived in freshman year to a full-fledged starter. Christian Jones was going to try to come back from Tommy John surgery and eventually start again. But after 17 games it is freshman Cole Irvin who has been most successful on the mound.
Cole Irvin didn’t come to Oregon as an unknown. ESPN had him as one of the highest-ranked pitchers in high school during his senior year, and after high school he was drafted in the 29th round to the Toronto Blue Jays. He still was a freshman, though, so expectations were only so high.
However, once he turned down his minor league deal to sign with Oregon, head coach George Horton said he knew he would do great things as a Duck.
“My confidence in him started when he said, ‘Yes, I want to be a Duck,’” Horton said. “Then it just got better and better from the fall. What has surprised me most about Cole Irvin, not that I thought anything else, but he’s laser focused.”
Irvin’s season isn’t impressive purely because of statistics, though they are good. His 2.76 ERA is second on the team, his 29.1 innings pitched is the most among Ducks pitchers, and he has only walked three batters, which leads the club. But with the good usually come the bad; he has struck out 15 batters, which is the fewest out of the starters, and has given up a team high 28 hits.
What makes Irvin so impressive is how the team has won with him on the mound. In his first start in Hawaii, the team put up nine runs, second-highest this year. In his second start against Loyola Marymount, the team gave him six runs while he only gave up one.
His third start is perhaps the most impressive. After getting slapped around in the first two games of the series against Horton’s alma mater, No. 17 Cal State Fullerton, the Ducks rallied behind Irvin to get a 9-1 win and avoid the sweep.
A similar situation transpired this past weekend against No. 2 Vanderbilt. The Ducks went into the Sunday game without a win. Irvin was unable to pick up the win because the Ducks were down when he left the mound, but he pitched well enough to keep the team in the game and they eventually came back to win.
“With this team there is a lot of trust, a lot of desire to win,” Irvin said. “The power this team has is very unique and I always believe that as a team, anything can be accomplished.”
As modest as he is, it’s impossible to ignore the composure he has shown as a freshman going against two ranked teams when the top two starters had failed to pick up a win. Irvin dismissed that he enjoys the pressure but did say he feels there is something special about a Sunday start.
“I want to close the door on the series,” Irvin said. “I think the most important job, not to take away from Friday or Saturday, but I think the most important job is Sunday. You either have a series sweep in your hands, a series win in your hands, or you have one win to take away from the series.”
A lot of the success Irvin has experienced comes from pure hard work. Coming in as a freshman with a coach like Horton, everything must be earned. Irvin admits that he would like the Friday role, but is humble in saying that success aside, he is just happy to have a spot in the rotation.
That humbleness and relentless work ethic is a big reason Horton speaks so highly of him.
“He came in here not entitled like some of those high-profile guys,” Horton said. “(There was no) ‘Give me a weekend start coach.’ He decided he was going to earn it and he has been equally as focused as the Tyler Andersons and the Scott McGoughs right from day one. He came in with huge upside and didn’t rely on what he has done in the past. He gets better every week and is mature beyond his years.”
That hard work has developed a versatile pitch repertoire. His most dependable is a fast ball topping out at 90 mph that he claims to be able to locate in any count. His change-up is his favorite pitch to throw, and he says he has a filthy curve ball that he will start bringing out in a 3-2 count when batters will least expect it.
Through all the hard work, Irvin has still found time to embrace the University of Oregon and find pleasure in the little things. When asked how he felt about starting Pac-12 play this weekend, his eyes lit up.
“I’m excited for this opening series against SC,” Irvin said. “That’s my grandfather’s alma mater and I’m excited to see him wearing green and yellow. That should be a sight to see.”
With the raw talent, composure and work ethic that Irvin has, the biggest worry for Ducks fans might not be the young pitcher crumbling under the pressure of conference play, but leaving for the minors before his four years of eligibility are up. With what he has accomplished so far, Irvin will likely give Ducks fans many memorable moments during his time at Oregon.
“What he has done so far doesn’t surprise me one bit,” Horton said. “I guess that’s the best way to explain that.”