With a temperature in the low 60’s and a light drizzle falling throughout the evening at P.K. Park, it was a familiar setting for several former Ducks who played at Friday evening’s Oregon alumni game.
It was a very casual atmosphere for the alumni squad; most of the players in the starting lineup sported basketball shorts as they took the field and several former Oregon pitchers got to take their hacks at the plate throughout the game. Former Ducks shortstop J.J. Altobelli even pitched the ninth inning for the visitors. Ultimately, the current Oregon team won by a final score of 9-1, highlighted by a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth by sophomore outfielder Austin Grebeck.
The Emerald caught up with head coach George Horton after the game to discuss some of the newcomers that have impressed him the most, the rehab progress of Cole Irvin and Matt Krook, the deepest group of position players he can recall and some pitchers that he envisions making a run at the weekend rotation come spring.
There are lots of freshmen and new faces on the team this year. What is it like for those guys to be able to come out here and get their first real live game in a Ducks uniform?
“Whether there’s just a couple hundred people here, the lights are on, we’re playing an opponent. It feels like a real game … Whereas in the fall we’re scrimmaging against each other. So you do see the nervousness of the youngsters and I was quite impressed with some of our guys, the way they handled the nerves and the excitement. If I’m right, I think we’ve got some tremendous young players in our program now. It just keeps getting better. The bodies are better, the kids are stronger. I really like the recruiting class we brought in this year.”
So all in all, fall ball has been a positive experience?
“Yeah, we’re still a little nicked up on the mound. I think we’re going to have the deepest position player team in quality that we’ve had since I’ve been here. The question will be how deep our pitching staff will be.”
How are Cole (Irvin) and Matt (Krook) coming along?
“They’re doing fine. They’re on schedule and Cole will be at 12 months in January so we hope he can start the season on a pitch count and be healthy. Each month that goes by should be better and better.”
You were speaking about the rotation, how’s the rest of it coming along? Who are some of the guys you’re thinking might be in the running for the rotation?
“Our whole pitching staff, because they’re brand new, are a work in progress. I’ve been very impressed with Cooper Stiles. He’s dropped his arm down and that looks like a really good thing. I think he’ll be able to pitch in some critical innings for us. Tim Susnara, who’s a pitcher and catcher, has electric stuff. David Peterson from Colorado has great credentials and he hasn’t disappointed us one bit. Connor Harber, the JC kid from Western Nevada, I like what I’ve seen from him. Jacob Corn pitched for the first time tonight, we’re real high on him. He’s had a bit of shoulder tightness so we’re tiptoeing him in. I like the way the ball comes out of his hand. On the mound, we’ve got some good new guys. Just not as many as the position players.”
How’s Scott Heineman feeling?
“He’s okay. He’s had a bit of shoulder tightness, otherwise he would have pitched tonight. He’s starting to swing the bat, so that’s good. He’s taking batting practice now. So hopefully he can be that two-way guy that we think he can be.”
When he’s on the field, is the plan more of third base?
“Probably more in the outfield. We recruited a lot of infielders and I think we have that covered. It keeps his arm fresh, it’s less wear and tear. If he’s going to do the two-way deal, then he’ll play in the outfield. If somewhere along the line, we decide that pitching him is not our plans, we might get back to looking at him at third base as well.”
So the plan is to have (A.J.) Balta at first base?
“Balta and a kid named Brandon Cuddy, a JC guy from Seminole State JC.
How’s (Steven) Packard looked out in right field? Looking like the guy to take (Tyler) Baumgartner’s place out there?
“He’s been good. He’s in the mix and we’ve got (Nick) Catalano and (Austin) Grebeck. Got a kid named Jakob Goldfarb, a freshman that we think has a really high ceiling. Unfortunately he pulled his hamstring his very first day. We ran a 60 and he’s been limited since then. Even with the quality of the infielders that we have and the athleticism, some of those guys might matriculate out to there. We’ve got a guy, Phil Craig-St. Louis, a JC guy that played second base tonight and he can really hit. So if he’s not going to be our second baseman he might be able to be a corner outfielder as well.”
You guys got a handful of transfer guys to come in this year.
“Yeah, a lot of JC guys. Some of those guys we got late. We were worried about the draft and they didn’t have a home. Matt Eureste was a Cape Cod League all-star and some teams made a run at him professionally. He had to pass four or five classes in the summer so a lot of people didn’t trust that he would do that. He got it done and we were lucky to get him last minute. Anytime you can get a Cape Cod League all-star, you’ve got yourself a pretty good player.”