So far this season, Oregon softball has made history.
The Ducks won their first-ever Pac-12 conference title this season and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament for the second-straight season. This Regionals appearance will also mark the Ducks fourth-straight under head coach Mike White. With their 46-9 overall record and 19-5 in Pac-12 play, the third-seeded Ducks will get to play the first round here at Howe Field.
If the Ducks win the double-elimination Regional round, they will have an opportunity to host the next round, the Super Regionals, in Eugene next weekend. A win during Super Regionals would earn Oregon another trip to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Last season, Oregon made it to the WCWS but fell short, losing to both Arizona State and California.
Oregon welcomes No. 25 Wisconsin, as well as North Carolina and Brigham Young University to Eugene for this upcoming weekend of regional play.
Their first match is Thursday at 6 p.m. against the BYU. The Cougars travel to Eugene with a 33-23 overall record. With BYU’s win in their conference-title game, they earned their ninth-straight postseason appearance.
Wisconsin and North Carolina will face off first at 3 p.m., Thursday. If the Badgers win over the Blue Devils, they could be the Ducks’ biggest challenge coming out of the strong Big Ten conference, with a 16-7 conference record and 42-11 overall.
The winners of both games will play each other on Friday at 11 a.m., with the NCAA Regional Final is set for noon on Saturday.
It’s undeniable the Ducks pose a threat in Regionals due to their strong pitching and home field advantage, winning all of their 16 home games.
Strength has come in the circle due to the strong pitching duo of senior Jessica Moore and freshman Cheridan Hawkins. With Moore being one the best pitchers in Oregon softball history, this season, she boasts a 25-4 record. In only her first year, Hawkins has a 1.68 era and 17 wins for the season. Also contributing to the Ducks is pitcher Karissa Hovinga, who is 4-0 on the season.
Junior catcher Alexa Peterson and sophomore centerfielder Janie Takeda lead the team at bats. Both hit over .400 this season, and Takeda has led the team in hits with 84.
Oregon is also looking to junior shortstop Courtney Ceo and senior second baseman Kaylan Howard to be hot at the plate. The former is hitting .394 with 25 RBI this season, while the latter leads the team in RBI with 46. Junior first baseman Kailee Cuico has also made her mark in the potent offense, leading the squad with 14 homers.
The games are are available via live stream here.