Since dropping the opening game of the Marry Nutter Classic against Nebraska on Feb. 26, the Oregon softball team has rattled off the wins.
The Ducks are riding a nine-game winning streak and have outscored their opponents 82-19 over the last nine games.
Oregon (17-4) will travel to Stockton, California this weekend for the final nonconference games before Pac-12 play starts against Washington in Seattle. The Ducks will play in the Louisville Slugger Invitational and see San Jose State (6-15) and Pacific (10-8) on Friday. They’ll come back on Saturday to play Sacramento State (8-9) and Pacific again, with a tournament finale scheduled for Sunday against Sacramento State.
“We want to keep our bats going strong and limit the errors and capitalize on other people’s mistakes,” freshman pitcher Megan Kleist, the reigning Pac-12 pitcher of the week, said.
The Ducks are coming off a five-game sweep in Las Vegas last weekend. That included a come-from-behind 6-5 win against Florida Atlantic.
“That shows we can overcome adversity in games,” infielder Jenna Lilley said. “I think that’s really special about our team this year.”
The win was also significant because Oregon senior Cheridan Hawkins made pitching history: She became the all-time Oregon strikeouts leader with 916.
“She’s going to continue to increase that record as she goes along,” head coach Mike White said. “She’s really shown some good stuff throughout the season. We just have to get her to eliminate some of the walks.”
So far this season, Hawkins’ average of 12 strikeouts per seven innings ranks No. 1 nationally.
White said heading into the final nonconference tests before Pac-12 play opens, he’s been impressed with his squad’s resurgence when trailing in games.
“We’ve given up a few more runs than we normally do as a pitching staff, but our ability to come back (has stood out),” White said. “We’re not out of it at any time. We have to stress that with our players. As long as we have an out left, we have to continue to push.”
White credited Alyssa Gillespie, Nikki Udria and Koral Costa in keeping the Ducks’ offense churning so far this season. Costa’s .525 batting average leads the Pac-12 and ranks No. 17 among batters in the NCAA. Last weekend, Costa was 9-for-15 from the plate, including two home runs.
“They’re the ones that have been collecting for us,” White said. ‘They’ve been doing a great job getting on base with quality at bats and good run production.”
After this weekend, the Ducks open Pac-12 play against Washington on March 19 for a three-game series.
The program announced this week that the inaugural series at the new Jane Sanders Stadium against Stanford already has sold out. The bleachers will not yet be installed for when the Cardinal visit Eugene.
While White continues to focus on the upcoming weekend, he’s excited by the support looming when the Ducks open the gates on their new stadium.
“I think the team and the ladies have worked really hard over the years to have this opportunity,” White said. “We’d love to have the support of the community behind us and continue to make that a tough ticket to get.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne