Preview: Oregon Softball in NCAA Tournament Regional

The Ducks’ first Eugene Regional game will take place on Friday against Idaho State, with the rest of the bracket to be determined based on the winners of Friday’s games.

The schedule of the Eugene Regional is as follows:

Game 1: Friday, May 15 at 4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN+ – Mississippi State vs. Saint Mary’s
Game 2: Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. PT on ESPNU – Oregon vs. Idaho State
Game 3: Saturday, May 16 at 2 p.m. PT – winner of Game 1 vs. winner of Game 2
Game 4: Saturday, May 16 at 4:30 p.m. PT – loser of Game 1 vs. loser of Game 2
Game 5: Saturday, May 16 at 7 p.m. PT – winner of Game 4 vs. loser of Game 3
Game 6: Sunday, May 17 at 4:30 p.m. PT– winner of Game 3 vs. winner of Game 5
Game 7 (if needed): Sunday, May 17 at 7 p.m. PT – winner of Game 6 vs. loser of Game 6

Ducks Powered by All-Big Ten Selections

Oregon may not have had the Big Ten Tournament run it hoped for, but its star power is still among some of the best in the Big Ten. Six Ducks were honored by the Big Ten ahead of the Selection Sunday show.

Pitcher Lyndsey Grein, outfielder Amari Harper and sophomore first baseman Stefini Ma’ake also earned All-Big Ten first team honors. Senior outfielder Elon Butler earned All-Big Ten second team honors, while second baseman Kaylynn Jones ended up on the All-Defensive Team, and senior infielder Remmington Hewitt was recognized with the Sportsmanship Award.

Despite the Ducks having a tough loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten Tournament, Grein ranks among the best in the Big Ten and the nation in multiple pitching categories, including 23 wins. Meanwhile, Ma’ake comes off a performance vs. the Badgers where she homered twice, with five RBIs. Butler also homered twice in that game with three scores.

If the Ducks’ bats stay hot and they have improved defensive performances, they should be in a good position to make it to another Super Regional.

Scouting Eugene Regional Teams

Oregon’s first test will be against Big Sky side Idaho State. The Bengals enter with a 37-18 overall record and a 9-8 record on the road. They clinched their first NCAA Tournament berth in program history with a Big Sky Championship, where they defeated Sacramento State.

The Bengals ended their conference title run with three straight run-rule wins. They tallied 11 homers in three games and tied the conference tournament record for home runs in a single tournament. For an Oregon pitching staff that’s hoping to bounce back, Idaho State will be a good test to start their tournament. The Ducks already took down the Bengals earlier in the season, 4-3 in eight innings at the Oregon Classic.

Saint Mary’s boasts a 40-14 record and also comes off a conference championship. The Gaels won the West Coast Conference to secure their second tournament appearance in the last three years.

Mississippi State will be the tournament's No. 5 seed and could pose the biggest challenge to the Ducks in the Eugene Regional. This will be the Bulldogs’ 20th tournament appearance and the eighth in the last nine tournaments. Mississippi State’s pitching staff is among the nation’s best, with a program record of 468 strikeouts.