Oregon Ducks Lose To Utah Valley In Eugene Regional Amid Controversial Call

Utah Valley shocked the country and never trailed the Ducks en route to their 6-5 win. With Oregon rallying in the 8th inning, there was an extremely controversial call at home plate. Anson Aroz scored on a sacrifice fly to cut the Utah Valley lead to one. It was a violent collision at home plate with Aroz and the Utah Valley catcher.

After a long review, the umpires made the decision that Aroz had malicious intent in the collision. Aroz was called out, ejected for the remainder of the game, and suspended for tomorrow's game against Cal Poly. The run was wiped off the board, keeping the score 6-4 Utah Valley. Oregon scored one run in the bottom of the ninth to make the final score 6-5.

Here's the play:

Oregon now has a must-win game tomorrow against Cal Poly at 12 p.m PT. If they lose, their season is over.

Below Are Live Score Updates:

Bottom 9th: Utah Valley 6, Oregon 5

Smith grounds out to short. Game over. Utah Valley wins 6-5.

Walsh flies out to right. Garate scores. Brooks holds at first with two outs.

Hellman singles to left field. Garate to third.

Neville strikes out swinging.

Garate walks.

Top 9th: Utah Valley 6, Oregon 4

De Anda grounds out.

Colyer grounds out to third.

Block strikes out.

Bottom 8th: Utah Valley 6, Oregon 4

Cooney flies out to right.

Aroz is called out and ejected for malicious intent at home. Malony back to first with two outs.

Meggers flies out to left. Aroz tags up and scores. Molony to second. Utah Valley challenges play on collision at home. Still under review.

Molony singles to right. Aroz to third. Nobody out.

Aroz walks.

Smith homers to left field.

Top 8th: Utah Valley 6, Oregon 3

Bach strikes out. Frei caught stealing for third out.

Longo flies out to right. Frei tags up to third. Strong stays at first with one out.

Strong walks.

Frei steals second.

Frei walks on four pitches.

Bottom 7th: Utah Valley 6, Oregon 3

Walsh strikes out swinging.

Hellman strikes out looking.

Neville singles to left.

Garate strikes out swinging.

Top 7th: Utah Valley 6, Oregon 3

Smith grounds out to first.

Iverson walks.

De Anda picked off. Two outs and nobody on.

De Anda singles to center. Bach and Block score.

Colyer strikes out.

Error on pickoff attempt. Bach and Block advance to second and third with no outs.

Block hit by pitch. Bach to second.

Bach walks.

Bottom 6th: Utah Valley 4, Oregon 3

Cooney flies out to left.

Meggers grounds out to short.

Molony grounds out to short.

Top 6th: Utah Valley 4, Oregon 3

Longo strikes out swinging.

Strong strikes out swinging.

Frei strikes out swinging.

Bottom 5th: Utah Valley 4, Oregon 3

Aroz strikes out swinging.

Smith flies out to center. Hellman tags up to third base with two outs.

Walsh strikes out swinging.

Pass ball. Hellman to second.

Hellman singles on the ground to left field.

Top 5th: Utah Valley 4, Oregon 3

Smith grounds out to shortstop.

Iverson strikes out swinging.

De Anda strikes out swinging.

Bottom 4th: Utah Valley 4, Oregon 3

Neville flies out to center.

Garate lines out to center.

Cooney walks.

Meggers strikes out swinging.

Top 4th: Utah Valley 4, Oregon 3

Colyer strikes out looking.

Block strikes out swinging.

Bach flies out to right center.

Bottom 3rd: Utah Valley 4, Oregon 3

Molony flies out to right.

Aroz homers to left field.

Smith homers to right field. Walsh scores.

Walsh singles to left.

Hellman grounds out to third.

Neville grounds out to shortstop.

Top 3rd: Utah Valley 4, Oregon 0

Longo strikes out.

Strong singles to left. De Anda and Iverson score. Strong to third on error.

Frei strikes out looking.

Smith strikes out. Iverson steals second.

Iverson singles to right. Colyer scores. De Anda to third.

De Anda doubles to left. Block scores. Colyer to third.

Colyer singles to left. Block to second.

Block draws leadoff walk.

Bottom 2nd: Oregon 0, Utah Valley 0

Garate grounds out to first.

Cooney walks on four pitches.

Meggers strikes out. Molonly caught stealing. Two outs and nobody on.

Molony singles to left field.

Top 2nd: Oregon 0, Utah Valley 0

Bach strikes out swinging.

Longo strikes out swinging.

Strong grounds out to second.

Bottom First: Oregon 0, Utah Valley 0

Aroz strikes out swinging.

Smith walks. First and third for the Ducks with two outs.

Walsh grounds out to first. Neville to third with two outs.

Hellman chops out to third. Neville to second with one out.

Neville singles to left center.

Top 1st: Oregon 0, Utah Valley 0

Frei strikes out swinging. Ducks now coming up to bat.

Smith flies out to right field.

Iverson strikes out swinging.

Oregon Ducks In NCAA Tournament For Fifth Straight Year

The Oregon Ducks qualified for their fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance this season. Oregon finished with a record of 42-14 overall and 22-8 in Big Ten conference play. Despite it being their first season as a member of the Big Ten, the Ducks won the Big Ten regular season title and earned the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament . Oregon had an early exit there, losing to the eventual Big Ten tournament champion Nebraska Cornhuskers in pool play. 

The previous two seasons, Oregon has made it past the opening regional. They have been knocking on the door of the College World Series both of these years but fell in the Super Regionals (lost to Oral Roberts in 2023 and Texas A&M in 2024). 

Sixth year Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski will look to snap the long World Series drought drought for the Ducks. Oregon has one College World Series appearance and it was all the way back in 1954. 

Five Ducks Named To All-Big Ten First Team

The Oregon Ducks had more players named to All-Big Ten first team than any other team in thew Big Ten with five. The five players were pitcher Grayson Grinsell, pitcher Seth Mattox, first baseman Jacob Walsh, outfielder Mason Neville, and second baseman Ryan Cooney. 

At the plate, Jacob Walsh led the team in average at .336 and runs batted in with 59. Walsh also hit the second most home runs on the team with 19.

Oregon’s leading home run hitter was Mason Neville. Neville hit a team high 26 long balls with 57 runs batted in. Neville also hit for an average of .293. 

A tick behind Walsh for the highest batting average on the team was Ryan Cooney. Cooney hit .335 and also lead the Ducks in stolen bases with 15. 

On the mound, Grayson Grinsell was the Ducks ace. He tossed a team high 92.2 innings, with 99 strikeouts, and had an earned run average of just 2.62. Seth Mattox had a team high eight saves and struck out 16 batters in 18 innings pitched with an earned run average of 2.45.