Oregon Ducks Baseball: "We're Going To Win That Tournament"

Riding a five-game winning streak, the Oregon Ducks baseball team has its eyes on the Pac-12 Tournament title. Coming is as the No. 3 seed, the Ducks head to Scottsdale, Arizona, where they'll compete May 22-23 in pool play before the semifinals and championship May 24-25.

Oregon first baseman Jacob Walsh and Oregon outfielder Bryce Boettcher celebrate a home run by Walsh. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

The University of Oregon Ducks baseball team (37-16, 19-11 Pac-12) is heading to Arizona for the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament.

Oregon secured the No. 3 seed after a solid finish to the regular season, sweeping Washington State at home in Eugene. The nine-team tournament will be held at Scottsdale Stadium from May 21-25.  

The Ducks clinched third place with a series sweep over Washington State. Coach Mark Wasikowski was proud of his team's performance and is ready to be a top contender in Scottsdale.  

Oregon infielder Carter Garate hits a single as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

"When you're playing your best baseball at the end of the year, that's a sign of a good club," Wasikowski said. "It's awesome to see the commitment of these guys. Excited that we were able to sweep, we'll see where the chips fall on what's coming in front of us.

"What we know is next is the (conference) tournament, and we can't wait to go. We're going to win that tournament, we're not a participant." 

Following Oregon's sweep against the Cougars, starting pitcher Kevin Seitter reflected on his time at Oregon and the team's performance. 

"I'm just super grateful for this opportunity," Seitter said. "It's a phenomenal environment, it's a phenomenal program, it's a phenomenal school. So, it means the world to me, it's a really special day for my family, like I mentioned before. I'm just so grateful for everybody here."

Oregon head baseball coach Mark Wasikowski, right, stands for the National Anthem. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA

"I thought today was a tremendous team effort that carried over from the past two days. I think we're rolling, and it's a great opportunity for us to keep the momentum and go into the Pac-12 Tournament hungry and ready to roll." 

- Kevin Seitter

Oregon's defense seems ready for the tournament; its offense is heating up as well.  

"Kind of feeling like I'm getting back to where I was at the beginning of the season," sophomore infielder Carter Garate said. "The ups and downs of the season are not easy to deal with. It comes down to just fighting through and turning back to your preparation." 

Oregon will be in Pool C in Scottsdale. The Ducks have the highest seed amongst No. 4 USC (17-12) and No. 7 Utah (16-14). Pool play will occur Tuesday through Thursday, with each team playing a round-robin format. The winner of each pool, determined by the best record, advances to the semifinals on Friday. A wild card team, with any tiebreakers decided by seeding, will join them. 

Oregon infielder Carter Garate hits a single as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Pool A features the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats (33-20, 20-10 Pac-12), the Arizona State Sun Devils (32-24, 17-13 Pac-12), and Washington Huskies (19-29-1, 10-20 Pac-12). Meanwhile, Pool B consists of the No. 2 seed Oregon State Beavers (41-13, 19-10 Pac-12), No. 5 California Golden Bears (34-18, 17-13 Pac-12), and No. 8 Stanford Cardinal (20-32, 11-19 Pac-12). The Washington State Cougars (21-32, 9-21 Pac-12) and UCLA Bruins (19-33, 9-21 Pac-12) failed to qualify for the Tournament. 

Oregon will begin the Tournament on Wednesday, facing Utah at 2:30 p.m. PDT. They will then take on USC on Thursday at the same time.