Oregon Two-Sport Athlete Bryce Boettcher To Play Duck Football Before Joining Houston Astros

Before Oregon Ducks outfielder Bryce Boettcher heads to MLB to play for the Houston Astros, he will play one more season for the Duck football team and coach Dan Lanning.
May 31, 2024; Santa Barbara, CA, USA;  Oregon outfielder Bryce Boettcher (28) reacts after hitting a solo home run in top of the eleventh inning of an NCAA Baseball Santa Barbara Regional against the San Diego at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
May 31, 2024; Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Oregon outfielder Bryce Boettcher (28) reacts after hitting a solo home run in top of the eleventh inning of an NCAA Baseball Santa Barbara Regional against the San Diego at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon Ducks outfielder and linebacker Bryce Boettcher was selected by the Houston Astros with the No. 403 overall selection of the 2024 MLB Draft.

The two-sport athlete will play one more season for Oregon football coach Dan Lanning before taking his talents to the Astros.

The Eugene-native Boettcher helped the Ducks on a run to the Super Regionals this season. He was awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove after finishing the season with an incredible 1.000 fielding percentage, committing zero errors in 54 games.

He helped the Ducks to a No. 3 seed in the Santa Barbara Regional, where they went undefeated to reach a second consecutive Super Regional.

"We take pride in playing great defense," Boettcher told Oregon SI's Bri Amaranthus in June.

He also earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 Conference honors as well as being named to the Pac-12 Conference All-Defensive Team in 2024.

After a stellar career, Boettcher ends up fourth all-time in outfield assists at Oregon with nine.

In football, Boettcher is on the rise, playing in all 14 games last season for the Oregon football team. Boettcher revels in the physicality of football and loves playing for Lanning.

“It gets you fired up just to know that he would be equally as willing to throw the pads on and play with you as he is to coach you,”  Boettcher told Amaranthus. “When you have a coach that's wanting to throw the pads on with you and play, it makes you want to play for him. That's what I respect about him.”

After transition to inside linebacker last season, Boettcher has a chance to help the Ducks in their inaugural season in the Big Ten conference.

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Bri Amaranthus
BRI AMARANTHUS

Bri Amaranthus is an Emmy-winning sports reporter with over 12 years of experience in television, radio, podcasting, and digital sports journalism. She has been with Sports Illustrated for four years, providing breaking news, exclusive interviews, and analysis on the NFL, college sports, and the NBA. Prior to joining SI, Bri hosted NBC Sports Northwest's prime-time television show, where she also served as the Oregon beat reporter and created content covering both the NBA and college sports. Throughout her career, Bri has achieved significant milestones, including covering major events like the NBA Finals, NFL playoffs, College Football Playoff, NCAA Basketball Tournament, NFL Draft, and the NFL Combine. She earned a D1 scholarship to play softball at the University of San Diego and won two state softball titles in high school in Oregon. In addition to her Emmy win for NBC's All-Star Coach special, she has received multiple Emmy nominations, highlighting her dedication and talent in sports journalism.