What to Watch for: Oregon Faces vs. Texas State in Austin Regional

The Ducks open NCAA Tournament play with a matchup against the Bobcats Friday at 4:30 p.m. PT on ESPN3.

Oregon earned its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2018 and heads to Austin, Texas, in the Austin Regional. The Ducks, the No. 2 seed in the regional, take on the No. 3 seed Texas State Bobcats (38-12, 17-6 Sun Belt), looking to win its 28th consecutive game in the regional round dating back to 2010.

The Ducks are competing against the Bobcats for just the second time, winning their only other matchup 7-1 in 2005 in Las Vegas. Oregon would play on Saturday at 11 a.m. PT with a win, but with a loss, it would play in an elimination game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. PT. Texas, the host of the regional, and St. Francis round out the regional.

Here are eight things to watch for in the Ducks’ regional matchup against the Bobcats.

1. Experience: Only two Oregon players — Haley Cruse and Shaye Bowden were on the team when the Ducks last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and advanced to the College World Series. However, Samaria Diaz played in the 2018 NCAA Tournament at New Mexico State, pitching in each of the Aggies’ two losses in the Tempe Regional. Oregon will have to lean on these three veterans, as well as the championship pedigree of head coach Melyssa Lombardi, who won four national championships as an assistant coach at Oklahoma.
2. Rachel Cid is heating up: The Ducks' third baseman is currently on a three-game hitting streak, logging three straight multi-hit games to end the series against Cal. Overall, she hit .583 with five RBIs in the series. Cid has been a streaky hitter at times for Oregon this season, but if she can continue to drive in runs, she will provide a big boost for the Ducks’ offense.
3. Oregon pitching: Oregon is sixth in the country in strikeouts with 425 strikeouts, good for second in the Pac-12 behind Washington (437). Brooke Yanez has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the country in the last two weeks, striking out 44 batters and giving up just two earned runs in her last six appearances (32.1 innings pitched). Her ERA for the season dipped from 2.50 to 2.09 over this stretch.
4. Texas State power hitters: Texas State has hit 46 home runs this season, led by Sara Vanderford’s 12. The Bobcats are the only team in the Sun Belt with multiple players in the top five in home runs — Vanderford led the conference with 12, ArieAnn Bell is tied for second with 11, and Tara Oltmann is in fifth place with 10.
5. A rising star in Sara Vanderford: Not only does Vanderford lead the Sun Belt in four-baggers, she leads the team in almost every offensive statistic, including a .410 batting average, .771 slugging percentage, and .451 on-base percentage. The freshman earned the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year award while also being named All-Conference First Team.
6. Texas State’s pitching tandem: Freshman Jessica Mullins and senior Meagan King have been phenomenal in the circle for the Bobcats. Mullins has a 0.72 ERA in her last 10 outings, while King has a 0.97 ERA in her last 10 outings. Overall, Texas State ranks 23rd in the country with a 2.02 team ERA.
7. Speed vs. Speed: Both Oregon and Texas State are known for being aggressive on the base paths. Texas State tallied 89 stolen bases this season on 106 attempts, and Oregon logged 57 stolen bases on 70 attempts. Oregon catcher Terra McGowan is tough to run on though, as she has thrown out 11 would-be base stealers this season.
8. Defense: Neither team commits many fielding errors, but the NCAA Tournament may provide some jitters for the young players. Oregon ranks 23rd in the country in fielding percentage (.975) and Texas State is 45th (.971). 

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