Regional Weekend has made way to Super Regional Weekend in the college baseball world. Austin, Texas is one of the eight hotspots of the sport this weekend, hosting the Oregon Ducks for a best-of-three battle. The Ducks have put together a 43-16 season, leading to a 11 seed in the tournament. They rolled through their regional, topping Oregon State, Washington State and Yale to set up the matchup in Austin.
With the highly anticipated matchup just around the corner, it’s time to introduce Longhorn Nation to the Ducks you’ll become familiar with this season.
2B Ryan Cooney
Let’s start with who many would consider the best player for the Ducks, Ryan Cooney. The junior leads the Ducks in at-bats, batting average, hits and on-base percentage. He serves as the leadoff hitter for the Ducks, consistently setting the table for their true power hitters. Finding a way to keep him off the basepaths is a huge key for the Texas pitchers, but it’s easier said than done. On top of the offensive prowess, he can flash the leather on defense as well.
3B Drew Smith
If Cooney is the best player, Drew Smith is not far behind him. The senior leads the Ducks in OPS, HRs, RBIs and total bases on the season. Smith has started all 59 games for Oregon throughout this season, boasting a .332 AVG at the plate. He all represents the veteran leadership on this team, being a senior that has helped build the program up during his time. Texas pitchers will have to be precise against Smith or he can change the game with one swing.
RF Angel Laya
The final position player actually rounds out the likely top three of the Oregon batting order. Laya is a true freshman that came in as the No. 12 prospect in the country and has lived up to the hype. Starting 57 of Oregon’s 59 games, he notched a .307 batting average, 14 HRs, 47 RBIs and 48 runs, all among the best on the team. The youngster will be a massive problem at the plate but like Cooney, he’s special in the field as well.
RHP Will Sanford
Pivoting to the bump, the Oregon pitching staff is led by sophomore Will Sanford. The right-hander boasts a 3.46 ERA, 119 SOs and a 9-2 record on the season. He’s been the sole constant among the Ducks starting rotation throughout the season, making 16 starts. In the Eugene Regional, Sanford mowed down Washington State, pitching 6.1 innings, giving up 1 hit and racking up 14 strikeouts. It’s unknown what game he’s slated to pitch, but I imagine he’ll get the start on Friday night for Game 1.
LHP Miles Gozstola
The other pitcher Texas is most likely to see is junior left-hander Miles Gosztola. Gosztola punched the Ducks tickets to Austin with a 6 inning, 1 ER, 8 strikeout outing against Oregon State in the Regional Final. Throughout this season, he notched a 3.61 ERA, spending time as a starter and a reliever this season. Despite limited starts this season, he notched two shutouts against Penn State and UC San Diego. It’s unknown where Gozstola is slated to enter this weekend but will present plenty of issues for the Longhorns bats.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Austin Super Regional Preview: Oregon Ducks to watch vs Texas baseball
Reporting by Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
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By Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire | USA TODAY Network
