University Park Regional: Oregon

Oregon: The Ducks are led by 2nd year head coach Mike White who has elevated the Ducks from a Pac 10 bottom dweller to one of its top teams in just two seasons. White was one of the top male fastpitch players in the world for both New Zealand and the US and he has worked wonders with this Oregon squad. White has improved every aspect of Oregon's game since coming to Eugene and it is going to be fun to watch what he can do in years to come.

Jessica Moore

In the circle, the Ducks are led by sophomore ace Jessica Moore, but Coach White is willing to throw any of his other three pitchers as well. Oregon is constantly giving opposing batters different looks in the circle. Moore has seen the majority of the action going 21-9 with a 1.70 ERA and 193 SO in 177 IP. Moore brings the ball with some heat and she has really flourished under White. Moore will probably get the start in all of Oregon's games, but Coach White is not afraid to turn to his other pitchers as well. Sam Skillingstad offers another right handed look for Oregon out of the bullpen and she is 9-3 on the year with a 2.08 ERA and 109 SO in 80.2 IP. Skillingstad is probably Oregon's first option out of the bullpen and she may even see a start or two depending on how she is throwing. She is not Oregon's only option out of the bullpen, as the Ducks also feature lefty Brittany Rumfelt. Rumfelt is 6-0 on the season with a 2.35 ERA and 85 SO in 62.2 IP. Oregon is not afraid to bring Rumfelt in when they need to get a lefty out or if they just want to give opponents a different look. Oregon also has Mikayla Endicott available in the bullpen, who has gone 3-2 with a 3.27 ERA and 25 SO in 25.2 IP. Oregon has a true pitching staff and Coach White is not afraid to use any of his pitchers.

Monique Fuiava

At the plate, Oregon features a very powerful lineup that managed to hit .299 with 70 homeruns against a brutal schedule this season. Freshman Courtney Ceo leads the way for Oregon at the plate, hitting .378 with 62 hits, 5 HR, and 16 RBI. Ceo is a triple threat at the plate, as she can bunt, slap, or hit away. Ceo gets things going for the Ducks when she reaches base, leading the squad with 14 steals and 41 runs scored. Monique Fuiava has also been having an outstanding year at the plate also hitting .378 with 8 HR and 44 RBI. The Ducks feature powerful bats throughout their lineup, as 8 Oregon hitters have at least 5 homeruns. Samantha Pappas is another Oregon player to watch. Pappas had an outstanding freshman year and she has followed it up with a solid sophomore campaign. Pappas features a powerful bat and pitchers are going to have to be very careful about how they pitch to her. This lineup features quite a few dangerous bats and opposing pitchers are going to have to go out and attack them right away. Oregon features a well rounded offense and they can score runs.

Samantha Pappas

Outlook: Last year Oregon was sent down to Atlanta, where they broke out the bats and shocked the host Yellow Jackets by winning the regional on Georgia Tech's home field. Oregon has the postseason experience and the talent to come into State College and win, but they are going to have their hands full with Fordham. Fordham features Jen Mineau in the circle and she is throwing as well as any pitcher in the country right now. The Ducks are going to be hard pressed to score runs against her. The key to winning this regional will be whichever team is able to win the winners bracket game on the 2nd day of this regional. The team that wins that game generally wins the regional and Oregon will want to win this game once again.