The Oregon Ducks enter their first season in the Big Ten after ending their run in the Pac-12 on a high note.
In 2024, the Ducks finished 40-20 overall and went 19-11 in conference play. This led to an NCAA Tournament appearance for the fourth straight season.
The Ducks advanced to the NCAA Tournament after the Santa Barbara regional, reaching a Super Regional for the second straight year. Unfortunately, their season ended in College Station against the Texas A&M Aggies.
Oregon baseball has flourished recently. However, the school’s athletics are undergoing a major change as it moves into a new conference.
This begs the question: can the Ducks win a conference title in their first season in the Big Ten?
Of course, things have changed heading into this season from 2024. But, if you compare Oregon to the rest of the Big Ten a season ago, their overall and conference records would’ve put them toward the top.
The Ducks’ 19-11 conference record was better than any other Big Ten teams’ conference record. Their overall win total (40) would have been tied for the highest along with Nebraska.
UCLA, USC (Calif.), and Washington are jumping from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten along with Oregon. The Ducks faired very well against those teams, with a 6-3 combined record against them in 2024.
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐆𝐨!
56-game schedule featuring 36 games at PK Park. #GoDucks
Season Tickets: https://t.co/6LFwGrtYhE
Press Release: https://t.co/qCSb7oDdnw
Schedule Link: https://t.co/asRomC5q4z pic.twitter.com/SvpNGSa3yh— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) December 5, 2024
Oregon’s conference schedule for this season includes the other three former Pac-12 teams they played well against. Besides those three opponents, five of the seven remaining Big Ten weekend series are against teams that finished with a conference record of .500 or worse.
In other words, this is very favorable for the Ducks, who can then smoothly complete the regular season.
D1 Baseball is also thinking of Oregon in high regard. In their preseason top 25, they have the Ducks ranked 12th in the country. This makes them the highest-ranked Big Ten team.
They also made it clear on their preseason All-American teams that Oregon has talent.
Grayson Grisnell looks to be their ace and was named to D1 Baseball’s second-team All-American list. In 2024, he finished with a 7-2 record, a 4.08 ERA, and held opponents to a sub-.200 batting average. He also struck out 99 hitters in 79.1 innings of work.
𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐭@graysongrinsell named to preseason @d1baseball All-America Team. #GoDucks
Press Release: https://t.co/vKL3qOTEML
Season Tickets: https://t.co/6LFwGrtYhE pic.twitter.com/6cujzf93lH— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) January 21, 2025
Mason Neville was named as a preseason All-Big Ten player by Perfect Game. His 2024 season in Eugene after transferring from Arkansas was very solid. He strived in hitting for power with 16 home runs and a slugging percentage of .664. He can be a figurehead in the Ducks’ lineup with slight improvements to his on-base percentage.
Perfect Game also picked freshman Will Sanford as their preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He was a top ten right-handed pitcher from California in the 2024 high school class and a top 35 overall player in the state.
Sanford was one of many players that head coach Mark Wasikowski brought in to give the Ducks the 20th-best high school recruiting class in the 2024 cycle. This was one of the best recruiting classes from any of the Big Ten teams.
So, Oregon has a lot going for it heading into its new conference. The high rankings, returning and incoming talent, and two straight Super Regional appearances make them a threat to win a Big Ten title in year one.
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WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
