Eugene Regional Preview: Oregon Ducks earn No. 11 seed in NCAA Tourney

Now that the dust has settled on the regular season, the Oregon Ducks finally have some clarity on their place in the postseason.

Despite falling short of a Big Ten Tournament championship, the Ducks earned the No. 11 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, meaning they will host a regional in Eugene for the second year in a row.

Oregon has battled down the stretch of the regular season to boost its resume. Wins over Oregon State, UCLA and USC helped the Ducks rise in the rankings, and a run to the conference championship game sealed the deal on their bid to host.

While hosting is an advantage, the Ducks didn’t make the most of it last season. Oregon fell flat in the Eugene Regional in 2025, dropping consecutive games to Utah Valley and Cal Poly and being the first team eliminated from the regional on their home field.

PK Park will be busy this weekend, with games set to begin on May 29. The Ducks will welcome three teams and fan bases to Eugene and hope to be the last one standing this time around. Let’s take a peek at each team in the Eugene Regional.

(11) Oregon Ducks

Oregon is hosting for the fifth time in program history after a 40-16 finish to the regular season and a trip to the conference tournament title game. The Ducks have been a streaky team this season, both at the plate and on the mound, but they finally put it all together in the Big Ten Tournament. Oregon slugged 10 home runs in three games, while their starters allowed just one run in 16 innings on the hill.

The bullpen has been strong for most of the season for the Ducks, but it has come under fire lately. A pair of blown leads late in games to UCLA highlights the lows, but the combination of arms in a 14-inning win over USC shows how dominant the Ducks can be. Oregon will need the bullpen to be the best version of itself to take care of business in a regional filled with talent.

Will Sanford (3.75 ERA) and Cal Scolari (2.94 ERA) have cruised at the top of the rotation the past two weeks, while Tanner Bradley (1.86 ERA) and Devin Bell (11 saves) have become a formidable duo in the bullpen. At the plate, the Ducks are one of the most powerful teams in the country, smashing 102 home runs as a team. Drew Smith (15) and Angel Laya (14) lead the team in that department, while Ryan Cooney's .338 average at the top of the lineup has set the table.

2-seed Oregon State

Oregon State was hopeful to be hosting in Corvallis, but the Beavers slipped after losses to subpar competition down the stretch will be one of the best 2-seeds in the country, despite a 43-12 record. The Beavers split the season series with the Ducks, winning the matchup in Eugene back in March.

This is the first time Oregon State will hit the road for a regional since 2023, and the Beavers have not advanced as a visitor in a regional since 2007, when they went on to win the College World Series. The Beavers are missing their top pitcher, Dax Whitney, who had Tommy John surgery and is done for the season. Instead, the Beavers will rely on lefty Ethan Kleinschmit (3.91 ERA) and righty Eric Segura (2.31 ERA) to anchor the rotation, while Albert Roblez (1.67 ERA) stands out in the bullpen, leading the nation with 14 saves.

Second baseman AJ Singer leads the Beavers with 54 RBI and boasts a .290 batting average with eight home runs. What the Beavers lack in slugging, they make up for in contact with a .271 team batting average and a .804 OPS.

3-seed Washington State

The third former Pac-12 team in the regional, Washington State is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. The Cougars moved to the Mountain West last year, and this season improved greatly to a 30-26 record and won the conference tournament, making them a dangerous third seed. They boast an early-season victory over Alabama and a win over Oregon State.

The Cougars don't hit for much power, but they know how to move on the bases with a trio of high-average hitters leading the way. Shortstop Gavin Roy leads the team with a .372 average and has 15 doubles with 42 RBI. Outfielder Max Hartman hit .338 with seven homers and leads the team with 18 steals. First baseman Ryan Skjonsby also hit .333 and leads the Cougars with eight home runs and 57 RBI.

Sophomore left-hander Nick Lewis is a workhorse, tossing 91 innings and holding a 3.07 ERA. He regularly goes deep into the game and could give the Beavers some trouble to start the regional. He racked up a career-high 11 strikeouts in his last outing. The Beavers will need to work good counts to hit in and get to the Cougars' bullpen early.

4-seed Yale

The Ivy League champions are headed out west. Yale comes to Eugene as the winners of its last seven games after cruising through the conference tournament and finishing the season with a 30-13-1 record. Yale hasn't faced any national competition to the caliber of Oregon, but the Ducks know better than to overlook the bottom seed after being upset at home in last year's regional.

Tate Evans has been a dominant starter down the stretch for the Bulldogs, leading the team with a 2.72 ERA and 78 strikeouts to just 14 walks. Jackson Ohman could draw the start against the Ducks. The sophomore righty led the Bulldogs with 83 strikeouts this season and has an impressive mix of pitches to combat the Ducks' power.

At the plate, look out for Garrett Larson, who leads the Bulldogs with a .374 average and has swiped 27 steals this season. Jack Dauer leads Yale with 48 RBI and boasts five home runs, while stealing 13 bases. Although the Bulldogs haven't shown much power, their expertise is in creating havoc on the bases. They come to Eugene with track speed, with six players having 10 or more stolen bases this season.

The Eugene Regional at PK Park will begin on May 29 with Washington State taking Oregon State at noon PST. The Ducks will begin their postseason run against Yale at 5 p.m. PST. The game will stream live on ESPN+.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Eugene Regional Preview: 11-seed Oregon hosting familiar foes in NCAA Tourney