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Oregon aiming for series win over USC; live updates and analysis
TL;DR
The No. 16 Oregon Ducks aim for a series win over No. 17 USC on Saturday at PK Park. A victory would secure the Ducks a No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament and improve their chances of hosting a regional in Eugene.
Key points
- Oregon Ducks are ranked No. 16 and USC Trojans are ranked No. 17.
- Oregon aims to secure a series win at PK Park.
- A win would give Oregon the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
- USC won the first game of the series 2-1 in 11 innings.
- Oregon needs to win to improve their chances of hosting a regional.
Oregon DucksUSC TrojansBig Ten tournament
It all comes down to this. The No. 16 Oregon Ducks (37-15, 19-10 Big Ten) are looking to secure a series victory over the No. 17 USC Trojans (42-13, 20-9 Big Ten) on Saturday at PK Park.
The stakes are very clear. If the Ducks prevail, they can claim another series over a Quad 1 opponent and increase their odds to host a regional in Eugene. If they can't win on Saturday, the Ducks might be packing their bags and heading into hostile territory.
With a win, the Ducks would also earn the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament next week in Omaha, Nebraska. Oregon and USC would have the same conference record if the Ducks win on Saturday, and the Ducks would claim the tiebreaker.
The series began on Thursday with a rock fight at PK Park. USC rode a dominant performance from ace pitcher Mason Edwards to a 2-1 victory in 11 innings. The Ducks made it interesting late, pushing the game to extras thanks to a ninth-inning home run by Naulivou Lauaki Jr. to tie the game. However, Isaac Cadena's homer in the 11th sealed the deal for the Trojans.
Oregon evened things up on Friday thanks to homers by its freshmen sluggers. Brayden Jaksa hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning, and Lauaki followed with a solo shot of his own. That was enough for the Ducks to hold on and win 4-3.
Left-hander Miles Gosztola (2-3, 3.91 ERA) will throw the pill for the Ducks in the series finale. The Gonzaga transfer had one of his best outings of the season last weekend at UCLA, tossing 5 ⅓ innings and matching a career-high with nine strikeouts.
Q&A
What are the stakes for Oregon in the game against USC?
If Oregon wins, they secure a series victory, improve their chances of hosting a regional, and earn the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Who won the first game of the Oregon vs USC series?
USC won the first game of the series with a 2-1 victory in 11 innings.
What would happen if Oregon loses to USC?
If Oregon loses, they risk missing out on hosting a regional and could face a challenging path in the Big Ten tournament.
