‘We can beat anybody;’ Ducks feeling good entering last series vs. USC

It didn't quite end how they wanted to, but the Oregon Ducks baseball team proved it can play with anyone in the country after their series with No. 1 UCLA.

The Ducks managed to win one of the three games down in Los Angeles, but they come home thinking they could have, and probably should have, won more. However, the mission was accomplished as Oregon broke the Bruins' 27-game conference winning streak with the 9-6 win on Saturday night.

Oregon could have come home with a series win, which would have nearly guaranteed a regional in the upcoming NCAA tournament, but the Ducks let a 6-1 lead slip away and fell 9-6. Even with the Sunday loss, Oregon sits at 36-14 overall and 18-9 in Big Ten action.

"After this weekend, it builds momentum for us regardless of the result,” Oregon second baseman Ryan Cooney said. “If there’s anything that we learned, it’s that we belong, especially with these upper teams that are considered the best in the country. I think we can beat anybody out there.”

The Ducks will now come home for one final Big Ten series against No. 18 USC. A series win against the Trojans should bump Oregon's RPI, which should allow the Ducks to host a postseason regional. Right now, the Ducks' RPI is at 19, and USC's RPI sits at 8.

Oregon and USC will begin the big three-game weekend set at PK Park on Thursday, May 14, at 7 pm.