Where Oregon baseball sits in RPI rankings heading into USC series

The Oregon Ducks couldn't pull off the series victory on the road over top-ranked UCLA, but they did capture one win, and that was good enough to give the Ducks a boost in the RPI rankings.

As the Ducks made the trip down to Westwood, they sat at No. 27 in the RPI rankings. After a clutch three-run double by Jack Brooks in the late stages gave Oregon (36-14, 18-9 Big Ten) its lone win of the series on Saturday night, the Ducks jumped up eight spots to No. 19, per Warren Nolan.

Facing a team that had not lost a game in Big Ten play this season, coming away with one win was as good as Mark Wasikowski could ask for. Still, the Ducks felt like they left some meat on the bone after blowing a 6-1 lead on Sunday and losing the series.

Oregon is still projected by many sites, including D1Baseball, to wind up hosting a regional in Eugene. The Ducks will have the opportunity to make good on those predictions if they can win their final regular-season series at PK Park this coming weekend against USC, which comes in at No. 8 in the RPI rankings.

That could mean a couple more Quad 1 wins for the Ducks to add to their resume before postseason play begins with the conference tournament the following week. The biggest series of the season is always the next one. After a successful trip to Los Angeles, the Ducks must keep the momentum rolling into this weekend.

Elsewhere in the RPI rankings, UCLA still holds the top spot, while Oregon State sits at No. 16, firmly on the hosting bubble as well. The Ducks are 9-8 against Quad 1 opponents this season, which includes the Bruins and Beavers. Moving into the final weekend of the series, it would be wise to keep an eye on the Beavers against Portland and Air Force.

Oregon will begin its final home series of the season against USC on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PST.