Junior pitcher Maggie Balint is expected to leave Oregon as early as Monday afternoon, sources with knowledge of the situation have informed JWOS.
Up to this point, Balint has been the lone holdover in the pitching circle from the tenure of former head coach Mike White and had previously seemingly elected to play under first-year head coach Melyssa Lombardi, following the transfer of her all-American counterparts Megan Kleist and Miranda Elish.
As a freshman in 2017, Balint earned first-team all-PAC 12 honors and was a top three finalist for National Freshman of the Year after posting a team-leading 1.22 ERA and collected 152 strikeouts in 126 innings.
In 2018, in injury-limited action, Balint posted a 7-1 win-loss record with a 2.11 ERA. She collected sixty-two strikeouts in just shy of sixty innings pitched.
An explosive report from DuckSports.com was published on Friday, detailing various parts of the offseason’s happenings in Eugene and the school administration’s handling of negotiations with White that led to his ultimate departure. According to JWOS sources, pieces of the report contained previously-unknown information that strongly factored into Balint’s decision-making.
Balint is expected to be entered into the NCAA’s transfer portal, but with less than three weeks to go until the start of the regular season, it is possible that she could elect to simply sit out the 2019 season, transfer this summer, and retain two years of eligibility.
With Balint’s departure, Oregon’s pitching staff consists of a pair of transfers who have joined the Ducks in recent weeks, including former Virginia Tech southpaw Jordan Dail and ex-Texas A&M hurler Maddie MacGrandle. Without Balint, the Ducks’ roster sits at 16 players.
