How they got here: The #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, the Ducks suffered a surprising, crushing loss to Kentucky in the first game of the Super Regional in Eugene before storming back to take the next two from the Wildcats, including a Super-clinching 11-1 run-rule victory in the winner-take-all game three.
47-7 during the regular season, the Ducks kicked off their 2018 campaign with a victory over fellow WCWS participant Georgia in the Kajikawa Classic. The squad won nine straight to start the year, before a nine-inning walk-off loss to Ole Miss in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
In addition to the victory over the Bulldogs from Athens, the pre-conference slate included several impressive victories for the Ducks, including wins over Oklahoma State; LSU; Hofstra; and a two-game split with another fellow WCWS participant in Florida State. A mid-week single game against defending champions Oklahoma later in the year ended in impressive fashion, with a 5-0 Ducks victory.
The Ducks began their PAC-12 slate of games off on the right foot, taking the series victory over UCLA to open conference play. Single-game losses to Oregon State and Arizona State accounted for the only other conference losses that the Ducks endured before closing out the year with twelve straight victories over PAC-12 teams.
The Ducks made quick work of their regional, shutting out opponents by a combined score of 12-0 to advance to the Super Regional round.
Awards and accolades: Megan Kleist was named the PAC-12’s Pitcher of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors. Joining Kleist on the first team were Miranda Elish, Gwen Svekis, and Jenna Lilley. Four other Ducks were named to the all-PAC second team, including DJ Sanders, Alexis Mack, Lauren Lindvall, and Mary Iakopo.
Team strengths: The Ducks pitching staff is much-acclaimed, and rightfully so. Megan Kleist and Miranda Elish are two of the nation’s best, while oft-forgotten Maggie Balint sits as #3 on the depth chart, but could be a staff ace at most any program in the nation. Kleist was hit around solidly in the first game of the Super Regional against Kentucky, giving up more than six runs for just the second time in her career as a Duck and for the first time in two years, but remains a force in the circle. Elish saw her near-record career-beginning winning streak come to an end midseason, but has not lost since, now boasting a career record of 36-1… don’t forget about the Ducks offense, either. Led by one of the country’s best offensive minds in hitting coach Jimmy Kolaitis, the offensive attack was on full-force to close out the Super regional against Kentucky, outscoring the Wildcats 23-11 in the three-game set.
Team weaknesses: Kleist looked vulnerable in that Super regional-opener against Kentucky, giving up seven runs (six earned) while striking out just three in 4.2 innings of work. It’s not a happening that the junior righty is accustomed to, having happened just once before in her career, and that in her freshman year of 2016. It was more likely a fluke than a new normal, but it will definitely be a storyline to watch when the Ducks kick off the WCWS on Thursday morning… having four PAC-12 teams in the World Series boosts the conference, but will surely create some interesting scouting reports, as teams will be able to rely on their own experiences with their league opponents, having seen every conference team three times in the regular season.
Players to Watch:
Megan Kleist — Now 21-6 on the year with a 1.14 ERA, Kleist has a strikeout/walk ratio greater than 12/1; she has struck out nearly 200 more hitters than she’s walked. With a combination of great location and devastating stuff, when Kleist is ‘on’, she’s nearly unbeatable. Eleven times this season she’s collected double-digit strikeouts in a game, including against Drake in the regional round. Nevertheless, three of her six losses on the season have come to teams that are also in the World Series field. As a veteran player, if she’s pitching with a ‘clean slate’ following the Kentucky loss, she should be looking for redemption. That’s something that does not bode very well for opposing hitters.
Miranda Elish — A hard-luck, walk-off loss to Oregon State early in the conference season was the first – and, to date, only – loss of Elish’s career. A perfect 12-0 in her freshman season a year ago, she boasts a 24-1 record this season, as well as a 0.89 ERA and an opponent’s batting average of .158. For her part, she also owns victories over Florida State, UCLA, Arizona State, and Washington this season. She gave up just six hits and two runs (one earned) in a pair of complete-game performances to finish off Kentucky in the Super regional and carries a hot hand into the World Series.
X-Factor: Megan Kleist — She was the PAC-12 Pitcher of the Year for a reason.
