Baseball Weekly Release: Utah

Utah at No. 24 Oregon

• Date: Friday-Sunday, March 23-25

• Venue: PK Park (Eugene, Ore.)

• Radio: KSCR 1320 AM in Eugene/Springfield; Jerry Allen, play-by-play (Friday & Saturday); KUJZ 95.3 FM in Eugene/Springfield (Sunday)

• Webcast: O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com

• Live Stats: www.GoDucks.com

• Twitter: @OregonBaseball for in-game updates, stats, etc

• Facebook

PAC-12 COMES TO PK PARK
    PK Park hosts its first Pac-12 series of 2012 as No. 24 Oregon (13-5, 1-2) and conference newcomer Utah (6-13, 2-1) begin their three-game series at 6 p.m., Friday. Oregon right-hander Alex Keudell is expected to start on the mound for the Ducks on Friday against Utah right-hander Joe Pond.

RANKINGS
    After beginning the season unranked, the Ducks are currently ranked in all four national polls, and rest at No. 24 in the Baseball America rankings.

PROMOTIONS
    Oregon returns to PK Park on Friday for Wild Wild West Karaoke Night, and to begin a three-game series with Utah. Saturday, March 24 is a BI-Mart Family Day, as two kids and two adults can receive admission for just $25. On Sunday, fans that donate clothing will receive $5 general admission tickets.

LAST WEEK RECAP
    The Ducks opened Pac-12 play with a 2-1 series loss at Washington last weekend. Oregon avoided the series sweep with a 13-inning, 3-2, win in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Sophomores Brando Tessar and Jimmie Sherfy combined to allow just two runs, scattering 10 hits and issuing just three walks while striking out 14 batters. Sherfy (3-0) picked up the win, allowing one run in six and 2/3 innings of relief, while Tessar has surrendered just one run while in his last two starts, totaling 15 and 1/3 innings on the mound, and striking out 14 batters. The Ducks are also 5-0 when Tessar gets the start.
    Oregon's win over the Huskies on Saturday did signify the 100th win since the program was reinstated. The series loss was the first for Oregon in 2012, and the Ducks also lost back-to-back games for the first time in 2012. The Ducks remain an undefeated 3-0 in extra-inning games and are 6-2 on the year in one-run games. Oregon is batting .261 as a team with Kyle Garlick (.333, 11 RBI), Ryon Healy (.310, 14 RBI) and Aaron Jones (15 RBI) leading the way, while the pitching staff maintains a 2.72 ERA led by closer Jimmie Sherfy (1.11, 3-0, 2 SV, 37 K) and freshman right-hander Jake Reed (2.38, 1-2).

UTAH SERIES
    Oregon and Utah have met just three times pervious to this weekend's series. The Ducks and Utes last met in 1972 as Oregon won back-to-back games by the scores of 3-0 and 5-2 in San Diego, Calif., on March 20 and 21.
    Oregon and Utah first played one another on March 24, 1965, as the Ducks were victorious by the score of 5-3 in San Diego, Calif.

2012 SCHEDULE
    Oregon's 2012 schedule is ranked the 13th strongest in the country according boydsworldcom, while the website rated UO's RPI at 22 . In fact, six teams from the Pac-12 rank in the Boyd's World Strength of Schedule top-30: Stanford (1), UCLA (4), Oregon State (16), Arizona (26) and Arizona State (28).
    Currently six of Oregon's 2012 opponents are ranked in the Baseball America College Top 25 poll. In addition, 13 opponents on Oregon's schedule reached the postseason a year ago.

PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Perfect Game
Preseason All-Conference Team
UT        So.     Ryon Healy    .320, 4HR

Top 50 Draft Prospects
28.     Jr.    LHP    Christian Jones
        (missing 2012 season with injury)
40.    So.    1B/RHP    Ryon Healy
47.    So.    RHP    Jimmie Sherfy
50.    So.    C/OF    Aaron Jones

Top 100 College Seniors
46.    Sr.    RHP    Alex Keudell
98.    RS-Jr.    RHP    Joey Housey

BASEBALL AMERICA
Top 50 Freshmen
23.    Fr.    RHP    Jake Reed
26.    Fr.    OF    Billy Flamion

HEALTH REPORT
    The Ducks' starting rotation took a hit in the preseason as Oregon went from returning two starters from last year's rotation to only one - senior Alex Keudell.
    Junior left-hander Christian Jones (7-2, 3.24) will miss the 2012 season with an injury.

FRESHMAN CLASS RANKING
    Once again a highly-touted recruiting class joined the Oregon baseball program as the 2011 class received a No. 9 ranking from Baseball America's annual recruiting evaluations.
    For the second year in a row, head coach George Horton brought in a top-10 class, and for the fourth consecutive year, Oregon has recruited a top-25 class.

A NEW LOOK
    Oregon enters the 2012 season with 14 newcomers on the roster.
    From the 2011 squad, the Ducks lost three position starters with shortstop KC Serna, second baseman Danny Pulfer and catcher Jack Marder all departing Eugene after being selected in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
    On the mound, Oregon has taken its biggest hit. The Ducks lost 322 and 1/3 innings of pitching, 15 wins and all 17 saves as Tyler Anderson, Madison Boer, Scott McGough and Kellen Moen were lost to the 2011 MLB Draft. Freshman Porter Clayton (0-1, 1 SV) is also missing from the 2012 roster after choosing to depart on a two-year mission.

MORE NOTES
• Last Saturday, Oregon won its 100th game since the program was reinstated, defeating Washington, 3-2, in 13 innings at Husky Ballpark.
• Last weekend Oregon dropped its first two games of the series to the Huskies, losing their first series of the year and losing back-to-back games for the first time in 2012.
• Oregon's 8-3 loss at Washington on March 16 also snapped Oregon's seven-game road winning streak - its longest since prior to 1963 (the first season game-by-game results are available).
• Oregon's 10-game winning streak (Feb. 18-March 4) was its longest since 1969, and Oregon's 10-1 start was the best for the program since 1965.
• From Feb. 19-23, UO recorded three consecutive wins with double-digit runs for the first time since April 22-24, 1974 in wins over Portland State (10-6), Linfield (16-15) and Washington State (12-1).
• After finishing 2011 with a record of 5-12 in one-run games, the Ducks are currently 6-2 in one-run games and 3-0 in games that are decided in extra innings.
• Oregon trailed Long Beach State 5-0 on March 4, but the Ducks staged a comeback to win 8-7 on Aaron Jones' walk-off in the bottom of the eighth. It was the Ducks' first comeback from a five-run deficit since a 17-7 victory over East Tennessee State at PK Park on May 16, 2010.
• On March 10 in Oregon's 12-0 win over West Virginia, Aaron Jones hit the first Oregon grand slam at PK Park since J.J. Altobelli vs. USC (April 25, 2010).
• Brando Tessar's four-hit, nine-inning complete-game shutout in a March 11, 4-0 win over Connecticut was the first for an Oregon pitcher since Justin LaTempa vs. Washington State on May 1, 2010 at PK Park.

PITCHING
    The only returner from Oregon's 2011 starting rotation is senior Alex Keudell.
     Keudell was drafted in the 38th round by the Minnesota Twins in the 2011 MLB Draft, but chose to return to Eugene for his senior campaign.
    Keudell (1-3), earned his first win of the season after scattering five hits over seven innings, allowing two runs, walking two and striking out three in Oregon's 4-2 win over then 17th-ranked Vanderbilt on Feb. 24.
    In three seasons with the Ducks, Keudell posts a 13-18 record with a 3.75 ERA.
    Keudell's junior campaign was his first season as a full-time starter, posting a 7-3 record and 2.89 ERA while striking out 71 and walking just 24 in 90 and 1/3 innings on the mound.

ROOKIE BALL
    Freshman right-hander Jake Reed recorded his fourth consecutive quality start, allowing two runs - one earned - in a March 10, 3-2 loss to then No. 22 Oklahoma. Reed's quailty-start streak was snapped in one inning last weekend when the La Mesa, Calif., native took the complete-game loss, allowing five runs (four earned) in a career-best eight innings on the mound. Reed surrendered eight hits and issued two walks while striking out three in the fifth start of his career.
    Washington disturbed Reed early scoring four runs in the top of the first on four singles and a walk.
After getting roughed up in the first, Reed allowed just one unearned run and four hits the rest of the way.
    The Ducks are 3-2 when Reed takes the mound, and his 2.38 ERA is best amongst the UO starting staff.
    Reed was selected in the 40th round (1,221 overall) of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox.         Freshman left-hander Tommy Thorpe leads the staff with nine appearances, and has allowed just two runs while striking out seven in seven and 2/3 innings pitched.

SOPHOMORE SHOW
    Oregon's trio of sophomore pitchers - Jeff Gold, Brando Tessar and Jimmie Sherfy - each play significant roles in Oregon's rotation.
    Closer Jimmie Sherfy (3-0, 2 SV) is averaging 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings to rank second in the country, while his 1.11 ERA rates 26th. In six appearances this season, Sherfy has pitched Oregon to wins against Hawai'i, Long Beach State and Washington in extra innings, while also recording saves in the series opener and finale at then 17th-ranked Vanderbilt. Sherfy has struck out 37 in 24 and 1/3 innings, and his 4.44 hits allowed per nine innings ranks sixth in the nation.
    Oregon is also an undefeated 5-0 when Tessar (3-0, 3.13 ERA) gets the start. The Simi Valley, Calif., native pitched a four-hit complete-game shutout in a 4-0 win over Connecticut on March 11, setting a career high with nine innings pitched. Last week, Tessar held Washington to one run on six hits while striking out a career-high eight batters and issuing just two walks as he left the game in the seventh in line for the win. Tessar has surrendered just one run in his last two starts, totaling 15 and 1/3 innings on the mound, and striking out 14 batters.

OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
    The Ducks are batting .261 as a team, with Kyle Garlick (.333) and Ryon Healy (.310) batting over .300.
    The trio of Aaron Jones (15), Healy (14) and Garlick (11) leads the club with runs driven in. Healy, Oregon's clean-up batter, is hitting .357 with runners in scoring position, while Garlick has produced six two-out RBIs.

THE NEW DUO
    Junior J.J. Altobelli made the move from third base to shortstop this season, and his infield mate is sophomore Aaron Payne.
    The Duck defense has turned 17 double plays, and posts a .977 fielding percentage which ranks third in the Pac-12 and 29th in the country.
    Altobelli currently leads Oregon with seven doubles, while Payne has been plunked 11 times this season (fourth in the country), and boasts a .414 on-base percentage.
    Freshman Scott Heineman has taken over at the hot corner, while Ryon Healy sits at first base.

IN THE OUTFIELD
    Sophomore Kyle Garlick is batting is batting .333 and has driven in 11 runs this season, none more important than his walk-off single that scored Vernell Warren in UO's 3-2, 13-inning victory over Long Beach State on March 3.
    Brett Thomas is currently batting .313, while senior Vernell Warren - who put baseball on hold for four years to pursue a track career - received his first start in the outfield in a March 11, 4-0 win over Connecticut. Warren batted 2-for-4 and recorded his first career double.

2011 SEASON RECAP
    Oregon finished the 2011 season with a 33-26-1 record and an eighth place finish in the Pac-10 with a mark of 11-16.
    The Ducks clinched three conference series victories with wins over two Super Regional participants; Stanford and Oregon State as well as regional participant, Arizona.