Saturday, February 14
Eugene, Ore.
11:05 a.m.
University of Oregon
2-0
14
vs
5
George Mason
0-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
George Mason
1
0
0
1
0
0
3
0
0
5
6
0
Oregon
0
9
0
1
0
0
0
4
X
14
12
0
Photo by: Deborah Mundorff
Ducks Take Series with Doubleheader sweep
02/14/26 | Baseball
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon clinched the series with George Mason scoring 28 runs in a doubleheader sweep on Saturday. The Ducks won game one 14-5 before claiming the nightcap 14-4.
Oregon (3-0) belted seven home runs in the two games, with true freshman Angel Loya hitting his first two career long balls and senior Drew Smith slugging a pair of homers as well. True freshman Brayden Jaksa joined the home run parade with his first career bomb to cap Oregon's scoring in the second game.
Oregon's starting pitching keyed the victories with junior Collin Clarke and sophomore Cal Scolari combining to allow just two runs on two hits in 10 innings with 17 strikeouts.
Game 1: Oregon 14, George Mason 5
Oregon hit four home runs while Clarke picked up the win allowing just two runs on two hits over six innings while striking out a career-high 10 with no walks. The Ducks finished with 12 hits, the second consecutive game with double-digit hits.
How It Happened: After GMU took a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the first, the Ducks answered with nine runs in the bottom of the second.
Laya gave the Ducks the lead with one out, belting his first career homer, a two-run shot, over the right-field wall. Jaksa followed with a two-bagger off the left-field fence before coming around to score on a Jax Gimenez two-out single.
Jack Brooks made it 4-0, scoring on a wild pitch before Maddox Molony drew a bases loaded walk to plate the fifth run of the inning. After a pitching change, Smith capped the inning blasting a grand slam over the wall in left-center field.
The Patriots got one back in the fourth with another solo homer, but UO answered with a Gabe Miranda RBI base hit that scored Gimenez from second.
After GMU cut the lead to five in the seventh inning with three runs, the Ducks put the game away in the eighth with four more runs. Laya led off the inning with his second home run of the game before Ryan Cooney finished the frame with a three-run homer to give the Ducks a nine-run lead.
Game 2: Oregon 14, George Mason 4
Scolari did not allow a hit in four innings of work while striking out seven Patriots. He was credited with the win in a predetermined work load for the starter.
How it Happened: Oregon took the early lead with a little help from the Patriots. The Ducks put runners at the corners in the second after GMU misplayed an infield pop up with two outs. With Laya at the plate, Cooney swiped second while George Mason catcher Vincent Cowdrey attempted to back pick Jack Brooks at third. The throw went into left field allowing Brooks to score.
The Ducks added two more runs in the third on back-to-back jacks by Molony and Smith. Molony hit a 2-1 pitch off the scoreboard in left-center field before Smith ambushed the next pitch and deposited it on the roof of the indoor hitting facility beyond the right-field wall.
The Ducks broke the game open with an eight-run fourth inning. Smith and Gimenez each had 2-RBI singles in the inning while the Ducks also scored four runs on either walks or HBPs with the bases loaded.
After the Patriots put four runs on the board in the seventh, Jaksa capped the scoring with a two-run shot.
Doubleheader Box Score Notes: Jaksa made his first career start behind the plate in game one … Jaksa doubled off the left-field wall in his first career at-bat … After hitting a pinch-hit home run in the second game, he stayed in the game and played first base … Right-handed pitcher Leo Uelmen entered in the seventh inning of game one, making his first appearance since May 12, 2023 … Oregon's four home runs in the first game tied for the eighth most in school history … Cooney had four hits in the game and five in the doubleheader while driving in five runs … Smith had three hits and seven RBI in the twin bill.
Quotes:
Head Coach Mark Wasikowski
On Angel Laya not showing up on many preseason watch lists...
"I don't know. The gurus that think they got this thing wired — I don't fault any of the publications that don't have people listed. I think they're trying. They're giving us great coverage of college baseball. The kids will earn their stripes. The play takes care of itself, and by the end of it, the dust will settle, and everyone's going to know who the best players are."
On Collin Clarke's pitching outing...
"Dominant. Pitched well. They got a couple of swings off when he was first pitch swinging, out, and second pitch swinging, and the guy caught one. Two solo shots. Dominant. Didn't walk anybody, struck a bunch of guys out, and just continued to fill the zone up. And he obviously pitches with a lot of emotion. It's fun to see that."
On the Ducks' goals for the year, improvement over the offseason, and what coach is looking to see from the team...
"We've improved a ton physically-wise to start with, with Darnell Huter in the weight room. Athleticism and the way they move. I think we've improved across the board. The goals are just to improve every single day. If we do that, I think we've got a team that can make a real run for the College World Series and do the things we want to do in terms of putting up a national championship banner here. It's a little early for that talk, but I just want to win and improve every single day. That's my goal."
Collin Clarke
On Leo Uelmen getting a chance to play for the first time in years...
"I see the hard work he puts in, and in the weight room—it's every day. So it's awesome when you see him go out there."
On Catcher Brayden Jaksa...
"It's definitely fearful for the opposing team in the box, so that's great."
On balancing the game as a pitcher...
"Yeah, I was just trying to get ahead of guys, and the game just happened."
Drew Smith
On his bare-handed highlight at third base...
"We do that stuff in practice every day, so it doesn't shock me when I do something like that. Gavin (Grant) does a really good job with coaching us, so all the infield stuff is really dialed."
On teammate Angel Laya...
"Yeah, he's an absolute stud. He clicked like that all fall too, so it wasn't a surprise to us, but I'm happy to see it come to fruition in a game."
On the emotions in the dugout...
"It's good vibes for sure. And everybody is just rolling and hitting. It gets contagious."
Ryan Cooney
On the infield connection this season...
"Yeah, it's been awesome. You know, Drew is a super versatile player, and he fits in really well over there at third base. And Miranda's great. Braden got out there and played first base at the end of the second game. So, anybody can do it. And you know, we have a great connection regardless of who's out there."
On a slow pace mid-game...
"I mean, regardless of the pace, you get used to it after a while, and it's fun. Guys are working hard for each other, and I think that's what keeps the game going quickly for guys out there, just being able to be behind each guy every at-bat."
On the playing time and depth in the roster this weekend...
"It's super important, especially for the younger kids. I think it was a great experience. I was in that position one time, getting in a game like this, and for me, it helped me develop a lot. And I think it's really important for those guys. But also, to show you if something happens, we have another guy who can play. It's really exciting for the future."
Oregon (3-0) belted seven home runs in the two games, with true freshman Angel Loya hitting his first two career long balls and senior Drew Smith slugging a pair of homers as well. True freshman Brayden Jaksa joined the home run parade with his first career bomb to cap Oregon's scoring in the second game.
Oregon's starting pitching keyed the victories with junior Collin Clarke and sophomore Cal Scolari combining to allow just two runs on two hits in 10 innings with 17 strikeouts.
Game 1: Oregon 14, George Mason 5
Oregon hit four home runs while Clarke picked up the win allowing just two runs on two hits over six innings while striking out a career-high 10 with no walks. The Ducks finished with 12 hits, the second consecutive game with double-digit hits.
How It Happened: After GMU took a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the first, the Ducks answered with nine runs in the bottom of the second.
Laya gave the Ducks the lead with one out, belting his first career homer, a two-run shot, over the right-field wall. Jaksa followed with a two-bagger off the left-field fence before coming around to score on a Jax Gimenez two-out single.
Jack Brooks made it 4-0, scoring on a wild pitch before Maddox Molony drew a bases loaded walk to plate the fifth run of the inning. After a pitching change, Smith capped the inning blasting a grand slam over the wall in left-center field.
The Patriots got one back in the fourth with another solo homer, but UO answered with a Gabe Miranda RBI base hit that scored Gimenez from second.
After GMU cut the lead to five in the seventh inning with three runs, the Ducks put the game away in the eighth with four more runs. Laya led off the inning with his second home run of the game before Ryan Cooney finished the frame with a three-run homer to give the Ducks a nine-run lead.
Game 2: Oregon 14, George Mason 4
Scolari did not allow a hit in four innings of work while striking out seven Patriots. He was credited with the win in a predetermined work load for the starter.
How it Happened: Oregon took the early lead with a little help from the Patriots. The Ducks put runners at the corners in the second after GMU misplayed an infield pop up with two outs. With Laya at the plate, Cooney swiped second while George Mason catcher Vincent Cowdrey attempted to back pick Jack Brooks at third. The throw went into left field allowing Brooks to score.
The Ducks added two more runs in the third on back-to-back jacks by Molony and Smith. Molony hit a 2-1 pitch off the scoreboard in left-center field before Smith ambushed the next pitch and deposited it on the roof of the indoor hitting facility beyond the right-field wall.
The Ducks broke the game open with an eight-run fourth inning. Smith and Gimenez each had 2-RBI singles in the inning while the Ducks also scored four runs on either walks or HBPs with the bases loaded.
After the Patriots put four runs on the board in the seventh, Jaksa capped the scoring with a two-run shot.
Doubleheader Box Score Notes: Jaksa made his first career start behind the plate in game one … Jaksa doubled off the left-field wall in his first career at-bat … After hitting a pinch-hit home run in the second game, he stayed in the game and played first base … Right-handed pitcher Leo Uelmen entered in the seventh inning of game one, making his first appearance since May 12, 2023 … Oregon's four home runs in the first game tied for the eighth most in school history … Cooney had four hits in the game and five in the doubleheader while driving in five runs … Smith had three hits and seven RBI in the twin bill.
Quotes:
Head Coach Mark Wasikowski
On Angel Laya not showing up on many preseason watch lists...
"I don't know. The gurus that think they got this thing wired — I don't fault any of the publications that don't have people listed. I think they're trying. They're giving us great coverage of college baseball. The kids will earn their stripes. The play takes care of itself, and by the end of it, the dust will settle, and everyone's going to know who the best players are."
On Collin Clarke's pitching outing...
"Dominant. Pitched well. They got a couple of swings off when he was first pitch swinging, out, and second pitch swinging, and the guy caught one. Two solo shots. Dominant. Didn't walk anybody, struck a bunch of guys out, and just continued to fill the zone up. And he obviously pitches with a lot of emotion. It's fun to see that."
On the Ducks' goals for the year, improvement over the offseason, and what coach is looking to see from the team...
"We've improved a ton physically-wise to start with, with Darnell Huter in the weight room. Athleticism and the way they move. I think we've improved across the board. The goals are just to improve every single day. If we do that, I think we've got a team that can make a real run for the College World Series and do the things we want to do in terms of putting up a national championship banner here. It's a little early for that talk, but I just want to win and improve every single day. That's my goal."
Collin Clarke
On Leo Uelmen getting a chance to play for the first time in years...
"I see the hard work he puts in, and in the weight room—it's every day. So it's awesome when you see him go out there."
On Catcher Brayden Jaksa...
"It's definitely fearful for the opposing team in the box, so that's great."
On balancing the game as a pitcher...
"Yeah, I was just trying to get ahead of guys, and the game just happened."
Drew Smith
On his bare-handed highlight at third base...
"We do that stuff in practice every day, so it doesn't shock me when I do something like that. Gavin (Grant) does a really good job with coaching us, so all the infield stuff is really dialed."
On teammate Angel Laya...
"Yeah, he's an absolute stud. He clicked like that all fall too, so it wasn't a surprise to us, but I'm happy to see it come to fruition in a game."
On the emotions in the dugout...
"It's good vibes for sure. And everybody is just rolling and hitting. It gets contagious."
Ryan Cooney
On the infield connection this season...
"Yeah, it's been awesome. You know, Drew is a super versatile player, and he fits in really well over there at third base. And Miranda's great. Braden got out there and played first base at the end of the second game. So, anybody can do it. And you know, we have a great connection regardless of who's out there."
On a slow pace mid-game...
"I mean, regardless of the pace, you get used to it after a while, and it's fun. Guys are working hard for each other, and I think that's what keeps the game going quickly for guys out there, just being able to be behind each guy every at-bat."
On the playing time and depth in the roster this weekend...
"It's super important, especially for the younger kids. I think it was a great experience. I was in that position one time, getting in a game like this, and for me, it helped me develop a lot. And I think it's really important for those guys. But also, to show you if something happens, we have another guy who can play. It's really exciting for the future."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Clarke, Collin (1-0)
L: Diego Cardenas (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Matthew Westley 1
HR: Julius Bognerise 1 ; Lucas Alberti 1
RBI: Julius Bognerise 1 ; Lucas Alberti 1 ; Matthew Westley 1 ; Laken Tignor 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Julius Bognerise 1 ; Luciano Terilli 1 ; Lucas Alberti 2 ; Matthew Westley 1
HBP: Logan Vaughan 1 ; Toby Hueber 1
Batting:
2B: Gimenez, Jax 1 ; Jaksa, Brayden 1 ; Brooks, Jack 1
HR: Cooney, Ryan 1 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Laya, Angel 2
RBI: Cooney, Ryan 3 ; Gimenez, Jax 1 ; Miranda, Gabe 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1 ; Smith, Drew 4 ; Laya, Angel 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Cooney, Ryan 1 ; Gimenez, Jax 2 ; Hellman, Dominic 1 ; Miranda, Gabe 1 ; Molony, Maddox 2 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Laya, Angel 2 ; Jaksa, Brayden 2 ; Brooks, Jack 2
HBP: Miranda, Gabe 1 ; Brooks, Jack 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballWill Sanford | Postgame vs. George Mason (Game 1)
Saturday, February 14
Angel Laya | Postgame vs. George Mason (Game 1)
Saturday, February 14
Dominic Hellman | Postgame vs. George Mason (Game 1)
Saturday, February 14
Mark Wasikowski | Postgame vs. George Mason (Game 1)
Saturday, February 14
