
Potent Offense Gives Ducks a Sweep at UC San Diego
03/25/26 | Baseball
Smith's 410-foot shot in the first inning gave Oregon the early lead before Jaksa bested him slugging a 447-foot line shot off the batter's eye in fourth inning. Smith finished 2-for-6 with four RBI while Jaksa went 1-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.
With the win, the Ducks (21-4) finished a two-game series sweep of UC San Diego (9-13).
How It Happened: Oregon did not waste any time taking control of the game, scoring four runs in the first inning. Ryan Cooney laced a double over the third-base bag to lead off the game before Jax Gimenez reached on one of three hit-by-pitches in the first. After an out, Smith made it 3-0 with his team-leading ninth home run of the season.
Following the home run, San Diego native Angel Laya singled and moved to third on back-to-back hit batters to Maddox Molony and Gabe Miranda. Jaksa made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly scoring Laya from third.
UCSD cut the lead to 4-2 in the second, but Oregon got those two back in the fourth. Miranda led off the inning with a walk, before Jaksa crushed a two-run home run to center field.
Afte the Tritons scored one in the fifth, Oregon answered with two in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Cooney singled and Gimenez walked to put a pair of runners on for freshman Naulivou Lauaki Jr. The Ducks designated hitter ripped a two-run double into the right-center gap to push Oregon's lead to 8-3.
UCSD put another run on the board in the seventh, but UO shut the door with a run in the eighth and two in the ninth. Cooney led off the eighth with a single before scoring on a Smith base hit.
In the ninth, the Ducks loaded the bases on three free passes (BB, HBP, BB), setting up pinch hitter Josh Schleichardt who came through with a two-RBI single. Gimenez capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
Box Score Notes: Jax Gimenez, Maddox Molony and Gabe Miranda all reached base four times … Three Ducks had multiple hits led by Ryan Cooney (3-for-6, 3 R) … Michael Meckna picked up the win after going 1.2 innings in relief … Balke Crawford, Tanner Bradley and Cooper Markham combined to get the last nine outs without allowing a hit or walk with four strikeouts between them.
On Deck: Oregon continues its California road trip when the Ducks open a three-game series at UC Santa Barbara on Friday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Meckna, Michael (1-0)
L: Rector, Trevor (0-1)

Batting:
2B: Cooney, Ryan 1 ; Lauaki Jr., Naulivou 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1
HR: Smith, Drew 1 ; Jaksa, Brayden 1
RBI: Gimenez, Jax 1 ; Lauaki Jr., Naulivou 2 ; Smith, Drew 4 ; Jaksa, Brayden 2 ; Schleichardt, Josh 2
SF: Gimenez, Jax 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cooney, Ryan 3 ; Gimenez, Jax 2 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Laya, Angel 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1 ; Miranda, Gabe 2 ; Jaksa, Brayden 2
SB: Jaksa, Brayden 1
HBP: Gimenez, Jax 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1 ; Miranda, Gabe 2

Batting:
2B: Camacho, Gabe 1 ; Elvis, Cal 1
3B: Costello, Nick 1
RBI: Camacho, Gabe 1 ; Costello, Nick 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Crossland, Michael 1 ; Allen, J.C. 1 ; Leopard, Alex 1 ; Elvis, Cal 1
CS: Maher, Thomas 1
HBP: Leopard, Alex 1 ; Maher, Thomas 2
PO: Maher, Thomas 1



















