Though the Oregon baseball team has done plenty of winning this season, it had not yet swept a conference opponent heading into the final Pac-12 series of the season this weekend against Washington State at PK Park.
That changed Saturday afternoon when the Ducks (37-16, 19-11 Pac-12) took down the Cougars, 10-4, to record a sweep to wrap the regular season on senior day.
“Today was a tremendous team effort that carried over from the last two days,” Oregon starter Kevin Seitter said. “I think we’re rolling and it’s a great opportunity to keep the momentum and into the Pac-12 Tournament hungry and ready to roll.”
The Ducks got off to a bit of a slow start, not unlike their win Friday night against the Cougs (21-32, 9-21 Pac-12), but the offense got moving in the third and scored in every inning from then on other than the seventh.
Sophomore transfer Mason Neville continued his tear, hitting two more home runs after a two-home run game against the Cougars in Thursday’s opener. The sophomore has hit six home runs in his last six games and has 16 home runs on the season, just two shy of the single season Oregon record set last year by Sabin Ceballos.
True freshman shortstop Maddox Molony also had another good day, going 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
On the hill, Seitter had a solid outing, allowing all four earned runs on six hits and three walks with four punchouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Mason Neville's success coming from being 'boring'
Once a heralded prospect from Las Vegas, Neville played sparingly in his lone freshman season at Arkansas before transferring to Oregon this past offseason.
After struggling to find consistency throughout the first quarter of the season, Neville is now one of the hottest bats in the country at the perfect time.
“He’s just more consistent as a person,” Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski said. “On and off the field he’s been doing a good job of being boring. A boring plan for him means he’s working his tail off and he’s doing a good job in school and he’s doing a good job on the field and in the weight room and all that. His success is just a result of him being boring in all aspects of it.”
The Ducks have needed it. With other players in the lineup scuffling a bit throughout the back half of the season, Neville has stepped up in a big way and is hitting in the second spot in the lineup.
Gonzaga transfer Bradley Mullan a steadying force in Ducks' bullpen
A fourth-year player that has also made an impact out of the transfer portal, Bradley Mullan has been one of the best relievers in college baseball this season with a 1.18 ERA over 38 innings pitched.
The senior again starred in Oregon’s win over WSU Saturday, closing out the game by recording the final six outs.
Mullan had a career ERA well over six before this past season with the Ducks.
“I didn’t really know what it was going to be like here,” Mullan said. “I always knew it could be possible but it’s a little shocking just because I’ve unlocked some new mental stuff. I’m pitching a little more free and allowing the result to speak for itself … it’s definitely not what I expected. I think they saw it, but they saw it in me before I saw it in myself.”
Just as important as his steady arm in the pen is his leadership and personality out of it, according to his teammates.
“He’s a fantastic human being and he’s so genuine,” Seitter said. “His work ethic shines. He's one of my favorite teammates that I’ve ever had … his personality and his humility speaks volumes for who he is.”
What's next for Oregon baseball?
The Ducks will open the Pac-12 Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday as the No. 3 seed against No. 7 Utah at 2:30 p.m. The tournament begins on Tuesday.
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz .
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon baseball sweeps WSU to wrap regular season heading into Pac-12 Tournament
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