A Pitcher’s Duel: The Oregon Ducks Take on the UCSB Gauchos
- Mar 4, 2016
- 2 min read
Coming off a 3-1 series victory over the Illinois State Redbirds, the Oregon Ducks (7-1) will face off against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (8-1) in a three game series from Friday to Sunday. For Friday’s game, the Ducks will call on the services of Cole Irvin to outduel the Gauchos.
In Irvin’s last start, which was last Friday against Illinois State, he threw a career high 12 strikeouts over 7.0 innings pitched. But Irving will face a much tougher matchup against UCSB. The Gauchos are currently batting .341 on the year, which is 14th in the nation.
In the batter’s box, the Gauchos are led by senior third baseman, Ryan Clark, and sophomore first baseman, Austin Bush. Clark is hitting .467 this season with one homer and nine runs batted in (RBI). Bush leads the team in slugging percentage at .875. Bush also leads the Gauchos in RBIs with 12 on the year.
While Irvin does face a tough test pitching against UCSB’s lineup, he has been phenomenal so far this season. Irvin has one of the best strikeout to walk ratios among Division I pitchers. The lefty ranks second in Division I with a 21:1 strikeout to walk ratio. Irvin has been masterful working his way through opposing batters as well, holding his opposition to a .163 batting average. He has also only allowed two extra base hits through 14.0 innings pitched.
Irvin does deserve high praise, but so does Gauchos’ starting pitcher, Shane Bieber. Bieber has an earned runs average (ERA) of 3.38 and has allowed opposing team to hit only .269 off him. Bieber’s numbers may not be as lofty as Irvin’s, but Bieber will have a much easier time pitching against the Oregon offense.
The Oregon bats still can’t find their way as the team continues to struggle while in the batter’s box. The team has combined to hit a measly .211 through seven games, which ranks 265th out of 287 Division I teams. The Ducks will rely on Daniel Patzlaff and Austin Grebeck, the team’s only two players to hit over .240, to come up with some offensive firepower against UCSB.
In last season’s matchup, the Ducks took the series, 2-1, on the Gauchos home turf. Although Irvin and Bieber did not face off head-to-head, both still pitched in the series. Irvin allowed one unearned run over 4.0 relief innings. Bieber was knocked out of the game early, allowing eight runs, three of which were earned, over 5.0 innings. His performance earned him the loss for the game.
Game one of this three-game series will feature a fantastic pitching matchup as Irvin and Bieber take the mound. First pitch is at 3 p.m. at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon.
Comments