Oregon baseball surges in final national rankings of 2023 season
Throughout the final weeks of the regular season, Oregon baseball was nowhere close to cracking the national top-25 rankings.
After a stellar start to the spring, the Ducks closed out the regular season in disastrous fashion. Mark Wasikowski’s squad went 1-7 throughout the first 18 days of May and, at one point, appeared to be in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament altogether.
But they swept their way to the Pac-12 Tournament title to close out the month and then delivered a thrilling upset at the Nashville Regional to oust host Vanderbilt and secure a trip to the Eugene Super Regional.
While Oregon fell one game short of its first trip to the College World Series since 1954, it still delivered one of the greatest seasons in program history.
The Ducks (41-22) ended the year inside the top 20 of all six national polls.
Oregon year-end national rankings
- Baseball America: No. 13
- Collegiate Baseball: No. 13
- D1Baseball: No. 12
- NCBWA: No. 14
- Perfect Game: No. 13
- USA Today: No. 19
Prior to this season, the last time that Oregon finished the season ranked No. 13 or higher in any national poll was in 2012. That season, the Ducks fell to Kent State in the final game of the Eugene Super Regional and ended the year ranked No. 11 or better in four different polls. USA Today listed Oregon at No. 10 that season.
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“What this group created with the fans — the fans, we have to thank — this group brought interest to an Oregon baseball program that has never had this level of interest,” Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski said while referencing the Ducks’ seniors. “The community, the fans, the student section, the environment that we got to experience, it was directly related to this senior class and draft class. Not saying these guys are all going out the door. But these guys are warriors.
“You saw their hearts and souls on the field. You saw how much they care about this university.”
With many of the Ducks’ key players — including shortstop Drew Cowley, left fielder Tanner Smith, and third baseman Sabin Ceballos — set to depart the program, they will look to retool for 2024 and build upon a talented nucleus.
Infielder Drew Smith, first baseman Jacob Walsh, and left-handed pitcher Grayson Grinsell could be key figures for Oregon next spring.
