SOFTBALL & BASEBALL POSTSEASON
While the first game against Liberty had moments where the outcome seemed in doubt, the absolute control over Liberty on Saturday was a moment when Melyssa Lombardi’s plan started to show. The masterpiece by Grein, the nonstop attack of the offense that balances speed, power, and discipline, and an elite defense looked a lot like the Oklahoma teams that Lombardi was a part of for so many years.
The win in Super Regionals propelled the Ducks to the WCWS for the first time since Lombardi arrived and the Ducks have a solid path with a first game against a UCLA team that Oregon took two of three from late in the season. The Bruins are good and will be a tough out, but if the Ducks can pitch like they did in game two against Liberty and continue to put pressure onto the Bruins with their relentless speed based offensive attack, they have a chance to make some noise. Do they have enough to get by Texas or Oklahoma? I don’t think so, but the post season can take many strange bounces.
For the men, I know that the seeding seems to be wrong based on some of the rankings and head-to-head results over the Beavers, but if you look close, the Regional seedings are nearly a perfect match for RPI ratings and this is a much more pure version of a seeding than is men’s basketball where humans sometimes override what the data tell them.
The regional is ultimately very winnable for the Ducks who will face a potential change from Arizona, but the team will need Grayson Grinsell to pitch to form and Mason Neville really needs to find his stroke again because I don’t think this team can go far with the version of Neville we saw against Iowa and again in the Big Ten tournament.
BITTLE RETURNS
I think once the NBA decided to not invite Bittle to the combine the writing was on the wall that it was unlikely he was going to get drafted this season. A lot of different mock drafts have Bittle rated as a potential second round pick, but the main criticism I have seen in the places I checked was strength and health. He had a great season this year, but there were moments when he was inconsistent and the missed season last year (technically he did play in 8 games, but missed 31) has created a bit of concern about durability at the next level.
Is that fair? Probably not. But the choices he had were to take his chance at a developmental contract, go overseas and earn some money, or return to Oregon and get a solid NIL package while giving the Oregon 2025-26 season a massive boost with his return.
I do think it was the correct decision on his part and this is going to really solidify the upcoming team this season.
Week in Review at DSA: Spring Reflections, Summer Heatwaves, and Recruiting Twists
As May winds down and June looms on the recruiting calendar, we’ve had no shortage of stories to tell at Duck Sports Authority this past week. From spring ball wrap-ups to recruiting storylines, and from reflections on softball’s rise to opinion columns about NIL chaos, it’s been one of those weeks that reminds me why we cover this stuff in the first place.
We kicked off with a deep dive into Oregon’s linebacker room, breaking down what life after Jeffrey Bassa and Jestin Jacobs will look like. The takeaway? Youth, speed, and a lot of upside — especially now that Bryce Boettcher is focused solely on football. The Wednesday War Room LB preview offered a full depth chart projection and painted a picture of where this group stands heading into fall.
On the recruiting front, Richard Wesley’s visit to Ohio State in August sparked plenty of conversation, but as we reminded readers — this was part of the plan all along. Oregon remains in a strong position, and nothing about his commitment has felt shaky from what we’ve gathered. Along the same lines, we provided a clear-eyed update on Messiah Hampton, noting that while his visit schedule continues to shift, the Ducks remain squarely in the hunt. Whether that next visit comes before or after his June 13 commitment is still TBD.
Prince Tavizon’s recruitment also earned some spotlight. Oregon’s early groundwork with the California edge rusher has positioned them as the team to beat, and his connection with the staff — especially Tosh Lupoi — continues to grow. A pair of paragraphs summed up where things stand while highlighting the importance of the spring evaluation period.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper DSA week without a little bit of reflection. This week’s Sunday Morning Sidewalk took a personal turn — inspired by walks with Fiji, Oregon softball’s sweep of Liberty, and the pending arrival of your second granddaughter. Weaving together Melyssa Lombardi’s journey back to the Women’s College World Series with your own family’s story of perseverance, the piece served as a reminder of how sports mirror life in the most unexpected, beautiful ways.
We followed that emotion with some pure reporting: Oregon’s dominant 13-1 win over Liberty, which punched their ticket to OKC for the first time since 2018 and the first time under Lombardi. The numbers told part of the story, but the style of play and the no-error performance said even more about this team’s focus.
Finally, we wrapped the week with some big-picture commentary. Our latest Flock Talk column — sparked by Tennessee’s new NIL law — tackled the murky legality of state laws trying to box in a voluntary organization like the NCAA. Using the song Draw the Line as a thematic anchor, we explored whether the current regulatory structure can hold — or whether the cracks are now permanent.
As always, we tried to balance insight and storytelling, facts and feelings. This week felt like a microcosm of what DSA has always aimed to be: a place where the depth of Oregon football coverage meets the humanity behind the helmet.
And with June coming? We’re just getting started.
LINKS:
Oregon Routs Liberty, Punches Ticket to Women’s College World Series
Sunday Morning Sidewalk: When the Sun Finds You Again
DSA Inside Read: Looking Ahead to a Big Weekend
Oregon in Strong Spot for 4-Star WR Messiah Hampton Before June Decision
Tailgate Tuesday: Virginia 2013 (Forum Thread)
Wednesday War Room: Rebuilding the Wall — Oregon’s 2025 LB Outlook
