close
close
powertid

Message from Oregon Football Coach Dan Lanning to Duck Baseball, Bryce Boettcher

Vaseline

It’s been almost 70 years since the Oregon Ducks baseball team qualified for the College World Series in Omaha. In his seven seasons as Oregon baseball head coach, Mark Wasikowski has quickly turned around Oregon’s program, leading the Ducks to the NCAA Tournament four straight seasons.

The passionate community of Eugene and Ducks fans around the world will cheer on Oregon upsetting the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies in the best-of-three Super Regional series, with the winner earning a ticket to Omaha for the Men’s College World Series hits. .

Perhaps no one will advocate for the ball club more than the Oregon football team.

Oregon football coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field for the game against Oregon State at Autzen Stadium on Friday, November 24, 2023.

Oregon football coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field before the game against Oregon State at Autzen Stadium on Friday, November 24, 2023. / Chris Pietsch/The Register Guard / USA.

Ducks outfielder and slugger Bryce Boettcher is a two-sport athlete and played in all 14 games for the Oregon football team last season. The Eugene native is a fan favorite, but also a teammates favorite. His football teammates gathered around him Tuesday morning at a football team breakfast and wished Boettcher the best of luck in the Super Regionals.

Boettcher relayed Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s message to him before heading to College Station, Texas.

“Good luck. The job is not finished. Obviously you will win the Super, but the goal is to win the National Championship. Remember, the job is not done yet.”

This season, the road from Oregon to Omaha runs through the College Station Super Regional. The Ducks will play in one of the most hostile college baseball environments in the country, at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, against the Aggies.

The Oregon baseball team has made the NCAA tournament 11 times, including the past four straight years, but has not made the College World Series since 1954.

“It would definitely be a lifelong dream come true (to make the College World Series),” Boettcher told Bri Amaranthus of Oregon SI. “Obviously we have to focus on the super first, but that is the next step. I think everyone in the team has the same mentality. It would mean the world – the world to my family and the entire community here in Eugene to make that happen. So I’m looking forward to it.”

The senior Boettcher explains what makes Oregon’s 2024 club different.

“We are resilient,” Boettcher told Amaranthus. I played on some good teams while I was here and some really good lineups. We are tough. No matter what happens in one match, we can lose a difficult match, we will come back very soon. We have quick minds. It is easy for us to come together and realize what is important now. That’s what we say: winning is what’s important now.”

“We pride ourselves on playing good defense and throwing the ball really well,” Boettcher told Amaranthus. “If you do those two things and combine them with, you know, a clutch, it’s hard to beat us.”

The Ducks have overcome overwhelming odds to get this far in the postseason, peaking at the right time with astonishing support.

Game one kicks off on Saturday, June 8 at 11 a.m. PT. Game two is scheduled for Sunday, June 9 at 4:30 PM PT. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN 2. If necessary, Game three is scheduled for Monday, June 10, time to be determined.

Related Posts