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3 important questions as Oregon baseball heads to offseason
3 important questions as Oregon baseball heads to offseason
Alec Dietz, Eugene Register-GuardMon, June 8, 2026 at 9:37 PM UTC·4 min readAt this point, the Oregon baseball team has the regular season figured out.
Since joining the Big Ten ahead of the 2025 season, the Ducks have finished 17-3 in conference series and won more than 40 games in each of the last two seasons. Mark Wasikowski's squad has made a super regional three out of the last four years. The program had just one prior to his arrival as coach in 2020.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYet , the elusive trip to Omaha and the Men's College World Series that Wasikowski and his players have talked about for years is out of reach after a sweep at the hands of Texas at the Austin Super Regional June 7. The Ducks lost Game 1 of the best-of-three series Saturday in blowout fashion, 11-3, before letting a late lead slip away over the final innings in a 6-5 loss in Game 2.
So what's next for the Oregon baseball program, which has clearly shown it's one of the best programs in the West but has yet to break through on the national stage in the postseason? Here are three offseason question marks for the Ducks as the teams looks ahead to the 2027 season.
Texas Longhorns catcher Carson Tinney (8) hits a home run during the first inning of a Super Regional game against the Oregon Ducks at UFCU Disch-Falk field in Austin, Texas.
(Scott Wachter-Imagn Images)Texas Longhorns catcher Carson Tinney (8) reacts after hitting a home run during the first inning of a Super Regional game against the Oregon Ducks at UFCU Disch-Falk field in Austin, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
(Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)Texas Longhorns right fielder Aiden Robbins (43) reacts after hitting a home run during the first inning of a Super Regional game against the Oregon Ducks at UFCU Disch-Falk field in Austin, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
(Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)See photos from Oregon and Texas in Game 2 of Austin Super Regional
Oregon Ducks players stand for the national anthem before a Super Regional game against the Texas Longhorns at UFCU Disch-Falk field in Austin, Texas. (Scott Wachter-Imagn Images)See photos from Oregon and Texas in Game 2 of Austin Super Regional
See photos from Oregon and Texas in Game 2 of Austin Super Regional
See photos from Oregon and Texas in Game 2 of Austin Super Regional
See photos from Oregon and Texas in Game 2 of Austin Super Regional
See photos from Oregon and Texas in Game 2 of Austin Super Regional
What will draft-eligible underclassmen decide to do following 2026 MLB Draft?
Before Oregon worries about anything else, Wasikowski and company will need to know where their roster stands heading into the fall with several key contributors likely to garner MLB Draft buzz.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThree Oregon starters are listed among MLB.com's top-200 draftable prospects, including second baseman Ryan Cooney (No. 133), Springfield native Maddox Molony (No. 173) and pitcher Cal Scolari (No. 191). Other draft-eligible juniors include pitchers Collin Clarke and Miles Gosztola.
That means Oregon could have to replace most of its infield — third baseman Drew Smith graduating is as well — along with most of its starting pitching rotation.
The Ducks are supremely confident in their young freshmen and projected ace on the mound, Will Sanford, who will be entering his junior season and getting plenty of buzz for the 2027 MLB Draft. Don't be surprised if they look to the portal to fill out the roster if those starters do turn pro.
How do talented trio of freshmen in Angel Laya, Brayden Jaksa and Naulivou Lauaki Jr. improve next season?
Over the back-half of the season, perhaps no freshmen group in the country was as stout as Oregon trio Angel Laya, Brayden Jaksa and Naulivou Lauaki Jr.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe trio powered Oregon through a 3-0 Eugene Regional and had their moments in Austin.
Lauaki mashed 14 home runs in just 29 games this season while hitting .321, but also had 59 strikeouts in just 134 at-bats. Laya hit a true freshmen-record 14 home runs and was a stalwart in right field for the Ducks all season, but struggled in Austin, going 1 for 11 with just one run scored. Jaksa, a 6-foot-6 first baseman and catcher, hit 10 home runs and .318 for the season but also struck out in key moments down the stretch.
A big key will be how each of those freshmen attacks the offseason and improves heading into 2027, with Lauaki also expressing interest in returning to pitching after coming to Oregon as a two-way player.
Can Ducks beef up bullpen over offseason?
Despite a tough showing against the Longhorns in the Austin Super Regional, Oregon's contingent of relievers in 2026 had a relatively strong season, especially down the stretch.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTanner Bradley became as reliable as anyone in the country and pitched over three scoreless innings for the Ducks to keep them in Game 2 of the super regional, and Devin Bell had been incredibly steady down the stretch before allowing a one-run lead to slip away in that game.
Bradley will return for 2027 as a sophomore, along with likely junior Toby Twist, sophomore Michael Meckna and sophomore Luke Morgan, but the Ducks will need some reinforcements there heading into next season to give them more depth.
First-year pitching coach Matt Florer proved he could get some consistency out of the Ducks' bullpen in the regular season, but he'll need to do it again in 2027 if the Ducks hope to make a deeper run to Omaha.
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football and women’s basketball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon Ducks baseball face these offseason questions after NCAA exit
Story byThe Register-Guard