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Missed opportunities lead to series loss at WSU

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PULLMAN, Wash. – Oregon squandered some early opportunities to break the game open before Washington State rallied for an 11-6 Pac-12 Conference victory on Sunday clinching the series win for the Cougars at Bailey-Brayton Field.
 
Oregon (27-11, 11-7 Pac-12) jumped on top 2-0 in the first inning and had a chance to tack on more over the first three innings, but instead stranded six runners on base including four in scoring position and had one more thrown out at the plate.
 
Washington State (21-17, 9-12 Pac-12) took advantage scoring a run in the first, three in the second and five more in the third to take control of the game.   
 
How It Happened: Josh Kasevich gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-out, two-run single that scored Anthony Hall and Aaron Zavala. Hall had doubled with one out and moved to third on a Kenyon Yovan fly out, before Zavala walked and stole second. Kasevich stole second as well, but was stranded there when Gabe Matthews flew out to end the inning.
 
Oregon had a chance to add to the lead in the second. Sam Novitske led off the inning with a double before Jack Scanlon put runners at the corners with no outs with a single. Gavin Grant laid down a bunt, but Novitske was tagged out at the plate for the first out of the inning. Scanlon and Grant ended up being left on base after Tanner Smith flew out and Hall struck out.
 
WSU cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second scoring one run off Oregon starter Brett Walker (4-2). Oregon had a chance to get it back and more in the top of the third. Yovan led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Zavala base hit to give Oregon runners on second and third, after Zavala moved into scoring position on the throw to third.
 
Washington State brought Grant Taylor (1-0) out of the bullpen, and he proceeded to strike out Kasevich and Matthews before walking Novitske to load the bases. Taylor got Scanlon to ground out to end the inning and leave three Ducks on base.
 
The Cougars took advantage scoring three runs in their half of the inning before adding five more in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Novitske pulled Oregon back to within five in the top of the fifth picking up a two-RBI single scoring Kasevich and Matthews. WSU answered with two runs in the sixth to push the lead to 11-4.
 
Oregon put two more runs on the board in the top of the seventh, but it looked like the Ducks might get more the way the inning started. UO loaded the bases with no outs on a Yovan hit-by-pitch and back-to-back Zavala and Kasevich singles against reliever Caden Kaelber. WSU went to the pen and Michael Newstrom responded striking out Matthews and Novitske before allowing a Tyler Ganus two-out, two-RBI pinch-hit single scoring Yovan and Zavala. Pinch hitter Bryce Boettcher ended the inning with a ground out, which WSU third baseman Jack Smith made a diving play on to rob Boettcher. It was the first of three consecutive highlight plays Washington State’s defense made to secure the win.
 
Box Score Notes: Matthews (1-for-4, RBI, R, HBP) continued to close in on more Oregon career records … Mathews drove in his 126th career run, leaving him four away from breaking Spencer Steer’s (2017-19) career record … He scored his 119th career run, pulling him within 17 of breaking the record held by Aaron Payne (2011-14) … Matthews also recorded his 43rd career HBP, which ranks second all-time at Oregon (Payne – 73) … Kasevich (2-for-4, 2 RBI, R) had his 13th multi-hit game and ninth multiple-RBI game of the season … It was his second of both in the series, and his 15th career multiple-hit game and 10th multi-RBI game … Zavala (2-for-4, 2 R, BB) reached base three times raising his Pac-12 best OBP to .615 and his conference leading batting average to .407 … He had his 17th multi-hit game of the season and the 35th of his career … Novitske (2-for-3, RBI, 2 BB) finished with his eighth double-hit game of the season and the 29th of his career … Ganus, a true freshman, had his first career multi-RBI game.
 
On Deck: Oregon’s game at Gonzaga scheduled for Monday was canceled because of COVID-19 developments in the Bulldog’s program. In turn, the Ducks will play next when they host Washington in a three-game Pac-12 Conference series at PK Park starting at 6 p.m. on Friday.
 

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Early Homers Not Enough in Series Finale

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TEMPE, Ariz. – No. 8 Oregon jumped out to an early lead once again, hitting a pair of second-inning homers, but couldn’t hang on in a 9-6 loss at No. 12 Arizona State in the series finale Sunday.
 
How it Happened: For the third time this series, Oregon struck first, going up 4-0 in the second inning behind a pair of two-run homers. After Rachel Cid led off the inning with a single, Ariel Carlson came up two batters later and took one out the other way to right center to make it 2-0. Allee Bunker reached on an error, and Terra McGowan took advantage by blasting another two-run shot out to straight away center.
 
ASU (31-12, 11-7 Pac-12) once again used a big inning to jump in front, scoring six runs in the third inning. Kindra Hackbarth hit a two-run homer and Maddi Hackbarth followed with a run-scoring single to chase Oregon starter Brooke Yanez. Makenna Harper hit a three-run homer off reliever Samaria Diaz to go in front 6-4.
 
The Sun Devils used the long ball again in the fifth to extend the lead with a leadoff solo homer, making it 7-4. They added two more in the sixth to break it open and take a 9-4 lead.
 
The Ducks (31-13, 9-9 Pac-12) got a rally going in the seventh, scoring a pair of runs to cut the deficit to three. Shaye Bowden singled home Hanna Delgado before pinch-runner Hannah Galey scored on a groundout but a flyout ended the game with the tying run in the on deck circle.
 
Notable: McGowan finished the weekend 7-for-16 (.438) with three runs scored, recording multiple hits in three of the four games … Delgado also turned in a strong weekend, going 7-for-15 (.467) with a pair of runs scored … Carlson’s homer was her first of the season, making her the 11th different Duck to go yard this year … Her home run was also the 19th by the Ducks that has either tied the game or given them the lead.
 
On Deck: The Ducks return home for the final home series of the regular season against Arizona starting Friday at 5 p.m. (ESPN2).

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Long Ball Dooms Ducks in Doubleheader

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TEMPE, Ariz. – No. 8 Oregon dropped both ends of its doubleheader at No. 12 Arizona State Saturday, 10-4 and 4-1, with a pair of early homers in each game proving to be the difference.
 
Game 1: No. 12 Arizona State 10, No. 8 Oregon 4
Oregon again jumped out to a lead in the first inning but couldn’t hang on, as eight walks by the pitching staff and homers in the first and third innings came back to haunt the Ducks in a 10-4 loss to Arizona State in the doubleheader opener.  
 
How it Happened: The two teams traded three-run homers in the first to make it 3-3. After Haley Cruse led off the game with a single and Allee Bunker was hit by a pitch, Hanna Delgado came up with two outs and blasted a three-run shot to right center to put the Ducks on top early again. ASU responded with a two-out three-run homer of its own in the bottom half to tie it.
 
The Sun Devils took the lead in the third inning, going in front 5-3 on a Maddi Hackbarth two-run homer off Ducks reliever Makenna Kliethermes.
 
Oregon cut the deficit in half with a run in the sixth inning. After Rachel Cid beat out an infield single with one out, Mya Felder cashed her in with a double to left center that scored Cid from first to put the Ducks within one at 5-4.
 
Arizona State broke it open with five runs in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of four walks by the Ducks in the frame to make it 10-4.
 
Game 1 Notables: Delgado blasted her second homer of the season – both of which have been three-run shots … She turned in her second multi-hit game of the series, finishing 2-for-3 with the three RBIs … Terra McGowan also turned in her second two-hit game of the weekend, going 2-for-4 with a double … Cruse moved into a tie for seventh at Oregon in career runs scored with 147, matching Samantha Pappas (2010-13) … Oregon’s eight walks are the most it has issued since March 23, 2019 against Washington.
 
Game 2: No. 12 Arizona State 4, No. 8 Oregon 1
Despite Samaria Diaz’s strong relief effort in the circle, Oregon dropped the nightcap of the doubleheader at Arizona State, 4-1, with a pair of two-run homers in the second inning ending up as the difference.
 
How it Happened: Down 4-0 headed into the seventh inning, the Ducks got back-to-back singles from McGowan and Delgado to open the inning. Shaye Bowden came up next and plated McGowan on an RBI infield hit to put Oregon within three with no outs and two runners on. That was all the Ducks would get though, as the Sun Devils retired the next three to finish the game.
 
Arizona State again used the long ball to strike first for four runs in the second. The Sun Devils hit a pair of two-run homers to chase Oregon starter Jordan Dail and make it 4-0.
 
From there until the seventh, it was a pitcher’s duel between Diaz and ASU’s Allison Royalty. Diaz struck out eight over 4.2 innings out of the bullpen to give the Ducks a chance in the last, while Royalty kept the Oregon bats in check over 5.1 shutout innings.
 
Game 2 Notables: Diaz set a season-high with eight strikeouts and matched the most she’s had in a game in her two seasons as a Duck … Gabby Herrera went 2-for-2 off the bench, turning in her first career multi-hit game … McGowan went 1-for-3 and has a hit in each of the three games this weekend.
 
On Deck: The Ducks will go for the conference series win and overall split at Arizona State Sunday at 12 p.m. (Pac-12 Network).
 

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Ducks Cap Weekend With Five More Wins

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EUGENE, Ore. – With members of the team competing in two locations, the UO track and field team combined for five wins including a pair of top-three national performances Saturday. The Ducks had sprinters at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Ariz., and the throws and multis groups at the OSU High Performance in Corvallis, Ore.
 
In Tucson, Emily Sloan opened the Ducks’ competition with a win in the 100-meter hurdles. She stopped the clock in a personal-best time of 13.04 and, in the process, became the No. 3 performer in UO history. Sloan entered the meet with a best of 13.16 from earlier this season at the West Coast Classic (April 17).
 
The Women of Oregon kept things rolling right into a season-best outing in the 4×100-meter relay. The quartet of Jadyn Mays, Kemba Nelson, Jasmin Reed and Danyel White combined for a time of 42.97 which, based on times entering the weekend, ranks second nationally this season. The time also becomes the No. 7 relay performance in Oregon history.
 
Micah Williams made his long-awaited debut in the 100 meters and responded with a time of 10.03 into a -1.0 headwind. Based on times entering the weekend, the UO freshman currently ranks third in the NCAA this season. Williams, the NCAA indoor champion at 60 meters, also moves to No. 3 on the program’s top-10 list in the 100 meters.
 
Teammates Gaston Bouchereau (10.34) and Rieker Daniel (10.51) finished in second and fifth, respectively. In the women’s 100 meters, Mays recorded a personal best of 11.41 to lead a 2-3-4 finish for the Ducks along with Reed (11.48) and White (11.57). Mays added another PR later in the meet with a time of 23.28 in the 200 meters.
 
The Ducks began the day with a pair of wins at the OSU High Performance meet including a top-10 program effort from Lauri Paredes in the javelin.
 
In the fourth round of her signature event, Paredes posted a season best of 51.76m/169-9 to move from second to first in the standings. That winning mark moves Paredes to No. 5 on the program’s top-10 list and currently is the second-best mark in the Pac-12 this season.
 
Freshman Jaida Ross (15.84m/51-11.75) posted her third win of the year and had a consistent series Saturday with four of the six attempts measuring between 15.82 and 15.84 meters. Teammate Kiana Phelps, winner of Friday’s discus, finished in fourth place.
 
Already the 10th-fastest performer in school history in the 200 meters, Jacoby McNamara lowered his PR to 20.66 in a runner-up finish at the Desert Heat Classic. Bouchereau dipped below 21 seconds for the first time, clocking a time of 20.97 to finish in fifth overall.
 
Competing in both hurdle events in Tucson, sophomore transfer Will Mundy established lifetime bests in the 110-meter (14.51) and 400-meter (51.76) races. He entered the year with a PR of 54.09 but has now lowered his best in each 400-meter hurdle outing this season.
 
Desert Heat Classic | Full Results
MEN
100 Meters
1. Micah Williams – 10.03 (-1.0) [No. 3 UO]
2. Gaston Bouchereau – 10.34 (-1.0)
5. Rieker Daniel – 10.51 (-1.0)
12. Jacoby McNamara – 10.63
 
200 Meters
2. Jacoby McNamara – 20.66 (-0.2) (PR) [No. 10 UO]
5. Gaston Bouchereau – 20.97 (-0.2) (PR)
6. Rieker Daniel – 21.02 (-0.2)
 
110m Hurdles
5. Will Mundy – 14.51 (PR)
 
400m Hurdles
3. Will Mundy – 51.76 (PR)
 
4x100m Relay
–. Micah Williams/Gaston Bouchereau/Rieker Daniel/Jacoby McNamara – DQ
 
WOMEN
100 Meters
2. Jadyn Mays – 11.41 (PR)
3. Jasmin Reed – 11.48
4. Danyel White – 11.57
 
200 Meters
4. Danyel White – 23.27 (SB)
5. Jadyn Mays – 23.28 (PR)
6. Jasmin Reed – 23.54 (SB)
12. Emily Sloan – 24.48
 
100m Hurdles
1. Emily Sloan – 13.04 (PR) [No. 3 UO]
 
4x100m Relay
1. Jadyn Mays/Kemba Nelson/Jasmin Reed/Danyel White – 42.97 (SB) [No. 7 UO]
 
OSU High Performance | Full Results
MEN
100 Meters
15. Dalen Hargett – 11.34
 
110m Hurdles
12. Nathan Poff – 16.15
 
WOMEN
100m Hurdles
7. Taylor Chocek – 15.29
 
Shot Put
1. Jaida Ross – 15.84m/51-11.75
4. Kiana Phelps – 14.49m/47-6.5
9. Christalee Kirby – 12.83m/42-1.25
12. Mathilde Rey – 12.33m/40-5.5
22. Taylor Chocek – 10.62m/34-10.25
 
Javelin
1. Lauri Paredes – 51.76m/169-9 (SB) [No. 5 UO]
12. Riley Traeger – 38.62m/126-8
19. Riley Ovall – 34.42m/112-11
 
For more news and information about Oregon Track and Field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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5 Spring Game Impressions

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Robby Ashford converted a two-point try on the final play of Oregon’s annual Spring Game on Saturday to give the offense a win over the defense, 35-34 at Autzen Stadium.

With numbers thin at running back and cornerback, the Ducks opted not to split into two teams for the day, and instead devised a scoring system that rewarded the defense for stops and big plays. Ashford hit freshman receiver Dont’e Thornton for a touchdown that set up the game-winning two-point try, before running it in himself to end the scrimmage.

Here are some impressions from the two-hour scrimmage, which was played with a standard game clock in the first half and a running clock for most of the second half.

1. As the Ducks enter the offseason, Anthony Brown still sits atop the depth chart at quarterback.

Brown continued to get the bulk of the reps with the No. 1 offense Saturday, while freshmen Jay Butterfield, Ty Thompson and Ashford rotated with the twos. Brown finished 20-of-29 passing for 230 yards and a touchdown, the scoring play coming on the opening drive when Travis Dye caught a ball in space and ran for a 26-yard touchdown.

“He’s the one that’s leading, but we’re not gonna let that (competition) die,” UO coach Mario Cristobal said. “But that battle for the two spot is really tight.”

Brown showed off his leadership qualities late in the first half, after the second of two uncharacteristic drops by receiver Mycah Pittman. After giving Pittman a pep talk, Brown went right back to him on the first play of the second half, and Pittman made a diving catch.

“Obviously ‘AB’ being a good leader and being a good vocal guy, he came up and patted me on the back and said, ‘Pitt, you got this man.’ ” Pittman said. “I’m grateful for him – and embarrassed (about the drops).”

The 2021 Oregon Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on May 1, 2021 (Eric Evans Photography)

2. There’s talent aplenty in the receiver room in 2021.

Oregon isn’t lacking for ability at wide receiver, given the return of Pittman, Johnny Johnson III, Devon Williams and Jaylon Redd, who did not participate Saturday. But wow, is there some electric talent coming up the pipeline.

Brown’s touchdown pass to Dye was followed by another scoring drive directed by Butterfield, and capped by a touchdown reception from second-year freshman Kris Hutson. Thornton caught the long touchdown pass from Ashford late in the scrimmage, and Troy Franklin nearly had a touchdown midway through, on his way to finishing as the leading receiver with 93 yards on four receptions.

“This is just the beginning – the very beginning,” Hutson said. “We’re gonna show you guys soon what we got.”

The 2021 Oregon Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on May 1, 2021 (Eric Evans Photography)

3. After a season lost to injury, Justin Flowe looks ready to realize his enormous potential.

A former elite recruit, Flowe missed most of the 2020 season and was late to join drills this spring due to injury. But he made up for lost time and was all over the field Saturday, recording one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and five total tackles, plus a pass breakup.

“It’s awesome to see him out there,” Cristobal said. “That’s guy’s explosive – brings a ton of energy, and makes a ton of plays.”

Safeties Bennett Williams and Bryan Addison also had some look-at-me moments, with both executing open-field tackles in space. And Marko Vidackovic led the Ducks with seven tackles, in part by playing all over the place on special teams. But after waiting so long to see Flowe finally cutting it loose again, that was a highlight Saturday.

“I felt like I played pretty good,” Flowe said. “But I feel like I could do more. So that’s what I’m gonna do.”

The 2021 Oregon Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on May 1, 2021 (Eric Evans Photography)

4. Both second-year quarterbacks executed in clutch situations – as did the kickers.

With 57 seconds left before halftime, Butterfield was given a chance to run a 2-minute drill. A long pass that Terrance Ferguson turned back and hauled in got the offense past midfield, and Butterfield ran for nine yards on the next play. A completion to Aaron Smith got the ball inside the 10-yard line, and though the drive stalled, Camden Lewis made a field goal.

That made kick followed two by Henry Katleman, one of those a 52-yard bomb. And the Ducks got another clutch performance to close out the scrimmage when Ashford completed the long TD pass to Thornton before running in the two-point conversion.

The 2021 Oregon Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on May 1, 2021 (Eric Evans Photography)

“They all got a chance to move the ball, and they all did – and made big plays,” Cristobal said of the quarterbacks.

Ashford and Butterfield finished a combined 13-of-17 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Thompson was 5-of-9 for 757 yards, and Bradley Yaffe came on late and completed a pass of 15 yards.

The quarterbacks all played a clean game as well. The only interception was thrown by Pittman on one of two trick plays the Ducks ran, the other being a throwback pass to left tackle Kingsley Suamataia on which the freshmen showed off his athleticism. The other turnover was a fumble on a muffed exchange in the backfield.

The 2021 Oregon Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on May 1, 2021 (Eric Evans Photography)

5. A couple positions can’t fairly be evaluated until preseason camp in August.

With several veterans unavailable at cornerback, freshman Dontae Manning and Jaylin Davies got the start there with the No. 1 defense. Manning had the interception of Pittman, but it was a shame that guys like DJ James and Trikweze Bridges weren’t available Saturday to put a finishing touch on what had been really productive spring camps for them.

The Ducks also leaned hard on the passing game Saturday due to limited numbers at running back. Returning veterans Dye and CJ Verdell were available but combined for just eight carries, and Cross Patton did not participate; walk-on Aaron Smith led the way on 15 carries with 56 yards and a touchdown. Oregon hopes to get Sean Dollars and Trey Benson back from injury in the fall, which will provide a better sense of what the rotation might look like once games begin.

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Ducks drop game two at WSU

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PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State built an early lead scoring six runs in the first two innings on its way to an 11-1 win over Oregon on Saturday in Pac-12 Conference action at Bailey-Brayton Field.
 
The Cougars (20-17, 8-12) evened the series with the Ducks (27-10, 11-6 Pac-12) after Oregon won Friday’s series opener 13-0.
 
How It Happened: Washington State’s Kodie Kolden led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run off Oregon starter Cullen Kafka (4-2) in what was a sign of things to come.
 
The Cougars belted five home runs, including two in a five-run second inning, to overpower the Ducks. Back-to-back home runs, a grand slam and solo shot, in the second followed a Josh Kasevich throwing error, which made all five runs in the inning unearned.
 
WSU added a solo home run in the fourth and four runs in the sixth, including another solo homer, to build an 11-0 lead.
 
The Ducks scored a run in the eighth after threatening a number of times during the game. Gabe Matthews picked up the RBI with a walk, after Kenyon Yovan and Aaron Zavala both walked and Josh Kasevich was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
 
The inning ended with the bases loaded, three of the 11 runners the Ducks left on base including eight in the final four innings.  
 
Box Score Notes: Six different Ducks had a hit, but none had multiple hits … Matthews’ RBI was the 125th of his career, just four behind career leader Spencer Steer’s (2017-19) 129 … His walk was the 116th of his career, 17 behind all-time leader Guy Krause’s (1971-74) 129 … Both Matthews and Tanner Smith doubled for the 16th time this season, tying Tyler Baumgartner (2014) and Danny Pulfer (2011) for fourth on Oregon’s single-season doubles list … Zavala walked twice moving his total to 35, tying Matthews (2019) for fifth on the single-season list … Freshmen Scott Ellis and Rio Britton combined to throw a 2.2 scoreless innings to end the game.
 
On Deck: Oregon and Washington State meet in the rubber match of the series on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. Brett Walker (4-1, 3.67) will pitch for the Ducks, while Dakota Hawkins (3-5, 5.49) gets the ball for the Cougars.
 

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Bears Take Graham With Final Pick Of The Sixth Round

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EUGENE, Ore. — The Chicago Bears made Oregon cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. the final pick of the sixth round and the 228th overall selection on Saturday in the 2021 NFL Draft.
 
Graham is the fifth Duck taken in this year’s draft, joining left tackle Penei Sewell, safeties Jevon Holland and Brady Breeze, and fellow cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. This marks the first time since 2015 that Oregon has had five or more players selected in the same NFL Draft.

With Holland, Lenoir, Breeze and now Graham, this is the first time in program history that four defensive backs were drafted in the same year. Graham and Lenoir mark the first time that two Oregon players listed as cornerbacks were taken in the same NFL Draft.
 
A three-year starter before opting out of the 2020 season, Graham racked up 182 career tackles (143 solo), eight interceptions, 40 passes defended and a forced fumble in 40 career games. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native recorded double-figure pass breakups in each of his final two seasons.
 
Graham was a Pro Football Focus all-Pac-12 second-team selection as a junior after ranking fifth in the conference with an 82.9 coverage grade. He was one of 21 FBS players with 60-plus tackles and 10-plus pass breakups, tied for fifth-most in the Pac-12, and he added 5.0 tackles for loss. Graham went on to participate in the 2021 Senior Bowl.
 
Graham tied for third nationally with 18 pass breakups as a sophomore in 2018, earning AP second-team all-Pac-12 honors. He had three interceptions in each of his first two seasons, including a pick-6 against Oregon State in 2018. In 2017, Graham’s three picks tied for eighth-most among FBS freshmen.
 
2021 Oregon NFL Draft Picks
1. OT Penei Sewell (1st Round, No. 7 overall, Detroit Lions)
2. S Jevon Holland (2nd Round, No. 36 overall, Miami Dolphins)
3. CB Deommodore Lenoir (5th Round, No. 172 overall, San Francisco 49ers)
4. S Brady Breeze (6th Round, No. 215 overall, Tennessee Titans)
5. CB Thomas Graham (6th Round, No. 228 overall, Chicago Bears)
 

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Titans Pick Breeze In Sixth Round

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EUGENE, Ore. — Brady Breeze became the fourth Oregon football player to be taken in the 2021 NFL Draft when the Tennessee Titans selected the safety in the sixth round with the No. 215 overall pick on Saturday.
 
Breeze joins Penei Sewell, Jevon Holland and Deommodore Lenoir in the 2021 class, marking the third straight year that at least four Oregon players were picked in the NFL Draft.
 
With Breeze and Holland both off the board, this is the first time in program history that two players listed as safeties were drafted in the same year. Adding in Lenoir, Oregon has had three defensive backs selected in the same NFL Draft for the first time since 1990.
 
Breeze dominated for the Ducks in the 2019 Rose Bowl, earning MVP honors after finishing with a career-high 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. A 2020 opt-out, he finished the 2019 season as one of only eight FBS players since 2000 with two fumble returns for a TD and a pick-6 in the same season.
 
A standout on defense and special teams, Breeze was a 2019 Pac-12 all-conference selected by the league’s coaches on special teams in addition to earning second-team all-Pac-12 recognition by Pro Football Focus. The Lake Oswego, Ore., native was named to the USA Today all-bowl team for his performance in the Rose Bowl.
 
Breeze closed his career with 95 total tackles, three interceptions, eight passes defended, four fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He appeared in 38 total games for the Ducks from 2017 to 2019.
 
2021 Oregon NFL Draft Picks
1. OT Penei Sewell (1st Round, No. 7 overall, Detroit Lions)
2. S Jevon Holland (2nd Round, No. 36 overall, Miami Dolphins)
3. CB Deommodore Lenoir (5th Round, No. 172 overall, San Francisco 49ers)
4. S Brady Breeze (6th Round, No. 215 overall, Tennessee Titans)
 

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Lenoir Goes To 49ers In Fifth Round

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EUGENE, Ore. — Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 172 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Saturday.
 
Lenoir becomes the first true cornerback drafted out of Oregon since Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (No. 241 overall, 2015), and the highest-drafted cornerback since Walter Turmond went No. 111 overall in 2010.
 
With safety Jevon Holland going No. 36 overall to the Miami Dolphins on Friday, Oregon has had multiple defensive backs taken in the same NFL Draft for the first time since Thurmond and T.J. Ward in 2010.
 
Lenoir is the third Duck selected in this year’s draft, with left tackle Penei Sewell going to the Detroit Lions with the seventh overall pick on Thursday. This marks the third straight year that Oregon has had at least three players taken in the NFL Draft.
 
After originally opting out of the 2020 season, Lenoir returned to lead the Ducks to a second straight Pac-12 title and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. The Los Angeles native was an AP second-team all-Pac-12 selection and received an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl after logging 30 tackles and an interception as a senior.
 
Lenoir closed his Oregon career having made 34 straight starts at cornerback, and he had 154 total tackles and six interceptions as a Duck. He ranked third among Pac-12 cornerbacks in 2020 with a 53.1 completion percentage allowed on 32 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
 
Lenoir was also an AP all-Pac-12 second-team pick as a junior in 2019, and was one of 13 players in the Pac-12 with an interception, fumble recovery and forced fumble. He limited opponents to a 54.1 completion percentage while being targeted a team-high 74 times, according to PFF.
 
The cornerback grabbed a career-high three interceptions in 2018 as a sophomore, and finished second on the team with nine pass breakups. He picked off two passes in a road contest at Washington State.
 
2021 Oregon NFL Draft Picks
1. OT Penei Sewell (1st Round, No. 7 overall, Detroit Lions)
2. S Jevon Holland (2nd Round, No. 36 overall, Miami Dolphins)
3. CB Deommodore Lenoir (5th Round, No. 172 overall, San Francisco 49ers)
 

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Ducks win big at WSU behind Ahlstrom

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PULLMAN, Wash. – Robert Ahlstrom and Caleb Sloan combined for a shutout and the Ducks offense scored in six straight innings to give Oregon a lopsided 13-0 win over Washington State at Bailey-Brayton Field in game one of a three-game Pac-12 Conference series on Friday night.
 
Ahlstrom (4-3) continued his dominant season tossing seven scoreless innings while allowing just six hits while striking out six and walking just one. The Ducks’ lefty held an opponent scoreless through the first seven innings for the third time this season, and for the second consecutive week. Last week, Ahlstrom took a shutout into the ninth inning against UCLA and on March 12 he tossed seven scoreless innings in a win at Oregon State.
 
Offensively, the Ducks (27-9, 11-5 Pac-12) gave Ahlstrom all the runs he would need and more when they scored five runs in the top of the third. Oregon added two runs in the fourth, one in both the fifth and sixth, three in the seventh and one in the eighth.
 
Washington State (19-17, 7-12) stranded eighth runners, but seven of those came after the fifth inning when the game was out of reach.
 
How It Happened: Ahlstrom set the tone early dominating through the first six innings. He retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced, allowing only a second inning walk in the first four innings, while fanning five of the first eight Cougars to come to the plate.
 
The Eugene native allowed WSU’s first hit in the fourth but followed with a ground-ball double play to get out of the inning. In the fifth, Washington State picked up its second hit but Ahlstrom got another ground-ball double play to end that inning.
 
The Cougars added a one-out double in the sixth, but Ahlstrom got a foul out and a ground out to end the inning. Washington State finally put together its first true threat against Ahlstrom in the seventh loading the bases with two outs on three singles, but Ahlstrom got the final out to end his night with no runs allowed.
 
Offensively, Oregon had six players finish with multiple hits with Kenyon Yovan leading the way with three, including a three-run home run. Yovan and Josh Kasevich each drove in three runs leading seven Ducks who finished with at least one RBI. Eight different Ducks scored a run, including four who scored multiple runs led by Tanner Smith’s three.
 
Oregon jumped on Washington State starter Brandon White (5-3) in the third inning sending nine batters to the plate. Smith led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on an Anthony Hall ground out. Yovan singled moving Smith to third before Aaron Zavala walked to load the bases.
 
Josh Kasevich gave the Ducks the early lead doubling into the right-field corner scoring both Smith and Yovan. After an out, Washington State first baseman Kyle Manzardo dropped a throw from third that would have ended the inning on a Sam Novitske ground ball, allowing Yovan and Zavala to score.
 
Novitske swiped second and the scored on a Jack Scanlon double to give Oregon a 5-0 lead.
 
The Ducks added two more in the top of the fourth. Smith led off with a double, before walks to Hall and Yovan loaded the bases. Kasevich picked up his third RBI of the game singling to left to score Smith, before Hall scored on a Matthews’ ground out to make it 7-0.
 
Scanlon doubled for the second time in the game to lead off the fifth and scored on a Hall RBI single. Scanlon reached three times in the game with a pair of doubles and a hit-by-pitch.
 
Zavala led off the sixth inning with a solo shot over the right-field foul pole for his fifth homer of the season. Yovan added a three-run shot, his 10th of the year, in the seventh to make it a 12-0 lead. Colby Shade tacked on the final run with a RBI single in the eighth.
 
Box Score Notes: Oregon scored double-digit runs for the third consecutive game … It marked Oregon’s first three-game streak with 10+ runs since April 9-13, 2019 when the Ducks scored 12 at Oregon State (4/9), 21 at Washington State (4/12) and 11 at WSU (4/13) … It’s only the third time Oregon has scored double-digit runs in three straight games since baseball returned for the 2009 season … The Ducks’ first three-game double-digit streak came in Feb. 2012 when they scored 14 runs at Hawaii (2/19), 12 runs at Hawaii (2/20) and 13 runs at Belmont (2/23) … Oregon has never scored 10-or-more runs in four straight games in the modern era … Yovan (3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB) had his 10th multi-hit and multi-RBI game of the season … It was his 23rd career multiple-hit game and 17th multiple-RBI game … Kasevich (2-for-5, 3 RBI, R, BB) finished with his 12th multi-hit and eighth multi-RBI game of the year, and the 14th multiple-hit and ninth multiple-RBI game of his career … Smith (2-for-4, 3 R, 1 BB) had his 14th multiple-hit game of the year and the 28th of his career … Zavala (2-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB) had his 16th multi-hit game of the season and the 34th of his career … He reached base four times to increase his Pac-12 leading on-base percentage to .533 … Hall (2-for-4, RBI, 2 R, 1 BB) had his sixth multi-hit game of the season and the ninth of his career … Scanlon (2-for-4, RBI, R, 2 2B, HBP) finished with his second multi-hit game of the year and the fifth of his career … His two doubles set a new career high … Ahlstrom and Sloan combined for 10 strikeouts, the 20th double-digit strikeout game by the Ducks’ pitching staff this season.
 
On Deck: Oregon and Washington State meet in game two of the series with a 2:05 p.m. first pitch on Saturday. Cullen Kafka (4-1, 2.55) will make the start for the Ducks, while Zane Mills (4-3, 3.81) takes the mound for the Cougars.
 

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