#11 Oregon @ #20 Mississippi State (MSU sweeps series 3-0)

[UOducksTK1]

Game 1: L 4-10
Game 2: L 3-9
Game 3: L 2-5

[oregontrack]

we can totally win this series. i believe in our staff, and we should swing the bats a little better in warmer weather.

balta, goldfarb, craig-st.louis, and packard (you know, our 2-5 hitters) are all under .200. they're all due to break out, hopefully a few will this weekend.

did mark karaviotis die or something? he started the first 3 games, then matt kroon took over 3B. neither kroon or moniot at short are lighting the world on fire. not entirely sure why karaviotis can't break back into the line-up, unless he's hurt and it just hasn't been reported.

[oregontrack]

not sure we'll get this one in! starkville has a flood warning through this evening. the whole south is getting hit hard with rain.

[oregontrack]

well, as of a tweet 20 minutes ago on mississippi state's account, the tarp is off the field and the game is still a go.

[cordy02c]

after grebeck walks Balta goes deep 2-0 ducks

[duckfan96]

Balta with a 2 run hr in top of first

[duckfan96]

Nothin for msu bottom 1. Ducks strand 2 top of 2

[cordy02c]

Ducks lose 9-3 as Krook doesn't get out of the 1st

[oregontrack]

well, that sucked. oregon loses all three, 10-4, 9-3, 5-2.

i blame myself for showing optimism. i should know by now that never ends well for teams i root for.

friday: we went up 2-0 in the 1st inning after grebeck walked and balta hit a HR, and things looked good early. but irvin gave up a couple runs in the 3rd, and another earned run in the 5th. he gave up 3 earned in 5.1, and the defense didn't help him out. we trailed 5-2 going into the 7th but then scored a run in both the 7th and the 8th to make it 5-4. then the wheels came off via a miss state grand slam. ball game. irvin didn't get drilled, but he hardly had his best game. miss state's pitcher -- dakota hudson -- is a probable top 10 pick. he dominated us, aside from balta's HR. we scored a few runs later on their bullpen. 10-4 looks awful, and i mean it kind of is, but it WAS a 1-run game in the 8th (glass half full hot take).

saturday: oh boy, now krook certainly DID get drilled. krook couldn't get out of the 1st inning, giving up 5 earned and only registering 2 outs. this game was over early. carranza came on and pitched alright, blanking miss state for a few innings before finally giving up a pair in the 4th. kelly parker gave up 2 later, making it 9-0 miss state before we scored some garbage runs late.

sunday: peterson probably pitched the best of all our starters, he was technically only an out away from a quality start. gave up 3 earned in 5.2. but he left trailing 4-0, so yeah. trailing 5-0, balta and moniot both hit HRs in the 8th. lost 5-2.

miss state is good, but we're supposed to be, too. honestly, i think our rankings should be switched: they look a lot more like an omaha contender, and we look like a fringe top 25 team. humbling weekend.

[UOducksTK1]

Well we definitely are overrated. I feel like the last few season, Oregon has been rated higher than they should to start the season.

[oregontrack]

last year, certainly, i agree. i don't think pollsters unfamiliar with the situation were expecting irvin to be as pedestrian as he was. we had no business being ranked.

two years ago, with tommy thorpe and matt krook leading the charge, i think we were probably ranked accordingly, but obviously when krook went down mid-year we took a tumble.