Photo by: Deborah Mundorff
Vets In New Roles As Season Dawns
02/14/19 | Baseball, @GoDucksMoseley
Juniors Ryne Nelson and Spencer Steer are playing new, more prominent positions as the Oregon baseball team opens its season Friday at Texas Tech.
As the Oregon baseball team prepares to open its 2019 season Friday, the Ducks will do so with two of their most talented players in two of the game's most prominent positions.
Two juniors, Ryne Nelson and Spencer Steer, will be in new roles when Oregon opens its 11th year under head coach George Horton with a four-game series at No. 8 Texas Tech beginning Friday. With the Ducks looking to bounce back from a 26-29 season, Steer is moving from third base to shortstop and Nelson has been converted from a closer to a starting pitcher this winter.
Both are excited about the chance to thrive in new positions, in line with an Oregon team overall that's looking to get back to the postseason later this spring.
"I think we're in a good mindset to see what we can do," said Horton, whose team held its final preseason practice in Eugene on Wednesday before leaving for Texas.
The Ducks will open with Golden Spikes Award candidate Kenyon Yovan on the mound Friday at noon against the Red Raiders, who went 1-2 at last year's College World Series. Next up in the rotation will be Nelson, the lanky right-hander who can touch 99 mph on the radar gun.
Talented enough to earn first-round MLB draft projections, Nelson made only 16 appearances last season as the closer for a team that finished under .500. He also played shortstop, showing off elite defensive potential but struggling at the plate.
In a college game that still relies on manufacturing runs to win tightly contested games, there's value in an elite closer. Ditto a third baseman like Steer who could handle all the bunts that frequent the college style —particularly given that Steer is "a Nolan Arenado at third base," Horton said, drawing a comparison to the Colorado Rockies' All-Star.
But moving Nelson to the rotation will give the Ducks dozens more innings from one of their best pitchers. Likewise, moving Steer to the middle of the infield will expand his role as well.
"There's no question you want your best defender as the shortstop," Horton said. "He's our best infield defender, most experienced. The game goes very slow for him, as I like to say."
Steer's experience will be particularly valuable given that the Ducks figure to start freshmen on either side of him. Throwing to junior first baseman Gabe Matthews along with Steer will be Max Foxcroft or Sam Novitske at second base, and Novitske or Kyle Froemke at third base.
"Having an older guy up the middle, especially at short, is going to be good for us," Matthews said.
Oregon's outfield also could feature a veteran up the middle — sophomore and 2019 MLB draft prospect Jonny DeLuca in center — flanked by new faces, two from the trio of Taylor Adams, Vinny Tosti and Tanner Smith. Fifth-year senior Jakob Goldfarb also could play a corner outfield position, when he's not catching, a job he will share as this season progresses with junior Cameron Campbell.
The catchers will handle a pitching staff anchored by Yovan and Nelson, followed by sophomore Cullen Kafka and junior left-hander Cole Stringer. Kafka threw 41 innings primarily in relief as a freshman, but "quite frankly outpitched everybody in the fall," according to Horton.
"Really comfortable," Kafka said of his mindset heading to Texas Tech. "I've been working on all my stuff all offseason. Really just want to take all that hard work I put in and translate it to the field."
If Oregon has a major question mark entering the season, other than all those freshmen yet to prove themselves at this level, it's the bullpen. Left-hander Nico Tellache could get the first shot at closing a game, and Horton even floated the idea of Nelson moving back into that role, if the other starters look like they can thrive in the rotation.
So there are many questions to be answered as the 2019 season dawns for the Ducks, on Friday at Texas Tech.
"It's definitely going to be a test for us," Matthews said. "Going into a place like that on the road, you've gotta play hard, and we'll definitely learn about ourselves this weekend."
Two juniors, Ryne Nelson and Spencer Steer, will be in new roles when Oregon opens its 11th year under head coach George Horton with a four-game series at No. 8 Texas Tech beginning Friday. With the Ducks looking to bounce back from a 26-29 season, Steer is moving from third base to shortstop and Nelson has been converted from a closer to a starting pitcher this winter.
Both are excited about the chance to thrive in new positions, in line with an Oregon team overall that's looking to get back to the postseason later this spring.
"I think we're in a good mindset to see what we can do," said Horton, whose team held its final preseason practice in Eugene on Wednesday before leaving for Texas.
The Ducks will open with Golden Spikes Award candidate Kenyon Yovan on the mound Friday at noon against the Red Raiders, who went 1-2 at last year's College World Series. Next up in the rotation will be Nelson, the lanky right-hander who can touch 99 mph on the radar gun.
Talented enough to earn first-round MLB draft projections, Nelson made only 16 appearances last season as the closer for a team that finished under .500. He also played shortstop, showing off elite defensive potential but struggling at the plate.
In a college game that still relies on manufacturing runs to win tightly contested games, there's value in an elite closer. Ditto a third baseman like Steer who could handle all the bunts that frequent the college style —particularly given that Steer is "a Nolan Arenado at third base," Horton said, drawing a comparison to the Colorado Rockies' All-Star.
But moving Nelson to the rotation will give the Ducks dozens more innings from one of their best pitchers. Likewise, moving Steer to the middle of the infield will expand his role as well.
"There's no question you want your best defender as the shortstop," Horton said. "He's our best infield defender, most experienced. The game goes very slow for him, as I like to say."
Steer's experience will be particularly valuable given that the Ducks figure to start freshmen on either side of him. Throwing to junior first baseman Gabe Matthews along with Steer will be Max Foxcroft or Sam Novitske at second base, and Novitske or Kyle Froemke at third base.
"Having an older guy up the middle, especially at short, is going to be good for us," Matthews said.
Oregon's outfield also could feature a veteran up the middle — sophomore and 2019 MLB draft prospect Jonny DeLuca in center — flanked by new faces, two from the trio of Taylor Adams, Vinny Tosti and Tanner Smith. Fifth-year senior Jakob Goldfarb also could play a corner outfield position, when he's not catching, a job he will share as this season progresses with junior Cameron Campbell.
The catchers will handle a pitching staff anchored by Yovan and Nelson, followed by sophomore Cullen Kafka and junior left-hander Cole Stringer. Kafka threw 41 innings primarily in relief as a freshman, but "quite frankly outpitched everybody in the fall," according to Horton.
"Really comfortable," Kafka said of his mindset heading to Texas Tech. "I've been working on all my stuff all offseason. Really just want to take all that hard work I put in and translate it to the field."
If Oregon has a major question mark entering the season, other than all those freshmen yet to prove themselves at this level, it's the bullpen. Left-hander Nico Tellache could get the first shot at closing a game, and Horton even floated the idea of Nelson moving back into that role, if the other starters look like they can thrive in the rotation.
So there are many questions to be answered as the 2019 season dawns for the Ducks, on Friday at Texas Tech.
"It's definitely going to be a test for us," Matthews said. "Going into a place like that on the road, you've gotta play hard, and we'll definitely learn about ourselves this weekend."
