George Horton will return as Oregon baseball coach
Horton will enter final year of his contract after missing postseason in three straight years
George Horton will return for an 11th season as Oregon baseball coach.
Oregon senior associate athletic director Jimmy Stanton confirmed Tuesday morning that the Ducks will bring Horton back in 2019 for the final year of his contract. Horton will be paid $500,000 in the second year of a deal signed in August that includes a mutual option for 2020.
The announcement comes one day after a report in the Portland Tribune said Horton had been told he would not return next season. Oregon called that story "completely false" on Monday and clarified that Horton will return on Tuesday.
The announcement came during the final week of the season as the Ducks prepare to host Arizona in a three-game series beginning Thursday.
The Ducks (25-27, 11-16) must sweep the Wildcats to avoid their first losing season since 2009 when they finished 13-40 in Horton's first season after Oregon reinstated the sport. Oregon sits eighth in the Pac-12.
Horton is 345-247-1 in 10 seasons with the Ducks, including five postseason appearances. Oregon reached a regional in four straight seasons from 2012-15, but will miss the postseason for the third year in a row.
The Ducks should return a veteran team next year after losing four seniors, including second baseman Kyle Kasser and outfielders Daniel Patzlaff and Taylor Travess. Junior pitchers Matt Mercer and Parker Kelly and outfielder Jakob Goldfarb are all likely to be selected in the major-league draft and could skip their senior season to turn pro.
Oregon will have a large junior class next year including first baseman Gabe Matthews, shortstop/pitcher Ryne Nelson, third baseman Spencer Steer, and pitcher Kenyon Yovan. UO's recruiting class is expected to be ranked among the Top 25 in the nation, although some players could be drafted and choose to skip college.