RANKINGS
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ABOUT
With the large number of college coaching changes that happened this year impacting programs as wide-ranging as Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and Oregon, there were bound to be some players on the move too.
The Oregon Ducks lost two key players on Thursday–both of whom were recruited by former head coach Mike White, now at Texas– when All-American pitcher Miranda Elish and designated player/outfielder Lauren Burke both announced on Thursday they would be transferring, although where each will play next has not been stated publicly.
A junior who compiled a 25-2 record with a 1.20 ERA with 249 strikeouts and gave up just a .171 batting average to opponents, Elish was an NFCA second-team All-American on a loaded staff that included first-team All-American Megan Kleist, who was the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year with a 21-6 record and 1.14 ERA and a top-10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, and Maggie Balint, who is returning from a back injury.
Elish made the announcement via her Twitter account Thursday morning:
— Miranda (@elish_miranda) October 18, 2018
Elish finishes her Oregon career with a 37-2 record and two Women’s College World Series appearances. She won her first 20 games in a Duck uniform and pitched the first-ever seven inning prefect game in school history when she defeated Portland State as a sophomore. She also had a career-high 16 strikeouts in that game.
The Indiana native also had a storied high school career, being named by Extra Inning Softball Executive Editor Brentt Eads as the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2016 and earning Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year honors three times at Crown Point (Indiana) High where she also shared time in the circle her senior season with current Notre Dame pitcher Alexis Holloway.
Burke batted .351 with 17 RBIs as a sophomore and had several clutch hits in the postseason including two pinch hit home runs in the NCAA regionals.
She was a Pac-12 All-Freshman honoree last season and was a high school All-American in 2017 when she hit .699 and smashed 21 home runs at Marist High in Eugene, Oregon, just minutes from the University of Oregon campus.
Burke was the Oregon and Gatorade State Player of the Year and led her 5A team coached by her father, Jon, to a state title. She also was selected to the Louisville Slugger Hit Club and played in the PGF All-American Game and was ranked by Eads as the No. 18 player in the 2017 class.
She also announced her intent to transfer via social media:
https://twitter.com/lauren_b18/status/1052994113564360704
Both Elish and Burke played for the Beverly Bandits in club ball and both were part of PGF National Championships: Burke pitched the Bandits 16U team to a title in 2013 and Burke was a key contributor as a leadoff hitter and outfielder on the 16U champions in 2017.
Here’s a video shot by Brentt Eads after Elish won the PGF Championship:
Elish has a younger sister, Madi, who is a 2021 grad committed to Arizona. An Extra Elite 100 pitcher, she plays for the OC Batbusters-Stith team and threw in the PGF 18U Premier Nationals this summer helping lead the team to the title game.