Wrapping the Fall with Oregon’s Melyssa Lombardi

Photos courtesy Eric Evans Photography and Oregon Athletics

When Oregon stepped off the field for the final time in 2023 it brought on mixed feelings for Ducks head coach Melyssa Lombardi.

Disappointment that the season had ended in the Super Regional at Oklahoma State, but appreciation and admiration for the journey the Ducks traveled during the year.

For Lombardi, leading the Ducks to the Women’s College World Series is the goal but she fully understands the process required to transfer the goal into reality.

“I think our feelings were mixed. What we wanted to do at the beginning of the year was keep things simple. We wanted to go further than we’ve ever gone before, which would be advancing to the WCWS. We expect to go to the Women’s College World Series every year, but we wanted to go further than what we’ve done prior to that.

“And to win a regional at Arkansas was an accomplishment and something that they were working hard all year to attain. But then knowing we were two games away from going to the WCWS and losing to Oklahoma State, that’s a feeling that has stayed with us through the summer and in the fall and I think has made these guys work even harder knowing that we were right there. So, a feeling of excitement for winning the regional on the road in a tough environment in Arkansas, but then disappointed with falling short in Stillwater.”

Looking back on the 2023 season for Oregon, it was an unqualified success, and the Ducks took another step forward in achieving the ultimate goal of winning the final game of the season.

“Every one of our players will tell you that they want to go to the World Series. Every one of our coaches will tell you that we want to go, and we want to win a national championship. But to do that, you also need the experience to go along with it. You need the roadmap that gets you to understand how to get there and what you need to do. So, they’ve always felt that way, but having those experience gives them a better understanding of how to do it.”

Oregon finished last year with a 38-17 overall record and a 14-10 mark in the Pac-12. The Ducks earned a spot in the Fayetteville Regional and defeated Notre Dame in their opening game of the NCAA Tournament and followed with an impressive pair of victories against Arkansas to claim the Fayetteville Region title.

The Ducks season came to an end at the hands of the Cowgirls in the Super Regional in Stillwater, Okla. a week later.

The 38 victories marked the second most for Oregon under Lombardi and the Ducks advanced to a Super Regional for the first time since 2018.

With the 2023 season behind them, but with the lessons learned etched in their memories, the Ducks wrapped up the fall season with a 7-0 record.

“Every year in fall, we always want our foundation to be bigger and stronger than it was the year before. And it’s what the players do individually and then as a group outside of us in the summertime. And they did a great job with that. They all came in in shape and have done well this fall.”

With 15 returnees and eight new faces on the roster, Lombardi was pleased with the team preparation heading into the fall season.

“I think the fall is about starting with a high foundation. If we have to go backwards and do things in the fall that we should already be in a good place with, then I think it puts us behind. We needed to come into the fall ahead of what we were doing, and I think that they’ve done that.

“We needed to come into the fall understanding how important every single day in the fall is, whether it’s in the weight room, whether it’s on the field or whether it’s extra stuff on their own. But to be able to do things in an elite way in the fall because that’s what it’s going to take in the spring. You can’t be okay in the fall and then be brilliant in the spring. It doesn’t work that way.”

The Ducks offense, led by returnees Ariel Carlson, Hanna Delgado, KK Humphreys and newcomer Emma Kauf performed at an elite level in the fall.

Oregon scored 126 runs in seven games during the fall, but Lombardi was focused on improvement and situational development.

“I liked what we did in the fall offensively. I think you could see us show good signs of power. You could see us do well with a short game. I think our team just looks so much stronger this year than the previous year. And you can see that through our offense. The fall is about us being able to put them in situations and see what type of success they have in those situations. And I thought they were successful in those situations.”

Lombardi welcomes back a deep, and talented, pitching staff this season led by Stevie Hansen, Morgan Scott and Raegan Breedlove. That trio won a combined 37 games last season and continued to impress during the fall season.

“What I love is that with our pitching staff is that everybody returns and then we have a freshman, and the older pitchers have really helped her. Taylour Spencer is just an absolute competitor on the mound, but she’s our youngest and our newest. So, I think they’ve done a good job of taking her and showing her the way. And I really like how she’s performed this fall, just in the short time that we have seen her.

“I love the returners because they have that taste in their mouth of being two games short. And so just the drive that they’ve had in the fall, the urgency that they’ve had to be a better version of who they were last year. I think that’s what we’re all trying to do. The journey will always be different each year, so I don’t want our pitchers to try to recreate the same journey, nor do I want our team to. I want them to see how much stronger and how much better they can be this season. Those are some things that really excite me.”

Since Lombardi’s arrival in Eugene, the Ducks have been one of the premier defensive teams in the Pac-12. In her five previous seasons, Oregon has led the league in fielding percentage twice and has never ranked below fourth in the conference.

With Paige Sinicki, Humphreys and Kai Luschar returning, the Ducks turned in an outstanding defensive effort in the fall.

“I thought our defense was really good. There’s a couple of things that we need to clean up, which is typical, but overall, these guys understand that the routine plays and the 50-50 plays, we need to be able to make all of them. We are a very versatile group and very athletic. I have athletes that can play multiple positions and play them really well. And I like that because I think it really pushes them in the fall and they can’t take a rep off.”

Lombardi highlighted versatility and speed as two other factors that could shape the Ducks season in 2024.

Oregon has multiple players that can play multiple positions, which can result in creativity in both the lineup and in the field.

“First and foremost is that we recruit athletes. Strong athletes that have many abilities. And I know it’s tough working at one position, but to have an athlete that can do that and work at another, I just think it goes a long way. It’s a long season. Injuries happen, circumstances happen, and you can’t put your eggs in one basket.

“I’m thankful that our team is very athletic. And then I can say, hey, I have you here, but I need to put you here. And they’re like, no problem. I got you.”

The Ducks swiped 75 bases last season led by Humphreys and Kai Luschar, but Lombardi sees speed factoring in for Oregon in many ways.

Stretching a double into a triple, avoiding a double play by beating a throw, making a defensive play in the outfield, or forcing an opponent into a defensive miscue can all be influenced by speed.

“With our speed it shows we have a lot of different ways to win. And as a team, we’re always looking for different ways to win ball games and having that type of speed throughout our lineup is another way that’s going to allow us to win games. We’ve always been fast, but we have more speed this year than we did last year.”

Lombardi feels the Ducks have all the physical tools necessary to play into June, but harnessing a postseason mentality will be the key.

“We have always talked about having a postseason mentality. You think about as a team, when you’re in postseason, it’s about advancing. You don’t care what happens as long as you advance. We just want to figure out how to win. And I think that’s what we’ve learned through our team is not only having that postseason mentality at that time but having it from day one.

“We had to get to postseason, which we did when we went to Texas, to understand what that type of mentality feels like. And then once we got there, we’re like, okay, we can’t just have this mentality when postseason shows up. You have to have this mentality when it’s the summer, when you’re in the offseason, when you are working on your own, when you came in the fall and when you come back from break.”

That postseason mentality, combined with an experienced and proven core and an exciting group of newcomers, can take Lombardi, and the Ducks, to that next step.

“I think this is going to be, since I’ve been here, our deepest roster, offensively, defensively and in the circle.”

*****

Oregon Ducks

Head Coach: Melyssa Lombardi

Assistant Coaches: Sam Marder, Sydney Romero, Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza

Conference: Pac-12

2023 Record: 38-17 overall, 14-10 in the Pac-12

2023 Postseason: NCAA Super Regional

Returnees: Stevie Hansen (20-7/2.63/110), Kedre Luschar (.315/.352/.373), Ariel Carlson (.333/.396/..604), Abby Mulvey (.000/.000/.000), Alyssa Daniell (.264/..323/.518), Raegan Breedlove (4-3/2.81/29), KK Humphreys (.285/.372/.519), Remmington Hewitt (.231/.333/.538), Elise Sokolsky (1-0/4.20/11), Kai Luschar (.419/.442/.446), Morgan Scott (13-7/2.83/90), Hanna Delgado (.321/.408/.387), Paige Sinicki (.232/.305/.304), Tehya Bird (.268/.357/.512), Vallery Wong (,250/.353/.500)

Newcomers: Braiesey Rosa (C/UTL/ Fr./Waianae, Hawaii/Waianae High School), Katie Flannery (INF/Fr./Birmingham, Ala./Spain Park High School), Abby Steffen (INF/Fr./Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake High School), Ayanna Shaw (OF/Fr./Lemon Grove, Calif./Mater Dei Catholic High School), Regan Legg (OF/Fr./Ladera Ranch, Calif./San Juan Hills High School), Taylour Spencer (P/Fr./Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta High School), Emma Kauf (C/5^th Yr./Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest High School/Georgia Tech), Trinity Holden (C/UTL/So./Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon High School/Portland State)

(Record/ERA/Strikeouts) – Pitchers

(Batting Average/On-Base Percentage/Slugging Percentage) – Batters

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