Oregon Ducks Softball: UNLV Desert Classic Preview

Oregon Ducks softball opens their season next weekend in Nevada, at the UNLV Desert Classic. We’ll take a quick look at the teams they’ll be facing.

Buffalo

Head coach Mike Ruechel enters his seventh season coaching Buffalo.

The Buffalo Bulls finished 2024 with a 16-32 (7-18 MAC/10th place) record.

Their primary pitchers do not return in 2025; only Jr. Emily Watters returns. Watters played in 13 games last season, going 2-5 with an ERA of 5.46 in 50 innings pitched.

Sophomore Olivia Russ is the only other straight-up pitcher. By that, I mean that Fr. Malena Toth is a 1B/P, while Sr. Marissa Calloway, Fr. Genevieve Longsdorf, and Fr. Trinity Williams are all listed as P/3B.

The Bulls only had one batter that hit over .300 in 2024, and she does not return this season. Anticipated returning starters are 1B Abbey Nagel (.279, .361 SLG%, 11 RBI), IF Alyssa Wasielewski (.259, .357 SLG%, 9 RBI), and OF Mia Mitchell (.253, .473 SLG%, 24 RBI).

Buffalo struggled offensively last season, hitting only .250 as a team, but were successful when it came to stealing bases, with AB-ATT of 39-41.

Southern Utah

Don Don Williams is entering her sixth season coaching the Thunderbirds.

Southern Utah finished 2024 with a 21-29 (9-17 WAC/8th place) record.

The Thunderbirds return all of their primary pitchers from last season: So. Emily Delgado (4.40 ERA in 149.2 innings, 101 S/O, 50 BB, B/AVG .309), Jr. Delaney Baker (4.72 ERA in 83.0 innings, 25 S/O, 30BB, B/AVG .321), and Keimon Winston (5.09 ERA in 67.1 innings, 42 S/O, 32 BB, B/AVG .326).

So. Utah had four batters that hit .310 and above, and return two of them: So. C Kassidy Munoz (.316, .418 SLG%, 13 RBI), and R-Sr. IF Aryana Miranda (.310, .614 SLG%, 34 RBI). They return 5 or the 8 primary starters in their lineup from last season.

As a team, the Thunderbirds hit .275 last season, and were not a power hitting squad, hitting only 40 HR.

UNLV

Lucas Boland/The Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kristie Fox is entering her eighth season heading the UNLV Rebels.

Last season, UNLV posted a 31-19 (14-8 MW/T-2nd place) record, and ended their season losing both of their games in the first round of the Mountain West Championship.

The Rebels had a respectable pitching room last season but all four of their pitchers have moved on. UNLV has a pair of freshmen, Yanina Sherwood and Jazmine Chavez, and brought in a couple of transfers: So. Ellie Bostedt from Morgan State, and Jr. Amelia Weber from Howard.

In 2024, UNLV had seven batters that hit .299 and above. Of that group, they return Sr. INF Ariana Martinez (.396, .708 SLG%, 51 RBI), So. C Jesse Farrell (.359, .683 SLG%, 46 RBI), and Sr. OF Sofia Morales (.352, .401 SLG%, 19 RBI).

As a team, UNLV batted .316, and like the other teams that Oregon will be facing, they are not a power hitting unit, having had only 36 HR last season. They also lose their primary base stealers from last season.

The Ducks will field a different team than we’ve become accustomed to the past couple of seasons. Gone are the veterans that helped Oregon softball push into postseason play, and we’ll see a bunch of new faces. The Desert Classic will be a good starting point to ease into this 2025 season, as the competition will definitely pick up later this month.