http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/featured/11278/index.htm

I don’t know whether this is a cursing or a blessing because of the SI cover jink (allegedly). It’s still a great honor for Jeremiah Masoli and center Jordan Holmes. Let’s just hope that the Ducks fair well this year or face the consequences of not living up to high expectations…

Here’s a blog post I  sent to the Daily Californian, after sports editor Katie Dowd asked me to submit what I thought of the Ducks early in fall camp and make a prediction:

There are high expectations in Eugene for the 2009 football season. A year after finishing No. 9 in the country with a win in the Holiday Bowl and a No. 14 preseason ranking has everyone thinking big.

Especially 1,000 yard rusher LeGarrette Blount, who says everyone’s goal isn’t just a BCS bowl, but the top BCS bowl.

“We’re just trying to take it all the way and play for a championship,” Blount said. “We are a strong team with a strong bond. As long as we all have each other’s backs, we’re going to excel.”

Those are lofty goals for a team that has only 10 starters returning from last year’s 10-3 team. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli leads a potent offense with Blount and freshman LaMichael James in the backfield. But right now the biggest area of concern is the offensive line. C.E. Kaiser is the most experienced of the bunch with 10 career starts, and the whole line has a total of 20. If the Ducks stand a chance in the Pac-10, the line will have to grow up quickly.

The defense as a whole is in good shape despite losing six starters. The linebacking corps and secondary are full of athletes and the line, while young, isn’t as inexperienced as the offensive unit is.

Despite these shortcomings, Oregon is going to challenge for the Pac-10 crown with USC and California because of the matchups this
season. If the Ducks beat Boise State in Boise to start the season, they could go 3-0 in non-conference play before the conference opener with the Bears on September 26. They play Cal, USC and Oregon State in Autzen Stadium, which is good for them because they have one win (against OSU last year)  away from Eugene against those teams in the last eight or so years.

Not to say it’s going to be a walk in the park, but Oregon has a shot to do something special this year.

The only kind of big news was Kelly saying that there will still be an open competition for quarterback. Many people thought that Jeremiah Masoli had that position on lock down after his performance over the end of last season, but Kelly said that he’s giving Nate Costa and Darron Thomas a fair shot at the job too. Take a look at Monday’s Daily Emerald for full coverage of the day.

The new unis are 25 percent lighter than the previous models and feature a whole new color: steel.

The brand new uniform features a helmet with a silver/carbon painting design on it and a white jersey and white pants. There are also yellow, black, another white top and green jerseys. For pants there are black, white, green and grey. Overall there will be 80 combinations  with the jerseys, pants and black, green, white and carbon helmets.

Look for a photo slide show and a complete article on the press conference tonight at dailyemerald.com

Here’s a slightly blurry picture I took with my iPhone.

June 23, 2009

Thanks!

- ODE Staff

The 5-foot-6 Flynn, a native of Cleveland, spent one year at Morehead (Ky.) State before transferring to Rend Lake. She averaged 14.3 points and 5.1 assists per game last year while earning all-Great Rivers Athletic Conference honors. She will be a junior for eligibility purposes.

Flynn is the second recruit of new Oregon women’s basketball head coach Paul Westhead, along with Kristi Fallin of Umpqua Community College. She joins Nia Jackson (redshirt junior) and Micaela Cocks (senior) at the point guard position.

–Robert Husseman

I talked to both Stavert and Gagnier this morning and both are excited, but are waiting to decide whether or not to leave the UO. Gagnier is 70-30 on staying and will wait until an offer comes, and Stavert will wait until they make him an offer as well. They have until August 17, according to Stavert.

I’m waiting on a reply back from head coach George Horton, and once I talk to him look for more on the ODE website at dailyemerald.com

According to baseball SID Andria Wenzel, three of the Duck’s recruiting class have also been drafted.  Tyler Matzek was drafted in the first round, Jake Marisnick in the third, and Braxton Lane in the seventh.

Here’s the scouting reports from goducks.com:

2009-10 University of Oregon Baseball Signed Recruits (as of June 8, 2009)

J.J. Altobelli • SS • R/R • 6-1 • 190 • Newport Beach,Calif./Woodbridge HS
Scouting Report: Led Woodbridge HS and finished fourth in the Sea View League with a .455 (40-for-88) batting average in 2009…also finished fifth in the SVL with a .659 slugging percentage and fourth with nine stolen bases…scored 29 runs with 17 RBIs, nine doubles, three triples and one home run…as a junior in 2008, led Woodbridge and the SVL batting .456…named first-team all-Sea View League and second-team all-county by OCVarsity.com…in 2008 had 41 hits, 26 runs scored, 13 RBIs, four home runs, a .515 on-base percentage and .722 slugging percentage.

Tim Berry • LHP • L/L • 6-1 • 150 • San Marcos, Calif./San Marcos HS
Scouting Report: Named to the all-Valley League second team as a junior in 2008…made 12 starts for San Marcos HS, pitching 58.0 innings and maintaining a 2.78 ERA…held opponents to a .205 average…led the San Diego area averaging 11.34 strikeouts per game (94 total).

Dylan Brown • LHP • L/L • 6-3 • 165 • Bonney Lake, Wash./Bonney Lake HS
Scouting Report: As a junior in 2008 was named to the 3A all-state team and second team all-South Puget Sound League (SPSL) 3A.

Brian Buckham • LHP • L/L • 5-11 • 185 • Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue Community College
Scouting Report: As a sophomore at Bellevue in 2009, pitched 53 and 2/3 innings with a 3.35 ERA and a 5-4 record, striking out 45…in the NWAACC Baseball Tournament, pitched nine innings of two-run baseball, while striking out nine, helping Bellevue to a 5-2, 14-inning victory over top-ranked Mt. Hood…the Bulldogs went on to win the NWAACC championship…as a freshman was 3-1 with 56 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched with a 2.43 ERA.

Brett Hambright • C • R/R • 6-1 • 200 • Corona, Calif./Riverside Community College
Scouting Report: In 2009 played in 43 games, making 41 starts for Riverside Community College…hit .313 (56-for-179) with 38 runs scored, 24 RBIs, 11 doubles, one triple and one home run…played in 11 games during 2008 for UC Riverside…was a three-time all-league performer at Corona Temescal Canyon HS…was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 34th round (1,040th overall selection) in the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Christian Jones • LHP • L/L • 6-2 • 175 • Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS
Scouting Report: His senior season helped Monte Vista HS to a 17-8 record…on the mound led the Mustangs with a 7-1 record in nine starts with a 0.64 ERA…struck out 98 while walking just 14…..named to the all-East Bay third team in 2008 as a junior.

Dylan Jones • OF • L/R • 6-0 • 165 • Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS
Scouting Report: A two-time (2008 & 2009) first team all-Foothill League selection…as a senior in 2009 helped Valencia to a 19-8 over record and a Foothill League title with a 12-3 conference record…hit .400 with 33 runs scored, 27 RBIs, seven doubles, four home runs, four triples, and a .633 slugging percentage…as a junior in 2008 led Valencia HS in batting average (.466), on-base percentage (.537), hits (41), doubles (10) and stolen bases (22).

Braxton Lane • OF • 5-10 • 195 • Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek HS
Scouting Report: A two-sport start at Sandy Creek HS, will also play football at Oregon…a switch-hitting outfielder with tremendous speed…Braxton’s father, Carl, played football at Oregon State (1985-86)…his uncle, MacArthur Lane, played for the Green Bay Packers in the early 1970s.
*Lane’s NLI was signed with the Oregon football program

Jack Marder • SS • 5-11 • 165 • Calabasas, Calif./Newbury Park HS
Scouting Report: Has played on the varsity team at Newbury Park HS since his freshman year and is the program’s all-time hits leader…in 2009 hit .427, leading the Panthers and ranking fourth in the Marmonte League…also led the league with six home runs and 24 stolen bases…finished his senior season with a .775 slugging percentage, a .527 on-base percentage, 37 runs scored, 21 RBIs, seven doubles and three triples…as a junior led the Marmonte League in batting average (.516) and on-base percentage (.602)…totalled 47 hits, 29 runs scored, 13 RBIs, 14 doubles, two triples and 15 stolen bases.

Jake Marisnick • R/R • OF • 6-4 • 200 • Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly Tech HS
Scouting Report: Baseball America ranks Marisnick as the 71st overall draft pick for the 2009 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft…hit .415 his senior season with 29 RBIs, nine doubles, one triple, five home runs, 22 stolen bases, a .514 on-base percentage and a .732 slugging percentage…a starting center fielder, Marisnick was also a two-sport athlete as an all-county and all-CIF Southern Section wide receiver in football as a junior…in 2008 on the diamond, led the Ivy League in three categories; batting average (.495), slugging percentage (.882) and on-base percentage (.535)…finished the year with 46 hits, 28 runs scored, 22 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, nine doubles, six triples and five home runs…named to the 2008 Jesse Flores Memorial Scout All-Star game.

Tyler Matzek • LHP • L/L • 6-3 • 215 • Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley HS
Scouting Report: Baseball America ranks Matzek as the No. 8 overall draft pick for the 2009 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft…arguably the top high school pitcher in the country…hit a solo home run to lead Capistrano Valley HS in a 1-0 victory over Edison HS in the CIF-Southern Section Division I championship game…led Capistrano Valley HS to a 26-6 record in 2009 and a 12-3 mark in the South Coast League…in 14 starts, Matzek sported a 13-1 record with a 1.16 ERA…struck out 106 while tossing five complete games and four shutouts in 86 and 2/3 innings.

Andrew Mendenhall • OF • 6-3 • 180 • Kennewick, Wash./Southridge HS
Scouting Report: Starting center fielder for Southridge HS in 2009, leading the Suns to a 19-6 record…in 2008 was a first-team all-area outfielder at Southridge HS…hit a team-leading .444 with 10 doubles, six triples, 23 RBIs, 29 runs scored and seven stolen bases…a two-sport athlete, Mendenhall quarterbacked the Suns (10-0) to the state playoffs last fall.

Kellen Moen • RHP • R/R • 6-2 • 165 • Redondo Beach, Calif./El Camino College
Scouting Report: Was named the South Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2009 after finishing his sophomore campaign with a 5-2 record and an 1.69 ERA in 64 innings pitched…tossed four complete games and struck out 54…as a freshman was named to the all-SCC first team after sporting an 8-2 record with a 2.74 ERA…dealt 106 strikeouts in 88 and 2/3 innings.

Steven Packard • OF • L/L • 6-1 • 185 • San Marcos, Calif./ Mission Hills HS
Scouting Report: Has played on the varsity team at Mission Hills since his sophomore season…was named second team all-CIF and the Valley League Player of the Year in 2008 after leading the Valley League in batting average (.473), RBIs (37), doubles (12), triples (6) and slugging percentage (.802)…also added 29 runs scored, two home runs and a .529 on-base percentage.

Marcus Piazzisi • OF • 5-11 • 180 • Placentia, Calif./Santa Ana College
Scouting Report: Named to the 2009 Southern California All-America team after helping lead Santa Ana College to the state playoffs with a 34-11 overall record and a 17-7 mark in the Orange Empire Conference…hit .370 (71-for-192) on the year in 47 starts with a team-leading 67 runs scored and 18 doubles…also added 49 RBIs, 10 home runs and four triples…finished 2009 with a .661 slugging percentage, a .470 on-base percentage and nine stolen bases…was also named to the Orange Empire Conference first team…in the state playoffs, hit .375.

Nothing has been set in stone, Oregon Director of Media Services Dave Williford said, especially with the Pac-10 annual meetings going on this weekend in California. 

“No subject is taboo,” he said concerning areas to cut costs. 

He said whether the Pac-10 or NCAA create legislation to ban the publication of media guides, Oregon could decide to cut them anyway. 

Oregon is one of only 19 athletic departments to make a profit, our ODE reporter Ben Schorzman wrote last week.  

The most profitable, Ohio State, is cutting its media guides, as is Michigan and Wisconsin. Williford said, however, Oregon wouldn’t be cutting their guides solely because the most profitable school is; it has been a proposal that has been on the table recently.

McCrea tore her anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and meniscus during the NCAA West Regionals, when she went down after attempting her second throw. Able to continue walking, McCrea continued the competition but did not throw further than her first attempt. She finished eighth in the regional but was an at-large qualifier for nationals.

McCrea threw a personal-best of 172 feet, 2 inches during the Oregon Preview, the 12th-best throw in the nation this year.

Cyrus Hostetler continues to rack up individual titles, though the distance isn’t ideal for the gravity of the meet. Hostetler’s fifth throw traveled 239 feet, 8 inches, besting Boise State’s Pontus Thomee by five inches. USC thrower Corey White, whose duel with Hostetler at the Pac-10 Championships was one of the early meet highlights, finished third with a throw of 237-7.

Alex Wolff finished fourth after throwing 233-5 on his fifth attempt. Oregon’s Britton Nelson threw 200-3 to finish outside the top 10.

Oregon jumper Vernell Warren hit a personal-best mark in the long jump on his fifth attempt, jumping 25 feet even to finish in third place, his spot at nationals secure. Vernell came into the regional ranked ninth in the long jump but got some help from the wind, blowing at 3.7 meters per second (non-legal).

Also, Oregon hurdler David Klech is nowhere to be seen for his 400m hurdles preliminary race. Klech finished a disappointing fourth in his heat at the Pac-10 Championships, and these may be linked.

Melissa Gergel wanted to prove that her Pac-10 Championship clearance of 14 feet, 2 inches was “no fluke”, and she did just that today, winning the pole vault competition with a clearance of 14-1 1/2.