The Duck Report: A Hollywood test

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The Oregon Ducks baseball team has a fantastic opportunity this weekend to see how it stacks up against the best.

The best team and, quite possibly, the best pitcher.

The No. 13 Ducks travel to Los Angeles to face No. 1 UCLA, a team that enters the weekend 24-0 in conference play, 44-4 overall and with Logan Reddemann scheduled to take the mound for Friday night’s series opener.

Reddemann is 8-0 this season with a 2.87 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 59.2 innings. His fastball has touched 99 mph, and he pairs it with a changeup and an effective cutter to keep hitters off-balance.

He’s a projected first-round pick — and the type of arm Oregon’s potent lineup is going to have to solve if it wants to turn a good season into a great one.

The Ducks are 35-12 overall and have already proved they can hit. This weekend offers a different kind of test: three games against the country’s top-ranked team, with the postseason nearing and Oregon’s ceiling still to be determined.

“This is an interesting one just because of how they’ve played this year,” Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski said. “They’ve got records and stuff that they’re trying to break, so there’s different and unique storylines with this one from their standpoint. And from our standpoint, it’s just to go down there and beat them three times.”

A new kind of insurance

Dylan Raiola throws a pass during the spring game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, April 25, 2026. Credit: Isaac Wasserman / Lookout Eugene-Springfield / Catchlight / RFA

The city of Eugene is certainly familiar with the feeling of having an elite quarterback return for one last ride up a mountain of expectations. Marcus Mariota did it in 2014, Justin Herbert in 2019 and Bo Nix in 2023 — in each instance taking the Ducks further, with better personal stats, than the year before.

It’s Dante Moore’s opportunity now. He’ll be trying to improve on 13 wins and one of the better statistical seasons in Oregon history with an offense that returns many of its key pieces.

Mariota, Herbert and Nix knew that pressure.

The experience for Moore, and the 2026 Oregon Ducks, will be unique, however.

And you could tell just from the way Dylan Raiola looked sitting in the same seat Moore would later occupy in the press room after the spring game.

“I felt comfortable,” the Nebraska transfer said. “There’s still room to grow.”

Skin in the game

Elon Butler became the first Duck in history to hit for the cycle on Saturday. Credit: Rob Moseley

No. 2-seed Oregon softball kicks off the Big Ten Tournament this week in Maryland by facing No. 7-seed Wisconsin today at 1:30 p.m. The Ducks enter the tournament fresh off taking two of three at UCLA, marking Oregon’s 16th consecutive Big Ten series win.

Here’s the bracket:

And here’s a story about Elon Butler, the aspiring tattoo artist who has left quite the mark in her one year in the Big Ten.

Duck of the Week

Kai Graves-Blanks, Men’s Track

Kai Graves-Blanks was named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week after winning twice and posting three top-10 Oregon marks at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson.

Graves-Blanks led off Oregon’s 4×100 relay, teaming with PJ Ize-Iyamu, Grant Valley and Jaelon Barbarin to set a school record of 38.59. The time leads the Big Ten and ranks No. 2 nationally this season.

He also ran a personal-best 13.28 in the 110 hurdles, moving to No. 2 all-time at Oregon, and added a 20.59 in the 200 to crack the Ducks’ top-10 list.