Oregon's freshman class hopes to remain hot as softball faces loaded field at Mary Nutter Classic

CATHEDRAL CITY, Cal. — Through the first two weekends of the season, Oregon's freshmen have led the charge for the nation's second-most prolific offensive unit. Ranked as the 16th-best recruiting class in the country by Extra Inning Softball, the Ducks' freshmen have surpassed expectations, shouldering a significant offensive load during what has been a historic start to the season that saw multiple program scoring records fall.

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"They have some of the most softball IQ out of any freshman class," junior pitcher Elise Sokolsky said. "I think that just playing with that is such a boost in itself."

In Oregon's first 11 games, freshmen have accounted for 55 percent of the Ducks' RBIs, 33 percent of their runs scored, and 63 percent of their home runs, while combining to post an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of 1.244, a mark better than any team in the Big Ten.

"I think the most important thing that they can do is just keep it simple," head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "That's what I appreciate about this group is they've done a really good job of keeping it simple."

To start the season it was catcher Emma Cox, who blasted a pair of home runs in her second collegiate game en route to being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. This past weekend, it was Stefini Ma'ake who took home Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after swatting four homers across four games on Friday and Saturday.

While Cox and Ma'ake may have been the ones receiving conference-level attention for their early dominance, they're not the only young players whose talents have demanded playing time. The Ducks' highest-rated recruit Kaylynn Jones has combined strong glovework at the hot corner with a propensity to get on base, anchoring the top of the Oregon lineup from the two-hole. While she's still looking to tap more into her power with just a .389 slugging percentage, Jones has been one of the Ducks' top run-producers, tied with Cox for second on the team with 12 RBIs.

The other freshman who has recently taken on a larger role for the Ducks is Rylee McCoy. The No. 2 first base recruit in the country, she made the most of her first collegiate starting experience in Arizona. After receiving playing time off the bench in Oregon's first six games, McCoy was inserted into the starting lineup against North Dakota and proceeded to go on an absolute tear. Starting Oregon's final five games last weekend, McCoy recorded seven hits in 14 at-bats, including a pair of homers, as she drove in five runs.

"I've definitely been taking advantage of my opportunities," McCoy said. "Coming off the bench, I want to get that hit for my team or I want to pick up the person that I'm hitting for. Just passing the bat mentality, if I don't get a hit I know my other teammates will back me up and I'll do the same for my teammates."

In the circle, the Ducks traded one pitcher injury for another as sophomore Taylour Spencer made her return from an ankle injury but grad transfer Staci Chambers went down before the weekend started. Spencer tossed 10 ⅓ scoreless frames in Arizona, setting a career-high with five strikeouts in five no-hit innings in Oregon's win over North Dakota. The Ducks expected a healthy pitching staff heading into the weekend before a late injury cropped up for Chambers, who Lombardi hopes to see "continue to progress into this weekend."

With so much success driven by their youth, Oregon has flown somewhat under the radar this season, something Lombardi said she liked about her team before the season. Despite posting gaudy offensive numbers — the Ducks rank third in the country with 9.9 runs per game — Oregon still placed just 19th in the updated ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings.

Part of this has to do with the competition the Ducks have faced as thus far in 2025, Oregon has only faced a single power conference opponent, Arizona State, who beat them in extra innings. Per WarrenNolan.com, Oregon has faced the 130th toughest schedule in the country this season, leaving more questions as to the legitimacy of the Ducks' hot start.

Those questions should hopefully be met with answers this weekend as Oregon travels to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. A staple of the early-season college softball tournament scene, the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic hosts a slew of the nation's top teams each year, and 2025 is no exception.

"I've been going to the Mary Nutter since I was like 11 years old," said McCoy, who grew up in nearby Agoura Hills. "Knowing that the little girls that are asking me for autographs, I was once that little girl. I was thinking about it and it's so cool."

The Ducks will see a massive step up in competition this weekend as each of their five opponents were playing postseason softball in the NCAA Tournament a season ago. Oregon will face their first ranked opponent of the season, No. 5 Tennessee, on Thursday in addition to No. 22 Missouri and No. 23 San Diego State.

"I think our mentality shouldn't change because of the opponent," Lombardi said. "I think our mentality should stay the same regardless."

The Ducks will also get the opportunity to face a pair of former Pac-12 rivals Cal and Utah, now in the ACC and Big 12. Oregon won their season series with each team last season but will be looking to avenge a conference tournament loss to the Utes in their final Pac-12 game.

"I think just having the opportunity now that we're in the Big Ten to still play Pac-12 is important to all of us," Lombardi said. "I think you'll see us all continue to do that."

Across the first two weeks of the season, the Ducks haven't faced the level of competition that they will see in Cathedral City. For such a young team this will be an opportunity to be met with real adversity against some of the best that college softball has to offer. Last weekend, the Ducks bounced back from their first loss of the season with five straight wins. While a winning streak like that will be tough to come by against some of the best teams in the country, Oregon has a chance to prove that it belongs with the best of the best, and show up on radars across the country.

"I think this team's more than ready," Sokolsky said. "We've been putting in the preparation for the past nine months now. I feel us more ready than ever to just go out and compete, truly compete with these teams."