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No. 13 Oregon baseball blasts No. 3 Beavers, sets up chance to sweep rivalry series

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No. 13 Oregon baseball blasts No. 3 Beavers, sets up chance to sweep rivalry series


EUGENE — As he analyzed his team’s tone-setting series-opening victory on Friday night, Oregon baseball coach Mark Wasikowski stressed that the Ducks had not yet come close to showing their immense potential.

“We’ve got a good record, like, a really good record …,” he said. “But they still feel like they’re way better than what we’ve shown on a consistent basis. You’ve got to put a complete product together on a consistent basis for us to be able to make that claim. And so until we can show that on a regular basis, people are going to question it. And they’ve got a right to.

“But the locker room feels like they got a lot more to show.”

It would be pretty hard to top what the No. 13 Ducks showed Saturday night.

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Oregon handed the rival Oregon State Beavers their worst defeat of the season, administering an embarrassing 13-1 back-alley beat-down before 4,278 at PK Park in Eugene.

The Ducks blasted four home runs, put crooked numbers on the scoreboard in five different innings, and rode another dominant starting pitching performance to their fourth consecutive win in the rivalry series, clinching their first weekend series triumph over the Beavers since 2021.

Oregon (29-12) entered the series looking to pad its postseason resume and reinforce the internal belief that it is capable of making a special late-season run. The Ducks did that and then some on Saturday, when they chased electric OSU right-hander Dax Whitney after three innings, built a commanding 9-0 lead and scored in five of the first six innings, blasting their way to the most lopsided win over the Beavers since resurrecting the baseball program in 2009.

“It’s nice to win the series in the first two games, but we’re after the sweep,” Ducks center fielder Mason Neville said. “So taking the win, brushing it off and maintaining the mindset we’ve had the past two games of just dominating every pitch and continuing to do that. That’s the best way to go about it and we plan on doing that tomorrow.”

The Ducks opened up a 2-0 lead seven pitches into the bottom of the first inning, when No. 2 hitter Dominic Hellman belted a first-pitch fastball to deep center field for a two-run home run. It was only the beginning. Oregon went on to blast three more homers, as Neville, Jacob Walsh and Maddox Molony each added two-run shots, punctuating an explosive performance.

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Eight different Ducks recorded a hit and four finished with multi-hit nights. Drew Smith went 3 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs, Ryan Cooney finished 3 for 5 with two runs scored, Molony went 2 for 5 with three RBIs and Hellman went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Neville and Walsh hit their second homers of the series and Neville’s was his nation-leading 21st of the season.

All the while, sophomore right-hander Collin Clarke (3-2) bewildered the Beavers (32-9) for six impressive innings, allowing just one run and four hits to earn his first win since March 15. Clarke, who finished with four strikeouts, carried a shutout into the sixth inning and retired 11 consecutive batters during one dominant stretch.

Whitney (3-3), on the other hand, struggled to control a 97-mph fastball and throw his curveball for strikes on the way to one of his worst outings of the season. He surrendered four runs, four hits and four walks in three innings, taking it on the chin in what OSU coach Mitch Canham called a “learning moment.”

“Our lineup in general is pretty special,” Neville said. “I think we have the chance to really do some big things this year. And I mean, to go out and have your 1-2-3 all hit two-run home runs, it’s pretty tough to do. It just puts pressure on the other team and puts pressure on the pitcher. And, I mean, they don’t want to throw to us, it seems like. So, yeah, it’s a lot of fun to be a part of winning by 12.”

As for the Beavers, there wasn’t much fun in the third base dugout at PK Park. And when the team gathered for a lengthy postgame chat in left field to dissect the debacle, it was one of the topics Canham addressed.

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“I’ve noticed we play our best when our guys are having a lot of fun,” he said. “Being behind in the games, yeah, that can create difficulty having fun or opening up to that. But what really creates fun is knowing that you have those guys next to you, that you’re playing baseball, that you’re part of the best program in the country.

“We were punched in the mouth pretty hard. Now it’s time to take this as a learning moment to bring us closer together, not further apart.”

Next up: The Beavers and Ducks finish their weekend series Sunday afternoon at PK Park. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.

— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | @freemanjoe.bsky.social | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.





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Oregon Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 4 results for May 29

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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 29, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 29 drawing

19-24-47-59-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 29 drawing

1PM: 6-7-9-9

4PM: 4-3-8-0

7PM: 1-2-5-0

10PM: 3-9-9-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
  • Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Oregon childhood vaccination rates fall to record low as exemptions reach new high

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Oregon childhood vaccination rates fall to record low as exemptions reach new high


Oregon’s childhood vaccination rates have fallen to their lowest levels on record, while the number of parents claiming nonmedical vaccine exemptions continues to climb, according to newly released data from the Oregon Health Authority.

The agency reported on Thursday that 85.6% of Oregon kindergarteners were up to date on required vaccines during the 2025-26 school year.

At the same time, the nonmedical exemption rate reached a record high of 10.9%.

State health officials say the trend is raising concerns about the potential for outbreaks of highly contagious diseases, including measles and whooping cough.

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“Although the vast majority of families in Oregon are still choosing to protect families through vaccination, the downward trends are deeply concerning,” said Dr. Howard Chiou, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at OHA. “We risk seeing the return of diseases such as measles and polio—diseases of the past that once caused widespread harm but are entirely preventable with vaccines.”

READ ALSO | Oregon State study raises concerns about AI’s impact on student thinking skills

The statewide numbers tell only part of the story.

According to OHA, more than one in three Oregon schools with at least 10 students have measles vaccination rates below 95%, the threshold public health officials say is needed to help prevent outbreaks through community immunity.

Chiou said those exemption rates, combined with lower vaccination coverage at some schools, are increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.

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The concerns come as Oregon and the nation are seeing increases in vaccine-preventable diseases.

OHA says the nonmedical exemption rate for the second dose of the measles vaccine has nearly doubled over the past decade, rising from 4.9% to 9.4%.

The state also recorded 1,475 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, in 2025, the highest total in 75 years.

What could happen if the trend continues?

Dr. Alanna Braun, a pediatrician at OHSU, said declining vaccination rates increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks.

“The thing that really stands out to me the most is just sort of the trend of just ongoing decreased immunization rates across our state and seeing how many schools here in Oregon are now at risk for major outbreaks of some really serious illnesses,” said Braun.

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Braun said communities become more vulnerable when vaccination rates fall below the level needed to prevent the spread of disease.

READ ALSO | Council passes Portland Arts Tax update, increasing fee & changing exemption threshold

She noted that outbreaks can affect more than just unvaccinated students.

“A lot of kids have infant siblings at home who are not able to be vaccinated,” Braun said. “Certainly, there are kids in all of these schools who are unable to be vaccinated, kids who are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. There are teachers who are immunocompromised for various reasons.”

Braun said the long-term outlook is concerning if vaccination rates continue to fall.

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“As we’re seeing reduced rates of immunizations, I think it’s more and more likely that we are gonna see some of these preventable illnesses with more frequency,” she said.

What parents can do

OHA is encouraging parents to check vaccination rates at their child’s school and talk with their healthcare provider if they have questions about vaccines.

“We want to empower families to make informed decisions,” said Chiou. “We want parents to revisit and reconsider their decisions because the situation in Oregon has changed.”

Parents can view vaccination and exemption rates for individual schools using OHA’s School Immunization Data Dashboard.



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Organization seeks to repeal Oregon waterway access permit changes

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Organization seeks to repeal Oregon waterway access permit changes


PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Starting in 2026, a new law in Oregon requires all non-motorized boats, regardless of size, to buy and carry a waterway access permit. That includes paddleboards and kayaks.

But there has been some push back from one organization.

Ben Roche is part of Let Us Paddle. The organization aims to repeal the updates to the waterway access permit.

“It’s Oregonians constitutional right to free access to our waterways. And human powered watercrafts are the best way to do that, and the least environmentally impactful,” said Roche.

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According to the Oregon State Marine Board, permit fees range from $6 to $35.

If you’re caught without a permit, there’s a $115 fine.

The state agency says the funding goes directly to two programs.

One supports aquatic invasive species watercraft inspection stations and the other improves access points to the water that specifically serve paddlers.

“There is a need for inspection and we support that. What we don’t support is charging recreational paddleboarders for cleaning of motorboats that enter our state,” said Roche.

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Roche adds, the state is only funding a few dozen access points.

Let Us Paddle has collected at least 20,000 signatures, and they want about 130,000 more by July 2.

They need at least 120,000 verified signatures to put the repeal before voters on the November ballot.

But even if they don’t meet the requirement, Roche says he’ll keep pushing for change.

“I think it’s really a poorly crafted bill that collects a small drop in the bucket of revenue but impacts thousands of recreational kayakers across the state,” said Roche.

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FOX 12 reached out to the Oregon State Marine Board to ask more questions, but have not yet to heard back.

Copyright 2026 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.



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