Oregon
Oregon Duck’s Softball to Face a Familiar Program in NCAA Tournament
EUGENE- Following a Friday run-rule victory over Boston University, the Oregon Ducks’ softball team is set for a tougher battle at their NCAA Regional in Norman. Still, Friday’s win comes after a disappointing loss in the Pac-12 tournament to Utah, highlighting the team’s resilience.
“The thing I know about this team, since I’ve been a Duck day one, is that the bounce back is always for real,” coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “These guys do a good job of learning from adversity — things that don’t go our way — and really turning it into a positive.”
This positive attitude was evident on the field. Pitcher Elise Sokolsky allowed just two hits and a walk over 5 Innings when Boston did not score. Sokolsky also struck out three different batters. Offensively, seven different Ducks scored or drove in runs, leading Oregon to a statement win over the Terriers.
“Honestly, it really inspires me … having that encouragement that I’m not just doing this for myself, I’m doing this for the people that are hitting, I’m doing this for the people that are working behind me too,” Sokolsky said. “So, it’s really just encouraging to see them put up their fight for me — their best fight — and I’m gonna put up my best fight for them, too.”
“You could see the bounce back we had, to come out and be ourselves. When we’re ourselves we score early, we allow our offense and defense to really work momentum back-and-forth with each other, and they just play free.”
– Melyssa Lombardi
Next, the Ducks will look to upset regional host Oklahoma on Saturday at noon PT. Oregon will be looking to overcome its history against the Sooners. Oregon and Oklahoma have met 16 times, with the Sooners holding a 10-6 edge in the all-time series. The Ducks won their last meeting in 2018 with a score of 5-0.
This game will be particularly interesting for coach Lombardi, who spent 23 years as a player and assistant coach at Oklahoma before taking her career to Eugene. While at Oklahoma, Lombardi helped coach the Sooners’ battery to a combined 20 All-America honors, 37 All-Region accolades, and 77 All-Big 12 awards. Sooner pitchers also racked up six Big-12 Pitcher of the Year awards during her time there.
Lombardi is not the only one in Oregon’s dugout with personal ties to Oklahoma. Former Sooner softball player Sydney Romera and former Oklahoma analyst Sam Marder are now assistants on Lombardi’s staff.
“[Romera] knows what kind of pitches I like and what I don’t like,” said Sooner outfielder Jayda Coleman. “But I think it’s really cool to see just like how we saw Hope and now we get to see Syd. It’s a good little reunion.”
In addition to Oregon’s success Friday, several Ducks were recognized for their outstanding seasons by being named to the NFCA All-Pacific Region teams. Here is a closer look at some of the Ducks’ standouts:
The Oregon Ducks softball team has a challenging matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday. The Ducks will rely on the strong performances of several key players, including NFCA All-Pacific Region honorees KaiLuschar, Ariel Carlson, Alyssa Daniell, Morgan Scott, Paige Sinicki, and Vallery Wong. With a strong showing in the first game and several talented players receiving regional recognition, the Ducks are well-positioned for a competitive second game in Norman.
The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
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‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
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