Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
7-10-1, 1-3
#21 Oregon
18-3, 6-1
‘Cats Drop Series Opener at No. 21 Oregon
3/20/2026 9:01:00 PM | Baseball
EUGENE, Ore. – Northwestern fell to No. 21 Oregon, 20-6, in the series opener on Friday night at PK Park.
No. 21 Oregon (18-3, 6-1 Big Ten) took a commanding lead early with 10 runs on eight hits in the bottom of the first.
INF Noah Ruiz slugged his third homer of the season, a solo shot to right field in the top of the second to put Northwestern (7-10-1, 1-3 Big Ten) on the scoreboard. Ruiz's homer gave him his team-high 16th RBI of the season.
The Ducks continued to add on with three in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth and four in the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, INF Owen McElfatrick mashed his third homer of the season, a three-run home run to left-center field. The homer, the 27th of McElfatrick's career, moved the Tampa, Fla., native into a tie for fifth place in program history with Joe Hietpas (1998-01, 27).
Northwestern added two more runs in the seventh. OF Carter Danz notched his first career RBI, scoring OF Marty Kaplan with a sacrifice fly and INF Ryan Kucherak scored on a wild pitch.
RHP Will Sanford (4-0) worked 5.0 one-run innings for the Ducks, allowing one hit and three walks, striking out eight.
Game two of the weekend series is slated for 4:05 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon. RHP Garrett Shearer is scheduled to make the start for the Wildcats, and RHP Collin Clarke set to toe the rubber for the Ducks.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sanford, W (4-0)
L: Weaver, Ryan (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Kucherak, Ryan 1
HR: Ruiz, Noah 1 ; McElfatrick, Owen 1
RBI: Danz, Carter 1 ; Ruiz, Noah 1 ; McElfatrick, Owen 3
SF: Danz, Carter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kaplan, Marty 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Ruiz, Noah 1 ; Brocklebank, Noah 1 ; Ramos, Josh 1 ; McElfatrick, Owen 1
HBP: de Groot, Logan 1
Batting:
2B: Smith, D 1 ; Holley, T 1 ; Laya, A 1 ; Brooks, J 1
HR: Hellman, D 2 ; Laya, A 1 ; Brooks, J 1
RBI: Cooney, R 1 ; Hellman, D 2 ; Lauaki, N 1 ; Smith, D 1 ; Holley, T 2 ; Laya, A 5 ; Schleichardt 1 ; Molony, M 2 ; Miranda, G 1 ; Brooks, J 4
SF: Cooney, R 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cooney, R 3 ; Gimenez, J 3 ; Hellman, D 2 ; Smith, D 2 ; Holley, T 1 ; Laya, A 2 ; Molony, M 1 ; Mabeus, B 2 ; Miranda, G 2 ; Brooks, J 2
HBP: Gimenez, J 2 ; Smith, D 1 ; Mabeus, B 1 ; Brooks, J 1
