Oregon Ducks Baseball Adds Quarterback From the Football Team for Pivotal Series

The Oregon Ducks are adding another two-sport athlete to their athletic department.

Quarterback Mark Wiepert was added to Oregon baseball’s roster as a catcher after the conclusion of spring football practice.

The move reunites Wiepert with the sport many originally expected him to play at the collegiate level before his recruitment shifted toward football.

Silverton's Brody Kuenzi (11) sacks Wilsonville's Mark Wiepert (1) during the semifinals of Class 5A OSAA state playoffs at McMinnville High School on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in McMinnville, Ore. | Kevin Neri/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mark Wiepert's Baseball Recruiting Profile

Coming out of Wilsonville High School, Wiepert was viewed as one of the top overall athletes in the state regardless of sport. While Oregon signed him as a quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, baseball may have been where his national profile first developed.

Perfect Game ranked Wiepert among the top baseball prospects in Oregon, and he initially committed to Oregon State before later committing to the Ducks’ football program.

The 6-foot-2 athlete redshirted during his first season with Oregon football and enters 2026 in a crowded quarterback room led by Dante Moore. With quarterbacks Dylan Raiola, Brock Thomas and Akili Smith Jr. also competing for reps, Wiepert’s clearest path to immediate competition may now come on the baseball field.

Oregon Ducks Baseball Outlook

Oregon Ducks Baseball Adds Quarterback From the Football Team for Pivotal Series — Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski looks on as the Oregon Ducks host the Youngstown State Penguins on Feb. 19, 2026, at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That opportunity comes at an important point in the season for coach Mark Wasikowski’s team. No. 13 Oregon sits at 35-12 overall with two major series remaining before postseason play begins.

The Ducks travel to face the No. 1 UCLA Bruins over the weekend before returning home for a matchup against the No. 18 USC Trojans.

Whether Wiepert factors into the lineup this season remains unclear, but his addition gives Oregon another option behind the plate. Freshman Brayden Jaksa and sophomore Burke-Lee Mabeus have handled catching duties throughout the season and are currently the only Ducks catchers with in-game experience this year.

Wiepert’s athletic background suggests the transition may not take long.

As a senior at Wilsonville, he hit .554 with six home runs, 10 doubles and 60 RBIs while earning first-team all-state honors and Class 5A Co-Player of the Year recognition. On the football side, 247Sports ranked him as one of the top prospects in Oregon’s 2025.

Two-Sport Athletes at Oregon

Wiepert's decision to compete in two sports also places him alongside several notable names in Oregon history.

George Shaw became the school’s first two-sport all-American as a quarterback and outfielder, while Joe Gordon played football and baseball at Oregon before building a Hall of Fame MLB career that included nine all-star selections and five World Series championships with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians.

More recently, Oregon native Bryce Boettcher competed in both football and basketball for the Ducks.

While two-sport athletes have become increasingly rare in college athletics, Oregon is once again giving one of its young athletes the opportunity to compete in more than one arena.

The Ducks baseball team will start a three-game series against UCLA on Friday, May 8. The first game starts at 7:02 p.m. PT on Friday and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

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