The Underrated Stakes Behind Oregon vs. Washington In Big Ten Tournament

The No. 3-seeded Oregon Ducks now know their opponent for their Friday night Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals matchup. The Ducks will face their arch-rival, the Washington Huskies, in the quarterfinals as they look to make a run at a Big Ten Tournament title and lock up hosting a regional in Eugene for the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskies went 2-0 in the double-elimination bracket in upset fashion, beating the Ohio State Buckeyes 8-6 and Michigan Wolverines 7-1 to reach the quarterfinals. During the regular season, the Ducks went 2-1 against the Huskies, winning a three-game weekend series in Seattle from May 1 to 3. Now the Ducks will look to fend off Washington's run as a No. 11 seed in the quarterfinals.

Oregon Ducks College Baseball Big Ten Tournament Washington Huskies Michigan Wolverines Ohio State Buckeyes quarterfinals — Oregon infielder Naulivou Lauaki Jr. rounds the bases on a home run in the ninth inning as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on May 14, 2026, in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With six days of rest, the Ducks enter their quarterfinals matchup after a thrilling home series win over the USC Trojans that secured the No. 3 seed in the tournament.

The series included a thrilling 14-inning finale, which Oregon won 6-5. Sophomore catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus was the hero for the Ducks as his game-winning bunt sealed a fourteen-inning win for Oregon on Senior Day at PK Park.

The underrated stakes beyond the obvious rivalry, is that Washington has several players who are more than capable of making a bid to upset the Ducks and possibly ruin their regional hosting dreams. As it stands, Oregon is in the conversation to host an regional in Eugene but a win or two in the Big Ten Tournament would strengthen its case before Selection Monday.

Let's dive into those players.

Players to Watch For Washington Against Oregon

Oregon Ducks Washington Huskies College Baseball Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals Sam DeCarlo Jackson Hotchkiss Sam DeCarlo — Washington infielder Sam DeCarlo tags out Oregon infielder Drew Smith at second as the Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies on May 10, 2025, at PK Park in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During the regular season, the Washington Huskies finished with a 25-31 overall record and went 12-18 in Big Ten play. The Huskies are determined to upset the Ducks and keep their Big Ten Tournament run alive into the semifinals.

In their regular-season home series finale against the No. 1-ranked UCLA Bruins, the Huskies pulled off the 8-0 upset in Game 1 at Husky Ballpark, before being dominated in Games 1 and 2. Washington will look to reignite the same energy it had in Game 1 of their series against UCLA to upset Oregon in the quarterfinals.

Players to watch for Washington include sophomore outfielder Jackson Hotchkiss, who leads the Huskies in home runs this season with 20. In 45 games played this season, Hotchkiss also recorded 63 hits, 47 runs, and 47 RBI’s.

Senior infielder Sam DeCarlo is another player for the Huskies. During this season, he has recorded 61 hits, 37 runs, 37 RBI’s, and seven home runs. The Huskies look to rely on these two players to upset the Ducks on Friday night in the quarterfinals.

Washington enters Friday night's tournament matchup with momentum and the Ducks, with rest hope to cool down the red-hot Huskies, while not showing any signs of rust since their last game against USC.

How to Watch Big Ten Quarterfinal Matchup

Oregon Ducks College Baseball Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup Washington Huskies NCAA Tournament Regional Eugene — Oregon pitcher Cal Scolari throws a pitch as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on May 14, 2026, in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The first pitch for the quarterfinals matchup between the Ducks and Huskies is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, with the game broadcast on the Big Ten Network. After falling short of a Big Ten Tournament championship last year after winning the conference regular-season title, the Ducks are looking to capture the tournament title this time around.

In just their second year in the conference, winning the Big Ten Tournament would be huge for coach Mark Wasikowski’s Oregon baseball program. Winning a conference title would secure the Ducks hosting an NCAA Tournament Regional in Eugene for the second consecutive season.

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