Oregon, ranked No. 11, will face No. 5 UCLA in the final weekend of the regular season as both teams compete for the Big Ten title, according to an April 29 announcement. Nebraska currently leads the conference with a record of 20-1, followed by UCLA at 19-2 and Oregon at 18-3. All three games between Oregon and UCLA will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
The matchup is significant because it could determine the outcome of this year’s Big Ten championship race, with all three leading teams closely matched in conference standings.
Oregon enters the series holding several notable achievements this season. The team is ranked ninth in RPI and has won its last fifteen Big Ten series dating back to last year. The Ducks have played one of the most challenging schedules nationally and have recorded eighteen come-from-behind victories this season. Additionally, they lead the NCAA with thirty-four sacrifice flies—a program record.
Individually, Lyndsey Grein stands out among her peers by ranking among the top four in nine different statistical categories within the Big Ten Conference. She leads in strikeouts (190), hits allowed per seven innings pitched (4.57), and appearances (39). Grein also ranks second in earned run average (2.15), WHIP (0.97), wins (23), and innings pitched (143.1). Her performance places her third for strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.88) and fourth for strikeouts per seven innings pitched (8.7).
Elon Butler has also set records this season by breaking both Big Ten and Oregon single-game marks with six hits against Iowa while leading her team with seventeen doubles—just one shy of tying a school record—and fifty-six runs batted in.
Other highlights include Ayanna Shaw nearing a school triples record after hitting her seventh triple on April 22 against Oregon State, which leads both the conference and ranks fifth nationally.
In recognition of individual achievements off-field, Amari Harper received a “Golden Ticket” from AUSL following a win over Washington on April 19 that guarantees her selection in an upcoming college draft scheduled for May 4.
Additionally, players Elon Butler, Lyndsey Grein, and Elise Sokolsky were named to AUSL’s reserve pool recently; these athletes are eligible to join AUSL teams if roster changes are needed due to injuries or national team call-ups.
