The Oregon Ducks' quest to reach the College World Series for the first time since 1954 is set to begin Friday night at PK Park when they open the Eugene Regional against the Yale Bulldogs. In what is the second consecutive season featuring the Ducks hosting an NCAA Tournament Regional in Eugene, the Ducks are looking to get off to a stronger start against the Bulldogs. Last season, the Ducks went 0-2 in the Eugene Regional, losing to the Utah Valley Wolverines and the Cal Poly Mustangs. Their early exit in the Eugene Regional was not the performance Oregon fans were hoping for. LIVE SCORE UPDATES PREVIEW 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 ImagesThe Ducks enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 11 overall seed and among one of college baseball’s best with a 40-16 overall record and went 20-10 in conference play. Oregon enters its tournament opener against Yale fresh off an impressive performance in the Big Ten Tournament, in which the Ducks made a run to the title game and almost knocked off the No. 1-ranked UCLA Bruins, falling 3-2 in eleven innings. Coach Mark Wasikowski’s Oregon group put on a dominant showing on the mound, and their batting was red hot. During the Ducks' two Big Ten Tournament wins leading up to the title game against the Washington Huskies and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon starting pitchers Will Sanford and Cal Scolari put on a show, each recording a shutout. Oregon outfielder Angel Laya, center, and Oregon infielder Naulivou Lauaki Jr., left, celebrate a home run by Laya as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers on March 3, 2026, at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThe performance of Oregon’s pitching, especially from both Sanford and Scolari, will be the key to the Ducks advancing past the Eugene Regional and having a shot of making it to the CWS in the Super Regionals, which could also be held in Eugene. Offensively, the Ducks' hitting has been difficult for opposing teams to stop. In their two Big Ten Tournament wins, the Ducks outscored their opponents 17-4 en route to the title game. In three Big Ten Tournament games, the Ducks recorded 10 total home runs. Several of those home runs came on back-to-back at-bats for the Ducks. Oregon’s Naulivou Lauaki Jr., center right, celebrates a home run 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 ImagesOne of the biggest keys for Yale to pull off the upset on Friday night against the Ducks is to shut down Oregon’s offense. Yale, in a regional that features two other former Pac-12 rivals of Oregon, the Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars, is poised to prove they have what it takes to make a run as the Ivy League champs.Fresh off their Ivy League Tournament title win over the Brown Bears, Yale enters the Eugene Regional with a 30-13-1 overall record. Several players look to help the Bulldogs upset the Ducks, one of them is junior outfielder Kaiden Dossa, who is the Bulldogs' leading home run hitter.Dossa enters Friday night’s matchup with six home runs, 54 hits, and runs, along with 40 RBI’s this season. With the Ducks' pitching having been so hard for opposing teams to have success against recently, a home run by Dossa on Friday night could light a spark for the upset-minded Bulldogs. Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow