Once again the Oregon-Oregon State series must decide
things this year. One season ago those two rivals were in the
same contesting position, each scrapping for the league pen
nant going into their final, bitter series. Whoever came out
with the victory was shooed into the throne room, while the
door banged shut on the unfortunate losers. Last year Hob
son’s Duck clipped the Orangemen in the issue-deciding tilt—
that clinched it for us.
P Just a wee bit different situation in the current conference
chase now though. Oregon State was the team which came
through so brilliantly on the rocky Inland Empire trip. They
squeezed past Idaho and Washington State twice and eluded
the powerful Washington Huskies only aftet a hard run, split
ting the series.
WSC Series Rough
Our Darling, Devastating Ducks ran into an unforseeu
power when they crossed the threshold of the Washington
State baseball arena and were swamped twice by the cagey
Cougars which all but knifed Oregon hopes in the heart. How
ever, a determined comeback on an upward swing in which
the locals KOed Idaho’s weak Vandals twice and a fine show
ing against Washington, still gives the Ducks a solid crack at
the title.
And so the focus will be on those vital Oregon-Oregon
State games this weekend. All other teams are out of it.
The first tussle is listed for Corvallis Saturday with the
return engagement on Howe field booked for a Monday
Rowing.
You can most assuredly count on an action-packed series,
no holds barred, things really wide open.
Last Look at Ducks
This scries finale will he the last glimpse you’ll get of Ore
gon’s grand little baseball aggregation. Whether they win or
lose the title, they still have captured the hearts of Oregon
fans with their firebrand, ball-swatting style of play. And the
record which the Ducks have compiled these last few years is
something at which no-one can sneer.
Pennants in 1942, 1941, 1939 — three in the last four
years—that’s the recent record of the Ducks which spells
baseball superiority in huge letters. And you can go far
ther back if you care to with the Hobsonites plucking off
the choicest plums season after season.
Up-and-Down
But the current gang is a unique unit—vastly different
than any of its predecessors. At times the club was terrific
t^y outstanding, like that day when they walloped Idaho 23
to 1 for the most one-sided score of late years. Other days ev
erything seemed to go wrong, Portland’s surprising 9 to 6 win
over a seemingly muscle-bound Webfoot machine as an in
stance.
They were hot and cold, on and off, mainly we ven
ture, because of the intermixture of green talent which
lacked the steadiness of last year’s veterans.
Always interesting to watch though, you'd never know
what to expect. But those erratic Ducks were superb more
times than they were miserable with the net result, a snug
position high in the upper division.
Bubalo-—Tops in Batters
For hitting precision you couldn't pick a better man than
Johnny Bubalo, the. versatile all-around guy. Whether Boob
is able to stay above the .500 mark or not for the entire sea
son, the long time that he dwelled in the lofty .700 and .800
bracket was enough to stamp him as the loop’s best hitter.
• Donny Kirsch is untouchable as a second sacker—tieid
r, hitter, and morale-builder—unexcelled. Bob Farrow
at short and Bill Hamel at third, two other vets who com
bined hitting with fielding goodies.
A green outfield with the exception of Lefty Dick Burns,
Art Murphy, Barney Koch, and Bob Caviness could match
any i nthe circuit. For batter}' strength Roy Carlson, though
inexperienced, did almost an iron-man catching stunt. Bitch
ing strength, Nick Beglerics. Bubalo, Hal Saltzman, and
A hitey Lokan and Bob Caviness who blossomed late in the
year, was on a par with any in the loop.
A real ball-playing outfit—and a bunch of swell fellows.
inevitable Swan Song
Soliloquoy on departure: Comes the time when a ,swan
song must be yodeled, when farewells must be made, and an
rg^oirs must be tossed thither and yon. A hat with the Univer
of Oregon as we know it today about to croak its death
rattle as spring term prepares to fold and as the draft, navy,
and marine corps reserves gather in the remaining Oregon
males with long, clutching, relentless fingers, that inevitable
swan song is coming up from yours truly.
By BILL DYER
Hail the champs of the 1943
intramural softball tourna
ment—Delta Upsilon. Led by
“King"’ Wren and “Crown
Prince” Billing the new throne
possessors overcame the chal
lenging Sigma Phi Epsilon
club Monday 3 to 2 in a bruis
ing, clawing wild contest.
Both clubs were out for the vic
tory and they fought tooth and
nail for eight long torrid innings
before the DUs finally broke
through to crack the 2-2 tie and
emerge victorious.
Again Bob Wren was the guid
ing light in the DUs victory.
“Birdie” hurled a no-hit ball game
but was the victim of miscues by
his teammates and the always
on-their-toes SPE crew capitaliz
ed on the misplays to push across
the two tallies that almost meant
the title.
Sigma Phi Epsilon was ahead
at the last half of the seventh
and final frame 2 to 1. Chris
tenson and Jones were easy
outs as Borthick, SPE chucker,
really bore down. Two down and
one mere out and the Sig Eps
would have the title.
But Wren was up and with two
strikes called on him he showed
the indomitable spirit that char
acterizes his play and he slammed
out a blazing single. As Borthick
started his windup for the next
pitch, Wren streaked for second.
Borthick turned and easily tossed
to second and it looked as though ,
Bob was an easy out. As Harms,
the second baseman, took the
throw, Burly Bob came tearing
into the base and knocked Mister
Harms off his pins and sent the
ball rolling into center field.
Up again and off for third Wren
tore into the third baseman and
sent him rolling in the dust as
the ball thrown from center trick
led harmlessly away.
Scored
Panting and heaving Bob round
ed third and scored standing up
to tie up the ball game, and send
the contest into extra innings.
In the overtime Wren set the
SPE club down one, two, three.
Now the DUs were up in a cru
cial moment. Dilling the first man
up found the range for his only
hit of the day and rapped out a
double.
Ginn struck out and then Kuf
ferman worked Borthick for a
walk. On a double steal Diil
ing took third and then here
tofore hitless Murphy came
through with a bounder through
the box to bring Dilling in from
third to give the DUs the game
and the championship.
Although defeated the Sig Ep.s
played inspired ball, and it was
only the wild base running of
Wren that spelled defeat. Mervin
Borthick hurled beautiful ball and
allowed only six hits and two
walks. He also pushed across the
SPE’s first score in the first
frame.
Harms brought in the other
tally in the fifth inning when he
stole home after reaching third
on a vfaik and an infield error.
He slid under Grab, DU catcher
MAN BEHIND THE WEBFOOTS . . .
. . . Coaching the Oregon YVebfoots in their drive for their fourth pen
nant in five years is Howard Hobson, well known Oregon mentor. The
Ducks ended their six-games-in-seven-days road trip yesterday against
the Washington Huskies.
ATTENTION!
Intramural golf first round
matches must be played be
fore Thursday, May 13. Sec
ond round matches must be
played before Saturday,
May 15.
Matches will be 18 holes
with four being singles. There
will be three points to a match,
one for the first nine, one for
the second nine, and one on
the 18 holes.
to put the SPEs out in the lead.
Winning Score
Dilling was the scoring hero of
the day with two important runs
to his credit. In the third he got
on base with a walk and after
advancing to third came in on a
bingle by Ginn. His other run was
the victory producing tally in the
fatal eighth.
It was a heart-breaker for the
SPEs to lose. This has been the
fourth year that they have gained
the finals only to lose out by a
small margin. They should be
given credit for playing a mag
nificent game, and gave Wren his
toughest game of the season.
The champs played great ball
and though behind at one time
were never out. They were un
doubtedly the best team in the
league and deserve the title of
“champs.”
A school to teach the Japanese
language to naval enlisted men
is in operation at the University
of Colorado.
Sincerely, though, it’s been a real pleasure to cover the
activities of Oregon’s athletics for the past three years. We
have met a lot of swell fellows, many of whom aren’t
around any more. The cooperation of the coaches has been
“swell” and this “job” hasn’t been nearly the chore it
might have been.
In parting allow us to wish "best of luck" to everyone and
hope for a quick reunion at the “U” at the end of this bloody,
distasteful mess called ‘Kvar.”
Ducks-Beavers
(Continued from par/c four)
The baseball gang from Cor
vallis also recently completed
the circuit of the northern teams
and came out with far happier
results than those achieved by
Hobby's pets. Those arrogant
Beavermen bopped Idaho and
Washington State twice and di
vided a pair of games with Wash
ington.
Oregon fared quite well, but
ran afoul of a WSC ambush and
before Br’er Duck could get his
little waddling body out of Pull
mantown, he was plucked clean.
Those two losses loomed' big, but
then the wily Webfoot scooted
into Moscow and cracked the
Vandals across the knuckles
twice and then did okeh for him
self in Seattle to once again
boost himself up in there as a
title contender.
Crown in Balance
So everything points to the
coming scries. The conference
crown lies in the balance with
the clawing Beaver and the
clutching Duck each grabbing at
it from opposite sides of the
fence.
Oregon’s best bet is to hope
that their big seige guns are
‘.veil primed and ready to fire
away as they did in that terrific
23 to 1 slaughter of Idaho.
Also, the Ducks will rely
heavily on their three top tvvirl
ers, Nick Begleries, Johnny
Bubalo, and Hal Salt/.man, to
put the hobbles on the OSC
sluggers who now and then
ring out quite vociferously.
Beaver Skipper Coleman will
probably pin his hopes on Heav
ers Don Cecil and Andy Frahler.
Cecil, best Orange twirler, was
the unfortunate vidtim of the
first Duck blast, whereas Frah
ler, ranked only as second-best,
managed to grab the win from,
our men in the second meeting.
Games will be at 3 o’clock.