WSU bats go silent in 4-0 loss to Oregon, sending Cougars to loser-out game in Eugene Regional

May 30-To make the program's first Super Regional, Washington State will have to take the long way.

In the final frame of a low-scoring affair in Saturday's Eugene Regional semifinals, Oregon used a three-run home run to blow open a 4-0 win over WSU, which managed just two hits all evening.

The Cougars will face Oregon State at 1 p.m. Sunday in a loser-out game. WSU took down OSU in a one-run win in Friday's regional opener.

"It hurts when you put so much into it," WSU coach Nathan Choate said in a postgame radio interview. "There's some things worse than losing, and one of the things for athletes is regret, and none of our kids in our program should have any regret with how they went about it today. I was proud of the effort, proud of how they went about it. You gotta tip your cap. Oregon pitched really well."

WSU starter Luke Meyers threw 7 1/3 innings of one-run baseball, allowing just five hits. He walked two and earned seven strikeouts. Even when he faced danger in the sixth inning, when Oregon put runners on first and second base with one out, he escaped by inducing an inning-ending double play.

On his watch, the Ducks' only scoring came courtesy of outfielder Jax Giminez, who singled through the right side to plate one run. That gave Oregon a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning.

The Cougars had plenty of chances to respond, but they didn't register their first hit of the night until the fifth inning, a single from catcher Cam Macleod. It was their second straight game going hitless through four innings, following their win over Oregon State on Friday. That time, it didn't bite the Cougs. This time, it haunted them.

Perhaps more importantly, WSU struck out 19 times. The Cougars went down on strikes 14 times against Ducks starter Will Sanford, who went 6 1/3 innings, permitting just one hit and issuing only two walks. Oregon's two relievers, Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell, combined for five more strikeouts, including just one hit for WSU in the game's final 2 2/3 frames.

That was the story of the game for WSU, which saw its comeback hopes all but vanish in the top of the ninth inning. On a breaking ball from Cougar reliever Scott Rienguette, designated hitter Naulivou Lauaki Jr. swung and blasted a ball an estimated 400 feet to right-center. PK Park erupted for the Ducks, the host school of this regional.

WSU will need to take down Oregon State on Sunday to keep its season alive.

"He was great. I thought he competed and gave us an opportunity, and he should have no regret," Choate said of Meyers. "I thought he was changing speeds and really pitching, giving us an opportunity. He should be proud of the effort."

If the Cougars hope to make an upset run at the regional final , they will likely give the starting nod for Sunday's game to right-handed senior Griffin Smith, who will be tasked with defanging a Beaver offense that woke up to earn a 9-2 win over Yale earlier on Saturday.

If Washington State responds with a win, the team will secure a rematch against Oregon in Monday's championship game. If the Cougars fall, their season will come to an end. Either way, it's been a turnaround season for Choate's bunch, which is in the program's first NCAA Tournament since 2010.

The Cougars are trying to make their first Super Regional - that round was introduced in 1999. To do so, they'll have to win two straight games against national powerhouses.

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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 11:38 PM.