Oregon baseball left PK Park making a statement with the victory over #2 UCLA, 4-3, ending their series Sunday. The win ends the regular season and gave the Ducks its second consecutive walk off win, putting their names in NCAA talk.

The Story: Oregon took an early 1-0 lead with Phil Craig-St.Louis and Scott Heineman delivering a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Cuddy. This allowed Daniel Patzlaff to bring home St.Louis with a groundball to the shortstop.

The Bruins were able to make a small comeback in the fourth with a home run by Kevin Kramer. However, Oregon’s Heineman hit his own home run in the bottom of the inning, giving the Ducks the lead, 2-1.

The rain held off just long enough for Oregon baseball to take the victory over Gonzaga, defeating them 2-1. This win completed their series with the Ducks earning a clean sweep as well as their fourth win in the last five games.

Although the victory kept the Ducks hopes alive to move into postseason play, they won’t be able to afford losing more than two of their last seven games if they want a shot at the NCAA regionals.

“We needed those two games," outfielder Phil Craig-St.Louis said. "We need every game. We'll go out there and compete for every inning, every pitch, and try to make it."

Every so often, someone comes along whose very nature causes a widespread ripple effect.  In this case, the source of that effect stemmed from none other than Marcus Mariota. The 2015 second round NFL draft pick is traveling cross country to become a Tennessee Titan. Last Thursday, GoDucks.com (Oregon’s main athletic website) released a dedication feature, in which every Oregon sport shared a “Thank You” to Marcus for his time spent at the university.

The feature showcased what I call the “Mariota Effect”, highlighting the humility, leadership, and success represented by the Heisman Trophy winner, which overflowed into the university, the community, and the nation.