Diamond Deal Alert: Ducks Net Carter Johnstone
The Oregon Ducks baseball team saw its 2026 season end in the NCAA Super Regionals against Texas, and now coach Mark Wasikowski has turned to the transfer portal to replenish the roster. The first pick-up is Vanderbilt infielder Carter Johnstone, a Bay Area native whose .344 average at Cal State Fullerton earned him a move to Nashville before returning west. At Vanderbilt he struggled to a .143 clip but returns as a versatile glove-first middle infielder. His arrival continues Ducks tradition of mixing local talent with portal finds. Meanwhile, Oregon braces for more turnover: Drew Smith and Devin Bell will exhaust eligibility, and prospects Maddox Molony, Ryan Cooney, and Cal Scolari sit in MLB Pipeline’s top 200, pointing to further departures. The program, which has placed at least three players in 14 straight drafts, must navigate a busy summer of roster churn ahead of its next College World Series push.
Who knew college baseball could look like an extreme game of musical chairs? One minute you’re swinging for the fences in Nashville, the next you’re packing your mitt for Eugene. It’s the amateur sport equivalent of a midlife crisis—but instead of a red convertible, you get a new school logo and a dorm room. And while Wasikowski is busy playing “Old MacDonald Had a Portal,” fans can only hope that swapping gloves and cleats winds up looking more like championship hardware than a reality-series train wreck.
Krstevski’s FIBA Showcase Ignites Ducks’ Summer Plans
Oregon signee Emilia Krstevski opened her FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup campaign by logging five points, six boards, two assists and a steal in Canada’s 104–40 rout of Puerto Rico. Her sharp outing in Irapuato, Mexico, kicks off a three-game group stage that could propel Canada straight to the semifinals. Back on campus, coach Kelly Graves is mapping out a grueling Big Ten schedule featuring travel-heavy matchups against powerhouses like Indiana, Maryland and UCLA. Offseason roster moves include the addition of Belmont’s Hilary Fuller and Minnesota transfer Mallory Heyer to bolster post depth, plus a top-10 national recruiting haul led by four-star guards Kennedy Holman and Brookylnn Haywood, forward Emilia Krstevski and rising guard La’u Pele Falatea. Oregon’s Ducks are nearly full on scholarships, with 12 of 15 spots locked down for 2026–27.
If college basketball recruiting were a soap opera, Graves would be its executive producer, headlining “Big Ten Baggage Claims” and “Transfer Portal Tinder.” One day you’re swiping right on a 6-foot-2 forward from Belém, the next you’re tripping over flight itineraries to face five conference opponents in a 30-day window. Meanwhile, freshmen sign letters of intent faster than you can say “airline miles,” and all anyone wants to talk about is how soon Krstevski can perfect her post moves—once she’s not busy learning the Oregon duck call.
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