BERKELEY – California is ready to kick things into high gear as it prepares for possibly the most competitive slate of its season, Pac-12 play.
 
Arguably the strongest conference in the nation with seven teams ranked in the top-25 polls, including four members listed in the top10, the No. 23/20 Golden Bears (17-5) will see more ranked opponents in conference play than in their opening 22 games.
 
Out the gate, Cal needs to run all cylinders as they head to Eugene, Ore., to visit the reigning Pac-12 champions and third-ranked Oregon Ducks (24-0) for a Friday-Sunday series.
 
Friday's game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. (PT) start, while Saturday's contest will kick off at 2 p.m. (PT), and Sunday's closing game at noon (PT). Live stats will be available on CalBears.com and a live stream available via Pac-12 Network.
 
Cal is coming off a two-game homestand where the team blanked Lehigh 7-0, before falling 10-0 to No. 8/9 Minnesota. The loss against the Golden Gophers marked the second occasion in which the Bears were shut out by a ranked opponent this season.
 
Despite struggling at the plate recently combining for just five hits through the last two contests, the Bears have found the plate 112 times, while limiting their opponents to 67. Collectively, Cal is batting .289, edging its opponents' .251 avg. at the dish.
 
Scouting Oregon
Cal has gone 5-1 in the past three seasons with Oregon, though the Bears lead the all-time series 78-47.
 
The undefeated Ducks, are coming of a five-game week, where they served four run-rules and a trio of shutouts. In their most recent outing, the Ducks downed Hofstra 12-1 in five innings at home, where they won five contests so far this season.
 
Oregon is led at the plate by trio Sammie Puentes, Alexis Mack (.500) and Darya Kaboli-Nejad (.500) who all bat at least .500.  Although not a regular starter, Puentes (.579) has accumulated 10 runs and six RBIs, while Kaboli has made an appearance in 10 contests and collected six runs and two RBIs. Mack, who's played in all but one game for the Ducks, accounts for 24 runs and 10 RBIs.
 
The success at the plate for Oregon extends through the team with another trio boasting a .400-plus batting average and a handful of Ducks with .300-plus batting average to combine for .384 average as a team while limiting opponents to a .182 average.
 
Senior Nikki Udria (.473) has also been vital in Oregon's success accounting for 25 runs and 29 RBIs, a team high. Her efforts are mirrored by fellow senior by Danica Mercado (.493) with a team-high 30 runs and 12 RBIs.
 
In the circle, Oregon brings a triple threat of underclassmen with sophomore Meagan Kleist leading with a 0.77 ERA and 8-0 record, while freshman pitcher Maggie Balint totals a 1.11 ERA across 56.2 innings pitched. Freshman Miranda Elish boasts a 1.62 on the mound to round out the pitching corps.
 
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