OKLAHOMA CITY — As Oregon's team bus made its way across the north end of college softball's hometown, on the way to USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium on Saturday morning, the Ducks were arrayed in their usual seating arrangement.
Up front were coaches and administrators. Behind them, equipment managers, athletic trainers and other staff. Then, the underclassmen, most of them quietly shielded behind bulky headphones. And way in the back, the team's veterans, a more boisterous group including Danica Mercado, Nikki Udria, Jenna Lilley and, generally most conspicuous of all, junior catcher Gwen Svekis.