By Andrew Greif, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The Oregon Ducks tend to look forward to the regional round of the NCAA softball tournament, and not only because, for a sixth straight tournament, they will host a four-team regional in Eugene beginning Friday at Jane Sanders Stadium.

Home cooking is helpful.

So is a perfect record.

Ever since Mike White was hired as coach in 2009, Oregon is 21-0 in regional games. And UO hasn't just won so much as dominated, outscoring its regional opponents a combined 92-17 over the past five years.

This year, Oregon is the No. 3 national seed and will open the postseason Friday at 8:30 p.m. against Illinois-Chicago on an ESPNU broadcast. Wisconsin and Missouri play at 6 p.m., on ESPN.

If Oregon wins the regional, yet again, it will host a super regional for a fifth consecutive year in its attempt to advance to the program’s fourth Women’s College World Series in six seasons.

Even with their track record of success, the Ducks cautioned against thinking ahead to a super regional. UO lost numerous seniors from last season and have relied on freshmen all spring. For players like star pitcher Maggie Balint, who was one of four Ducks named to the all-Pac-12 first team Monday, this will be a brand-new experience.

“The key to this weekend is to never underestimate any opponent,” senior Danica Mercado said.

Who will be the regional’s pitchers and hitters to watch? How did each team reach Eugene? Find that and more in our guide to the Eugene Regional.

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Andrew Greif | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Path to the postseason: Oregon

Record: 47-6

National seed: No. 3

Conference finish: Runner-up, Pac-12

RPI: 2

How the Ducks have played at home: 21-2

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Path to the postseason: Illinois-Chicago

Record: 38-20

Conference finish: Champion, Horizon League

RPI: 130

How the Flames have played away from home: 23-18

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Path to the postseason: Wisconsin

Record: 33-15

Conference finish: Sixth, Big Ten

RPI: 45

How the Badgers have played away from home: 30-6

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Path to the postseason: Missouri

Record: 29-26

Conference finish: 11th, SEC

RPI: 31

How the Tigers have played away from home: 15-15

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Hitters to know

Alexis Mack, Oregon: Her .415 average is second-best in the conference and No. 38 nationally. Plus, she owns the Pac-12’s third-best on-base percentage (.500).

Nikki Udria, Oregon: Udria ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in both average (.400) and on-base percentage (.492) and leads the team with .85 RBI per game and 100 total bases.

Lexi Watts, Illinois-Chicago: Watts led the Horizon Conference by hitting .399 and her 75 hits were 16th-most in the nation.

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Chloe Miller, Wisconsin: With a .424 average (No. 30 in the country), .764 slugging percentage (No. 34) and one of the highest rates for triples, too (one triple every three games), Miller gets on base often and for her power. Her 0.9 RBI per game led the Badgers this season, just ahead of Brooke Wyderski’s 0.85 RBI average.

Regan Nash, Missouri: Her .348 average leads the Tigers.

Braxton Burnside, Missouri: The freshman has hit .302 while ranking fifth in the SEC in RBI (50) and tied for third in home runs (12).

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Pitchers to know

RHP Maggie Balint, Oregon: The freshman ranks 22nd nationally with 8.5 strikeouts per seven innings and 10th with an ERA of 1.13. Balint allows just 4.2 hits per seven innings, as well, which is 18th in the NCAA. At 19-3, her record ties with Megan Kleist for UO’s best. Opponents are hitting .165 against the hurler from West Grove, Pennsylvania.

RHP Megan Kleist, Oregon: UO has turned to Kleist for a team-leading 139 1/3 innings and she has delivered a 1.26 ERA and 19-3 record with opponents hitting .204 against.

RHP Elain Heflin, Illinois-Chicago: UIC’s staff of Karissa Frazier, Allie Trudeau and Heflin ranked first, third and fourth, respectively, in their conference in ERA this spring, with Frazier leading the way at 1.53, but Heflin is the strikeout master. Her 7.5 Ks per seven innings ranked 48th nationally and she allowed 4.9 hits per seven innings.

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RHP Kirsten Stevens, Wisconsin: Stevens has a team-best 2.19 ERA for a staff whose 2.64 team ERA ranks 64th nationally. A former Southern Conference pitcher of the year while at Mercer, Stevens has allowed 97 hits in 92 2/3 innings this season.

RHP Cheyenne Baxter, Missouri: The senior ranked 10th in the SEC with 111 strikeouts in 155 1/3 innings this season but control has been an issue, with 16 wild pitches and 13 hit batters.

RHP Danielle Baumgartner, Missouri: Despite a 3.93 ERA and 5.5 ERA, the sophomore righty has allowed just six doubles and 29 walks, which rank in the top-eight in the SEC in both categories.

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Tyson Alger/The Oregonian

Oregon's X-factor

Hitting for power: Oregon’s offense has been its overriding concern all season but the need for extra-base hits will be felt most acutely in the postseason, where UO won’t have the time to wait out a power surge like it would in a regular-season series. Oregon is averaging 6.5 runs per game, the seventh-highest average in the country, despite ranking 202nd in doubles per game, 92nd in triples and 49th in home runs.

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Illinois-Chicago's X-factor

Breaking through UO’s pitching: If Oregon’s offense is balky Friday night against the Flames’ staff which boasts the 27th-ranked team ERA, UIC will have a chance to stay close with the Ducks — but only if they can get their own hits. Though UIC is 12th nationally by hitting g b triple once every three games, it’s right around the Division I average in runs (4.3) and has struggled to hit doubles and homers, too.

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Wisconsin's X-factor

Patience at the plate: Wisconsin hasn’t overpowered opponents with its hitting but is excellent at creating opportunities with its patience. Its .395 on-base percentage (22nd nationally) has been keyed not by extra-base hits so much as the walks it has drawn. Two of the country’s best in that regard are Kelsey Jenkins and Chloe Miller, who draw 1.5 walks per game between them.

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Missouri's X-factor

The long ball: Behind Burnside's dozen home runs, the Tigers average nearly a homer per game. Mizzou isn't a standout hitting team across the board, with a team average of .283, but has instead relied on its power.

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Andrew Greif | The Oregonian/OregonLive

How and when to watch

All NCAA regionals are double elimination

Friday: Game 1: Wisconsin vs. Missouri at 6 p.m. PT, ESPN

Game 2: Oregon vs. UIC at 8:30 p.m., ESPNU

Saturday: Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Game 2, 2 p.m.

Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Game 2, 4:30 p.m.

Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. loser Game 3, 7 p.m.

Sunday: Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 4 p.m.

Game 7: If necessary, repeat of Game 6, 6:30 p.m.

Live updates of every Oregon game online at: Oregonlive.com/ducks

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More coverage

Oregon began the season 35-0 and tied the NCAA record for most consecutive victories to start a season, but then lost six times in eight games, a stretch White called "a little lapse." At that point, White believed the Ducks were "scraping" to get into the top eight seeds nationally.

"It felt like things were impossible a couple weeks ago," UO senior Danica Mercado said. "But we got the ball rolling."

Read more here.

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