George Horton

Oregon head coach George Horton, center, joins his players in saluting the fans following their 3-2 loss to Vanderbilt in an NCAA college baseball regional tournament game Sunday, June 1, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

(Mark Humphrey)

After giving up a run in the top of the first inning of an eventual series-clinching 3-1 win over UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Oregon Ducks coach George Horton said his team looked startled.

The first-inning run was deflating.

Even with a three-man lefty starting rotation that hasn't given up an earned run in 34.1 innings pitched and has a combined 4-0 record with an ERA under 1.00, the Ducks felt the pressure.

"The dugout kind of got quiet. That kind of shows you how not confident we are offensively right now," Horton said. "The deflation of one run in the first... and going 'ohhh, hope that doesn't beat us.' "

Simply put, the offense needs to get going, because the test is about to get much tougher.

No. 7 Oregon (8-2), which has five starters hitting under .200 early, heads out on the road for a pair of SEC challenges this week, facing Alabama on Thursday before a three-game series against hot-hitting No. 21 Mississippi State beginning Friday.

The four-game swing should provide a postseason atmosphere - and a few answers for the Ducks.

"Both of those are going to be fun environments, challenging environments. SEC baseball is on par with any of the conferences in the country," Horton said. "I'm sure we'll see good fans, good barbeque and good baseball."

Whether the Ducks or Bulldogs come away with the resume-boosting series victory, however, could come down to what type of "good baseball" is on display in Starkville: pitcher's duels or offensive showcases.

Oregon's rotation of Cole Irvin (2-0, 0.82 ERA, 27-to-2 strikeout-to-walk rate), Matt Krook (0-0, 1.59) and David Peterson (2-0, 0.45) has started among the top trios in the country, which hasn't surprised anyone in Eugene.

"We had high expectations for all three of those kids and I'd say so far - and it's early - they've lived up to the expectations," Horton said.

That group will face its toughest test of the young season this week, as Mississippi State's lineup boasts six starters hitting over .300, including junior catcher Jack Kruger, who is hitting .479 with 12 extra-base hits.

Oregon's starting rotation has rarely been the question. It's the run-manufacturing offense that needs to pick up steam.

"We have an offense we like to run. It's getting guys on and getting things moving, get guys over," lead-off man Austin Grebeck said. "When people are getting on it tends to work out."

The Ducks, hitting just .208 this season, would love for that to be the case in Starkville, but the Bulldogs have a strong rotation of their own, led by ace Dakota Hudson (1-1, 1.50 ERA).

Oregon has a few questions surrounding its club. After this weekend, the Ducks should have some answers.

-- Andrew Nemec

anemec@oregonian.com

@AndrewNemec