EUGENE — To his teammates, Bryce Boettcher is “Mr. Eugene.”

Yet in an alternate reality, the hometown outfielder-turned-linebacker from South Eugene High School was nearly on the opposing side of the in-state rivalry. But when a baseball recruiting visit to Corvallis didn’t materialize as planned, Boettcher committed to the Ducks and has since become a face of two UO sports

“I was told I was going to get an opportunity to walk-on (at Oregon State),” Boettcher said while recounting his 2019 baseball recruitment. “Coach calls me and says, ‘Hey I’m going to call you on Friday to set up your visit on a Saturday.’ Friday rolls around I never got a call and I was committing that Sunday to either Utah, Oregon or Oregon State for baseball.

“He calls me Saturday night and he’s like, ‘Hey man,

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