Oregon quarterback joining baseball team as catcher
Add another multi-sport athlete to the list for the Oregon Ducks .
Quarterback Mark Wiepert was added to the Oregon baseball roster on Wednesday as a catcher. Now that the Oregon football spring practice window has officially closed, the opportunity presented itself for Wiepert to go back to the diamond, where he was originally slated to spend his college days.
As a senior coming out of Willsonville High School, Wiepert was committed to playing baseball at Oregon State, which has established a reputation as one of the top baseball programs on the West Coast. However, he flipped his commitment to the Ducks and swapped out the catcher's mask for a set of shoulder pads in December 2024. Wiepert was the No. 12 player in the state of Oregon in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247 Sports.
Wiepert has spent the spring battling in Oregon's deep quarterback room. In a room that includes Dylan Raiola , Brock Thomas and Akili Smith Jr., the chances for Wiepert to elevate within the room are small, but not impossible.
On the baseball field, Wiepert was a star in high school. He earned first-team All-State honors in 2024 and was the Class 5A Co-Player of the Year in 2025. During his senior season, Wiepert hit .554 with six home runs, 10 doubles and four triples. Wiepert drove in 60 RBI and amassed a 1.464 OPS in just 30 games.
Oregon has found mutual success on the football and baseball fields in the past. Bryce Boettcher walked on to both teams and was drafted in both sports. Boettcher won a Gold Glove in center field for the Ducks and led Oregon with 136 tackles last season. Wiepert's situation is a bit different since it's tougher to rotate quarterbacks and catchers as often as outfielders and linebackers, but there could be a situation where Wiepert gets on the diamond this season.
Brayden Jaksa and Burke-Lee Mabeus are the only two Ducks to play catcher this season, with Tyler Holley operating as the emergency catcher. The Ducks are heading to Los Angeles this weekend for an important series against No. 1 UCLA, but it remains unclear if Wiepert is on the travel roster. Both Jaksa and Mabeus have locked down spots in the lineup, with Jaksa moving around from first base and left field as well.
Wiepert will wear No. 19 behind the dish, the same number he wears on the football field.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon QB Mark Wiepert joining baseball team behind the plate
