Betts: Diodati flying west to suit up for Oregon Ducks in 2023

Great Lake Canadians and Junior National Team alum Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.) will play for the Oregon Ducks in the upcoming season after three years with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Photo: Owen Diodati/Twitter

December 31, 2022

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Owen Diodati was in search of an opportunity when he entered the transfer portal after the 2022 college baseball season.

It wasn’t that his time at the University of Alabama was negative. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

The Niagara Falls native and former Great Lake Canadian posted a .245 batting average with 24 home runs and 88 RBIs in 122 games while serving primarily as the team’s designated hitter.

But therein lies the problem.

Diodati felt if he wanted a chance to play at the next level, he needed to find a defensive position to increase his value.

That opportunity was offered to him by the University of Oregon Ducks.

“The reasoning behind me transferring to Oregon for my fourth year was because in order to continue to grow as a player I felt like I needed a fresh start and somewhere I could do more than just DH,” Diodati said.

“I loved my time at Alabama, but having DH’d for the last three years I think I was ready to try something new and have a role on both sides of the ball.”

So Diodati decided to take the 2,500 mile flight west. As he closes one chapter and moves on to the next, he does so with fond memories of his days in Tuscaloosa.

“I enjoyed every second of my time at Alabama,” he said. “I loved my teammates, the coaches, the school and everything that went with it. It’s hard for me to pinpoint just a couple highlights from my time at Alabama but it would probably be our Ruston Regional my sophomore year, as well as some of our more memorable wins at the SEC tournament. Off the field, just being with my teammates. I was fortunate enough to be with a great group of guys my whole time there and I will cherish those memories forever.”

In that Ruston Regional, hosted by Louisiana Tech in 2021, Diodati had three hits. He went 2-for-4 in the Crimson Tide’s only win, a 3-1 victory over Rider in their second game.

The 2020 season may go down as the season that could've been. The Tide jumped out to a 16-1 start and Diodati began the season red-hot. In 17 games he was hitting .309 with five home runs and 22 RBIs as a freshman before COVID-19 kiboshed the campaign.

That’s all in the past now though as Diodati sets his sights on the Ducks’ 2023 season.

He admits the decision to transfer wasn't an easy one. To be fair, the NCAA transfer portal can prove to be risky business if you don’t have a strong resume.

Luckily, Diodati’s is lengthy. From being named a Collegiate Baseball News Freshman All-American in 2020 to a Canadian Baseball Network First-Team All-Canadian College Team selection the same year, he was a hot commodity.

“There was a lot of thought and prayer that went into my decision to transfer. I talked with former coaches, current coaches, my family and anyone I could to make the most educated decision,” Diodati said.

“The portal was a little overwhelming at first as you get so many calls. It was a really cool experience.”

After weighing his options, the left-handed hitting outfielder decided the Ducks, led by head coach Mark Wasikowski, was the right landing spot.

It’s the second straight offseason the Ducks swayed a Canuck to join the Pac-12 power.

It was a move that worked out well for right-handed pitcher Adam Maier (North Vancouver, BC) last season, who despite suffering an early injury, ended up being selected by the Atlanta Braves in the seventh round, 215th overall in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He later signed for a $1.2 million signing bonus.

It’s a path Diodati is hoping to replicate.

“Oregon is a really special place with a great history on both the academic and athletic side,” he said. “It’s obviously on the other side of the country compared to Alabama and my home of Niagara Falls. Eugene is a beautiful place and I know the campus is beautiful. Oregon is a great academic school which will allow me to further my studies in finance as well as succeed on the field. I’m excited for both opportunities.”

Oregon opens the season Feb. 17 to 19 with a four-game series at home against Xavier. Diodati is ready to embrace the change of scenery and make the most of his year on the Pacific coast.

“I’m really looking forward to being part of yet another special team,” he said. “Oregon has been very successful and has made and hosted a regional in the last two years. I think it’ll be really cool to see a new part of the country and play teams up and down the west coast. I think we’re going to have a really good team and I can’t wait to get started.”

No matter the setting or opposing pitcher, Diodati is preparing for whatever the road ahead brings.

It’s a path he hopes takes the Ducks through Omaha and College World Series for the first time since 1954.

“When you try and help your team win, you usually see the best personal results,” he said. “You never know when you may be done playing this game or how much time you have so it’s important that you have fun and focus on the relationships rather than the outcomes. The longer you can make baseball that same game that you loved when you were a little kid the better off you will be in the long run.”