La Grande grad Devin Bell becomes Oregon Ducks’ postseason closer

Devin Bell gave Oregon a late-inning answer when the Ducks needed one most, and the La Grande High School graduate ended the season as the club’s postseason closer. Wearing No. 77 as a right-handed pitcher, Bell handled pressure innings through Oregon’s run to the Super Regionals and became one of the most visible Union County names in college baseball.

Bell’s rise was built in stages. He had already earned statewide recognition in 2022 as La Grande’s 4A state baseball player of the year, then continued his career at Western Oregon University before transferring to Oregon. By the time the Ducks reached the heart of their 2026 season, Bell had moved into the back end of the bullpen and was collecting saves at a steady pace.

His first save as a Duck came on Feb. 21, and by April 29 he had 10 saves. By May 16, Oregon’s official recaps showed Bell had reached 11 saves, a marker that underscored how quickly coaches trusted him in the ninth inning. That trust carried into the postseason, where Oregon used him to close out games in the regional round and again turned to him in high-leverage work against Texas.

The Ducks earned that stage by beating Oregon State 4-1 on May 31 at PK Park to win the Eugene Regional and advance to the Super Regionals. Oregon then traveled to Austin, Texas, where Bell’s role became even more prominent as the Ducks tried to push toward Omaha.

The run stopped there. Texas edged Oregon 6-5 in the Austin Super Regional on June 7, and the Ducks finished 43-18. Oregon’s official recap said the program came one win short of reaching the College World Series for the first time in the modern era.

Back home, Bell’s path reads as a Union County development story as much as a college baseball update. Parker McKinley, Bell’s former La Grande coach, has described him as a player who came through the La Grande baseball system, kept improving at every level and carried the work ethic, humility and competitiveness that coaches value in a closer. For La Grande and the broader Union County baseball community, Bell’s season showed how a player from a small-town program can reach the highest-pressure innings on a major college stage and hold that job when the postseason begins.