Sooners and Wildcats get started Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Norman
April 29, 2010
WEEKEND PREVIEW
• The No. 15 Sooners (30-11, 8-8) host No. 20 Kansas State (29-10, 9-5) over the weekend in the final home Big 12 series of the season. Friday's opener is slated for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at L. Dale Mitchell Park. With four weekends remaining, OU sits in fourth place in the Big 12 standings, two spots behind KSU. The Sooners have won seven of the last 10 games in the series with the Wildcats.
• A winner in three straight, OU is 5-5 in the last 10 games and is ranked as high as No. 15 this week by the NCBWA poll (No. 16 - USA Today/ESPN Coaches', No. 19-Collegiate Baseball and No. 22-Baseball America). After 41 games, OU has equaled the start from last season with 30 wins. That squad finished with a 43-20 overall record, including a No. 7 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• KSU returns 16 letterwinners from the 2009 club that was 43-18-1 overall and fourth in the Big 12 at 14-11-1. The Wildcats are 6-4 in their last 10 games after dropping two games at Missouri last weekend in a series that was shortened due to rain. KSU rebounded with a pair of midweek wins against Chicago State at home. KSU is 8-1 at home in Big 12 play, but just 1-4 on the road.
Kansas State Rotation:
No. 1 RHP Ryan Daniel (5-2, 4.18 ERA)
No. 2 LHP Kyle Hunter (7-0, 3.59 ERA)
No. 3 RHP Justin Lindsey (3-2, 4.03)
OU Rotation:
No. 1 RHP Zach Neal (5-1, 4.05 ERA)
No. 2 RHP Bobby Shore (6-2, 3.25 ERA)
No. 3 LHP J.R. Robinson (1-3, 5.08 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• The OU broadcast with Chuck Kelly calling the play-by-play and Damon Minor (Friday) and DeWayne Vaughn (Saturday and Sunday) on color analysis can be heard all weekend long on the Sooners Sports Network (KREF 1400 AM) in Oklahoma City and Norman and free online at SoonerSports.com.
• The games will be simulcast live on television via the Sooner Sports Network on Cox Channel 3 in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Sunday's game will air on a tape delay in Oklahoma City at 5 p.m.
• A live webcast for the games can be found on OU All-Access.
• Live stats are available on SoonerSports.com via the baseball schedule page.
SERIES HISTORY
• Oklahoma has won the last eight series meetings with Kansas State after taking two out of three in 2009 in Manhattan. OU also won two out of three games during the last series in Norman. In each of the last five meetings, the Wildcats have won the opener but dropped games two and three to the Sooners. Below is a closer look at the series:
- In Big 12 play, OU is 30-9 overall against KSU.
- The Sooners have won 19 of the last 25 games.
- OU has won every Big 12 series vs. KSU except 2001.
- In Big 12 play, seven of KSU's nine wins were series openers.
- OU has scored in double digits in 22 of the 39 Big 12 games against KSU, including the 29 scored off a school record 11 home runs in the last meeting on March 22.
- OU is 23-8 in one-run games decided with KSU since 1962.
- Since 1997, OU is 5-0 in decisive game threes.
PLAYER TO WATCH - DANNY BLACK
The junior second baseman has been on a tear as of late with 15 RBIs in the last five games. In that week span, Black is hitting .364 (8-for-22) with three multiple-hit and multiple-RBI games. In addition, he entered that five-game span without a home run but has blasted three over the last five games to go along with his three doubles and five runs scored.
2010 Season Stats: .318, 3 HR, 28 RBI
OU ROTATION
No. 1 LHP Ryan Gibson 3-2, 4.76, 28.1 IP, 14 BB, 26 SO
QUICK HITS
- OU ranks second in the Big 12 in ERA (3.63), fourth in fielding percentage (.975) and fifth in hitting (.302). OU leads the conference with 55 home runs.
- The OU pitching staff ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 355 strikeouts and has 19 games with 10 or more K's, including seven of the last 15.
- The Sooners have homered in 32 of the 41 contests with 17 multiple-homer games. OU homered in 14 straight games from March 2 to March 26.
- The OU bullpen is 13-2 (lost to Missouri and OSU) with 11 saves on the season and a 2.35 ERA and 179 Ks in 161.0 IP.
- Cameron Seitzer hit for the cycle in the Sooners' 26-3 win over UAPB. Seitzer had a homer and a triple in the second inning.
- Seitzer ranks fourth in the Big 12 with nine homers and fourth with a .641 slugging percentage.
- Garrett Buechele has hit safely in the last 13 games (.396), tied for the longest streak by a Sooner in 2010 (Casey Johnson).
- Buechele (8) is tied for ninth in the Big 12 in homers with freshman Max White. Both White (.660) and Buechele (.600) rank third and eighth, respectively, in slugging percentage in the Big 12.
- Ryan Duke is a perfect 10-for-10 in save situations this year and ranks fourth in the nation in that category with 10.
- Jeremy Erben's scoreless streak ended after 22 2/3 innings on April 1 vs. Texas. He has not allowed a run in 11 of his 15 relief appearances with a 6-1 record (one save).
- Zach Neal tossed the Sooners' first complete game of 2010 with a nine-inning performance at Texas Tech. The last Sooner to throw a complete game was Garrett Richards in the 2009 NCAA Norman Regional on May 29 vs. Washington State.
- Neal has 33 Ks and five walks in his last five starts (36 2/3 IP).
- Caleb Bushyhead (SS) is the only Sooner to play in all 41 games and he leads the team with 40 starts.
- Bushyhead registered one hit in 22 games last season and has 50 hits in 2010. He is second on OU with 13 multi-hit games.
- OU has started 19 different players in the lineup after Cale Ellis made his first start vs. Texas on April 2.
UP NEXT
The Sooners close out the five-game home stand on Tuesday, May 4 against Arkansas Little Rock at 7 p.m. Following the midweek contest, OU returns to Big 12 play in the Bedlam Series, presented by Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the Oklahoman. Game one in Tulsa at OneOK Field is set for 7:30 p.m. Games two and three will be played at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City on Saturday (7:05 p.m.) and Sunday (4:05 p.m.).
LAST TIME OUT
No. 15 Oklahoma recorded its first shutout of 2010 with a 14-0 blanking of Dallas Baptist (23-17) on Tuesday as head coach Sunny Golloway recorded his 200th career victory at the helm of the Sooners' program.
TWO HOME GAMES ADDED TO SCHEDULE
OU added two games to the regular season schedule in order to make up for games lost in March against Baylor due to inclement weather. The two non-conference home games include Arkansas Little Rock on May 4 and Texas Southern on May 19. Both games will get underway at 7 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The OU Athletics Department will celebrate Fan Appreciation Day at both games with free admission into the park.
LATE-INNING PRODUCTION
OU has scored 129 of its 313 runs, or 41 percent, in the sixth inning and later. In addition, the Sooners have outscored the opposition, 55-16, in the eighth and ninth innings combined, which includes eight home runs.
SCORING FIRST
OU has scored first in 13 of the last 33 games and in 17 overall. The Sooners have a 15-2 record in those contests. The opposition has tallied the game's first run in 24 games and OU is 15-9. In Big 12 play, OU has scored first in just three games (GM2 at Nebraska, GM1 vs. Texas Tech and GM3 at Texas A&M).
WITH TWO OUTS
The Sooners have come up with some clutch hitting throughout the season, hitting .325 as a team with two outs on the board. In addition, OU has connected for 143 two-out RBIs, nearly half of the 288 total on the season. Garrett Buechele leads the group with 17 RBIs with two outs, including five home runs. Danny Black follows with 16 RBIs and three homers while Chris Ellison (12), Cale Ellis (11) and Tyler Ogle (10) have all collected 10 or more two-out RBIs.
HOME VS. AWAY
The Sooners have recorded 15 of their 30 wins in the friendly confines of L. Dale Mitchell Park. OU is hitting .300 at home with 9.7 hits per game and eight runs scored per contest, including 29 homers. In addition, the Sooner hurlers have combined for a 3.34 ERA. On the road, OU is 15-7 (11-6 away, 4-1 neutral) and is hitting .305 with 11 hits and 7.3 runs per game, including 26 homers. The pitching staff has a 3.88 ERA away from home.
ONE-RUN GAMES
The Sooners have recorded one-run victories in six games this year. OU is 6-3 in those situations in 2010 and the Sooners are 56-22-1 (.715) under head coach Sunny Golloway. The Sooners' skipper entered 2010 with the best winning percentage among Big 12 coaches over the last five years (.721).
THE BIG INNING
OU has hit through the batting order already 16 times this season, including three times in game one of the UAPB series, twice in game two of the SDSU series and twice against Dallas Baptist in Norman. Other games include Richmond, Mississippi State, Texas A&M-CC, UMass (GM2), Nebraska (GM1), UAPB (GM2), Missouri (GM3), TCU (GM2) and Texas A&M GM3). OU accomplished the feat on 23 occasions last year.
That 2009 team also scored five or more runs in 22 different frames. In 2010, OU has scored five or more runs in 15 different frames, including a season-high 10 runs in game one of the UAPB series (second inning). OU had three five-plus run innings in that UAPB game and also accomplished the feat twice in game two of the SDSU series and against Dallas Baptist in Norman. OU had one each versus Valparaiso, Western Illinois, Mississippi State, Baylor, Nebraska, Missouri, TCU and Texas A&M.
TIME FOR A RALLY
The Sooners have come from behind to win 15 of the 41 games this season. Of Sunny Golloway's 200 wins at OU, 101 (.505) have been in come-from-behind fashion, including 22 last year.
WINNING STREAKS
The 10-game winning streak from Feb. 28-March 13 marked the fifth time under head coach Sunny Golloway that OU has won 10 or more consecutive games and the 26th in program history.
DOUBLE DIGITS
The Sooners have recorded 10 or more hits in 25 of the first 41 games of the season, including a season-high 19 vs. Mississippi State and UAPB (March 30). OU is 23-2 in those games and is averaging 10.4 hits per game despite losing five regular starters from last season's club. The Sooners are also averaging 7.6 runs per game with 14 games with 10 or more scores, including the 26 posted in game one of the UAPB series, the most since exploding for 29 runs on March 22, 2009 at Kansas State. OU is 13-1 when scoring 10 or more runs.
EXTRA INNINGS UNDER GOLLOWAY
OU is 1-1 in extra-inning games this season after winning in 13 innings on April 25 at Texas A&M. The game was the longest in terms of innings in the Sunny Golloway era and the longest for an OU team since May 16, 2002 vs. Okahoma State.
OU is 16-3-1 overall since Sunny Golloway took over the helm of the Sooner program at the end of the 2005 season. One of those losses came at Oklahoma State (11 innings) earlier this year. The other two losses included Arkansas (April 28, 2009) and Mizzou (April 19, 2009. The Sooners tied Nebraska in 2008. OU was 3-1 in 2009 in games played in extra innings.
DUKE MOVING UP SAVES LIST
Ryan Duke recorded two saves on the opening weekend to move into sole possession of second place on OU's all-time saves list (below). Duke led the Big 12 in saves with 16 last year (ranked sixth in the nation), the second most in a single season by a Sooner (Jeff Bajenaru - 20, 2000). He currently leads the Big 12 with 10 saves and is the first Sooner in school history to have 10 or more in two seasons. He ranks fourth in the nation as of April 25 with 10 saves.
Below is a look at where he ranks in OU history.
1. 28 - Jeff Bajenaru, 1999-00
2. 26 - Ryan Duke, 2008-present
DUKE ON PRESEASON LISTS
Junior closer Ryan Duke was named a 2010 preseason All-American by the NCBWA and was also selected to the Stopper of the Year watch list. Duke was named a third team All-American in 2009 and is the first Sooner since David Purcey in 2003, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, to appear on a preseason AA list.
ERBEN ON PITCHER WATCH LIST
Jeremy Erben is one of seven hurlers from the Big 12 named to the Pitcher of the Year watch list on March 23 as presented by the College Baseball Foundation. This is the second year for the award and it will be presented in Lubbock, Texas, on July 2 as part of the College Baseball Awards Show. He is second in the Big 12 in wins (5) and ERA (0.61) and was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week for games played through March 7.
OGLE ON JOHNNY BENCH WATCH LIST
Sophomore catcher/DH Tyler Ogle was named to the Johnny Bench watch list for 2010 on March 2. Ogle caught in 10 games last year, including eight starts behind J.T. Wise (2009 winner). Wise became the first Sooner to collect the award in program history and just the second in Big 12 history.
BLAIR - Spring Chick-fil-A Community of Champions
Junior Elliot Blair, a petroleum engineering major, was named by the Big 12 Conference, in conjunction with Chick-fil-A, to the Spring Community of Champions. During the fall, winter and spring terms, one student-athlete from each institution has been honored based on the following criteria:
Academics: An academic standard of a 3.00 grade point average or higher must be maintained.
Community Service: The designated student-athlete should be involved with at least one community service program.
Leadership/Sportsmanship: The student-athlete should demonstrate leadership and sportsmanship on and off the field.
The institution of the student-athletes' on this list will be awarded $3,000 each year from Chick-fil-A for their efforts.
DRAFTED SOONERS
Eight current Sooners have been drafted in their careers (third most in Big 12 this season), including four newcomers on the 2010 squad that were selected in 2009. (Danny Black, Ryan Gibson, Chad Kettler and Bobby Shore). Last season, OU led all Big 12 programs with nine players selected off the 2009 roster. Below is a look at the eight Sooners and when and where they were drafted:
Danny Black 2009 - New York Yankees - 42nd Rd.
Jason Chowning 2007 - New York Yankees - 43rd Rd.
Jeremy Erben 2006 - Cincinnati Reds - 41st Rd.
Ryan Gibson 2009 - Florida Marlins - 48th Rd.
Kaleb Herren 2008 - Milwaukee Brewers - 44th Rd.
Chad Kettler 2009 - Los Angeles Dodgers - 24th Rd.
J.R. Robinson 2008 - Toronto Blue Jays - 31st Rd.
Bobby Shore 2009 - Baltimore Orioles - 40th Rd.
Michael Whitney 2005 - Baltimore Orioles - 18th Rd.
BASEBALL ON KREF 1400 AM IN 2010 | RADIO SCHEDULE (PDF)
The 2010 season marks the first with KREF 1400 AM serving as the flagship station of Sooner baseball and the new partnership provides expanded coverage for OU fans to listen to 50-plus regular season games over the air. Additionally, 22 of the Big 12 games are set to be carried on the Sooners Sports' Network, enabling fans to listen to OU baseball on various stations across the state starting on April 1, nearly double the amount from previous seasons.
The entire 56-game regular season schedule will be broadcast live for free on SoonerSports.com.
SOONER SPORTS NETWORK TO TELEVISE 20 OU GAMES | TV SCHEDULE (PDF)
The University of Oklahoma will locally televise 20 home baseball games for the 2010 season. The broadcasts will air via the Sooner Sports Network on Cox Channel 7 in Oklahoma City and Cox Channel 3 in Tulsa. The games will be simulcast with the OU radio broadcast on the Sooner Sports Network with Chuck Kelly calling the play-by-play and DeWayne Vaughn providing the color analysis. The first game can be seen on Wednesday, March 10 against Houston Baptist at 3 p.m.
OU FOURTH IN BIG 12 COACHES' POLL | Big 12 Coaches' Poll | Feb. 16 Media Teleconference
The No. 22 Oklahoma baseball team was picked fourth in the 2010 Big 12 Coaches' preseason poll released on Feb. 16. The Sooners' projected finish is the highest under head coach Sunny Golloway and the best since a third-place vote in 2003.
