Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
May 1, 2012
TCU PREVIEW
• No. 26 Oklahoma (29-16) heads to No. 27 TCU (26-15) on Tuesday for the first of two midweek showdowns between the Sooners and Frogs. First pitch at Lupton Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. TCU returns the trip to Norman on Tuesday, May 15.
• The Sooners have won 11 of the last 13 games and are ranked No. 26 in Collegiate Baseball’s poll and is receiving votes in the NCBWA poll. TCU has won 12 of the last 14 games and is ranked No. 27 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 29 in the NCBWA.
• The Sooners return five position starters from the 2011 squad that finished 41-19 overall and third in the Big 12 (14-11).
• TCU returns 13 letterwinners from the 2011 team that finished 43-19 overall and first in the Mountain West Conference with a 20-3 mark. The Frogs finished the year ranked as high as No. 17 after hosting and falling in the NCAA Fort Worth Regional.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• The OU radio broadcast with play-by-play announcer Toby Rowland and Ross Hubbard (color) can be heard Tuesday on the Sooner Sports Network (KREF 1400 AM in Norman/OKC). Every game is also online at SoonerSports.com.
• Fans inside Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth can listen to the OU broadcast on 87.5 FM.
• The game will be televised nationally by the Mountain Sports Network on DirecTV Channel 616.
• Live stats and a live webcast are available Tuesday with links available on SoonerSports.com.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Oklahoma: LHP Dillon Overton (5-2, 3.74 ERA) vs. TCU: LHP Brandon Finnegan (2-3, 3.41 ERA)
PLAYER TO WATCH - MAX WHITE
The reigning Big 12 Player of the Week has multiple hits in each of his last eight games and is hitting .529 (18-for-32) with 16 RBI in that span. The Durant, Okla., native also has five doubles and four multiple-RBI games in that stretch. On the season, White ranks second in the Big 12 with 46 RBI (career high) and third in both hits (62) and fourth in batting average (.365).
2012 Season Stats: .365, 2 HR, 46 RBI, 13 doubles
TCU SERIES
- OU leads the all-time series with TCU, 53-21.
- The teams have met each of the last 21 seasons dating back to 1991.
- The Sooners have won the last eight games, including a 13-6 win in Norman and a 7-4 victory in Fort Worth.
- OU has won four straight in Fort Worth and lead 14-7 overall.
- Tuesday’s game marks the sixth straight year in the series that features rankings for both squads.
- Seventeen of the games have been decided by one run with OU leading 13-4, including seven of the last 21 (OU, 4-3).
- OU is 11-2 against TCU under Sunny Golloway.
ON DECK
OU and OSU will tangle in the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Bedlam Series. Friday’s opener in Tulsa is set for 7 p.m. while the series shifts to Oklahoma City on Saturday (7 p.m. ) and Sunday (4 p.m.).
LAST TIME OUT
The Sooners won their third straight game after an 11-0 shutout over visiting Mid-America University. OU has allowed two earned runs in the last three games since dropping a pair of midweek games last week at Oklahoma State (6-1) and at home against Dallas Baptist (8-2).
PITCHING IMPRESSIVE DURING EIGHT-GAME STREAK
OU allowed 13 earned runs and posted a 1.60 earned-run average during the eight-game winning streak. The Sooners topped then-No. 9 Arkansas (April 10) to start the streak and also beat Oral Roberts in a midweek game while recording three-game sweeps over Missouri and Alabama State. OU posted three of its four shutouts on the season in the winning streak with a 4-0 win over Arkansas and two shutouts over Alabama State (7-0 and 5-0). The Sooner hurlers allowed just over six hits per contest in that span and opponents were hitting .202.
FIVE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
The Sooners are 26-3 on the season when holding opponents to five runs or less and 2-13 when the opposition scores six or more. OU has limited the opposition to five or less runs in 21 of the last 25 games and hold a 18-7 record in that span.
ONE-RUN GAMES UNDER GOLLOWAY
The Sooners are 8-6 in one-run games in 2012 after going 4-9 a season ago. OU is 75-41 (.647) in one-run games under head coach Sunny Golloway. OU has won double-digit games in that situation in 2006 (15), 2007 (11), 2009 (10) and 2010 (14).
DOUBLE DIGITS
The Sooners are 15-5 when collecting 10 or more hits in a game with wins over Pepperdine, Hartford (2), New Mexico (3), UAPB (1), Air Force (2), Texas Tech (2), Missouri (2), Alabama State, Kansas and Mid America. OU is also 3-0 when scoring double-digit runs with victories over Hartford (2/25), New Mexico (3/3) and MACU (4/30). OU is 1-3 when allowing 10-plus runs against Pepperdine (2/18), UTA and Oregon State. The Sooners are 8-13 when giving up 10 or more hits.
SOONERS AND THE LONGBALL
OU is currently tied for second in the Big 12 with 23 home runs on the season, including a league-best nine dingers from freshman Hunter Lockwood. The Sooners are 13-4 when they hit a home run in a game this year and 2-1 with multiple longballs (Feb. 24 vs. Hartford and April 14 vs. Missouri). The Sooners have ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the Big 12 each of the last three seasons, including a league-best 105 in 2010 and 91 in 2009.
TIME FOR A RALLY
In the 29 victories in 2012, the Sooners have come from behind in 15 of those contests. Of Sunny Golloway’s 290 wins at OU, 147 (.507) have been in come-from-behind fashion, including 18 last year (22 in 2010).
WHITE TABBED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior Max White was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday for games played from April 23-29. White hit .444 in four games last week (8-for-18) with nine RBI off two doubles and his second homer of the year. In last week’s four games, White slugged at a .722 clip with 13 total bases while scoring four runs. The week ended as OU recorded a two-game sweep at Kansas (finale rained out) with a career-high five RBI from White, including a three-run homer to clinch the series in the fifth inning. He later singled in two runs during OU’s five-run ninth inning.
MAGNIFICO NAMED BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
RS-Sophomore Damien Magnifico claimed a share of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on April 16. Magnifico was one out short of his first complete game on Tuesday as he tossed 8 2/3 shutout innings to defeat No. 9 Arkansas. He improved to 1-0 after his second start of the year and 14th appearance.
LOCKWOOD COLLECTS TWO BIG 12 WEEKLY AWARDS
Freshman Hunter Lockwood was named Co-Big 12 Baseball Player of the Week and earned the Newcomer of the Week award outright on April 2. Lockwood hit safely in all four games last week to continue his season high eight-game hitting streak. He batted .429 (6-for-14) with two homers, eight RBI, a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage as OU won three of its four games, including a series win over KSU.
OVERTON AND GRAY COLLECT BIG 12 WEEKLY HONORS
Two Sooner hurlers earned Big 12 baseball weekly honors on for games played March 5-11. Dillon Overton earned the Pitcher of the Week award after winning two games in that week, including a complete game win against West Virginia in the Nike Showcase. Jonathan Gray was tabbed the Newcomer of the Week after striking out 10 batters in the win over No. 9 Oregon.
JOHN NAMED BIG 12 PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Redshirt sophomore reliever Jordan John was named the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 5 after tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings in two games at New Mexico. John allowed one hit in the two appearances, combined for a shutout and held opponents to a .059 batting average.
GOLLOWAY GETS WIN No. 600
On Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, the Sooners recorded an 8-3 victory, marking the 600th in head coach Sunny Golloway’s career. At OU, Golloway has won 265 games, the third most in school history and just 16 behind Jack Baer, who coached OU to the 1951 National Championship. In his 14 full seasons as a DI head coach, Golloway’s teams have averaged 42.14 wins per year.
OU PICKED THIRD IN BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL
The Sooners were picked to finish third in the 2012 Big 12 Coaches’ Preseason Poll on Feb. 14. It marks the fourth straight year that the Sooners were picked in the top four spots in the preseason poll.
Texas A&M was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2012 Big 12 baseball regular season title, followed by Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma State,Texas Tech, Kansas and Kansas. A complete poll is listed on page 5.
PRESEASON TOP 25 POLLS
Oklahoma is ranked in the top 25 preseason polls for the fourth straight year, with its highest recognition coming from the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association (NCBWA) at No. 14. OU is also ranked No. 15 by the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ poll, No. 16 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 19 by Baseball America. Turn to page four for all the preseason listings.
WHO’S BACK
The Sooners return 15 letterwinners and seven starters (five position players, two pitchers) from the 2011 team. In the offseason, the coaching staff signed a class of 21 players that were ranked as high as No. 4 (Collegiate Baseball) in the recruiting rankings. View the listing of each player on page 3.
2011 DRAFT RECAP
OU will feature some new faces in 2012 as 11 Sooners were drafted last June, a mark that led the Big 12 and marks the most taken in program history, topping the 10 selected in 1998 and 1995. The 11 selections ranked in a tie for second place in the nation behind Vanderbilt (12). Arizona State, Florida and South Carolina also had 11 while Texas was eighth with nine selections. The most players drafted in the Sunny Golloway era was nine, accomplished twice in 2009 and 2006. Overall, 43 Sooners have been drafted on Golloway’s watch, including at least four in every season but one. In addition, 22 of the players came to Norman undrafted in their careers. Of the 11 Sooners taken in 2011, eight were selected for the first time and two others improved their draft status by at least four rounds.
DRAFTED PLAYERS ON 2012 ROSTER
Below is a look at the nine players taken in the Major League Baseball Draft on the current roster. It spans the last three years and includes seven players taken a year ago, including two-time draftees Jonathan Gray and Steven Okert.
Chris Burgess (2011 - 30th round - Tampa Bay)
Adam Choplick (2011 - 17th round - Arizona)
Jonathan Gray (2011 - 10th round - NY Yankees and 2010 - 13th round - Kansas City)
Jordan John (2011 - 28th round - Houston)
Hunter Lockwood (2011 - 17th round - LAA Angels)
Damien Magnifico (2009 - 5th round - NY Mets)
Steven Okert (2011 - 33rd - Milwaukee and 2010 - 43rd round - Milwaukee)
Dillon Overton (2010 - 26th round - Boston)
Drake Roberts (2011 - 49th round - Minnesota)
BREAKDOWN OF 2012 SCHEDULE
- 30 home games, including four Big 12 series
- Home Big 12 series with Texas, KSU, Missouri & Baylor
- Non-conference home games vs. Oral Roberts, Air Force, Arkansas, DBU and TCU
- Other key non-conference games vs. Pepperdine, New Mexico, Connecticut, Oregon, West Virginia, Oregon State and Oklahoma State.
- Bedlam Series in Tulsa and OKC, May 4-6
- 12 opponents from 2011 NCAA Tourney (28 games)
- 8 teams that finished 2011 ranked in top 25
- Seven foes with 40-plus wins a year ago
- Two 2010 CWS participants (Texas & Texas A&M)
- Three other Super Regional teams (DBU, Oregon State and Connecticut)
- First time opponents in Oregon, Connecticut, West Virginia, Alabama State, Hartford and Samford
BASEBALL ON KREF 1400 AM IN 2012
The 2012 season marks the second with KREF 1400 AM serving as the flagship station of Sooner baseball. The partnership provides expanded coverage for OU fans to listen to 50-plus regular season games live over the air and extends into postseason play.
Additionally, 18 of the 24 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 March 30 against Kansas State. Overall, 23 games will be carried on the network with non-conference games against Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts and TCU.
The entire 56-game regular season schedule will also be broadcast live on the internet via Oklahoma All-Access, OU’s premium content site.
2012 TELEVISION SCHEDULE
The University of Oklahoma announced the television schedule for the 2012 Sooner schedule and 16 baseball games produced by the Sooner Sports Network will be televised in the state of Oklahoma on Cox Communications Cable (Cox Ch. 3/703 HD). Six of those same games will be carried nationwide on DirecTV via Fox College Sports (Ch. 617 or 623).
Each of the games will be televised live from Norman with local sports personality Chad McKee calling the play-by-play and additional contests will be added throughout the season. Please check your local cable or satellite provide for coverage in your area.
The Sooners are also scheduled to appear in two games on Fox Sports Southwest. The first of the two nationally televised games will be played on Friday, May 4 in Tulsa, Okla., for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Bedlam Series. That game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at ONEOK Field in downtown Tulsa. The second game comes during the final Big 12 series of the year against Baylor. The Sooners and Bears will tangle at 2 p.m. on Saturday May 12 on FSN.
Sooner Sports Network-Cox Ch. 3 in OKC/Tulsa)
March 16 - Texas (6:30 p.m.)
March 17 - Texas (2 p.m.)
March 18 - Texas (1 p.m.)
March 20 - Air Force (6:30 p.m.)
March 21 - Air Force (3 p.m.)
March 30 - Kansas State (6:30 p.m.)
March 31- Kansas State (2 p.m.)
April 1 - Kansas State (1 p.m.)
April 10 - vs. Arkansas (6:30 p.m.)
April 13, 15 - vs. Missouri (6:30 p.m., 1 p.m.)
May 11, 13 - vs. Baylor (6:30 p.m., 1 p.m.)
May 15 - vs. TCU (6:30 p.m.)
May 17,18,19 vs. Samford (6:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 1 p.m.)
Fox College Sports
March 16, 17 - Texas (6:30 p.m., 2 p.m.)
March 30 - Kansas State (6:30 p.m.)
April 10 - vs. Arkansas (6:30 p.m.)
May 13 - vs. Baylor (1 p.m.)
May 15 - vs. TCU (6:30 p.m.)
Fox Sports Southwest
May 4 - vs. Oklahoma State (7 p.m. in Tulsa)
May 12 - Baylor (2 p.m.)
ESPNU
April 7 - at Texas A&M (3:30 p.m.)
SOONERS INK 15 FOR 2013 SEASON
Oklahoma signed 15 student athletes as part of the 2013 incoming class back in November.
The OU coaching staff inked 11 high school players, including four of the state of Oklahoma’s best in Jacob Evans, a two-way player from Broken Arrow H.S., Taylor Hawkins, a catcher from Carl Albert H.S., Carson McPherson, a left-handed pitcher from Ardmore H.S., and Colt Pickens, an infielder/outfielder from Yukon H.S.
The Sooners also plucked three of the best south of the Red River in Kolbey Carpenter (infielder from West ISD), Ralph Garza (RHP/INF from New Braunfels H.S.) and Huntey Haley (INF/OF from Central Heights H.S.), while adding Justin Burba (OF from Wichita Campus High), the No. 3 recruit from the state of Kansas.
Overall, 11 of the 15 recruits are from the high school ranks while the Sooners also added four junior college players.
Craig Aiken | OF | R/R | 5-10 | 160
Coppell, Texas (Coppell H.S.)
Justin Burba | OF/1B | L/L | 6-0 | 185
Wichita, Kan. (Wichita Campus H.S.)
Kolbey Carpenter | INF | R/R | 6-0 | 175
Waco, Texas (West H.S.)
Jacob Evans | 1B/LHP | L/L | | 6-2 | 205
Broken Arrow, Okla. (Broken Arrow H.S.)
Ralph Garza Jr. | RHP/INF | R/R | 6-3 | 185
New Braunfels, Texas (New Braunfels Senior)
Hunter Haley | INF/OF | R/R | 5-10 | 175
Nacogdoches, Texas (Central Heights H.S.)
Taylor Hawkins | C | R/R | 5-11 | 185
Oklahoma City, Okla. (Carl Albert H.S.)
Kyle Hayes | INF/RHP | R\L | 6-2 | 210
Santee, Calif. (Santana H.S.)
Anthony Hermelyn | INF | R/R | 6-1 | 200
McKinney, Texas (McKinney H.S.)
Hayden Jones | 1B/LHP | L/L | 6-1 | 190
Houston, Texas (Langham Creek H.S.)
Hector Lorenzana | INF | R/R | 5-11 | 190
San Diego, Calif. (Howard College)
Carson McPherson | LHP | R/R | 6-0 | 190
Ardmore, Okla. (Ardmore H.S.)
Colt Pickens | UTL | R/R | 5-8 | 165
Yukon, Okla. (Yukon H.S.)
Benny Suarez | RHP | R/R | 6-0 | 195
Houston, Texas (Hill College)
Robert Tasin | RHP | R/R | 6-1 | 190
Klein, Texas (Howard College)
