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May 4, 2012

By Andrew Gilman | SoonerSports.com
 
NORMAN, Okla. -- Looks like a win-and-in-situation for the Sooners.

Simply put, if the Oklahoma baseball team can record series wins starting tonight against Oklahoma State and next week against Baylor, OU should be playing some postseason baseball.

The No. 26 Sooners sit 29-17 and 9-8 in the Big 12 heading into tonight against OSU. First pitch in Tulsa is 7 p.m.

“We have to come out knowing we have to win these series,” said senior shortstop Caleb Bushyhead. “It’s not an opportunity to press. It’s a chance to advance and go on.”

The No. 25 Cowboys are ahead of the Sooners in the standings at 26-17 and 11-7. And next week, No. 1 Baylor comes to town for a three-game series. The Bears are 18-0 in Big 12 play and 27-3 overall.

“If anything, it’s taken the pressure off,” coach Sunny Golloway said. “It just comes down how well you play these last 10 games. “We have three weekends left and we need to win those series and play well in the Big 12 Tournament.”

Bedlam Series | Friday, May 4 - Sunday, May 5 Game Preview | Radio: KREF 1400 AM | Live Stats

Despite non-conference losses in the last two weeks to Oklahoma State, Dallas Baptist and TCU, OU has won 11 of its past 14 games, including a pair of wins at Kansas and a sweep of Missouri at home.

Jordan John will pitch tonight for the Sooners. He’s 8-4 with a 2.36 ERA. Jonathan Gray (4-4, 4.23) will throw Saturday. Golloway has not announced who will start Sunday.

“We definitely need to try and get these wins,” said pitcher Dillon Overton, who is 5-2 with a 3.47 ERA. “We’ve been struggling on and off this season, but one of these games, we’re going to bust open.”

OU has been up and down most of the season. The Sooners had an eight-game winning streak and beat top 10 teams in Arkansas and Oregon. Yet, the Sooners have lost some key non-conference games and were swept by Texas and Texas A&M.

“We’ve showed it here or there,” Bushyhead said. “We’ve been hit and miss. It’s been back and forth. Right now, it’s now or never and the guys are really together. The guys are excited to go do it, so I think we’re going to play some great baseball this weekend.”