WEEKEND PREVIEW
• The No. 14 Sooners (35-13, 12-10 Big 12) have eight regular season games remaining, including a five-game home stand starting this weekend with Memphis (25-24) in a non-conference series. The three-game set starts on Friday, May 14 at 6:30 p.m. Game two is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and the finale is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
• A winner in eight of the last 10 outings, OU is ranked as high as No. 14 this week by the NCBWA poll (No. 15 - USA Today/ESPN Coaches’, No. 16-Collegiate Baseball and No. 17-Baseball America). After 48 games, OU is one game ahead of the pace set a year ago when it hosted its fourth regional out of its last seven appearances in the postseason. OU also earned its first national seed in 2009.
• Memphis returns 20 letterwinners from the 2009 club that was 21-32 overall and 7-16 in Conference USA (9th). The Tigers are 7-3 in their last 10 games after winning a pair of midweek games at home over Central Arkansas and Murray State. Last weekend, Memphis suffered two losses in a three-game conference set at home versus University of Alabama at Birmingham.
MEMPHIS ROTATION
No. 1 RHP Ryan Fraser (6-2, 5.63)
No. 2 LHP Brennon Martin (4-5, 4.50)
No. 3 LHP Ryan Holland (1-3, 5.93)
OU ROTATION
No. 1 RHP Zach Neal (7-1, 3.96)
No. 2 RHP Jack Mayfield (3-0, 0.95)
No. 3 RHP Bobby Shore (6-4, 4.48)
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 on the Sooner Sports Network (KREF 1400 AM) in Oklahoma City and Norman and free online at SoonerSports.com. The games on Saturday and Sunday could be joined in progress depending on the OU softball team’s action in the Big 12 Championship.
• Game three will be simulcast live on television via the Sooner Sports Network on Cox Channel 3 in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. A live webcast for Saturday and Sunday’s games can be found on OU All-Access.
• Live stats are available on SoonerSports.com via the baseball schedule page.
SERIES HISTORY
• The Tigers won the lone meeting in the series with the Sooners, 2-1, on Feb. 24, 2006 in the 14th Annual Service Academies Classic in Millington, Tenn. Daniel McCutchen, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, pitched a complete game that evening, but took the loss despite 10 strikeouts.
PLAYER TO WATCH - JACK MAYFIELD
Mayfield became the first OU freshman pitcher since 1976 to toss a complete-game shutout in the Bedlam Series as OU won the decisive game 6-0.
The true freshman did not walk a batter and surrendered just five hits to go along with his seven strikeouts across the nine innings. Mayfield, who has allowed one earned run since the opening weekend, led OU to its first Bedlam shutout since 1993.
2010 Season Stats: 3-0, 0.95 ERA
QUICK HITS
- OU ranks third in the Big 12 in ERA (3.83), hitting (.311) and fielding percentage (.975). OU leads the conference with 73 home runs.
- The OU pitching staff ranks third in the Big 12 with 430 strikeouts and has 21 games with 10 or more K’s, including nine of the last 22 and a season-high 19 versus Arkansas-Little Rock.
- The Sooners have homered in 38 of the 48 contests with 21 multiple-homer games. OU homered in 14 straight games from March 2 to March 26.
- OU 16-1 when scoring 10 or more runs, including five of the last eight games. OU has scored 92 runs in last 8 games.
- The OU bullpen is 15-2 (lost to Missouri and OSU) with 12 saves on the season and a 2.70 ERA and 219 Ks in 193.2 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 second in the Big 12 with 12 homers and fourth with a .658 slugging percentage.
- Garrett Buechele’s career-high 19 game hitting streak ended on Sunday. It included 10 multiple-hit games, five homers, 23 RBIs and a .391 batting average (34-for-87).
- Buechele (11) is tied for fourth in the Big 12 in homers with freshman Max White. Both White (.682) and Buechele (.648) rank third and fifth, respectively, in slugging pct. in the Big 12.
- Ryan Duke is a perfect 11-for-11 in save situations this year and ranks seventh in the nation in that category (first in Big 12).
- 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 19 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 40 Ks and seven walks in his last seven starts (50 IP).
- Caleb Bushyhead (SS) is the only Sooner to play in all 48 games and he leads the team with 47 starts.
- Bushyhead registered one hit in 22 games last season and has 59 hits in 2010. He is second on OU with 17 multi-hit games.
UP NEXT
OU closes out the five-game home stand with a pair of midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday against No. 10 Arkansas and Texas Southern, respectively. Tuesday’s 2009 NCAA Regional rematch against Arkansas is slated for a 7 p.m. first pitch. In addition to the two postseason wins over the Sooners a year ago, the Razorbacks also claimed an 8-7 extra-inning victory in the midweek match up in Fayetteville on April 28. Wednesday’s game against Texas Southern gets underway at 7 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The No. 14 Sooners posted a 3-1 record last week including two shutouts and a pivotal series victory over Bedlam rival Oklahoma State over the weekend. OU started the week with a 14-5 win on Tuesday at home over Arkansas-Little Rock and won its third straight game after topping OSU in the Big 12 series opener on Friday. The 7-6 victory on Friday in Tulsa at OneOK Field was followed up by another one-run decision with a 4-3 loss on Saturday at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark on Saturday. Sunday’s decisive finale featured OU’s first shutout victory over OSU, 6-0, since 1993.
LATE-INNING PRODUCTION
OU has scored 151 of its 381 runs, or 40 percent, in the sixth inning and later. In addition, the Sooners have outscored the opposition, 66-27, in the eighth and ninth innings combined, which includes 13 home runs.
SCORING FIRST
OU has scored first in 15 of the last 40 games and in 19 overall. The Sooners have a 16-3 record in those contests. The opposition has tallied the game’s first run in 29 games and OU is 19-10. In Big 12 play, OU has scored first in just five games (GM2 at Nebraska, GM1 at Texas Tech, GM3 at Texas A&M, GM2 vs. Kansas State and GM3 vs. Oklahoma State). OU is 4-1 in those contests.
ONE-RUN GAMES
The Sooners have recorded one-run victories in seven games this year. OU is 7-4 in those situations in 2010 and the Sooners are 57-23-1 (.710) 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).
WITH TWO OUTS
The Sooners have come up with some clutch hitting throughout the season, hitting .333 as a team with two outs on the board. In addition, OU has connected for 168 two-out RBIs, nearly half of the 354 total on the season. Garrett Buechele (.406) leads the group with 23 RBIs with two outs, including six home runs. Danny Black follows with 18 RBIs and three homers while Max White (15), Cameron Seitzer (14), Chris Ellison (12), Cale Ellis (11), Ross Hubbard (12), Cody Reine (11), Caleb Bushyhead (11) and Tyler Ogle (10) have all collected 10 or more two-out RBIs.
BLAIR NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Oklahoma junior outfielder Elliott Blair was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI Baseball First Team released on May 6 by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Blair was one of seven players from the Big 12 Conference to collect first team honors. He is now eligible for Academic All-America honors. Aaron Ivey (2007) is the last Sooner to be named an Academic All-American.
MAYFIELD NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the second consecutive week a Sooner was named one of the Big 12 Conference's top players as freshman Jack Mayfield was named the pitcher of the week for games played through May 9.
It marks the first career honor for the Del Rio, Texas, native and the third by a Sooner this season after Danny Black was named player of the week on May 3 and Jeremy Erben collected a pitcher of the week honor on March 8. Mayfield became the first OU freshman pitcher since 1976 to toss a complete-game shutout in the Bedlam Series as the No. 14 Sooners won 6-0 on May 9 over Oklahoma State.
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. 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. OU will celebrate Fan Appreciation Day at both games with free admission into the park.
HOME VS. AWAY
The Sooners have recorded 18 of their 35 wins in the friendly confines of L. Dale Mitchell Park. OU is hitting .320 at home with 10.8 hits per game and 8.9 runs scored per contest, including 39 homers. In addition, the Sooner hurlers have combined for a 3.89 ERA. On the road, OU is 17-8 (11-6 away, 6-2 neutral) and is hitting .305 with 11 hits and seven runs per game, including 34 homers. The pitching staff has a 3.78 ERA away from home.
THE BIG INNING
OU has hit through the batting order already 19 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), Texas A&M (GM3), Kansas State (GM1 and 2) and Arkansas-Little Rock. 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 20 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, against Dallas Baptist in Norman and in game three vs. Kansas State. OU had one each versus Valparaiso, Western Illinois, Mississippi State, Baylor, Nebraska, Missouri, TCU, Texas A&M, Kansas State (GM1 and 2) and Arkansas-Little Rock
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 31 of the first 48 games of the season, including a season-high 19 vs. Mississippi State and UAPB (March 30). OU is 27-4 in those games and is averaging 10.8 hits per game despite losing five regular starters from last season’s club. The Sooners are also averaging eight runs per game with 17 games with 10 or more scores, including five out of the last nine games. OU posted 26 in game one of the UAPB series, the most since exploding for 29 runs on March 22, 2009 at Kansas State. OU is 16-1 when scoring 10 or more runs.
TIME FOR A RALLY
The Sooners have come from behind to win 19 of the 48 games this season. Of Sunny Golloway’s 205 wins at OU, 105 (.512) have been in come-from-behind fashion, including 22 last year.
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 11 saves and is the first Sooner in school history to have 10 or more in two seasons. He ranks seventh in the nation as of May 12 with 11 saves.
Below is a look at where he ranks in OU history.
1. 28 - Jeff Bajenaru, 1999-00
2. 27 - 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.
