Saturday at 7 p.m.
June 7, 2012
THE MATCHUP
• No. 12 Oklahoma (42-23) is on the road for the program’s third Super Regional appearance in Columbia, S.C. against No. 2 South Carolina (43-17). Game one on Saturday, June 9 is set for 7 p.m. CT at Carolina Stadium. Game two is slated for Sunday at 6 p.m. and the if-necessary game will get underway on Monday at 6 p.m.
• The Sooners have won 24 of the last 33 games and are ranked No. 12 in Collegiate Baseball’s poll, No. 13 in the NCBWA poll and receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll. South Carolina is ranked as high as No. 2 by Collegiate Baseball.
• The Sooners return five position starters from the 2011 squad that finished 41-19 overall and third in the Big 12 (14-11).
• South Carolina returns 18 letterwinners from the 2011 National Championship team that was 55-14 and first in the SEC at 22-8.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• The OU radio broadcast with play-by-play announcer Toby Rowland and Ross Hubbard on color can be heard throughout the weekend on the Sooner Sports Network KREF 1400 AM. Live internet audio and stats are linked on SoonerSports.com.
• The series will be carried on national television with games one and two on ESPNU while game three is set for ESPN2 with Mark Neely on play-by-play and Danny Kanell on color analysis. The games can also be seen online on ESPN3.com.
PITCHING ROTATIONS
Game 1 : OU: LHP Jordan John (8-7, 2.26 ERA)
vs. South Carolina: LHP Michael Roth (6-1, 2.68 ERA)
Game 2 : OU: RHP Jonathan Gray (8-4, 3.32 ERA )
vs. South Carolina: RHP Colby Holmes (7-1, 3.00 ERA)
Game 3 : OU: LHP Dillon Overton (6-3, 3.16 ERA)
vs. South Carolina: TBA
PLAYER TO WATCH - DILLON OVERTON
Dillon Overton collected his second postseason honor in as many weeks after being voted to the 2012 NCAA Charlottesville All-Regional team. Overton struck out a career-high 11 batters in 8 1/3 innings to eliminate then-No. 15 Virginia from the tournament. A week earlier in the Big 12 Championship, Overton set a tourney record with 15 strikeouts in two appearances, including eight in his start against Oklahoma State in the opener, which he lasted 7 1/3 IP.
2012 Season Stats: 6-3, 3.16 ERA, 120 K’s, 116.2 innings
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South Carolina Gamecocks
Columbia, S.C. | Record: 43-17 (18-11 SEC)
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Last NCAA Appearance: 2011 (Won second straight College World Series). Made 13 straight NCAA tourney appearances.
Holds a 116-56 record in 28 NCAA tournament appearances and has won 19 straight tournament games dating back to a 4-3 loss to Oklahoma in the first game of the 2010 CWS.
Top hitter: Junior 1B Christian Walker (.319, 11 HR, 53 RBI).
OU and South Carolina met twice in the 2010 College World Series. OU won the opener 4-3 and then was eliminated in a 3-2 contest played in 12 innings. USC leads the series 3-2 and won the first meeting, 13-2, in a regular season tourney played in Wilmington, N.C. in 2007.
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TICKET INFO
A limited number of tickets for the 2012 NCAA Baseball Columbia, South Carolina Super Regional will be on sale through the OU Athletics Ticket Office beginning Tuesday, June 5 at 8:00 a.m. The super regional format is a best of three series vs. the University of South Carolina.
Prices are $18 for reserved single session tickets. Tickets will be out of the University of Oklahoma allotment and can be purchased for each game that OU participates in. Tickets will be available on a first - come, first - served basis and are subject to availability.
To order tickets through OU for the Columbia Regional please call 405-325-2424 or 1-800-456-GoOU.
OU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
OU is 80-68 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and is currently making its eighth appearance in the last nine years and 35th overall. OU won its seventh regional title (1976, 1992, 1994,1995, 2006 and 2010) in 2012 under current head coach Sunny Golloway, who is 21-15 as OU ‘s head coach in the NCAA postseason.
Check pages 10-13 for more NCAA tournament history.
Oklahoma last won the National Championship in 1994 and captured its first title in 1951. OU is one of 13 schools to win multiple national titles in Division I baseball. The Sooners also advanced to the College World Series in 1951, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975 when the tournament was played in a district format.
With 10 College World Series Appearances, the Sooners made their first appearance in the NCAA Super Regional round in 2006 against then-No. 1 Rice and also played at No. 1 Virginia in 2010. The Super Regional format originated in 1999.
The Sooners dropped the openers of their previous two openers in the Super Regional, but bounced back to win game two in both appearances. The Sooners have scored in double digits in three of the six games.
HOW THE SOONERS GOT HERE
Oklahoma dropped the opener of the Charlottesville Regional to Appalachian State, 5-4, but came back to win four straight games and eliminate Army, host Virginia and Appalachian State.
6/04 - beat Appalachian State, 5-2
6/04 - beat Appalachian State, 14-6
6/03 - beat Virginia, 5-4
6/03 - beat Army, 2-1 (10)
6/02 - lost to Appalachian State, 5-4
HOW THE GAMECOCKS GOT HERE
The Gamecocks won their opening game of the Columbia Regional with a 7-0 victory over Manhattan. USC then had to beat Clemson twice with a pair of one-run victories.
6/03 - beat Clemson, 4-3
6/02 - beat Clemson, 5-4 (12)
6/01 - beat Manhattan, 7-0
ON DECK
The winner of the Columbia Super Regional will face the winner of the Gainesville Super Regional between Florida and N.C. State in the College World Series held June 15-26 in Omaha, Neb. at TD Ameritrade Park.
REACHING 300 WINS AT OKLAHOMA
The 2-1 win in extra innings over Army in the NCAA Charlottesville Regional marked the 300th career win for Sunny Golloway as the Sooners’ head coach. It took Golloway, now in his seventh full season, 458 games to reach the plateau, the second quickest total in program history. Enos Semore (1968-1989) won his 300th game as OU’s head coach in his 413th contest (ninth season). Larry Cochell, who coached the 1994 national title team with Golloway, needed 466 games to reach 300 wins as the Sooners’ skipper (eighth season). Earlier this season, Golloway eclipsed 600 career wins at the Division I level.
2012 DRAFT RECAP - FIVE SOONERS TAKEN
Five Sooners, four pitchers, were taken in the 2012 MLB Draft held June 4-6. Junior left-handed pitcher Steven Okert went first in the fourth round to the San Francisco Giants. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Damien Magnifico went next in the fifth round (Milwaukee Brewers) and sophomore lefty Jordan John followed in the sixth round to the Detroit Tigers to conclude day two. On the third and final day, junior righty Drew Harrison was selected in the 23rd round by the Detroit Tigers and senior shortstop Caleb Bushyhead was taken in the 29th round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
502 STRIKEOUTS RANKS THIRD ALL-TIME
The 502 strikeouts in 2012 marks just the third time the Sooner pitching staff has eclipsed 500 in a single season. The record of 583 K’s is held by the 2010 CWS team while the 1998 Sooners had 548 K’s. In addition, OU has two hurlers (Dillon Overton and Jordan John) with 100-plus strikeouts ,marking just the third time that has happened in program history. In 2004, Mark Roberts and David Purcey last achieved the feat. In 1985, Steve Peters and Bobby Witt both eclipsed 100 K’s and in 1975, Marty Kunkler and Bob Shirley had 100-plus each.
CHARLOTTESVILLE ALL-REGIONAL TEAM
OU led the NCAA Charlottesville All-Regional team with five members, including the most-outstanding player Matt Oberste (DH). The five selections tied for the second most in the Sunny Golloway era with the 2010 Norman Regional team and trailed the seven selections in the 2006 Norman Regional. Joining Oberste were Caleb Bushyhead (SS), Jack Mayfield (2B), Dillon Overton (SP) and Cody Reine (OF). Reine was the lone repeat member from the 2010 Norman Regional.
STRONG FINISH
The Sooners had a winning record in 10 of the 14 weekends this season after dropping the opener at Pepperdine. The Sooners won 20 of their final 28 games entering the tournament. OU also lost weekend series against Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. In addition, the Sooners started Big 12 play at 0-4 but finished with a 13-10 record, a half game out of third place. OU finished in the top four in the league standings for the fourth straight year.
BIG 12 SERIES WINS
The Sooners posted five series wins in 2012, topping the three recorded in 2011 (tied Mizzou). OU’s five series wins (5-3) rank third in the Big 12 behind Baylor (6-1) and Texas A&M (6-1). OU has won at least four Big 12 series in four of Sunny Golloway’s seven full seasons at OU. In addition, OU has recorded a Big 12 record over. 500 in each of the last four years. In 2012, the Sooners (13-10) were one win off of last year’s mark (14-11).
OU LEADS BIG 12 WITH FIVE ALL-TOURNEY MEMBERS
OU led the Big 12 Championship with five Sooners (Jack Mayfield, Evan Mistich, Matt Oberste, Steven Okert, and Dillon Overton) voted to the all-tournament team by the media, tying a program best in Big 12 play with the 1997 title team. All five Sooners made their first career appearance on the list.
WHITE NAMED ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM
OU had five honorees on the All-Big 12 teams announced on May 22, including first team member Max White (utility), who ranks in the top 10 in the league in several offensive categories after starting in left field, center field, third base and first base in 2012. White was named honorable mention in 2010.
Senior Erik Ross (outfield) and redshirt sophomore Jordan John (starting pitcher) were named to the second team while sophomore Dillon Overton (starting pitcher) was named honorable mention and Hunter Lockwood (1B/C) was voted to the all-freshman team.
It marks the fourth straight season that at least five Sooners were selected by the league’s coaches.
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Seniors Caleb Bushyhead (communication) and Erik Ross (multi-disciplinary studies) were named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team. It marked the third career honor for Bushyhead and his second straight appearance on the first team. Ross made his first career appearance on the academic team. Redshirt-sophomore Jordan John (energy management major) rounded out the 2012 honorees with his selection, a career first, to the second team.
Oklahoma has had at least two honorees on the academic all-conference team since 1993.
FIVE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
The Sooners are 38-9 on the season when holding opponents to five runs or less and 4-14 when the opposition scores six or more. OU has limited the opposition to five or less runs in 38 of the last 45 games and hold a 30-15 record in that span.
ONE-RUN GAMES UNDER GOLLOWAY
The Sooners are 14-11 in one-run games in 2012 after going 4-9 a season ago. OU is 81-46 (.638) 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 21-6 when collecting 10 or more hits in a game. OU is also 6-0 when scoring double-digit runs with victories over Hartford (Feb. 25), New Mexico (March 3), MACU (April 30), Baylor (May 13), Samford (May 19) and Appalachian State (Game 1 on June 4). OU is 1-3 when allowing 10-plus runs against Pepperdine (2/18), UTA and Oregon State. The Sooners are 11-14 when giving up 10 or more hits.
SOONERS AND THE LONGBALL
OU is second in the Big 12 with 36 home runs on the season (Baylor-43), including the league’s second-highest individual total of 11 from freshman Hunter Lockwood. The Sooners are 22-5 when they hit a home run in a game this year and 5-1 with multiple longballs (Feb. 24 vs. Hartford, April 14 vs. Missouri, May 19 vs. Samford, May 26 vs. Baylor and June 4 vs. Appalachian State, game 1). OU has homered in eight of the last 11 games with 11 in that span, including a season-high six-game streak). The Sooners have ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the Big 12 each of the last three years, including a league-best 105 in 2010 and 91 in 2009.
TIME FOR A RALLY
In the 42 victories in 2012, OU has come from behind in 21 of those contests. Of Sunny Golloway’s 303 wins at OU, 153 (.505) have been in come-from-behind fashion, including 18 last year and 22 in 2010.
BIG 12 SOONERS OF THE WEEK
Steven Okert - Big 12 Newcomer - May 14
- Posted a win and a save in doubleheader sweep of No. 2 Baylor
Max White - Big 12 Player - April 30
- Hit .444 (8-for-18) with four multi-hit games and nine RBI.
Damien Magnifico - Big 12 Newcomer - April 16
- 8 2/3 scoreless innings in first win over then-No. 9 Arkansas.
Hunter Lockwood - Big 12 Player/Newcomer - April 2
- Batted .429 (6-for-14) with 2 homers, 8 RBI, and a 1.000 slg %.
Dillon Overton - Big 12 Pitcher - March 12
- Went 2-0 with wins over UAPB and West Virginia (CG).
Jonathan Gray - Big 12 Newcomer -March 12
- 10 strikeouts in seven-inning win at then-No. 9 Oregon.
Jordan John - Big 12 Pitcher - March 5
- 5 1/3 scoreless innings for a save and win at New Mexico.
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 299 games, the third most in school history. In his 14 full seasons as a DI head coach, Golloway’s teams have averaged over 40 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 30 - Kansas State (6:30 p.m.)
March 31- Kansas State (2 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 vs. Samford (6:30 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)
