NORMAN, Okla. -- No. 6 Oklahoma (50-17) and No. 5 South Carolina (49-16) will meet again in the 2010 College World Series, this time in an elimination game on Thursday, June 24 at 6 p.m. CT. The Sooners topped the Gamecocks, 4-3,on Sunday in the CWS opener. OU and South Carolina have met one other time before this season on Feb. 9, 2007 in the Hughes Brothers Challenge in Wilmington, N.C. The Sooners dropped a 13-2 decision that day in the only other meeting between the schools.
The winner of OU and USC will have to defeat No. 8 Clemson twice to advance to next week's championship series, starting on Friday at 8 p.m.
• The No. 5 Gamecocks rebounded after Sunday's loss to OU with an 11-4 victory over No. 1 Arizona State. Last week, South Carolina won the Super Regional at Coastal Carolina (W, 4-3 and 10-9). In the NCAA Regional round, USC hosted and won all three games of its regional against Bucknell, The Citadel and Virginia Tech. The Gamecocks are making their ninth CWS appearance and first since 2004 (others: 2003, 2002, 1985, 1982, 1981, 1977 and 1975).
• A winner in 15 of the last 18 outings, OU is ranked as high as No. 6 this week by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA polls, while Baseball America (No. 11) and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' (13) are idle until the conclusion of the tournament. OU has nine previous CWS appearances (1995, 1994, 1992, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972 and 1951) and owns two national titles in 1951 and 1994.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• The OU broadcast with Chuck Kelly calling the play-by-play can be heard throughout the week on the Sooner Sports Network (KREF 1400 AM) in Oklahoma City and Norman and free online at SoonerSports.com.
• Fans inside the stadium can listen to the OU broadcast on 90.9 FM.
• Live stats are available at SoonerSports.com.
• The ESPN family of networks will cover every game of the College World Series. OU's game on Tuesday will air on ESPN2 (Cox Ch. 721 HD in OKC) with Sean McDonough calling the play-by-play, Robin Ventura on color and Erin Andrews on the sideline.
PLAYER TO WATCH - CALEB BUSHYHEAD
The shortstop is riding a seven-game hitting streak and is batting 10-for-27 (.370) in that span with four RBIs. In addition, he has hit safely in all but one of the OU's eight NCAA tournament games and leads all Sooners with .500 batting average and three RBIs in the College World Series. In the last seven games, Bushyhead has recorded three of his 24-multi-hit games, a total that ranks second on the team.
2010 Season Stats: .329, 6 HR, 39 RBI
SOUTH CAROLINA STARTER
RHP Blake Cooper (12-2, 2.92 ERA)
OU ROTATION
RHP Zach Neal (8-3, 4.65 ERA)
OU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
OU is 76-63 all-time in the NCAA Tournament after dropping a 6-4 decision to Clemson on Wednesday. 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 its last against Virginia in 2010 (format originated in 1999).
The 2010 Norman Regional was the sixth in the last seven years and 33rd overall. OU won its 11th regional/district title in 2010 and second under current head coach Sunny Golloway.
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.
Besides the 1994 national title run, Golloway was on the 1992 and 1995 coaching staffs that led OU to Omaha.
OU is 17-11 in the NCAA Tournament under Golloway.
MORE ON SOUTH CAROLINA
- 49-16 overall - 2nd in Southeastern Conference
- Ranked No. 5 in Collegiate Baseball and NCBWA
- 26th NCAA Appearance - 11th straight
- Nine College World Series appearances (last: 2004)
- National runner ups in 2002, 1977 and 1975.
- USC won the 2007 meeting, 13-2, and OU won Sunday's game, 4-3 to even the series at one games apiece.
LAST TIME OUT
The Sooners dropped into the elimination side of the bracket after suffering a 6-4 loss to No. 8 Clemson on Wednesday. The game started on Tuesday but was postponed at the end of the fifth inning with Clemson leading 6-1. When play resumed on Wednesday, OU plated three runs but the comeback came up short despite solo home runs by Cameron Seitzer and Tyler Ogle.
QUICK HITS
- The last time OU won 50 games was during the program's second national championship run in 1994 (50-17). The Sooners other 50-win seasons came in 1975 (55) 1976(62) and 1985 (55).
- OU's 67 games is tied for the most played in a season since Sunny Golloway's first full-year at the helm in 2006. That team finished 45-22.
-The Sooners won 25 of their 31 games at home but also have a winning record on the road with a 25-11 mark.
- OU ranks second in the Big 12 in hitting (.310) and third in ERA (3.70) and fielding percentage (.976). OU leads the conference with 104 home runs.
- The OU pitching staff leads the Big 12 with 574 strikeouts and ranks 10th in the nation in strikeouts per 9 IP (8.7). OU has 26 games with 10 or more K's, including a season-high 19 versus Arkansas-Little Rock.
- The Sooners have homered in 54 of the 67 contests with 30 multiple-homer games (27-3 record). OU has homered in 22 of the last 25 games, including its second 14-game streak of 2010 (first was March 2 to March 26). OU has 14 homers in eight NCAA Tournament games this year.
- OU is 27-6 when scoring first and 23-1 when tallying a run in the first inning.
- OU is 14-6 in one-run games in 2010 (4-1 in NCAA tourney)and the Sooners are 63-25-1 (.713) under Sunny Golloway.
- OU 22-1 when scoring 10 or more runs, including 11 of the last 27 games. OU has scored 232 runs in the last 27 games (8.6 per game).
- The OU bullpen is 21-2 (lost to Missouri and OSU) with 16 saves on the season and a 2.71 ERA and 286 Ks in 255.2 IP.
- Garrett Buechele's career-high 19 game hitting streak ended on May 8. It included 10 multiple-hit games, five homers, 23 RBIs and a .391 batting average (34-for-87).
- Buechele had his second double-digit hit streak of 11 games snapped at Virginia but has hit safely in 34 of the last 39 games.
- Buechele (17) is second d in the Big 12 in homers ahead of sophomore Cameron Seitzer (16) in third and freshman Max White (15) in fourth.
- 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.
- Cody Reine hit four homers over the weekend at Virginia and has five in the NCAA tourney. He also has six multi-hit games in the tournament. Reine and Ogle reached double digits in homers this week and gives OU five players with 10-plus in the same season for the first time since 1998. OU set the program record with 114 that season.
- Ryan Duke is 12-for-13 in save situations this year and ranks 21st in the nation in that category (2nd in Big 12). His 28 career saves is tied for the program lead with Jeff Bajenaru (1999-2000).
- Jeremy Erben's scoreless streak ended after 22 2/3 innings on April 1 vs. Texas. He has not allowed a run in 21 of his team-leading 33 relief appearances with a 7-1 record (five saves).
- Zach Neal tossed the Sooners' first complete game of 2010 with a nine-inning performance at Texas Tech. Jack Mayfield followed with a complete-game shutout against Oklahoma State in the series finale.
- Caleb Bushyhead (SS) is the only Sooner to play in all 67 games and he leads the team with 66 starts.
- Bushyhead had one hit in 22 games last season and has 82 hits in 2010. He is second on OU with 24 multi-hit games and had an 18-game streak (career high) snapped in the Big 12 championship.
