Sooner Baseball Reels In Large Class of Talent

After pursuing some of the top talent around, the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team completed and released its 2005 recruiting class of 14 individuals on Monday. The class, which is the largest signed by OU in head coach Larry Cochell's tenure, consists of a balanced mix of seven players each from the high school and junior college ranks. The breakdown among positions weighed heavily in favor of pitchers with eight potential hurlers signed along with three infielders, two outfielders and one catcher.

“This year's class, according to Collegiate Baseball, was the ninth best recruiting class in the country so we feel like that was a pretty good recruiting class. We feel like this class has every chance to be as good or better than that one with all the marquee players we have signed,” commented Cochell on inking his 14th recruiting class at OU.

In addition to the strong overall class of talent, the Sooners continued to be successful at signing some of the top high school talent in the state of Oklahoma. All five of state's prep standouts signed are highly-recognized local prospects and have also showcased their talents on the national scene on select teams during the off-season.

“We've signed five of the top high school prospects in the state that fill our needs,” said Cochell. “Most of these kids are high profile players that will eventually be drafted and in most people's opinion are the five best players in the state.”

Cochell attributes the unusually large numbers signed in the class to the ever-apparent reality of losing players to the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft each spring.

“We've signed a larger class than usual this year knowing that there is the possibility that we will lose some guys out of this recruiting class, as well as on our current squad, to the draft. We've gone after several marquee players that we know we have a chance to lose,” explained Cochell.

The following is a brief look (in alphabetical order) at the Sooners' 2005 class:

Tyler Adkins, Pitcher, Norman High School (Norman, Okla.) A two year starter and letterman for the Tigers ... Occasionally played at third base and used as a pinchrunner ... Also lettered four years in football where he was a wide receiver and safety ... Coached in baseball by Doug Gillis ... Also recruited by Oklahoma State, Oklahoma City University and Rose State College ... 2003 (Junior): Went 5-5 on the mound with a 3.53 ERA ... Struck out 61 batters in 51 innings of work ... Team posted a record of 25-12 ... Participated in the Area Code Games ... 2002 (Sophomore): Posted a record of 3-3 with a 2.68 ERA in his initial campaign ... Struck out 30 batters in as many innings pitched ... Team finished the year 14-20.

John Brownell, Pitcher, Butler C.C. Returned to Butler C.C. after being a member of the University of Nebraska squad in 2003 ... Received a medical redshirt ... Coached by Steve Johnson ... Also recruited by Louisiana-Lafayette, Texas Tech, Southwest Missouri State and Louisiana-Monroe ... 2002 (Freshman at Butler C.C.): Named the Jayhawk West Conference Freshman of the Year ... Also a first team all-conference member ... Went 8-2 on the mound with a 4.02 ERA ... Started 11 of the 14 games in which he pitched ... Posted one save in relief ... Threw 69.1 innings and gave up 31 earned runs and 24 walks while striking out 83 ... Team finished fourth in the conference with a 25-29 record.

Chuckie Caufield, Outfielder, Seminole State College (Ada, Okla.) Started in right field during his first season ... Expected to start in center field this year and serve as the team's leadoff hitter ... Coached by Eric Myers ... Also recruited by South Carolina, Oklahoma State and Louisiana-Lafayette ... Younger brother of former Sooner women's basketball great, LaNeishea Caufield ... 2003 (Freshman): Named the team's Offensive Player of the Year ... Led the region in batting average ... Posted a .429 mark at the plate and also added a team-leading 76 hits ... Contributed 54 runs scored, 17 doubles, one triple and four home runs ... Drove in 35 runs ... Swiped 23 bases in 28 attempts ... Team posted a 45-11 record and won the Bi-State Conference Championship ... Finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation.

Joe Dunigan, Outfielder, St. Ignatius Prep (Chicago, Ill.) A three year letterman and starter ... Played in center field and right field during his prep career ... A three-time all-conference selection ... Coached by Bob Kriz ... Also recruited by North Carolina-Greensboro ... 2003 (Junior): Hit at a .377 clip and collected 43 hits in 114 at bats ... Homered three times and drove in 25 runs ... Drew a school record 34 walks ... 2002 (Sophomore): Named to the all-area team as a sophomore and also garnered team Most Valuable Player honors ... Batted .416 and pounded out seven home runs ... Collected 47 hits and knocked in 41 runs which both accounted for the fourth best totals in school history ... Posted a .761 slugging percentage.

Jarod Freeman, Pitcher/Infielder, Westmoore High School (Oklahoma City, Okla.) A three year starter in baseball and football ... Coached by Mark Braziel ... 2003 (Junior): Named honorable mention All-State by the Daily Oklahoman ... Garnered Most Valuable Player accolades for the East-West Showdown ... Nominated for the Ferguson Jenkins Student-Athlete Award ... Member of the Oklahoma Junior Sunbelt team ... Played at third and first base ... Batted .392 and collected 16 doubles ... Posted a 6-3 mark on the mound with a 2.48 ERA ... Excelled off the field where he was president of Student Council ... 2002 (Sophomore): Recorded a .304 batting average and a 5-2 pitching record ... 2001 (Freshman): Named the Masonic Student of Today and was a member of the O.S.S.A.A. Sportsmanship Committee.

Steven Guerra, Pitcher, Cuesta J.C. Served as a starting pitcher during his first year at Cuesta ... Selected to the Western State North All-Conference first team ... Team ended the season with a 36-10 overall and 23-3 record in conference play ... Cuesta won the conference regular season title and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the Southern California state poll ... Has since transferred to Northeast Texas Junior College ... Coached at Cuesta by Chad Tidwell ... 2003 (Freshman): Posted a team-leading 11-1 record in 13 starts ... Completed a team-best three games ... Recorded a 3.17 ERA ... His 96.2 innings pitched and 89 strikeouts also led the team ... Ranked in the top 10 in the conference in several categories ... Led the league in win-loss percentage (.917), ranked fourth in innings pitched and eighth in strikeouts per game (8.3).

Kody Kaiser, Shortstop, Santa Fe High School (Edmond, Okla.) A two year starter and letterman ... Competed at shortstop as a junior and played in left field as a sophomore ... Occasionally saw time on the mound ... Owns the school's single-season record for batting average and ranks in the top three on the Santa Fe career charts for batting average, doubles and home runs ... Coached by Lonnie Coble ... Also recruited by Southern Cal, Miami, LSU, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Nebraska and Baylor ... 2003 (Junior): Named honorable mention All-City by the Daily Oklahoman and to the All-Edmond team by the Edmond Evening Sun ... Led the team in all major offensive categories ... Batted .416 with six home runs and 42 RBI ... Scored 39 runs and amassed 47 hits, including 10 doubles and eight triples ... Swiped 18 bases and recorded a .525 on base percentage ... Posted a 4-2 record with a 2.63 ERA and six saves as both a starting and relief pitcher ... Hit out of the three hole in the lineup ... Selected as a team captain ... Team compiled a 19-16 record and won the Edmond Tournament ... Member of D.E.C.A. ... Participated in the Area Code Games ... 2002 (Sophomore): Selected to the All-Edmond Team by the Edmond Evening Sun ... Led the team in all major offensive categories ... Hit at a .340 clip with four home runs and 36 RBI ... Collected 50 hits, including six doubles and five triples ... Registered an on base percentage of .443 and a slugging percentage of .530 ... Batted out of the two hole in the lineup ... Team finished as state-runnerups and regional champs ... Also won all three tournaments they participated in: Stillwater, Enid and Edmond ... Served on Student Council.

Don Powers, Pitcher, Seminole State College (Shawnee, Okla.) One of the team's top relief pitchers ... Coached by Eric Myers ... Also recruited by Rice, Louisiana-Lafayette and Baylor ... 2003 (Freshman): Recorded a 3-1 mark on the mound and struck out 32 batters in 30 innings of work ... Posted a 3.14 ERA and held opponents to a .165 opponent batting average ... Made three starts in 13 games played ... Team posted a 45-11 record and won the Bi-State Conference Championship ... Finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation.

Freddy Rodriguez, Shortstop, Cypress C.C. (Westminister, Calif.) Team ended the season ranked No. 1 in the state of California after winning the state tournament ... Named first team All-Orange Empire Conference after his first year ... Plays alongside fellow Oklahoma signee Kevin Smith ... Coached by Scott Pickler ... 2003 (Freshman): Batted .305 at the plate ... Scored 41 runs and drove in 25 others ... Struck out only 11 times in 210 at bats ... Collected 64 hits and doubled five times.

P.J. Sandoval, Pitcher, Saddleback C.C. The Orange Empire Conference's top relief pitcher last season ... Earned first team all-conference accolades at the end of his first year ... Coached by Jack Hodges ... Former teammate at Saddleback of current Sooner outfielder Jeff Scuderi ... 2003 (Freshman): Pitched in 23 games ... Completed the one game he started ... Posted a mark of 5-3 with a team-leading 1.24 ERA ... Also registered team-leading totals in innings pitched (43.2), saves (6) and strikeouts (69) ... Topped the conference in ERA, strikeouts per game (14.2) and hits per game (5.6) ... Also finished in the top seven in the league in saves (tied-second) and walks per game (seventh 2.3) ... Ranked in the top 10 in the California state junior college system in several categories as well ... Placed first in strikeouts per game and hits per game, third in ERA and ninth in saves ... Team posted a 34-17-1 mark on the season and 14-10 record in the conference ... Team advanced to the state playoffs and finished the season ranked sixth in the Southern California region.

Kevin Smith, Third Base, Cypress C.C. (La Mirada, Calif.) - Team ended the season ranked No. 1 in the state of California after winning the state tournament ... Chosen as one of three Most Valuable Players of the state tournament ... Plays alongside fellow Oklahoma signee Freddy Rodriguez ... Coached by Scott Pickler ... Also recruited by South Carolina, Texas Tech and Cal State Fullerton ... Selected in the 25th round by the New York Yankees of the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft ... 2003 (Freshman): Recorded a .324 batting average with a .557 slugging percentage and a .393 on base percentage ... Scored 38 runs and drove in 57 more ... Contributed a multitude of extra base hits including 13 doubles, three triples and eight home runs ... Ranked in the top 10 in the conference in several categories ... Tied for the league lead in RBI, finished fifth in home runs and seventh in triples ... His RBI total also tied for fourth-best in the California state junior college system ... Earned state tournament MVP honors after batting .539 (7-for-13) with three doubles and seven RBI over four games.

Jordan Thibodeaux, Pitcher, West Orange-Stark High School (Orange, Texas) A two year starter and letterman ... A two-time all-district pick ... Pitched his first year at St. Louis Catholic High School in Louisiana before transferring to West Orange-Stark for his junior and senior campaigns ... Coached by Stephen Westbrook ... Also recruited by Georgia Tech, Baylor, Louisiana-Lafayette, McNeese State and Lamar ... 2004 (Senior): Pitched for the Louisiana All-Star team at the World Wood Bat Championships in Jupiter, Fla., this fall ... Team finished in the top eight out of 75 teams from the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic ... Invited to participate in the elite World Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., in January ... 2003 (Junior): Named to the all-district team and to the Orange Leader All-County Team ... Recorded a record of 6-3 on the mound and struck out 50 batters in 42 innings pitched ... 2002 (Sophomore): An all-district pick ... Posted a 5-3 record and helped lead team to the state quarterfinals.

Dallas Trahern, Pitcher, Owasso High School (Owasso, Okla.) A three year letterman and two year starter for the Rams ... Also saw time in the field at shortstop and made occasional relief stints ... A two-time state champion ... Coached by Larry Turner ... Also recruited by Oklahoma State, Baylor, Arkansas, Arizona State and Oral Roberts ... 2003 (Junior): Garnered numerous accolades including Daily Oklahoman and Tulsa World All-State, Metro Pitcher of the Year honors by the Tulsa World and Frontier Conference Pitcher of the Year honors ... Named the Most Valuable Player of the Blue Devil Classic in Winter Haven, Fla. ... Nominated for the Wendy's High School Heisman award ... Posted a 10-2 record with a 2.38 ERA ... Struck out 85 batters in 76.1 innings pitched ... Also recorded one save and two shutouts ... Hit at a .403 clip at the plate with six home runs and 42 RBI ... Led the team with 15 doubles and 54 hits ... Scored 44 runs ... Won three games in the state tournament ... Pitched in four games during the tournament and came in relief in two of those ... Team won the state tournament and finished with a 36-4 record ... Team also earned a No. 3 final ranking by USA Today ... Participated in the Area Code Games ... 2002 (Sophomore): Posted a 4-2 record on the mound for the Rams ... Team went 22-10 on the year ... The only sophomore chosen to participate in the Area Code Games ... 2001 (Freshman): Compiled an 8-1 pitching record in his first year ... Team accomplished state, regional and district championships.

Jackson Williams, Catcher, Broken Arrow High School (Broken Arrow, Okla.) A two year starter and letterman ... Coached by former Sooner letterwinner Shannon Dobson ... Also recruited by Wichita State, Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Baylor ... Twice played in the Area Code Games where he was named a California All-Star ... Also participated with the Perfect Game All-Stars in Jupiter, Fla. ... A Warren Spahn Award nominee ... 2003 (Junior): Batted .339 with three home runs and 25 RBI ... Team went 24-14 on the year, won their regional and advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner Baseball Reels In Large Class of Talent

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