Completed Event: Baseball versus (2) Georgia Tech on May 31, 2026 , Win , 15, to, 8
Final
Baseball
15
vs (2) Georgia Tech
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
2007 Season Preview: Pitchers
January 17, 2007 | Baseball
NORMAN, Okla. -- With one day of practice in the books, Soonersports.com continues its five-part series previewing the 2007 baseball season, which begins on Friday, Feb. 2 in the UTPA Tournament in Edinburg, Texas against Texas State.
Individual practices began on Tuesday indoors to avoid the frigid temperatures in Norman. The individual workouts will continue throughout the week and the Sooners will return to full team practices on Jan. 21. Stay tuned to Soonersports.com throughout this week for the remainder of the five-part preview breaking down the Sooners by position.
The Sooners will kick off the 2007 season at the Fourth Annual Diamond Dinner on Friday, Jan. 26. Current Oklahoma players and coaches will be in attendance to join former OU greats at the banquet. Click here for more information.
PART III: PITCHERS
Despite losing the entire weekend rotation of seniors, the 2007 pitching staff returns seven hurlers, including two starters with previous experience. Junior captain Ryan Mottern (RHP) leads the staff after starting eight games a year ago. Mottern is in position to to take over the No. 1 role this season left by Daniel McCutchen.
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“Ryan and Jimmy (Rollins) both have the arm strength which makes them capable of controlling a game like Daniel McCutchen did in 2006,” said Golloway about the No. 1 and No. 2 projected starters in the 2007 rotation. “Ryan had a strong showing during the summer in Alaska and that success carried over into fall practice. The coaching staff has confidence in him to be a team leader on and off the mound this season.”
Rollins, a left-handed senior, is another hurler who competed well in the fall but unlike Mottern, he has limited experience on the Sooners' mound. The junior college transfer from Seminole State made 11 appearances for OU in 2006, all out of the bullpen, but he gives Oklahoma a left-handed starter for the first time in over a year. Down the stretch, Rollins was solid with three scoreless outings out of his last four appearances in 2006. Two of those outings came against then-No. 1 Rice in the Houston Super Regional where Rollins held the Owls to one hit over 2 2/3 innings pitched with two strikeouts.
“Jimmy really came on strong near the end of last season and the coaching staff was looking for him to step up and pitch strongly in the fall, and he did just that,” said Golloway. “One of his weaknesses (in the fall) was losing focus throughout the course of a six or seven-inning outing and that is something Jimmy will continue to improve as he makes the transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation.”
Senior Joseph Hughes (LHP), junior Brad Burns (RHP) and sophomore Stephen Porlier (RHP) will compete for the third and fourth starting spots in the OU rotation. Hughes, who also started for OU in centerfield a year ago, made 12 appearances last season in relief and finished the fall as the favorite to become the Sunday starter. Burns is the only other pitcher on the staff, besides Mottern, with starting experience (13 games in 2005 and two in 2006), while Porlier comes to Norman after making 17 appearances (12 starts) at Tulane where he posted a 7-5 mark in 2006 as a freshman.
“Joseph solidified a spot in the rotation with his performances in the fall,” said Golloway. “It's a great luxury to have someone like him on our team. He provides a tremendous boost to our defense and gives us another left-handed arm on the mound. He allows us to turn a lineup around during a three-game set which is something we were unable to do a year ago.”
With Mottern, Rollins, Hughes, Burns and Porlier expected to start, the Sooners' bullpen is left with one senior, two juniors, one sophomore and four freshmen. Senior Chris Henry and juniors Zach Sawyer (Navarro J.C.) and Heath Taylor (Vernon J.C.) give the coaching staff three left-handed hurlers while senior Matt Lovelady, sophomore Nich Conaway and freshmen Andrew Doyle, Danny Grande, Antwonie Hubbard and Garrett Richards complete the staff from the right side.
“Our staff has a lot of depth because of the arms we recruited last year,” said Golloway. “We have a lot of options in long and short relief with two returners who are joined by two talented JUCO transfers and four freshmen that have the ability to register significant innings for us.”
One position that is still a question mark after the fall is the Sooners' closer. Among others, Lovelady and Richards are at the top of that list.
“We have some solid options for the closer's role,” said Golloway of the competition. “The position is a work in progress and one that we hope to solidify by the start of the Big 12 season. Matt and Garrett are two individuals that each showed the ability in the fall to handle the job.”
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Stay tuned to Soonersports.com on Thursday for the fourth part of the 2007 season preview focusing on the Sooners' infield.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE |
Saturday, July 11
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