Shepherd Brings Big Bat to Oklahoma

NORMAN, Okla. -- Coming out of high school, Devin Shepherd had a chance to jump ahead in his journey toward the major leagues. He decided against skipping the step in between.

Despite getting drafted in the fifth round by the Minnesota Twins, the slugging outfielder from California signed on to play college baseball at Oklahoma.

"College baseball is where it's at. It doesn't get more intense than that," Shepherd said Wednesday at Oklahoma's annual media day. "When you get to the big-league level, it's a little more laid back.

"Coming to this level first before going to the big-league level is something I think is a little bit better."

Shepherd Bio | OU Holds Media Day | Diamond Dinner

Shepherd was an all-state selection after hitting .406 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs for Oxnard (Calif.) Union High School last year. The 6-foot-2 slugger also stole 25 bases.

"The guy's got more potential than anybody I've ever played with. He can do it," Oklahoma catcher Jackson Williams said. "He can go in there and fill up the box and really strike some fear in the pitcher's eyes. He's a big guy."

At Oklahoma, Shepherd will be expected to help fill a hole in a Sooners lineup that lost its top four hitters in batting average, home runs and RBIs. But he isn't getting any pressure to produce from Sooners coach Sunny Golloway.

"If you can imagine being that type of player in high school, you're the go-to guy all the time," Golloway said. "I've told Devin, `Just go out, play the game and have fun.'"

"He doesn't have to carry our club," he added. "He gets to come in, be one out of nine in the lineup."

That doesn't mean Shepherd hasn't already turned heads.

"There's no question with Devin. When he goes to the plate, he's trying to get the ball to launch," Golloway said. "He's got a lot of power for a freshman."

Golloway, who had the Sooners within one win of the College World Series in his first year as Oklahoma's coach, said he had plenty of people tell him he didn't have a chance at luring Shepherd to campus. He ignored those voices and got a promise from Shepherd to come to Norman, so long as he didn't get drafted in the first two rounds of the Major League draft.

"We're not going to worry about if they're potential first-, second- or third-rounders," Golloway said. "We want to go get the best athletes we can."

As such a high draft pick, Shepherd has attracted a decent amount of attention, but he shrugs off questions about lofty expectations and says he is focused on winning a championship at Oklahoma and not on the majors.

"He's an awesome guy. His head's on straight," shortstop Aaron Reza said. "He doesn't let anything get to his head. He goes out there and has fun. He's always laughing, talking. He never lets the game get to his head, and that's what we need from a guy like him."

Shepherd said he followed college baseball growing up, although at 19 he's too young to remember Oklahoma winning the national title in 1994. He predicted that Oklahoma would return to the College World Series and emerge victorious "at least once or twice" while he's on the team.

That's part of what helped Golloway, who was an assistant on that 1994 team, draw Shepherd to Oklahoma.

"When I got to sit down in his office during my recruiting visit, he sold me his program. It's something I like and something I want to be a part of," Shepherd said. "Something special is going to happen in the next three years."

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