Completed Event: Baseball versus (2) Georgia Tech on May 31, 2026 , Win , 15, to, 8
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Hosts Shockers Wednesday at 5
February 28, 2007 | Baseball
NORMAN, Okla. -- After starting the nine-game home stand with a sweep of Western Illinois, the Sooners (5-4) continue the longest stretch of games in Norman this season on Wednesday, Feb. 28 against No. 11 Wichita State (8-2). First pitch at L. Dale Mitchell Park is scheduled for 5 p.m.
The Sooners and Shockers will be meeting for the 20th time in the series and first since June 5 of last season. In that game, OU claimed the 2006 NCAA Norman Regional title with a 7-6 win over Wichita State to advance to Super Regional play.
The game is the first of two meetings in 2007 between OU and WSU. The second meeting will take place in Wichita, Kan., on April 10 at Eck Stadium.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Wednesday's game is the first to be carried this season by the Sooners' flagship station, KOKC 1520 AM. Chuck Kelly will call the play-by-play with color analysis from former Sooner DeWayne Vaughn. Due to the OU women's basketball game versus Baylor at 8 p.m., the baseball broadcast will end at 7:45 p.m. The entire game will be broadcast live via the internet by Yahoo. Pre-game coverage for all OU baseball games begins 15 minutes prior to the first pitch. In addition, live stats for all games this season can be viewed on Soonersports.com.
Fans can also E-mail the radio booth by clicking the following link - E-mail your questions to the radio booth and the OU broadcast crew will answer your questions during the Sooners' games.
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UPDATING THE SOONERS
The Sooners (5-4) improved to above .500 for the first time this season after extending their winning streak to three games with a sweep of Western Illinois on Feb. 23-25.
In Friday's home opener, the Sooners used strong pitching by Stephen Porlier and Aaron Baker's RBI single to top the visiting Leathernecks, 1-0. On Saturday, the OU offense exploded for 24 runs on 24 hits in a 24-4 thumping of Western Illinois to clinch the series win. Sunday's finale saw OU jump on top early only to surrender the lead in the ninth inning. But OU used its first ninth-inning comeback of the season to claim a 7-6 win in the bottom of the ninth and complete the sweep.
SCOUTING WICHITA STATE
The Shockers were picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference behind Evansville after a third place finish in 2006. WSU is the second ranked team OU has faced this season (Sooners dropped a 13-2 decision to then-No. 4 South Carolina).
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On the mound, junior left-hander Rob Musgrave is expected to get the starting nod on Wednesday. In his two starts this season, Musgrave is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA. In 14 2/3 innings, he has allowed two runs off five hits and has struck out nine. In his last outing on Feb. 23 against Hawaii, he struck out five and allowed one run on one hit in 7 2/3 innings pitched.
Junior second baseman Damon Sublett, a preseason All-American by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, is one of the Shockers' top hitters this season. Sublett is second on the team in hits (16) and RBIs (12) and ranks third with a .372 batting average. Sublett only saw one game against OU in 2006 because of injury but finished that game 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
The Shockers have won 10 of the 19 games in the series against the Sooners. Wichita State won both regular season meetings last year (12-2 and 9-5) but OU won the last two meetings, a pair of victories in the 2006 NCAA Norman Regional. OU is 7-2 against WSU in games played in Norman.
TICKETS AND PROMOTIONS FOR WSU GAME
Seats to this Wednesday's game are available for $10 (reserved), $7 (general admission), $5 (youth and senior citizen) and $3 for groups of ten or more at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and at SoonerSports.com. The gates will open an hour and a half before first pitch. On Wednesday, the first 500 fans will receive free OU pom pons.
PLAYER TO WATCH: JOE DUNIGAN
The Sooners' left fielder has driven in a run in five of the last seven games. Dunigan hit .417 with five RBIs last weekend against Western Illinois and has reached base safely in all but one game this season.
NEXT UP
The Sooners continue the current home stand against UC Riverside this weekend (March 2-4). Friday's series opener is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch and will be followed by game two on Saturday at 3 p.m. and the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
NINE-GAME HOME STAND
After spending the first six games of the season on the road, OU returned to Norman last weekend for the longest home stand of the season. The home opener against Western Illinois marked the start of a nine-game home stand which also features games against Wichita State (Feb. 28), UC Riverside (March 2-4) and Creighton (March 6-7). Last Friday's opener was also the start of a span that features 17 of the next 21 games played in Norman.
OFFENSE EXPLODES FOR 24 RUN ON 24 HITS
Seven different Sooners connected for multiple hit performances on Feb. 24. in a 24-4 win over Western Illinois. The OU offense outhit the Leathernecks 24-4 and limited the opposition to seven hits in the first two games of the series. Additionally, the offense plated the most runs by an Oklahoma team since 1996 (25 on Feb. 18 against Oklahoma City) and collected the most hits since April 29 of last season (25 vs. Kansas).
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Junior shortstop Aaron Reza, who broke a bone in his glove hand (left) in practice on Jan. 24, returned to action last weekend against Western Illinois. Reza was expected to miss 4-6 weeks and made his return 30 days after breaking the bone. Reza provided a spark to the OU defense and was 3-for-8 at the plate with two RBIs in the two starts.
BAKER'S DELIGHT
The true freshman from Denton, Texas, who leads the Big 12 Conference in batting average, extended his team-best hitting streak to nine games in the series finale against Western Illinois on Sunday. Baker finished the series against the Leathernecks 7-for-12 (.583) at the plate with two doubles, a home run, five runs and five RBIs. In game two of the series on Feb. 24, he was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle as he tied an Oklahoma record with five hits. Baker became the 22nd player in OU history to accomplish the feat and the first since Greg Dobbs had five base knocks in 2001 (UTA). Baker currently leads the Sooners in batting average (.457), slugging percentage (.771), on-base percentage (.537), hits (16), doubles (5), homers (2), RBIs (12) and total bases (27).
PORLIER POISED
The transfer from Tulane University may have solidified his role as the Sooners' No. 1 starter with eight innings pitched on Friday, Feb. 23 against Western Illinois. Porlier tossed a season-high eight innings and 110 pitches to strike out seven in his second victory of the season. Porlier, who combined with freshman Garrett Richards for the shutout, limited the Leathernecks to three hits and one walk. Porlier leads the Sooners in wins (2) ERA (1.59), strikeouts (18) and innings pitched (17). He also ranks in the top five in the Big 12 Conference in ERA and opponent's batting average (.164). His 18 strikeouts also ranks among the top 10 in the conference. He has only allowed three runs and two walks this season.
HOME OPENERS SINCE 1962
With Friday's 1-0 win over Western Illinois, the Sooners have won 26 straight home openers dating back to 1982. In the past 46 seasons, the University of Oklahoma baseball team is 42-4 in the first home game of the season. The Sooners' only losses in a home opener came in 1962 (6-1 against Loyola), 1965 (1-0 against OSU), 1969 (3-0 against Kansas) and 1981 (6-5 against Southeastern State). Additionally, the Sooners have only dropped one three-game set (first home series) in that span - Oklahoma State in 1965 (1-2).
GAME CHANGES
In addition to the Wichita State game, originally slated for Feb. 27, being moved to Feb. 28 at 5 p.m., the OU baseball team announced two other changes in the home schedule. Game two of the mid-week series against UTPA on March 14 has been moved to a noon start (originally scheduled for a 3 p.m. first pitch). In addition, game three against Michigan State on March 18 has also been moved to a noon first pitch, originally slated for a 1 p.m. start. Please check the schedule page on Soonersports.com for the most up-to-date information.
SCHEDULE STRENGTH
The Sooners will once again have a tough schedule in 2007. Prior to Big 12 play, OU faces a challenging non-conference schedule that includes a total of seven teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 including South Carolina, UNC-Wilmington, Wichita State, San Diego, Michigan, TCU and UT-Arlington.Overall, the Sooners will face 13 opponents (23 total games) that participated in last year's NCAA Tournament, including two 2006 Super Regional teams (South Carolina and Missouri).
In addition, OU currently has seven ranked teams, according to Baseball America's latest poll, left on its schedule after already playing No. 4 South Carolina. Those opponents (No. 11 Wichita State, No. 13 Texas, No. 16 San Diego, No. 18 Nebraska, No. 20 UC Riverside, No. 21 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Texas A&M) account for 18 of the team's remaining 47 regular season games.
SOONERS ON TELEVISION
Baseball fans can catch action of three OU baseball games this season on live television, including a national broadcast by College Sports Television on April 5 when the Sooners visit Baylor. The complete broadcast schedule includes:
Thursday, April 5 at Baylor (CSTV)
Saturday, April 14 vs. Nebraska (FSN)
Sunday, May 6 vs. Oklahoma State (SSN)
BASEBALL ON THE O-ZONE
With the exception of the Feb. 28 game against Wichita State and the March 3 game UC Riverside, every game of the home portion of the 2007 schedule can be seen live via webcasts carried by the O-Zone, Soonersports.com's premium site. For more information on the O-Zone, please visit the O-Zone central page.
BIG 12 COMMISSIONER'S HONOR ROLL
Fifteen members of the OU baseball team were named to the 2006 Fall Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. Aaron Ivey was the lone Sooner to record a perfect 4. 0 GPA. Also making the list were Elliott Blair, Brad Burns, Andrew Doyle, Jarod Freeman, Zach Hedges, Bryant Hernandez, Joseph Hughes, Brandon Moss, Ryan Mottern, Stephen Porlier, Drew Roberts, Jimmy Rollins, Jackson Williams and Cory Williamson. Student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA for the semester to qualify for the list.
DRAFT DODGERS
In 2006, the Sooners' roster featured 12 players that were drafted at one point in their careers. That mark was second in the Big 12 to Oklahoma State's 14. This season, OU again ranks second in the conference with 10 draftees and those players are listed below as well as where that mark ranks in the Big 12:
Player Year - Round Team
Aaron Baker 2006 - 37th Minnesota Twins
Vincent Biancamano 2004 - 35th Kansas City Royals
Brad Burns 2004 - 37th New York Mets
Aljay Davis 2005 - 29th Chicago White Sox
Andrew Doyle 2006 - 39th Washington Nationals
Joe Dunigan 2004 - 41st Montreal Expos
Chris Henry 2004 - 41st Colorado Rockies
Antwonie Hubbard 2006 - 12th Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Ryan Mottern 2006 - 49th Cleveland Indians
Devin Shepherd 2006 - 5th Minnesota Twins
BIG 12 DRAFTEES
Texas - 11
OU -10
Texas A&M - 10
OSU - 8
Nebraska - 7
Baylor - 4
Missouri - 4
Texas Tech - 3
Kansas State - 2
Kansas - 1
DOWNLOAD THE 2007 MEDIA GUIDE
View the complete 2007 Oklahoma Baseball Media Guide by clicking here. This is the official source of information on the Sooners produced by the OU Athletics Media Relations Department. The cost for the 2007 Baseball Guide is $15 and it is available at the OU Bookstore (405) 325-3511 (ask for general book sales), at all home games or by calling Sooner Sports Properties (405) 325-6465.
FIVE CAPTAINS TO LEAD OU IN 2007
Five Sooners were selected by their teammates to captain the club in 2007. Seniors Aaron Ivey and Jimmy Rollins and juniors Ryan Mottern, Aaron Reza and Jackson Williams are among the 13 letterwinners returning for OU this season.
OU LOOKS TO BUILD ON 2006 REGIONAL
After only one full season as Oklahoma's baseball coach, Sunny Golloway already has the Sooners measuring their success by the number of times they get to pile up on the middle of the field for a celebration. In his first season, Golloway led the Sooners to their first super regional appearance since they went to the College World Series as the defending champions in 1995. The next step is getting back to that level. Click here to read the full article written by the Associated Press.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Oklahoma Sooners led the nation in fielding percentage (.983) in 2006 and as a result, the team won a regional championship and was one win away from the program's 10th College World Series appearance. The Sooners lost four starters from the playing field but return five starters in 2007.
Last year's percentage is second in school history behind the .986 mark established by the 1951 team. The Sooners' won the program's first national title that same year.
MOTTERN NAMED TO WALLACE WATCH LIST
Junior hurler Ryan Mottern (RHP) was named to the watch list for the 2007 Brooks Wallace Award, presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year. Mottern, a 2007 captain, is the third Sooner to make the list since it originated after the 2004 season. Former Sooners Eric Thornton and Steven Guerra were part of the watch lists in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Mottern is one of two pitchers that return this season with prior starting experience for the Sooners. Last season, the Palestine, Texas, native finished with a 4-2 mark in eight starts (13 appearances) scattered across 37 2/3 innings pitched. In that span, the right-hander struck out 36 batters and walked 22. Additionally, Mottern saw time as the Sooners' designated hitter and as an outfielder a year ago.
BIG 12 PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
The University of Oklahoma baseball team was picked fifth in the Big 12 Conference Coaches' preseason poll as released by the league office on Jan. 29. OU received 46 points in the Big 12 poll, 11 points shy of fourth place Baylor.
Texas once again topped the list for the fifth straight year with 79 points, including seven first-place votes. Oklahoma State (70) followed the Longhorns at No. 2 with two first-place votes. Nebraska (64) and Baylor (57) rounded out the top four. Following the Sooners was Texas Tech (37), Texas A&M (34), Missouri (29), Kansas (22) and Kansas State (12).
The Sooners were also picked to finish fifth last season and ended the regular season in third place and was the last conference team standing in the NCAA Tournament, coming up one win shy of the College World Series. The last time OU was picked higher than fifth prior to a season was in 2003 when the Sooners were tabbed third.
2007 Big 12 Conference Coaches' Preseason Poll
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RADIO BROADCAST SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
The University of Oklahoma baseball team released its 2007 radio and internet broadcast schedule on Jan. 25. The entire 56-game regular season schedule will be broadcast live on the internet via Yahoo.
In addition, KOKC 1520 AM will again serve as the flagship station of Sooner baseball and 40-plus games are scheduled to broadcast live. Additionally, 11 of the games (listed below) are set to be carried on the Sooners Sports' Network, enabling fans to listen to OU baseball on the radio state-wide. For a list of affiliates in Oklahoma, visit the Sooner baseball page on SoonerSports.com.
Network Games:
Sunday, March 25 Texas A&M
Sunday, April 1 at Texas
Friday, April 6 at Baylor
Sunday, April 15 Nebraska
Sunday, April 22 at Kansas State
Sunday, April 29 Kansas
Friday, May 4 vs. Oklahoma State
Saturday, May 5 vs. Oklahoma State
Sunday, May 6 vs. Oklahoma State
Sunday, May 13 at Missouri
Sunday, May 20 Texas Tech
GOLLOWAY RANKS AMONG BEST ACTIVE COACHES
Head coach Sunny Golloway ranks in a tie for 11th all-time among winningest active head coaches (by winning percentage) heading into the 2007 season. In 10 seasons, Golloway is 392-184-0 (.681).
FORMER OU COACH, VERN RUHLE, PASSES
Former University of Oklahoma and Cincinnati Reds pitching coach Vern Ruhle (55) died Jan. 20 in Houston of complications from a donor stem cell transplant for the treatment of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. Ruhle was Oklahoma's pitching coach from 1990-1995 and helped lead the Sooners to three College World Series appearances (1992, 1994 and 1995) and the program's second national title in 1994.
MINOR JOINS OU STAFF
Former Sooner and Major Leaguer Damon Minor is new to the Oklahoma baseball staff as a volunteer coach for the 2007 season.
Minor, who played at Oklahoma from 1993-1996, helped the Sooners win the 1994 National Championship and make a return trip to the College World Series in 1995, Minor, a 1996 All-America Honorable Mention, was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1996. With the Giants, the former Sooner played on the Major League level from 2000-04. He enjoyed his best season in 2002 when San Francisco won the National League Championship and advanced to the World Series. During that season, Minor saw time in 83 games and connected for 10 home runs 24 runs batted in.
SOONERS FINISH 2006 RANKED NINTH
The University of Oklahoma baseball team recorded its highest top-25 finish since 1995 when Baseball America released its final poll of the 2006 season. The Sooners earned the No. 9 spot after coming within one win of advancing to the program's 10th College World Series appearance.
The 1995 OU team, which is the last squad to reach the CWS, finished the season as the No. 7 ranked team in the nation.
In the remaining final polls, the Sooners were ranked No. 10 by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) and No. 11 on the Sports Weekly/USA Today list.
2007 SIGNING CLASS TABBED FOURTH BEST
For the third time in the last four years, the Oklahoma baseball team's incoming class was ranked in the nation's top 10, coming in at No. 4 as released by Collegiate Baseball in Sept. The 2007 class trailed South Carolina, Miami (Fl.) and Florida.
Oklahoma's 2007 class consists of 18 newcomers and features two players drafted highly in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft, freshman outfielder Devin Shepherd (fifth-round) out of Oxnard Union High School in California and freshman right-handed pitcher Antwonie Hubbard (12th-round) from Hooks High School in Texas.
SOONERS SIGN EIGHT FOR 2008
Oklahoma baseball head coach Sunny Golloway announced the signing of eight baseball players for the 2008 season to national letters of intent in November.
For the second consecutive year, the OU coaching staff landed a projected first-round draft pick in Blake Beavan. Beaven was a member of the USA Junior National Team in 2006. Last year, Oklahoma signed Devin Shepherd, one of the highest ranked prep outfielders in the country (drafted in the fifth round by the Minnesota Twins).
Although Beavan headlines the class, the other signees have
earned their share of accolades in their young careers. The group features seven high school prospects and one junior college transfer.
Below is a brief look at the Sooners' newcomers in 2008:
Blake Beavan, RHP, 6-7, 210
Irving, Texas (Irving H.S.)
Chad Colbert, INF, 5-10, 170
Allen, Okla. (Allen H.S.)
P.J. Dean, RHP, 6-3, 175
New Caney, Texas (New Caney H.S.)
Ryan Duke, RHP/INF, 6-0, 165
Corpus Christi, Texas (Calallen H.S.)
Matt Hoffman, OF/LHP, 6-2, 190
Tulsa, Okla. (Owasso H.S.)
Gary Poynter, RHP, 6-3, 220
Flower Mound, Texas (Weatherford J.C./Marcus H.S.)
Michael Rocha, RHP, 5-11, 190
Austin, Texas (Hays Consolidated H.S.)
Brandon Smith, INF, 5-11, 205
Norman, Okla. (Norman North H.S.)
OU BASEBALL HISTORY
Click here to view a complete overview of the history of baseball at the University of Oklahoma. Oklahoma is one of 12 schools to win multiple national titles and the Sooners nine College World Series appearances also ranks among the best in Division I baseball. Click the above link to learn more about the Sooners'postseason history, All-Americans and more.
Thursday, June 25
Wednesday, June 24
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
