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OU Continues Home Stand Friday at 3
March 02, 2007 | Baseball
NORMAN, Okla. -- Winners of their last four games, the Sooners (6-4) will look to extend their winning streak as the longest home stand of the season continues this weekend against No. 20 UC Riverside (10-4).
The nine-game stand continues with the three-game set against the Highlanders on Friday (3 p.m.), Saturday (3 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
The Sooners and Highlanders will be meeting for the 11th time in the series. OU has won four straight against UCR and has also come up victorious in five of the last six games. Seven of the 10 meetings have been decided by three runs or less.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
This weekend's games will be broadcast live via the internet by O-Zone, Soonersports.com' s premium site.
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 Oklahoma baseball team rallied from a 4-3 deficit to top No. 11 Wichita State (8-3), 5-4, thanks to Joe Dunigan's two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday in front of 1,123 fans at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
Joseph Hughes (1-1) pitched eight solid inning and Garrett Richards recorded the save (3) as OU won its fourth consecutive game and ended Wichita State's eight-game winning streak. The Sooners have won three straight over the Shockers dating back to last year's Norman Regional and Wednesday's win tied the all-time series at 10 games apiece.
SCOUTING UC RIVERSIDE
The Shockers were picked a program best second in the Big West Conference behind Cal State Fullerton and enter this weekend ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2003.
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On the mound, junior right-hander James Simmons will start Friday's series opener. Simmons also started last year's Friday game where he lasted seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball. Simmons did not register a decision in the 1-0 OU victory in 10 innings. In 2007, the Roger Clemens preseason candidate is 4-0 with a 0.62 ERA and 34 strikeouts. He has allowed two earned runs on 13 hits and four walks in 29 innings pitched.
Junior outfielder Aaron Wible leads UCR's offense with two homers and 16 RBIs. His .340 batting average ranks second on the club. Wible struggled in two starts last year in Norman, where he was 2-for-9 (.222) with zero RBIs.
The Sooners are 6-4 lifetime against the Highlanders and have won four straight games in the series. They last met in 2006 where OU swept a three-game set over UCR in Norman. The last six games in the series have been played at L. Dale Mitchell Park, where OU holds a 5-1 advantage over UCR.
OU-UCR GAME-BY-GAME HISTORY
Below is a game-by-game recap of the series between the Sooners and Highlanders. Refer to page six for individual career stats versus UC Riverside:
2006, March 5 - OU 7, UCR 6 (Norman)
2006, March 4 - OU 7, UCR 4 (Norman)
2006, March 3 - OU 1, UCR 0 (10) (Norman)
2004, March 7 - OU 5, UCR 1 (Norman)
2004, March 6 - UCR 10, OU 3 (Norman)
2004, March 5 - OU 4, UCR 3 (Norman)
2002, March 4 - UCR 9 , OU 7 (Riverside)
2002, March 3 - UCR 8, OU 6 (Riverside)
2002, March 2 - OU 5, UCR 1 (Riverside)
1971, March 26 - UCR 8, OU 7 (Riverside)
TICKETS AND PROMOTIONS FOR UCR SERIES
Seats to this weekend'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, Friday, March 2, the first 250 fans will receive an OU head band. On Saturday, March 3, the first 250 fans will receive an OU bucket hat and on Sunday, March 4, kids are invited to run around the bases after the game.
PLAYER TO WATCH: STEPHEN PORLIER
Porlier made his second start of the year last Friday and limited Western Illinois to three hits and zero runs over eight innings pitched. In three outings this season, the right-hander has surrendered three earned runs and two walks, while striking out a team-best 18 batters.
NEXT UP
The Sooners will conclude the current home stand with a two-game set against Creighton next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games are slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch. Next weekend, OU will travel to San Diego, Calif. for the Aztec Invitational where it will face San Diego State, No. 16 San Diego and Michigan.
NINE-GAME HOME STAND
After spending the first six games of the season on the road, OU's return to Norman for the longest home stand of the season has been a successful one. OU is 4-0 at home this season and the club is hitting .356 and average 13 runs on 9.25 hits at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Last Friday's home opener was also the start of a span that features 17 of the next 21 games played in Norman.
SCHEDULE STRENGTH
OU is 1-1 this season against top 25 teams, suffering a 13-2 loss to then-No. 4 South Carolina and recording a 5-4 victory over No. 11 Wichita State. The Sooners currently have seven ranked teams, according to Baseball America's latest poll, left on its schedule that account for 17 of the remaining 46 regular season games. 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.
In addition, 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).
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).
REZA RETURNS
Junior shortstop Aaron Reza, who brook 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 is second in the Big 12 Conference in batting average, extended his team-best hitting streak to 10 games on Wednesday against Wichita State. Baker has also connected for at least one RBI in the last six games. In that span, Baker has driven in 10 runs and has four games with multiple RBIs. In game two of the Western Illinois 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 (.462), slugging percentage (.769), on-base percentage (.533), hits (18), doubles (6), homers (2), RBIs (14) and total bases (30).
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.
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.
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