Completed Event: Baseball versus (2) Georgia Tech on May 31, 2026 , Win , 15, to, 8
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Set for DBU Game in Frisco
March 20, 2007 | Baseball
NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners (17-6) will have one final tune-up before Big 12 play begins this weekend as they travel to Frisco, Texas to play Dallas Baptist (13-10). First pitch on Tuesday, March 20 is slated for 7 p.m.
The Sooners and Patriots will be playing at Dr. Pepper Ballpark, the home of the Frisco RoughRiders, the AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
OU and DBU have met 17 times previously with the Patriots winning two of the last three meetings, including last year's 9-3 win in Norman. OU leads the all-time series 15-2.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Tuesday's game against Dallas Baptist will be broadcast live on the Sooners' flagship station, KOKC 1520 AM, with Chuck Kelly calling the play-by-play. The game can also be heard via the internet on Yahoo. Pre-game coverage for all OU baseball games begins 15 minutes prior to the first pitch.
Fans can 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.
In addition, live stats for all games this season can be viewed on Soonersports.com.
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UPDATING THE SOONERS
The Sooners finished last week with a 4-1 mark and began action with a two-game sweep of Texas-Pan American in Norman. In game one, OU topped the Broncs 4-1 before cruising to a 20-4 victory in game two. The Sooners tied a season high with 24 hits in the contest. In the three-game set against Michigan State, OU dropped a 4-3 decision in the opener, its first one-run defeat of the season. The Sooners rebounded to win games two and three with solid pitching. On Saturday, junior Heath Taylor struck out 11 Spartans in a 7-2 victory. In the series finale, Joseph Hughes recorded nine strikeouts as OU posted its second shutout of the season in a 5-0 victory.
SCOUTING DALLAS BAPTIST
The Patriots, an independent team, are 8-4 in their last 12 games. Dallas Baptist is 0-3 this season against the Big 12 with losses to Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Missouri.
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Dallas Baptist has not announced a starter for Tuesday's contest but is expected to Tyler Rowland or Jeremy Parrish. Both hurlers are righties and have one start between them. Rowland made that lone start (2.1 IP against Iowa on March 16) and is 0-0 with a 6.30 ERA this season. In seven appearances (10 IP), Rowland has allowed seven earned runs on 13 hits and six walks. Parrish has four appearances this season and is 0-0 with a 10.12 ERA. In 5 1/3 IP, Parrish has allowed six earned runs off 10 hits and four walks.
Offensively, DBU is hitting .302 as a team and have six regulars hitting .300 or better and four sluggers with 20 or more RBIs. Leading the way is Garrett Baker who has the team's third-best .357 batting average and is tops in RBIs (32) and homers (6).
The Sooners and Patriots have met 17 times prior to Tuesday's contest. OU has won 15 of those games, including 14 consecutive but Dallas Baptist has won two of the last three games in the series. Tuesday's game marks just the third time
OU-DBU ALL-TIME MEETINGS
Below is a closer look at the 17 meetings between the Sooners and Patriots. For a complete look at the Sooners' career stats versus DBU, refer to page 7.
2006, March 28............ DBU 9, OU 3........................ Norman
2005, March 29............ OU 7, DBU 5........................ Norman
2004, April 6.................. DBU 7, OU 5........................ Norman
1988, April 13............... OU 13, DBU 2...................... Norman
1987, April 24............... OU 13, DBU 4...................... Norman
1987, April 23............... OU 12, DBU 12 .................. Norman
1986, April 23............... OU 14, DBU 5...................... Norman
1986, April 23............... OU 12, DBU 1...................... Norman
1985, April 10............... OU 7, DBU 1........................ Norman
1984, April 10............... OU 8, DBU 1........................ Norman
1984, April 10............... OU 5, DBU 3........................ Norman
1984, March 9............... OU 5, DBU 3............................. Dallas
1984, March 9............... OU 8, OU 2................................ Dallas
1980, April 16............... OU 7, DBU 3........................ Norman
1980, April 16............... OU 12, DBU 1...................... Norman
1978, April 4.................. OU 11, DBU 5...................... Norman
1978, April 4.................. OU 12, DBU 3...................... Norman
NEXT UP
OU will open Big 12 play in Norman this weekend against No. 16 Texas A&M (20-3). The Aggies are currently in second place in the Big 12 with a 2-1 mark after taking two of three games from Kansas last weekend in College Station.
SOONERS MOVE UP IN TOP 25 POLLS
Three of latest polls released on Monday, March 12 have the Oklahoma Sooners in the national rankings. Last week, OU broke onto the national scene for the first time this season. Baseball America's latest rankings has OU at No. 20 while Collegiate Baseball ranks it No. 21 and the NCBWA has the Sooners ranked 29th. The Sooners are receiving votes in the coaches' poll released by USA Today/ESPN. Refer to page six for a week-by-week look at the Sooners' rankings.
OKLAHOMA/BIG 12 RPI's
Although not official, Boydsworld.com provides a weekly pseudo RPI system. OU is ranked No. 22 in this week's ranking released on Monday, March 19. The Big 12 is rated the No. 3 power conference in the nation behind the SEC and ACC. No. 13 Texas and No. 21 Texas A&M are the only Big 12 teams ahead of OU.
WINNING WAYS
After starting the season 2-4, the Sooners have rebounded to win 15 of the last 17 games. The Sooners won 11 straight at one point and recorded a 5-0 mark against top 25 teams in that span. In the last 17 games, OU is hitting .333 and has recorded ten games with 10 or more hits while averaging seven-plus runs per game.
PLATE DISCIPLINE
In the March 17 game against Michigan State, the entire Sooners' lineup did not strike out once at the plate. The last time an OU team did not strike out as a team offensively was on June 5, 2005 against Maine. The Sooners won that game 11-10 during the 2005 Oxford Regional. In 2007, OU has finished nine games with three or fewer strikeouts and in the last two games, only two Sooners have struck out.
FRIENDLY CONFINES OF L. DALE MITCHELL PARK
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 was successful as it finished 9-0. The Sooners are 13-1 at home this year and have won 17 of the last 18 straight dating back to last year. OU is hitting .340 and averaging 8.21 runs 11.36 hits per game. OU is hitting .274 away from home this season with a 4-5 record. The Sooners' have a team ERA of 2.36 at home and 4.68 on the road.
SCHEDULE STRENGTH
OU is 5-1 this season against top 25 teams, suffering its only loss to then-No. 4 South Carolina (13-2). The Sooner have recorded wins over then-No. 11 Wichita State, 5-4, then-No. 20 UC Riverside (three games) and then-No. 22 San Diego, 6-4. The Sooners currently have five ranked teams, according to the latest polls, left on its schedule that account for 13 of the remaining 33 regular season games. Those opponents are No. 10 Texas, No. 11 Wichita State, No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 16 Texas A&M and No. 24 Nebraska.
Prior to Big 12 play, OU's schedule 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).
BAKER'S STREAK
Freshman Aaron Baker's hitting streak of 22 games came to an end on Sunday, March 18 against Michigan State, despite being issued two walks. Baker's streak ranks third all-time at Oklahoma behind Derek Wathan's 25-game mark (1997-1998) and Marty Neff's 27-game streak (1991). The first baseman is currently leading OU with a .419 batting average and ranks second with 25 RBIs. The team-leading 22-game streak also leads the Big 12 for the longest streak this season. On March 13, Baker tied the OU freshman record for consecutive games hit safely with 19.
The streak is not the only records Baker is setting in his first season in Norman. 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).
The true freshman from Denton, Texas, ranks in the top 10 of four different offensive categories in the Big 12.
REZA'S RETURN
Since Aaron Reza's return to the lineup, the Sooners are 15-2 and the shortstop is hitting .333 with 21 RBIs (third most on the team). For games played from Feb. 27 through March 4, Reza helped OU register four wins against ranked opponents (No. 11 Wichita State and No. 20 UC Riverside), Reza hit .588 (10-for-17) with nine RBIs. In that span, Reza was a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts and connected for his second career home run, while tying his career high for hits (3) in two games and setting a career high with four RBIs on March 2 against the Highlanders. He also scored five runs, had a .632 on-base percentage and recorded an .824 slugging percentage.
CLOSE GAMES
The Sooners have had early success in games decided by two runs or less. OU is 7-2 in those contests and 10-4 when the game is decided by five or more runs. The Sooners were perfect in one-run games before falling to Michigan State, 4-3, on March 16 and have recorded one-run victories over Texas Pan-American (GM2), Western Illinois (GM1 and GM3), Wichita State and UC Riverside (GM3).
MORE FRESHMEN SUCCESS
Aaron Baker is not the only Sooner enjoying his first year on campus. Freshman closer Garrett Richards currently leads the Big 12 with six saves. That mark already ranks in a tie for eighth place at OU for a single season. In his 11 appearances, Richards has blown one save (Feb. 25 against Western Illinois) and has struck out 10 batters over 9 2/3 innings pitched.
Freshman outfielder/designated hitter Devin Shepherd has also enjoyed success this season. After starting the year in a 7-for-28 slump (.184 BA), Shepherd has rebounded to connect for 13 base hits in his last 27 at-bats (.481 BA). Shepherd's season-high seven-game hitting streak was snapped on March 17 but in the last nine games, his average has increased to .308.
TAYLOR'S TRANSFORMATION
Heath Taylor, a transfer from Vernon Junior College, took full advantage of his first start as a Sooner on March 17 after making seven relief appearances. In the start against Michigan State, Taylor recorded 11 strikeouts, the most by a Sooner since Daniel McCutchen struck out 13 against Texas A&M on April 7. Taylor also limited the Spartans to one earned run off three hits and one walk.
Prior to the start, Taylor was impressive out of the Sooners' bullpen. As a reliever, Taylor was 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA. In his last four relief outings, the lefty recorded 15 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched.
GETTING IT DONE
Sooners' outfielder Joe Dunigan has hit safely in 14 of last 16 games, including a six-game streak which ties his career-best. In the last 16 games, Dunigan has driven in 23 runs after driving in three in the first seven games. After recording multiple-RBI games in each of his last four outings, Dunigan has become the Sooners' leader in RBIs with 26. Including that stat, the outfielder ranks in five offensive categories in the Bit 12.
Against UTPA on March 14, Dunigan was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate with four RBIs. Dunigan is one of three Sooners to drive in four runs in a single game this season (Aaron Reza and Vinny Biancamano).
PORLIER UPDATE
Sophomore Stephen Porlier's streak of four consecutive wins ended on March 16 with a no-decision against the Spartans. Porlier lasted 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs off seven hits. Porlier struck out four Spartans before the game was lost in the ninth inning. With the exception of his last start, the transfer from Tulane has struck out five or more batters in every start this season. Additionally, he has lasted five or more innings in each of his six outings (five starts). Porlier's four wins, 2.38 ERA and 35 strikeouts rank in the top 10 in the Big 12
CONAWAY IN CONTROL
Nich Conaway, a hard-throwing right-hander, has emerged out of the Sooners' bullpen in the last couple of weeks. Conaway has not allowed an earned run in five of his nine outings this season and is sporting a 2.93 ERA with a 2-1 mark and a save. Conaway has 11 strikeouts in his last three outings, spanning 6 1/3 innings. In 15 1/3 innings pitched in 2007, Conaway has 22 strikeouts. In 2006, he struck out five batters in nine appearances (5 IP).
OFFENSE EXPLODES FOR 24 HITS ... AGAIN
In their last outing, the Sooners connected for 24 hits, tying a season high set earlier in the season. Seven different Sooners recorded multiple-hit performances as OU had 24 hits to score 20 runs on Texas-Pan American on March 13. On Feb. 24, seven different Sooners again connected for multiple hit performances in a 24-4 win over Western Illinois. The 24 runs was the most runs by an Oklahoma team since 1996 (25 on Feb. 18 against Oklahoma City). The 24 hits is the most since the Sooners collected 25 against Kansas on April 29, 2006.
EXTRA BASE HITS
OU has recorded an extra base hit in all but one game this season, the 2-1 win over UC Riverside in game three of the series. Additionally, the Sooners have two or more extra base hits in 15 games this season, including a season-best eight against Western Illinois on Feb. 24 (5 doubles, triple and two homers) and Texas-Pan American on March 14 (3 doubles, 3 triples and two homers).
HUGHES DISPLAYS VERSATILITY
For the second straight year Joseph Hughes has shown his ability on the mound and in the field. After pitching just 12 games (16 2/3 IP) last season, Hughes has easily topped that mark in the Sooners' first 23 games in 2007. The left-hander has seven appearances (six starts) and has logged a team-best 40.1 innings pitched. Hughes is 4-1 this season on the mound with a 3.12 ERA and is hitting .306 with seven RBIs.
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 ro
Thursday, August 20
Monday, August 17
Saturday, July 11
Thursday, June 25
