Completed Event: Baseball versus (2) Georgia Tech on May 31, 2026 , Win , 15, to, 8
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Big 12 Begins with Top 20 Matchup
March 22, 2007 | Baseball
NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners (18-6), winners in 16 of the last 18 contests, are set to open Big 12 play this weekend at home against one of the hottest teams in the conference, Texas A&M. The series opens on Friday, March 23 at 7 p.m. and will be followed by game two on Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday's finale at 1 p.m.
The Aggies enter this weekend with a 21-3 overall record (2-1 in Big 12) and are ranked as high as No. 8 by Collegiate Baseball. While this weekend marks the beginning of Big 12 play for the Sooners, the Aggies kicked things off last week with two wins over Kansas in College Station.
Since the formation of the Big 12 in 1997, the series is tied at 18 games apiece. Overall, OU leads Texas AM 25-23.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
This weekend's games will be broadcast live via the internet on Yahoo with Chuck Kelly calling the play-by-play and DeWayne Vaughn providing color analysis. The first two games of the series can also be heard on the Sooners' flagship station, KOKC 1520 AM. Pre-game coverage for all 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.
Live stats for all games this season can be viewed on Soonersports.com and a live webcast for this weekend's series will also be available on the O-Zone, Soonersports.com's paid site.
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UPDATING THE SOONERS
The No. 20 Oklahoma Sooners (18-6) edged Dallas Baptist (13-10), 9-7, for their third consecutive victory on Tuesday at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas.
OU was led offensively by Aljay Davis and Jackson Williams, who each had two hits and three RBIs. The Sooners also stole a season-high six bases, including three by Aaron Reza. With the win, the Sooners improved to 6-0 in midweek games this season and have won three straight games overall after falling to Michigan State last Friday.
PLAYER TO WATCH: JOSEPH HUGHES
The Sooners' most versatile player has hit safely in four of his last five games with three RBIs and also won each of his last four starts on the mound. Hughes' four wins and 3.12 ERA both rank in the Big 12's top 15.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
The Aggies, who were picked seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll, are coming off a 10-9 win in extra innings at No. 7 Rice. Texas A&M has only suffered losses this season to then-No. 6 Arizona State, then-No. 7 Oregon State and Kansas. Complete Texas A&M stats from 2007 are located on page 14.
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Texas A&M owns the Big 12's seventh-best team earned run average at 3.44. The Aggies are expected to start left-hander David Newmann in the series opener. The junior has six starts this season and is 3-0 in those contests with a 2.55 ERA. In 35 1/3 innings pitched, the hurler has allowed 10 earned runs on 22 hits and 14 walks. Newmann's 37 strikeouts is the seventh-best total in the Big 12.
Offensively, Texas A&M is third in the Big 12 in team batting average with a .332 clip and is led by Blake Stouffer. The third baseman is second in the conference with a .430 average and also ranks third in hits (40) and first in RBIs (37). The junior is also one of three Aggies with 10 or more stolen bases this season. Texas A&M leads the conference with 74 stolen bases in 2007 (Texas is second with 47 swipes).
The Sooners own a 25-23 advantage in the series with the Aggies and have won six of the last eight games and each of the last three series. OU claimed last year's three-game set by winning games two (1-0) and three (6-3) after dropping the series opener (3-1). Since 1997, the two have split 36 meetings. Refer to page seven for OU's career stats versus Texas A&M. For a complete look at the head-to-head meetings between OU and Texas A&M since 1997, refer to page 55 of this year's baseball media guide.
TICKETS AND PROMOTIONS FOR TAMU 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.
The first 250 fans in attendance at Friday's game will receive a free OU fan banner. On Saturday, the first 500 fans will receive a free OU visor and on Sunday, kids are invited to run the bases following the conclusion of the game.
NEXT UP
The Sooners will have four days off to prepare for a three-game series against Texas (20-7 overall, 3-0 Big 12), the Big 12's first-place team. The series will mark the first on the road for OU in conference play. The Red-River Rivalry begins on March 30 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field and concludes on April 1. OU returns to Norman on Tuesday, April 3 to host TCU at 7 p.m.
HOME RUN CLUB TENT PARTY - MARCH 24
Home Run Club members are invited to the first pre-game cookout of the 2007 season on Saturday, March 24 against Texas A&M. Three additional cookouts are planned for the remainder of the season. The Home Run Club will sponsor a cookout on the following Saturdays during Big 12 play (April 14 vs. Nebraska, April 28 vs. Kansas and May 19 vs. Texas Tech). Join the Home Run Club an hour and a half before Saturday's first pitch (scheduled for 3 p.m.) for food and beverage. Click here to learn more.
AROUND THE BIG 12
The Sooners rank fourth in overall batting average with a .311 team clip. OU's 3.35 team ERA ranks fifth and its .964 fielding percentage ranks seventh in the conference. OU currently sits seventh in the conference standings as they open Big 12 play this weekend. Below is a look at the standings. Click here to see the schedule around the Big 12.
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SOONERS BREAK INTO TOP 25
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. 24 in the latest ranking released on Thursday, March 22. The Big 12 is rated the No. 3 power conference in the nation behind the SEC and ACC. No. 11 Texas and No. 18 Texas A&M are the only Big 12 teams slotted ahead of OU.
WINNING WAYS
After starting the season 2-4, the Sooners have rebounded to win 16 of the last 18 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 18 games, OU is hitting .329 and has recorded ten games with 10 or more hits while averaging seven-plus runs per game.
SOONERS' STARTING PITCHERS
As the rotation continues to change for Oklahoma one thing has remained consistent, winning. The Sooners are one of three teams in the Big 12 to have three hurlers with four wins or more. Joseph Hughes (six starts), Stephen Porlier (six starts) and Heath Taylor (one start) are tied for fourth in the Big 12 with four wins each. Only Texas has three pitchers on their staff with four or more victories.
18 CONSECUTIVE SCORELESS INNINGS
From the fifth inning in game two against Michigan State up until the sixth inning of Tuesday's game against Dallas Baptist, OU had held the opposition scoreless for 18 consecutive innings. Also in that span, the Sooners' pitching staff only surrendered 12 hits. For the season, OU's two shutouts (GM1 vs. Western Illinois and GM3 vs. Michigan State) ranks in a tie for third most in the Big 12. Last year, OU blanked five opponents.
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 10 games with three or fewer strikeouts and in the last three games, only five 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 Baseball America's latest poll, 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).
ACTION JACKSON
Junior catcher Jackson Williams has increased his batting average from .293 on March 9 to .344 over the last seven games. In that span, Williams has hit safely in all but one game and is hitting 11-for-23 (.478) with seven RBIs. Williams connected for eight RBIs in the first 15 games of 2007.
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 .396 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).
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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 10 outings this season and is sporting a 3.06 ERA with a 2-1 mark and a save. Conaway has 14 strikeouts in his last four outings, spanning 8 2/3 innings. In 17 2/3 innings pitched in 2007, Conaway has 25 strikeouts (fourth best on the team). In 2006, he struck out five batters in nine appearances (5 IP).
REZA'S RETURN
Since Aaron Reza's return to the lineup, the Sooners are 16-2 and the shortstop is hitting .344 with 21 RBIs (third most on the team). For games played from Feb. 27 through March 4, Reza was tabbed the Big 12 Player of the Week as he 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.
CLOSE GAMES
The Sooners have had early success in games decided by two runs or less. OU is 8-2 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 seven saves. That mark already ranks in a tie for sixth place at OU for a single season. His seven conversions also is tied for seventh best in a career for a Sooner. In his 12 appearances, Richards has blown one save (Feb. 25 against Western Illinois) and has struck out 11 batters over 10 1/3 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 14 base hits in his last 31 at-bats (.452 BA). Shepherd's season-high seven-game hitting streak was snapped on March 17 but in the last 10 games, his average has increased to .304.
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 15 of the last 17 games, including a six-game streak, which ties his career-best, and his current five-game mark. In the last 17 games, Dunigan has driven in 23 runs after driving in three in the first seven games. After recording multiple-RBI games in four of the last five outings, Dunigan has become the Sooners' leader in RBIs with 26 (9 in 2005 and 27 in 2006). Including that stat, the outfielder ranks in the top 10 of five offensive categories in the Big 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
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 16 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 .296 with eight 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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Thursday, June 25
Wednesday, June 24
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
