Completed Event: Baseball versus (2) Georgia Tech on May 31, 2026 , Win , 15, to, 8
Final
Baseball
15
vs (2) Georgia Tech
8
.png&width=40&height=40&type=webp)
University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Hosts Nebraska, FSN this Weekend
April 12, 2007 | Baseball
NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 23 Oklahoma Sooners (24-11 overall, 4-5 Big 12 play) host Nebraska (20-13, 5-7) in a three-game series that features two teams fighting to climb up the standings and move above .500 in conference play this weekend.
Nebraska enters Friday's opener (7 p.m.) after claiming its first Big 12 series win a week ago against Oklahoma State in Lincoln. In its last outing, Nebraska lost a 5-3 game at Wichita State on Wednesday. Saturday's game is set for a 3:06 p.m. first pitch and Sunday's finale will get started at 1 p.m.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV - Saturday's game will mark the second televised game of the season for Oklahoma. The game will be carried live by Fox Sports Southwest (Cox 37 in Oklahoma City) and Kevin Eschenfelder and Jack Lazorko will provide the on-air talent. Click here for other regional coverage for Saturday's game.
RADIO - All three games of the Nebraska series will be broadcast live on the Sooners' flagship station, KOKC 1520 AM, with Chuck Kelly calling the play-by-play and DeWayne Vaughn providing the color analysis. The games can also be heard live via the internet on Yahoo. 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.
WEB - Live stats for all games this season can be viewed on Soonersports.com. A live webcast for Friday and Sunday will be available on the O-Zone, Soonersports.com's premium site.
|
UPDATING THE SOONERS
Brad Burns earned his first victory in over two years with a career-high eight strikeouts in the No. 23 Sooners' 2-1 win over Dallas Baptist on Wednesday at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Aaron Ivey's run-scoring single in the sixth proved to be enough as OU improved to 8-0 in midweek games this season. The Sooners and Patriots each connected for seven base hits on the evening.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
The Cornhuskers were picked to finish third in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll. Before the Cornhuskers won their series against OSU, they dropped two of three games to Texas A&M, Missouri and Texas Tech.
|
On the mound, junior left-hander Tony Watson will start Friday's series opener. Watson is 3-1 this season with a 3.33 ERA and 46 strikeouts in seven appearances (all starts). In Big 12 play, the hurler is undefeated with a 2-0 mark and 32 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings pitched.
Offensively, junior Jeff Tezak leads the Cornhuskers with a .386 batting average, 29 RBIs, .584 slugging percentage and a .467 on-base percentage. In Big 12 action, the utility player is hitting .356 with 18 runs driven in.
The Sooners and Cornhuskers have met in 201 games, with NU holding the 109-92 advantage. Nebraska also owns a 24-11 advantage since the Big 12 originated and has won each of the last four Big 12 series played in Norman. Refer to page 7 for the Sooners' career stats versus the Cornhuskers.
TICKETS AND PROMOTIONS FOR NEBRASKA SERIES
Seats to this week'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 first 250 fans in attendance at Friday's game will receive a free pair of Oklahoma Crocs. On Saturday, the first 1,000 fans will receive a free Sunny Golloway mustache. On Sunday, kids are invited to run the bases following the conclusion of the game.
PLAYER TO WATCH: ALJAY DAVIS
The Sooners' starting second baseman is riding a six-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 15 of the last 18 games. During his six-game streak, Davis is hitting .450 with four runs scored and three stolen bases. Also in that span, Davis has raised his batting average from .303 to .326.
NEXT UP
OU begins a five-game trip on the road which begins with TCU on Tuesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. Following the midweek games, OU returns to conference action at Kansas State (April 20-22) and concludes the trip with a midweek game at UT-Arlington on April 24.
OU ADDS HOME GAME
Due to Tuesday's game being cancelled at Wichita State, the Sooners added another game to the regular-season schedule. On Tuesday, May 1, Oklahoma will host UT-Arlington at 7 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The game will occur exactly two weeks after the Sooners face the Mavericks in Arlington on April 24.
AROUND THE BIG 12
OU's 3.47 team ERA leads the conference. The Sooners rank fourth in overall batting average with a .296 team clip and its .964 fielding percentage ranks seventh in the conference. OU sits in sixth place in the Big 12 and below is a complete look at the standings. Click here to see the schedule around the Big 12.
|
10 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
The number 10 has proven to be an important statistic in determining the Sooners' record this season. When OU records 10 or more hits on offense, it is 14-3 with losses to Western Kentucky, Michigan and Michigan State. Additionally, the Sooners are 6-0 when they score 10 or more runs.On defense, OU is 4-6 when it allows 10 or more hits and in comparison, 19-3 when it holds the opposition under 10 base knocks. The Sooners have only allowed two opponents to score 10 or more runs this season. OU lost both of those contests to South Carolina and Western Kentucky.
SOONERS' TOP 25 RANKINGS
The Oklahoma Sooners were ranked in the top 25 in all but one of the four major polls released on Monday, April 9, and were excluded from the Collegiate Baseball poll. The Sooners' highest ranking, No. 23, comes in Baseball America's poll. The USA Today/ESPN poll, as voted on by Division I coaches, and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA) each tabbed the Sooners at No. 24. 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. 13 in the latest ranking released on Monday, April 9. The Big 12 is rated the No. 2 power conference in the nation behind the SEC. No. 6 Texas and No. 8 Texas A&M are the only Big 12 teams slotted ahead of OU.
BEST IN THE BIG 12
After 35 games this season, the OU pitching staff has the best ERA in the Big 12. The 3.47 ERA is over a point lower than last year's average (4.43) and two Sooners, Heath Taylor (2.86 ERA) and Stephen Porlier (3.15 ERA) rank individually in the top 10 in the conference at No. 7 and No. 10, respectively. In addition, the Sooners' Big 12 ERA of 4.10 after nine games, also leads the league.
WINNING STREAK
After starting the season 2-4, the Sooners rebounded to win 11 straight (season high) and 18 of the next 21 overall. In those 21 games, OU hit .324 and recorded twelve games with 10 or more hits while averaging seven-plus runs per game. The Sooners' pitching staff held down a 3.13 ERA in that span as well.
SOONERS' STARTING PITCHERS
As the rotation continues to change for Oklahoma one thing has remained consistent, winning. OU is one of three teams in the Big 12 to have two hurlers with five wins or more. Joseph Hughes (five wins, nine starts) and Heath Taylor (six wins, four starts) each rank in the top six in the Big 12 in wins. Texas and Texas A&M are the only other Big 12 teams to sport two hurlers with five wins or more on their rosters.
SCORING FIRST
OU is outscoring its opponents 29-7 in the first inning of games played this season. When OU scores in the first frame, it is 7-0 (4-2 when opponent scores in the first) and when the Sooners tack on the game' s initial run, they are 14-2 (10-9 when opponent scores first).
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 17-2 at home this year and have won 21 of the last 24 games dating back to last year. OU is hitting .334 and averaging 7.90 runs and 11.26 hits per game this season at home. The Sooners are hitting .254 away from home this season with a 7-9 record. The Sooners' have a team ERA of 2.71 at home and 4.43 on the road.
SCHEDULE STRENGTH
OU is 9-3 this season against ranked teams, suffering its only losses to then-No. 4 South Carolina (13-2), then-No. 8 Texas A&M (7-3 on March 23) and then-No. 7 Texas (games one and two). The Sooner have recorded wins over then-No. 11 Wichita State, 5-4, then-No. 20 UC Riverside (three games), then-No. 22 San Diego, 6-4, Texas A&M (twice), Texas (game three) and then-No. 28 TCU.
OU's non-conference schedule included 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).
BASE THIEVES
Oklahoma' s 51 stolen bases after 35 games ranks third in the Big 12 behind Texas (59) and Texas A&M (90). Aljay Davis leads all Sooners with 13 swipes and in a close second is Aaron Reza with 12 stolen bags. Rounding out the top five on the team are Joe Dunigan (9), Aaron Ivey (7) and Aaron Baker (3). The last time an OU team had three or more Sooners steal 10 or more bases in a season was 2003. That OU squad swiped 91 bases (tied for 14th most in school history) and was led by Reggie Willits (37), Denver Kitch (14), Eddie Cornejo (10) and Jay Yaconetti (10).
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 fourth most in the Big 12. OU had five shutouts in 2006.
PLATE DISCIPLINE
In the March 17 game against Michigan State, the entire Sooners' lineup did not strike out 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 11 games with three or fewer strikeouts.
DONE-AGAIN
Joe Dunigan continues to get the job done offensively as he leads the Sooners with 14 multiple-hit games and is tied for the team lead with10 multiple-RBI games with Aaron Baker. Dunigan recently had his career-high nine-game hitting streak snapped against Texas. In that span, Dunigan had 18 RBIs on 17 hits. Dunigan has hit safely in 22 of the last 27 games and currently leads the Sooners with a .348 batting average, .583 SLG%, 6 HR, 35 RBIs and a .445 on-base percentage. In his first two years in Norman, Dunigan hit. 273 and drove in 36 runs off five homers.
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 tied for first among all Sooners with a .348 batting average and ranks second with 32 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).
REZA'S RETURN
Since Aaron Reza's return to the lineup, the Sooners are 22-7 and the shortstop is hitting .318 with 29 RBIs (third most on the team). Reza drove in 33 RBIs in his first season in Norman. For games played from Feb. 27 through March 4 this season, 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.
MORE FRESHMEN SUCCESS
Aaron Baker is not the only Sooner enjoying his first year on campus. Freshman closer Garrett Richards is tied for first in the Big 12 with nine saves. That mark already ranks in a tie for fourth place at OU for a single season. His nine conversions also is tied for fifth best in a career for a Sooner. In his 18 appearances, Richards (1-0) has blown one save (Feb. 25 against WIU) and has struck out 18 batters over 19 1/3 innings pitched. In the series finale against Texas A&M, he tossed a career-high 4 2/3 to record his first career victory. With nine saves and one win, Richards has figured into 42 percent of the Sooners' victories this season.
PORLIER POISED
Sophomore Stephen Porlier has struck out 23 batters over the last 21 1/3 innings and 10-plus in two of the last three outings. Additionally, Porlier has four or more punch outs in each of his nine appearances this season, including a season-high 12 batters against Texas A&M on March 23 and 11 versus Baylor on April 5. Porlier's 62 strikeouts ranks second in the Big 12 behind A.J. Ramos' 63 (Texas Tech). Porlier has lasted five or more innings in each of his nine outings (eight starts).
TAYLOR'S TRANSFORMATION
Heath Taylor, a transfer from Vernon Junior College, is 3-1 in his four starts since moving from the bullpen. After earning his fifth consecutive win in his second start of the season against Texas A&M, Taylor lost his first game as a Sooner against Texas on March 31. Despite striking out six and lasting seven innings, Taylor took the loss to drop to 5-1 on the year. In each of his four starts, Taylor has lasted six or more innings with four or more strikeouts (25 Ks in 28 IP).
In is first start against Michigan State, Taylor recorded 11 strikeouts, tied for the second highest total by a Sooner this season, and 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 five relief outings, the lefty recorded 17 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings pitched.
CONAWAY IN CONTROL
Nich Conaway, a hard-throwing right-hander, has emerged out of the Sooners' bullpen this season. Conaway has served as one of OU's key setup guys and has recorded two or more strikeouts in 13 of his 19 relief appearances. Overall, his 19 appearances rank in the Big 12's top ten and in 30 1/3 innings pitched in 2007, Conaway has 47 strikeouts, the most among a reliever and second best on the staff. In 2006, he struck out five batters in nine appearances (5 IP).
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 34 games in 2007. The left-hander has 10 appearances (nine starts) and has logged 52 1/3 innings pitched (second on the team). Hughes (5-2) has won five of his last seven starts this season with a 4.13 ERA, while hitting .299 with 11 RBIs.
EXTRA BASE HITS
OU has recorded an extra base hit in all but three game this season, the 2-1 win over UC Riverside (GM3) and the two losses to Baylor (GM1 and 3). Additionally, the Sooners have two or more extra base hits in 23 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 HR).
COME FROM BEHIND WINS
After making a habit of coming from behind last season with 20 comeback victories, the Sooners have continued the trend in 2007. OU has rallied 13 times to record a victory this season. Since taking over as head coach at OU, Sunny Golloway has rallied his teams to win 33 games, accounting for 42 percent of his victories in 2006 and 2007
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
Thursday, June 25
Wednesday, June 24
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
