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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Home Baseball Preview: OU vs. TCU
April 02, 2007 | Baseball
NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners (21-9 overall, 3-3 Big 12 play) will face TCU (21-8) on Tuesday, April 3 at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The meeting, set for a 7 p.m. first pitch, will be the first between the two since the Sooners eliminated the Horned Frogs in the 2006 NCAA Tournament in Norman.
The Horned Frogs are ranked No. 28 this week by Collegiate Baseball and enter Tuesday's game with 10 wins in their last 12 games. TCU is coming off a three-game sweep of UC Santa Barbara over the weekend which came after its last loss, a 13-2 defeat at Texas A&M last Tuesday in College Station.
OU has won five of the last six meetings with TCU and owns a 53-25 overall advantage in the all-time series.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Tuesday's game will be broadcast live on the Sooners' flagship station, KOKC 1520 AM, with Chuck Kelly calling the play-by-play and DeWayne Vaughn providing color analysis. The game can also be heard 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.
Live stats for all games this season can be viewed on Soonersports.com and a live webcast will also be available on the O-Zone, Soonersports.com's paid site.
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UPDATING THE SOONERS
The Sooners finished last week with a 1-2 overall mark after dropping the opener of a three-game set against No. 7 Texas, 4-3, in Austin on Friday, March 30. Game two was also close as both teams were scoreless until the seventh inning as Texas claimed victory in game two, 3-1. OU rebounded in game three to salvage the series with a 5-2 win on Sunday, April 1 and snapped a 15-game losing streak at Disch-Falk Field which began after its last win in Austin on March 29, 1997. Click here to view postgame video from Sunday's game.
NEXT UP
Following Tuesday's midweek contest, OU will travel south to resume conference action against Baylor. The three-game set will begin on Thursday, April 5 at 7:07 p.m. and be broadcast live on national television by College Sports Television (CSTV). Game two on Friday is slated for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch and the series will conclude on Saturday, April 7 at 2 p.m.
SCOUTING TCU
The Horned Frogs were picked to repeat as Mountain West Champions in the coaches poll released prior to the season. TCU is 0-2 this season against the Big 12 with losses to Texas Tech (4-1) and Texas A&M (13-2).
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TCU is expected to start right-hander Tyler Lockwood on Tuesday. The freshman has made nine appearances this season (two starts) and is 1-1 with a 4.56 ERA. In 23 2/3 innings, Lockwood has 18 walks and seven strikeouts. He allowed four runs off seven hits in his last start vs. Texas A&M.
Offensively, TCU is led by Keith Conlon. The senior outfielder is leading the team with a .412 batting average and six homers while ranking third fourth with 23 RBIs. During last weekend's series against UC Santa Barbara, Conlon collected six hits.
TCU and OU have met every year for the past 16 seasons. Since 1991, OU is 24-9 and leads the all-time series 53-25. OU swept the two 2006 regular season meetings (10-5 at TCU and 12-11 in Norman) and then lost the opener of the 2006 NCAA Norman Regional, 6-5, before eliminating the Horned Frogs from the postseason with a 15-6 victory. Refer to page seven for OU's career stats versus TCU.
TICKETS AND PROMOTIONS
Seats to Tuesday'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. Tuesday's game marks the a $.50 hot dog and $.50 coke night, while supplies last.
AROUND THE BIG 12
The Sooners rank fourth in overall batting average with a .301 team clip. OU's 3.48 team ERA ranks third and its .966 fielding percentage ranks seventh in the conference. OU currently sits in a tie for 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.
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SEVEN SOONERS APPEAR ON OPENING DAY ROSTERS
As the 2007 Major League Baseball season is underway, seven former Sooners appeared on the opening day rosters across the country on Monday. Mark Redman (Atlanta Braves), Russ Ortiz (San Francisco Giants), Jason Bartlett (Minnesota Twins), Reggie Willits (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Geoff Geary and Greg Dobbs (Philadelphia Phillies) and Greg Norton (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) are representing the Oklahoma baseball program on the sport's premier stage. Click here for the complete release.
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 12-3 with losses to Western Kentucky, Michigan and Michigan State. Additionally, the Sooners are 5-0 when they score 10 or more runs.
On defense, OU is 3-6 when it allows 10 or more hits and in comparison, 18-3 when it holds the opposition under 10 base knocks. The Sooners have only allowed two opponents (South Carolina and Western Kentucky) to score 10 or more runs this season. OU lost both of those contests.
SOONERS' TOP 25 RANKINGS
For the second consecutive week, the Oklahoma Sooners were ranked in the top 25 of each of the four major polls released on Monday, April 2. The Sooners' highest ranking, No. 19, comes in Baseball America's poll. The USA Today/ESPN poll, as voted on by Division I coaches, tabbed OU No. 22 while Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA) have the Sooners at No. 21 and No. 23, respectively. 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. 10 in the latest ranking released on Monday, April 2. The Big 12 is rated the No. 3 power conference in the nation behind the ACC and SEC. No. 4 Texas and No. 9 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 19 of the last 24 games. The Sooners won 11 straight at one point and own a 8-3 mark against top 25 teams in the last 24 contests. In the last 24 games, OU is hitting .312 and has recorded 13 games with 10 or more hits while averaging seven runs per game and a 3.14 ERA.
SOONERS' STARTING PITCHERS
As the rotation continues to change for Oklahoma one thing has remained consistent, winning. The Sooners are one of two teams in the Big 12 to have two hurlers with five wins or more. Joseph Hughes (eight starts) and Heath Taylor (three starts) are tied for fifth in the Big 12 with five wins each. Texas (Adrian Alaniz-8 and James Russell -6) is the other Big 12 team to have two hurlers with five wins or more.
SCORING FIRST
OU is outscoring its opponents 21-5 in the first inning of games played this season. When OU scores in the first frame, it is 5-0 (3-2 when opponent scores in the first) and when the Sooners tack on the game' s initial run, they are 12-2 (9-7 when opponent scores first).
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
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 15-2 at home this year and have won 19 of the last 21 straight dating back to last year. OU is hitting .331 and averaging 7.94 runs and 11.35 hits per game this season at home. The Sooners are hitting .262 away from home this season with a 6-6 record. The Sooners' have a team ERA of 2.79 at home and 4.46 on the road.
SCHEDULE STRENGTH
OU is 8-3 this season against top 25 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) and Texas (game three).
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).
ACTION JACKSON
Junior catcher Jackson Williams has been hot over the last nine games. In that span, Williams is hitting .324 with nine RBIs after starting the season with nine RBIs in the first 19 games of the season.
DONE-AGAIN
Joe Dunigan continues to get the job done offensively as he leads the Sooners with 12 multiple-hit games (tied with Aaron Baker) and 10 multiple-RBI games. 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 19 of the last 22 games and currently leads the Sooners with a .366 batting average, .643 slugging percentage, .470 on-base percentage, six home runs, 34 RBIs and three triples. 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 currently ranks second among Sooners with a .362 batting average and 29 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 19-5 and the shortstop is hitting .319 with 25 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.
MORE FRESHMEN SUCCESS
Aaron Baker is not the only Sooner enjoying his first year on campus. Freshman closer Garrett Richards is third in the Big 12 lead 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 14 appearances, Richards has blown one save (Feb. 25 against Western Illinois) and has struck out 13 batters over 16 2/3 innings pitched. In the series finale against Texas A&M, Richards tossed a career-high 4 2/3 to record his first career victory.
TAYLOR'S TRANSFORMATION
Heath Taylor, a transfer from Vernon Junior College, is 2-1 in his three 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 Sooners 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 three starts, Taylor has lasted six or more innings with four or more strikeouts (21 Ks in 21 IP).
In is first start, against Michigan State, Taylor recorded 11 strikeouts (second highest total 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 four relief outings, the lefty recorded 15 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched.
PORLIER POISED
Sophomore Stephen Porlier has struck out four or more batters in each of his eight appearances this season, including a season-high 12 batters against Texas A&M on March 23. Additionally, he has lasted five or more innings in each of his eight outings (seven starts). Porlier ranks third in the Big 12 with 51 strikeouts behind Andy Marks' 53 (Kansas) and A.J. Ramos' 56 (Texas Tech).
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 10 of his 15 relief appearances. In his last outing, Conaway lasted a career-high four innings in the Sooners' 5-2 win in the series finale against Texas to record his second save of the season.
Overall, his 15 appearances rank in the Big 12's top ten and in 26 innings pitched in 2007, Conaway has 37 strikeouts, the most among a reliever and tied for fourth 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 30 games in 2007. The left-hander has nine appearances (eight starts) and has logged 46 2/3 innings pitched (second on the team). Hughes (5-1) has won five of his last six starts this season with a 3.66 ERA and he is hitting .302 with nine RBIs.
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 21 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).
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.
Thursday, June 25
Wednesday, June 24
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
