Completed Event: Baseball versus (2) Georgia Tech on May 31, 2026 , Win , 15, to, 8
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Baseball Hosts UTA in Doubleheader
April 30, 2007 | Baseball
NORMAN, Okla. -- Coming off a disappointing weekend against Kansas, the Oklahoma Sooners (28-17 overall, 8-10 Big 12 play) will look to snap their two-game skid as they host Texas Arlington in a doubleheader on Tuesday, May 1.
Tuesday's doubleheader, which marks “Fan Appreciation Day” at L. Dale Mitchell Park, begins at 3 p.m., while game two is slated for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. All fans will receive free admission to both games and $.50 cokes and popcorn will be available while supplies last. For tickets, call the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 405-456-GOOU.
The Sooners have won the last three meetings in the series with UTA, including a 4-3 win in Norman and an 8-0 win in Arlington last season.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game two on Tuesday 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. Both games of the doubleheader can be heard live via the internet on Yahoo. Pre-game coverage for all games, now begins 25 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. In addition, the O-Zone will provide a webcast of both games on Tuesday.
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UPDATING THE SOONERS
After being rained out at Texas Arlington last Tuesday, the Sooners returned to action at home against Kansas for a three-game series. Despite outhitting the Jayhawks in the series, 36-24, the Sooners dropped two of the three games.
OU won game on Friday after shutting out Kansas and tallying eight runs. The Jayhawks evened the series with a 6-3 win on Saturday and claimed the series with a 9-4 victory on Sunday.
PLAYER TO WATCH: JACKSON WILLIAMS
The Sooners' catcher is hitting .379 during his current seven-game hitting streak (all Big 12 contests). Williams is 11-for-29 in that span with two triples, four doubles and nine RBIs. Prior to the streak, Williams had four RBIs
in the first nine Big 12 games of the season.
SCOUTING TEXAS ARLINGTON
The Mavericks, picked to win the West Division of the Southland Conference in the Preseason Coaches' poll, predicted to finish second overall in the conference. The Mavericks have struggled with three wins in their last 23 games. The Mavericks are 0-6 this season against Big 12 competition with losses to Texas, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Baylor (2) and Oklahoma State.
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UTA has not named a starter for Tuesday's games. The Mavericks have a 5.92 team ERA and feature five hurlers with four or more starts. Leading the way is Dillon Gee, who is 4-6 in 13 starts this season. Chris Taylor is second with eight starts and Nathan Long has seven
UTA is led offensively by Kyle Rudy. The senior shortstop owns a team-best .364 batting average and his 15 RBIs rank tied for sixth on the club. Senior first baseman Ben Burum leads the Mavericks with seven homers and 25 RBIs. His .279 batting average ranks fourth on the team.
OU leads the all-time series with Texas Arlington 16-9. The two teams have played each other every year since 1997. The Sooners have won the last three meetings in the series including a 4-3 win in Norman and an 8-0 win in Arlington last season. The last time the Sooners suffered a loss to the Mavericks was on March 10, 2004 (L, 18-12). OU also lost the earlier meeting that season, 5-4, on March 2.
NEXT UP
Following the two games against UTA, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will square off in the annual Bedlam Series, presented by the Bank of Oklahoma and Your Oklahoma Ford Dealers. The series begins in Tulsa, Okla. at Drillers Stadium on Friday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. Games two and three will be held at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City at 7:35 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. For tickets in Tulsa, call the Drillers at 918-744-5901 and for seats in OKC, call the Redhawks at (405) 218-1000.
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 18-5 with losses to Western Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State and Kansas (2). Additionally, the Sooners are 8-0 when they score 10 or more runs. On defense, OU is 5-9 when it allows 10 or more hits and in comparison, 22-4 when it holds the opposition under 10 base knocks. OU has lost the five games where it has allowed the opponent to score 10 or more runs this season (South Carolina, Western Kentucky, Nebraska, TCU and KSU).
SOONERS' TOP 25 RANKINGS
The Oklahoma Sooners were not ranked in the top 25 for the third consecutive week. 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. 28 in the latest ranking released on Monday, April 29. The Big 12 is rated the No. 2 power conference in the nation behind the SEC and has five other schools ranked in the top 30 along with the Sooners (No. 3 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 20 Nebraska, No. 23 Missouri and No. 26 Kansas State).
SOONERS IN THE BIG 12
OU's 4.15 team ERA ranks sixth in the conference. The Sooners rank fourth in overall batting average with a .302 team clip and its .968 fielding percentage ranks sixth in the conference. Below is a look at the current standings:
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OFFENSIVE SURGE
The Sooners' offense continued to swing a hot bat against Kansas despite dropping two games in the three-game set with 36 hits. In the last five games, OU has connected for 70 hits and plated 47 runs. In that span, the Sooners are averaging 12 hits and 9.4 runs per game.
IVEY IMPRESSIVE
Senior outfielder Aaron Ivey, who is one of 30 NCAA Division I college baseball players up for the 2007 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award., was solid at the plate in the three-game series against Kansas, finishing 9-for-13 (.692) with two stolen bases and four runs scored. Ivey has hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games with six multiple-hit performances in that span. In addition, Ivey, who leads the team with 17 stolen bases, has swiped 12 bags in the last 10 games. Ivey leads the Sooners with a .367 overall batting average and a .429 clip in Big 12 play.
MIDWEEK SUCCESS
The Sooners are 8-1 in midweek games this season with wins over Wichita State and TCU, which are both ranked in the top 25 polls this week. The Sooners one blemish came against TCU in Fort Worth on April 17. In the nine midweek games, the Sooners are hitting .328 and averaging 7.6 runs and 10.8 hits. OU is 20-7 this season against non-conference opponents (22-7 last season).
THIRD BASE CAROUSEL
Heading into the 2007 season, arguably the biggest hole in the lineup following last year's graduation and MLB Draft was third base. Ryan Rohlinger finished his last two years in Norman as the team's leader in batting average. In 2006, Rohlinger hit .387 with 99 hits, 13 homers and 67 RBI. This season, six different Sooners have tried to fill the shoes left by Rohlinger.
True freshman Zach Hedges is the sixth candidate to start at third base in 2007 and in his first six games (KSU and Kansas series), he has been solid defensively and has connected for six hits and one RBI in 20 at-bats (.300). Vinny Biancamano (22 starts), Jarod Freeman (10), Drew Roberts (3), Brandon Moss (2) and Bryant Hernandez (2) have also started at the hot corner.
PORLIER MAKING HIS MARK
Sophomore Stephen Porlier continues to make his mark in his first season in Norman. Last Friday against Kansas, Porlier threw his fifth scoreless outing with seven innings of four-hit ball. He tossed the first complete game shutout of his career on April 14 against Nebraska. The four-hit shutout was the first for a Sooner since Daniel McCutchen shut down UC Riverside in 10 innings on March 3, 2006. Porlier also struck out six in the outing.
Additionally, Porlier has four or more punch outs in each of his 12 appearances this season, including a season-high 12 batters against Texas A&M on March 23 and 11 versus Baylor on April 5. Porlier, who leads the Big 12 with 75 strikeouts, has lasted five or more innings in each of his 12 outings (11 starts).
SCORING FIRST
OU is outscoring its opponents 36-14 in the first inning of games played this season. When OU scores in the first frame, it is 8-3 (6-4 when opponent scores in the first) and when the Sooners tack on the game's initial run, they are 17-4 (11-13 when opponent scores first).
BASE THIEVES
Oklahoma's 77 stolen bases after 45 games ranks second in the Big 12 behind Texas A&M (111). Aaron Ivey leads all Sooners with 17 swipes and is followed by Aljay Davis (16), Aaron Ivey (13) and Joe Dunigan with 11. 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).
DAVIS' BIG DAY
After missing his first start of the season in Friday's series opener at Kansas State, Aljay Davis came back in game two to drive in six runs off four hits. Davis' six RBIs marks the first time a Sooner drove in six or more runs since Chris Elbright had nine RBIs on March 28, 1987 against Oklahoma City.
DONE-AGAIN
Joe Dunigan continues to get the job done offensively in his third season in Norman. Dunigan is tied for second on the team with 11 multiple-RBI games (behind Aaron Baker'12) and 17 multiple-hit games (behind Aaron Reza's 17). Dunigan had his career-high nine-game hitting streak snapped against Texas. In that span, Dunigan had 18 RBIs on 17 hits. Dunigan is currently third on the team with a .341 batting average and leads all Sooners with a .579 SLG%, 8 HR and 42 RBIs. In his first two years in Norman, Dunigan hit a combined .273 and drove in 36 runs off five homers.
BAKER'S HITTING 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 fourth among all Sooners with a .328 batting average and ranks second with 40 RBIs. 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 26-13 and the shortstop is hitting .345 with 37 RBIs, marks that ranks second and third, respectively, 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.
RICHARDS NAMED TO STOPPER OF THE YEAR LIST
Garrett Richards was among forty players named to the midseason watch list for the third annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award. The award will be given to the top relief pitcher in Division I college baseball. Richards is third in the Big 12 with nine saves, a mark that 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 20 appearances, Richards (1-0) has blown one save (Feb. 25 against WIU) and has struck out 22 batters over 25 2/3 innings pitched. In the series finale against Texas A&M, he tossed a career-high 4 2/3 to record his first career victory.
TAYLOR'S TRANSFORMATION
Heath Taylor, a transfer from Vernon Junior College, is 4-2 in his seven 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.
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 made the first start of his career on Sunday, April 22 and lasted a career-high six innings and a season-high seven strikeouts. Conaway followed that performance with a five-inning outing against Kansas in which he suffered his second loss of the season. Conaway struck out five Jayhawks and ranks ninth in the Big 12 (second on the team) with 65 strikeouts, a mark he has established in 46 1/3 innings of work this season. Conaway struck out five batters in nine appearances last season in five innings of work.
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 42 games in 2007. The left-hander has 12 appearances (10 starts) and has logged 55 innings pitched (third on the team). Hughes is 5-3 and is hitting .319 with 17 RBIs.
EXTRA BASE HITS
OU has recorded an extra base hit in all but three games 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 30 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).
SOONERS VISIT WITH SPECIAL SPECTATORS
As Sooner fans across the country tuned in to watch the No. 23 Oklahoma baseball team battle Nebraska on Fox Sports Southwest on April 14, three fans in particular enjoyed the victory from beginning to end with the team in Norman. Alec Cochran, Ruben Contrares and Tyler Row enjoyed a behind the scenes tour of a typical gameday on top of the Sooners' victory thanks to the efforts of an organization called Special Spectators. Click here to read the rest of the story as well as see photos and videos from the day.
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.
Thursday, June 25
Wednesday, June 24
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
