Baseball Hosts WIU Friday at 2 p.m.

Western Illinois (0-2) at OU (8-2)
Game 1	Friday, March 7 - 2 p.m.
Games 2-3	Saturday, March 8 - noon & 6 p.m.
Game 4	Sunday, March 9 - noon
Location	Norman, Okla. \| L. Dale Mitchell Park
Promotions	First 200 fans receive OU visor
Online	Live Audio and Video in Oklahoma All-Access
Live Stats	SoonerSports.com / GameTracker
Game Info	Game Notes (PDF) \| OU Media Guide

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Sooners, winners of their last five games, will conclude a seven-game home stand this weekend with a four-game series against visiting Western Illinois. The series begins on Friday, March 7 at 2 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park (the game was originally scheduled for 6:35 p.m.).

OU and WIU will play in a day/night doubleheader on Saturday with first pitch in game one slated for noon. The nightcap will begin at 6 p.m. The four-game set then concludes on Sunday at noon.

BROADCAST INFO
The first two games of the series will be broadcast live on the internet via Oklahoma All-Access, SoonerSports.com's premium paid site. Game two on Saturday and Sunday's game will be aired on the Sooners' flagship station, KOKC 1520 AM, with Chuck Kelly and DeWayne Vaughn providing the on-air talent.

A live web cast will be available for the first (Friday at 2 p.m.) and third game (Saturday at 6 p.m.) of the series on Oklahoma All-Access. In addition, live stats are available for all games on SoonerSports.com.

NEXT UP
This weekend will conclude the Sooners' current seven-game home stand. Following two mid-week games next week in Frisco, Texas against Dallas Baptist (March 11) and Northern Illinois (March 12), OU returns home to host Washington State for a four-game set on March 14-16.

TICKETS
Seats remain for this week's game and gates will open 90 minutes prior to first pitch. Tickets are available at the gate, online or by calling the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 456-GoOU. The office is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located on the plaza level of the Asp Avenue parking garage.

Single game ticket prices are $10 for reserved seats and $7 for general admission. Youth and senior citizens single game general admission tickets are $5.00.

Season tickets are also on sale. Reserved season tickets are available for $130 and general admission season tickets are available for $90. Discounted general admission season tickets are available to OU faculty/staff and senior citizens for $80.

PROMOTIONS
Friday:
The first 200 fans in attendance will receive a free OU visor.

Saturday:
Fans that present their OU/Missouri ticket stub from the men's basketball game against Missouri at L. Dale Mitchell Park will receive a $3 admission to either game of the doubleheader.

The team will sign autographs following the second game of the doubleheader.

Sunday:
Kids run the bases for free (weather permitting).

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS
Game 11: Friday, March 7
Mark DiBernardo | RHP | Sr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 6 Ks)
vs.
Chase Anderson | RHP | So. (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4.0 IP, 5 Ks)

Game 12: Saturday, March 8
Eric Eden | RHP | Jr. (0-0, 2.70 ERA, 3.1 IP, 3 Ks)
vs.
Garrett Richards | RHP | So. (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 1 K)

Game 13: Saturday, March 8
Travis Tolsma | RHP | Sr. (First start of 2008)
vs.
Michael Rocha | RHP | Fr. (1-0, 1.29 ERA, 14 IP, 14 Ks)

Game 14: Sunday, March 9
Ben Percival | RHP | Jr. (0-1, 4.91 ERA, 3.2 IP, 4 Ks)
vs.
Jeremy Erben | RHP | So. (0-0, 2.45 ERA, 7.1 IP, 10 Ks)

UP NEXT
This weekend will conclude the Sooners' current seven-game home stand. Following two mid-week games next week in Frisco, Texas against Dallas Baptist (March 11) and Northern Illinois (March 12), OU returns home to host Washington State for a four-game set on March 14-16.

UPDATING THE SOONERS
The Sooners have won five straight games since losing to then-No. 9 Rice on Feb. 29. OU has won five of its last six games with its only other loss coming at then-No. 1 UCLA in the season opener.

While pitching has been the story for OU early on this season, the offense has connected for 10 or more hits in each of the last three games and is averaging over 12 runs per game in that span. The Sooners entered the series with NDSU hitting .232 and will enter the next series against Western Illinois with a .292 team average.

SCOUTING WESTERN ILLINOIS
Record: 0-2
Ranking: NA
Series: OU leads 10-1

The Sooners and Leathernecks have met in each of the last four seasons, with the series beginning in 2002. OU leads 10-1 and each meeting has taken place at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The series started in 2002 with an 18-8 win for OU in Norman. The Sooners suffered a 5-4 defeat in 2004 but have since rattled nine straight wins. Included in that span is last year's meeting where OU swept a three-game series (1-0, 24-4, 7-6).

Western Illinois enters the weekend with an 0-2 mark. The Leathernecks opened the season with a pair of losses at Alabama State. WIU was picked to finish second in the Summit League after finishing seven a year ago with a 31-26 overall record and 11-9 mark in conference action.

Offensively, WIU is hitting .254 overall and is led by senior outfielder Brett Pendell (.333 avg., two RBIs).

On the mound, the Leathernecks allowed 10 runs in their first two games (eight earned) and senior Mark DiBernardo (RHP) is projected to start game one. DiBernardo struck out six in his only start of the year. In four innings, he did not allow an earned run off three hits and two walks.

PORLIER NAMED TO CLEMENS WATCH LIST
Junior Stephen Porlier was named to the preliminary watch list for the 2008 Roger Clemens Award. The Sugarland, Texas, native is one of nine hurlers from the Big 12 Conference to appear on the list (tied with the Pac 10 for the second most behind the SEC). Porlier has not made an appearnce for OU this season due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder, and his status is unknown for this weekend. In 2007, his first year at OU, Porlier led the club with 99 strikeouts in 99 innings pitched. The righty led the Big 12 during the regular season in strikeouts and was a second team all-conference honoree with a 7-5 record.

TEAM ERA
While early in the season, the OU pitching staff has impressed under first year pitching coach Mike Bell. The Sooners rank second in the league with a 2.72 ERA behing Texas A&M's 2.69 mark. In addition, the Sooners have struck out 89 batters, a mark that also ranks second in the Big 12.

ROCHA RACKS UP THE AWARDS
After a stellar performance against Tennessee on March 2, freshman Michael Rocha was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on Monday, March 3. Rocha made two appearances for the week (games played Feb. 25-March 2), but the first relief appearance was not as impressive as his start against the Vols. Rocha lasted eight innings and only surrendered two hits to earn his first victory of the season. The Buda, Texas, native also struck out seven in the contest.

In addition to the conference honor, www.insidepitching.com and www.collegiatebaseballhub.com tabbed Rocha as the regional pitcher of the week.

GOLLOWAY SEEKS 100TH WIN AT OKLAHOMA
The next win for the Sooners will be the 100th in Sunny Golloway's head coaching career at Oklahoma. Golloway is 434-210 overall as a DI head coach, but 99 of those wins have come in the last four seasons at OU. Golloway is in his fourth year at the helm, but only his third full season. He took over as the interim head coach in 2005 and led the Sooners in their final 18 games with a 12-6 mark. Golloway has coached in 153 games at Oklahoma since 2005 and below is a look at some the program's other skippers that reached at least 100 wins and how long it took them to reach the milestone:

Coach (years at OU) - Recorded 100th win
Bennie Owen (1906-1922) - Ninth season
Lawrence Haskell (1927-1941) - 10th season
Jack Baer (1942-1967) - Seventh season
Enos Semore (1968-1989) - Fifth season (161 games)
Larry Cochell (1991-2005) - Third season (154 games)

QUALITY STARTS AND RELIEF
The Sooners have found success on the mound early as a result of quality starts by their pitchers. Only three starts have been under five innings (all four-inning starts). The OU bullpen has been doing its part as well. In 37 2/3 innings, the relievers have struck out 42 batters with a 2.15 ERA. The Sooner pen has a 2-1 record with two saves, led by senior closer Jake McCarter (1-0, 2 saves).

NEWCOMER CONTRIBUTIONS
The OU baseball team has seen immediate results out of the 2008 class with 41 of the Sooners' 67 RBIs driven in by a newcomer. On the mound, eight of the 10 starts and eight of the 10 wins have been made by a newcomer. In addition, 60 of the staff's 89 strikeouts have been recorded by the rookies.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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