Baseball's Home Stand Continues Tuesday

Feb. 21, 2011

No. 5 OU (4-0) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2)
Game 05	Tuesday, Feb. 22 (3 p.m.) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Game 06	Wednesday, Feb. 23 (3 p.m.) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Location	Norman, Okla. \| L. Dale Mitchell Park
Tickets/Promos	$8 and $12 \| $.50 hot dogs and cokes (while supplies last)
Radio	none
TV	none
Webcast	All-Access on SoonerSports.com
Web Audio	All-Access on SoonerSports.com
Live Stats	SoonersSports.com
Game Information	Game Notes \| 2011 Media Guide \| Baseball Blog \| Twitter

SERIES PREVIEW
• No. 4 Oklahoma continues its home stand with a two-game series on Feb. 22-23 with Arkansas-Pine Bluff at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
• Both games are slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch and Tuesday marks the first $.50 hot dog and coke game of the year
• OU is ranked No. 4 by the NCBWA this week and No. 5 by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball (No. 6 in USA Today/Coaches)
• The Sooners started the 2011 campaign with four straight wins for the third consecutive year
• The Sooners return seven position starters from the 2010 squad that finished 50-18 and advanced to the program's 10th CWS.
• The Lions opened the 2011 season last weekend with a pair of losses against Florida A&M and a win over Jackson State.
• UAPB returns 15 letterwinners from the 2010 team that was 19-33 overall and 8-16 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
• UAPB Rotation: Game 1 - RHP Vince Newton (0-0, 1.80) | Game 2 - RHP William Dunn (0-0, 0.00)

OU PROJECTED ROTATION
• No. 1 LHP Ryan Gibson (first appearance)
• No. 2 LHP Jordan John (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 Ks, 0 BB)

PLAYER TO WATCH - ERIK ROSS
The junior outfielder drove in a team-best six runs during the opening weekend of action. Ross had eight RBIs last season in 47 games played (17 starts). In his four starts in 2011, Ross is hitting .538 and also leads Oklahoma with two stolen bases.
2011 Season Stats: .538, 0 HR, 6 RBI

THE SERIES
• The Sooners and Lions have met in three of the last six years, with OU holding a 6-0 advantage. All six games have been contested in Norman. Arkansas-Pine Bluff last made the trek to Norman in 2010 and Oklahoma posted wins of 26-3 and 16-1 on March 30 and March 31, respectively.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
• The OU broadcast with Chuck Kelly (play-by-play) and Sooner letterwinner Ross Hubbard (color analyst) can be heard via the internet only on Tuesday and Wednesday at SoonerSports.com. Pregame show will begin 15 minutes prior to first pitch.
• Live stats are available on the baseball schedule page along with a webcast on OU All-Access, SoonerSports.com's premium site.

LAST WEEK
The Sooners opened the 2011 campaign with a four-game sweep over visiting William and Mary. OU won its third straight season opener on Friday with a 7-1 decision. On Saturday, OU came from behind twice to sweep a doubleheader (9-6 and 13-4). OU closed out the series with a convincing 13-1 victory on Sunday.

THIS WEEK
The Sooners close out the home stand over the weekend in a three-game series with Oakland University. Game one is slated for Feb. 25 at 3 p.m., game two is set for noon on Feb. 26 and the series closes out on Feb. 27 at 1 p.m.

BIG CROWD ON OPENING DAY
The Sooners opening day win came in front of a crowd of 1,522 at L. Dale Mitchell Park, the largest attendance at an OU home opener since 1999 (1,680 vs. Emporia State). OU averaged 1,473 in the four games last weekend.

OU LEADS BIG 12 IN HITTING
After one week, OU leads the Big 12 Conference in batting average (.381), hits (51), runs (42), homers (7) and slugging percentage (.619). After four games last year, OU was hitting .344 with 38 runs, 54 hits and 8 home runs.

MISC NOTES
The Sooners (4-0) swept the weekend series by outscoring the Tribe 42-12 off 51 hits, including seven home runs ... OU also started the 2010 and 2009 campaigns with wins in each of the first four games ... Both those clubs were 5-0 before suffering their first loss ... OU leads the Big 12 with seven home runs while the other nine teams in the conference have a combined 14 ... Garrett Buechele leads the Big 12 with three homers … Each of the Sooners' four starting pitchers have lasted five innings, including seven frames from Michael Rocha and Dillon Overton ... OU has won its last 11 games at home dating back to last season ... Five freshmen saw playing time after four games and eight newcomers overall have taken the field … Rocha and the Sooner bullpen limited the Tribe to one hit on Friday, the fewest allowed since OU's last no-hitter, a combined effort on March 9, 2005 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

SOONERS FAVORED TO WIN BIG 12 REGULAR SEASON
For the first time since 1995, Oklahoma is the preseason favorite to claim the Big 12 baseball regular season championship heading into the 2011 season, in a vote of the league's head coaches.

In 2010, the Sooners made their 10th College World Series appearance and first trip to Omaha since 1995. It marks the first time since 1995 that OU was selected as the top pick in the preseason poll. The Sooners have twice been picked No. 2 in the Big 12 preseason poll (1999 and 2001) with the highest prediction under Golloway coming in 2010 (fourth). In 1995, OU was the No. 1 team headed into the Big Eight season after winning the program's second National Chamionship the previous year.

WHO's BACK
The Sooners return seven position starters and two weekend starting pitchers from last year's College World Series team that won 50 games for the fifth time in program history. Included in that bunch is 2010 All-American Garrett Buechele at third base, 2010 Freshman All-American Max White at second base and 2009 All-American Ryan Duke (closer). OU welcomes back all but 14 of the 105 home runs hit last year and 32 of the 50 wins registered by the pitching staff.

BREAKDOWN OF 2011 SCHEDULE
- 31 home games, including nine contests to begin slate
- First Bedlam game in Norman since 1996 (April 5)
- Bedlam Series in Tulsa and OKC (April 15-17)
- 10 opponents from 2010 NCAA tournament (23 games)
- Five foes with 40-plus wins a year ago
- Two 2010 CWS participants (Arizona State & TCU)
- Two other Super Regional hosts (Texas and Arkansas)
- Home Big 12 series with TAMU, NU, TTU and KU
- First time opponents in William & Mary and Oakland

BLAIR, BUECHELE, OGLE & ROCHA NAMED CAPTAINS
Seniors Elliott Blair and Michael Rocha and juniors Garrett Buechele and Tyler Ogle were voted as the 2011 captains by their teammates back in October during the team's annual visit to Willow Springs Boys Ranch in Chandler, Okla. Buechele is is the only two-time captain (2010).

BUECHELE A PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Junior Garrett Buechele was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Collegiate Baseball preseason All-America teams. It marks the first such selection for Buechele, who was tabbed a second team All-American following the Sooners' 2010 postseason run. Buechele led OU in every offensive category en route to the program's 10th CWS appearance and first since 1995. The Arlington, Texas, was selected in the 18th round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers.

He is the second Sooner to be named to a preseason list under head coach Sunny Golloway's watch (Ryan Duke in 2010).

DUKE TIED FOR CAREER SAVES LEAD
Ryan Duke, who is on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch list for the second straight year, recorded one save at the 2010 College World Series in OU's opening win over South Carolina and moved into a tie for first place on OU's all-time saves list (below). Duke finished with 12 saves, the nation's 12th best total in 2010 and ranked second in the Big 12. He led the Big 12 in saves with 16 in 2009 (ranked sixth in the nation), the second most in a single season by a Sooner (Jeff Bajenaru - 20, 2000).

Duke is the first Sooner in school history to have 10 or more in two seasons. Below is a look at where he ranks in OU history.

1. 28 Jeff Bajenaru 1999-00
2. 28 Ryan Duke 2008-present

BASEBALL ON KREF 1400 AM IN 2011 | PDF of schedule
The 2011 season marks the second with KREF 1400 AM serving as the flagship station of Sooner baseball. The partnership provides expanded coverage for OU fans to listen to 54 regular season games live over the air and extends into postseason play.

Additionally, 23 of the games are set to be carried on the Sooners Sports' Network, enabling fans to listen to OU baseball on the radio state-wide. The state-wide coverage begins on April 1 against Texas Tech and will continue for each of the games in Big 12 play. The network schedule also includes OU's midweek games at home vs. Oklahoma State (April 5) and TCU (April 12).

The entire 56-game regular season schedule will also be broadcast live on the internet via Oklahoma All-Access, OU's premium content site.

2011 TELEVISION SCHEDULE | PDF of schedule
In 2011, 13 baseball games will be televised locally for the 2011 season by Sooner Vision and Sooner Sports Properties. The broadcasts will air via the Sooner Sports Network on Cox Channel 3 in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Local sports personality Toby Rowland from KWTV News 9 (Oklahoma City) will call the play-by-play along with color analyst Kenny Mossman, Oklahoma Associate Athletics Director for Communications.

On top of the local coverage, the Sooners can also be seen nationally for three contests. In the last six years, 69 OU games have been seen on regional or national television, with 20 telecasts in 2010.

Sooner Sports Network-Cox Ch. 3 in OKC/Tulsa)
March 12 - Arkansas Little Rock (2 p.m.)
March 13 - Arkansas Little Rock (1 p.m.)
March 18 - Texas A&M (6:30 p.m.)
March 19 - Texas A&M (2 p.m.)
March 20 - Texas A&M (1 p.m.)
April 3 - Texas Tech (1 p.m.)
April 5 - Oklahoma State (6:30 p.m.)
April 12 - TCU (6:30 p.m.)
April 17 - vs. Oklahoma State (4:05 p.m.)
April 19 - Dallas Baptist (6:30 p.m.)
May 6 - Kansas (6:30 p.m.)
May 8 - Kansas (1 p.m.)
May 15 - New Mexico (1 p.m.)

Fox Sports Southwest
April 30 - at Texas (2 p.m.)
May 7 - Kansas (2 p.m.)

ESPNU
May 1 - at Texas (1 p.m.)

Cowboy Sports Network
April 15 - vs. Oklahoma State (7:35 p.m.)

SOONERS INK 14 FOR 2012 SEASON
Oklahoma baseball head coach Sunny Golloway announced the signing of 14 student athletes as part of the 2012 signing class on Wednesday. The recruits signed National Letters of Intent in the early signing period and are set to join the Sooners next fall.

Overall, 12 of the 14 recruits are rated by Perfect Game Crosschecker as prospects for the 2011 MLB Draft. Four of the signees have already been selected in the draft, including three last season.

Clayton Blackburn | RHP | 6-2 | 210
Edmond, Okla. (Edmond Santa Fe H.S.)

Brian Brightwell | OF/1B | L/L | 6-0 |185
Oklahoma City, Okla. (Putnam City H.S.)

Tony Calhoun | RHP/ INF | R/R | 6-1 | 180
Temecula, Calif. (Howard College)

Garrett Carey | SS | R/R | 6-2 | 210
Hutto, Texas (McClennan C.C.)

Mason Hope | RHP | R/R | 6-3 | 185
Broken Arrow, Okla. (Broken Arrow H.S.)

Adrian Houser | RHP | R/R | 6-3 | 200
Locust Grove, Okla. (Locust Grove H.S.)

Nick Lee | LHP/ OF | L/L | 6-0 | 190
San Antonio, Texas (Weatherford College)

Hunter Lockwood | C | R/R | 5-11 | 189
Bedford, Texas (Lawrence Dale Bell H.S.)

Damien Magnifico | RHP | R/R | 6-1 | 190
Mesquite, Texas (Howard College)

Austin O'Donnell | RHP | R/R | 6-0 | 210
Magnolia, Ark. (Northeast Texas C.C.)

Steven Okert | LHP | L/L | 6-3 | 215
Rowlett, Texas | Grayson County College

Jacob Rhame | RHP | R/R | 6-0 | 190
Corinth, Texas (Denton Guyer H.S.)

Nick Sawyer | RHP | R/R | Fr. | 5-10 | 180
Carrollton, Texas (Howard College)

Ty Washington | INF | R/R | 5-10 | 165
Richardson, Texas (Plano East H.S.)