Final Home Series Pits OU vs. New Mexico

May 12, 2011

No. 8 OU (35-13) vs. New Mexico (16-32)
Game 49	Friday, May 13 (6:30 p.m.)
Game 50	Saturday, May 14 (3 p.m.)
Game 51	Saturday, May 14 (6 p.m.)
Game 52	Sunday, May 15 (1 p.m.)
Location	Norman, Okla. \| L. Dale Mitchell Park
Tickets/Promos	$8 and $12 \| Go Mitch Go, BBQ Aprons, team pics and Senior Day
Radio	Sooner Sports Network \| KREF 1400 AM
TV	Sunday: Sooner Sports Network
Webcast	Sunday: All-Access on SoonerSports.com
Live Stats	SoonersSports.com
Game Information	Game Notes \| 2011 Media Guide \| Baseball Blog \| Twitter

WEEKEND PREVIEW
• No. 8 Oklahoma (35-13, 13-9 Big 12) concludes the current home stand this weekend with four games vs. New Mexico (16-32).
• Friday's series opener in Norman is slated for 6:30 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader is set for 3/6 p.m. and Sunday's finale is at 1 p.m.
• OU is ranked No. 8 by the NCBWA, No. 12 by USA Today/Coaches, and No. 14 by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball.
• The Sooners return seven position starters from the 2010 squad that finished 50-18 and advanced to the program's 10th CWS.
• New Mexico returns 12 letterwinners from the 2010 team that finished 38-22 at the NCAA Fullerton Regional with a second- place finish in the Mountain West Conference at 14-8. The Lobos are hitting .269 as a team led by DJ Peterson (.319, 4 HR, 40 RBI).
• New Mexico rotation: GM 1: LHP Rudy Jaramillo (4-6, 4.46 ERA) | GM 2: RHP Jake McCasland (2-5, 5.04 ERA) | GM 3: LHP Sam Wilson (2-2, 7.27 ERA) | GM 4: RHP Richard Olson (3-5, 5.72)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
• The OU broadcast with Chuck Kelly (play-by-play) and Ross Hubbard (color) can be heard throughout the weekend on the Sooners' Flagship station, KREF 1400 AM and at SoonerSports.com. The pregame show begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch.
• The Sooner Sports Network (Cox Ch. 3/703 in OKC & Tulsa) will televise Sunday's game with Toby Rowland and Casey Bookout.
• Live stats are available on the baseball schedule page on SoonerSports.com. A live webcast on Sunday will be on OU All-Access.

OU ROTATION
No. 1 RHP Michael Rocha (9-2, 1.49 ERA, 13 BB, 69 SO)
No. 2 RHP Burch Smith (8-3, 3.90 ERA, 24 BB, 72 SO)
No. 3 LHP Jordan John (3-0, 2.33 ERA, 11 BB, 35 SO)
No. 4 TBA

PLAYER TO WATCH - MICHAEL ROCHA
The senior captain was recently named to the midseason watch lists for the Golden Spikes Award and College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year award. Rocha improved to 9-2 last Friday and moved into a tie for third place all-time at OU with 26 career wins with 1983 first round pick Ray Hayward. He trails a pair of first rounders in Mark Redman and Bob Shirley at 29 and 31 wins, respectively.
2011 Season Stats: 9-2, 1.49 ERA, 13 BB, 69 SO

SENIOR DAY
Prior to Sunday's game, OU will honor the 10 members of the senior class for the 2011 home finale. Elliott Blair, Tyler Brady, Anthony Collazo, Ryan Duke, Ricky Eisenberg, Cale Ellis, Casey Johnson, Michael Rocha, Tyson Seng and Bobby Shore will suit up for their final regular season game at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

VIDEO: GOLLOWAY ON SENIORS AND NEW MEXICO
View video below from Thursday's practice as head coach Sunny Golloway talks to the media about the senior class, New Mexico and the upcoming postseason.

PROMOS - Friday, May 13 - 6:30 p.m.
Theme: Go Mitch Go Day
Giveaway: 250 Free BBQ Aprons
Year of the Fan Golf pins

Saturday, May 14 - 3 p.m./6 p.m.
Theme: Sooner Kid's Club Day
Giveaway: 250 Free OU Yo – Yo's
100 Free OU Collapsible Water Bottles
Promotion: Autograph Saturday (*weather permitting)
What-A- Burger Special Offer Coupons

Sunday, May 15 - 1 p.m.
Theme: Senior Day
Giveaway: Free OU team Pictures
Promotion: Kid's run the Bases (*weather permitting)

Single game tickets are on sale online and by calling 800-456-GoOU.

OU - NEW MEXICO SERIES
The Sooners and Lobos will meet for the 10th time on Friday, but first since March 24, 2006 when OU recorded an 18-9 victory in a midweek game in Norman. In 1988, the two split a pair of games in Norman with the Logos winning the last 11-2 on March 15, snapping a seven-game skid in the series. OU won the previous seven games, starting with the first meeting in 1964, a three-game sweep recorded in Albuquerque. OU is 5-1 at home in the series with a three-game sweep in 1977. OU has scored double digit runs in six of the nine meetings with one game decided by one run in 1977 (OU won 4-3 in series opener).

ON DECK
OU concludes the 2011 regular season next week with a three-game Big 12 series at Baylor. The series opener is slated for Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. in Waco, Texas. Friday's game is also set for 6:30 p.m. and Saturday's finale is slated for 3 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
The No. 10 Sooners posted a 4-0 record last week with 41 runs scored, including a three-game sweep of Kansas in a Big 12 Conference series. OU opened the week on Wednesday with a 7-3 win at Arkansas-Little Rock and followed it up with a 12-1 win in Friday's series opener against Kansas in Norman. On Saturday, the Sooners dropped the Jayhawks, 11-4, before winning on a walk-off grand slam by Ricky Eisenberg in Sunday's finale, resulting in an 11-7 victory.

MISC NOTES
- Sunny Golloway recorded his 250th career win at OU on April 26 at TCU. Golloway is fourth on OU's wins list with 255.
- After 48 games, OU leads the Big 12 in batting average (.322), and ranks third in earned run average (3.09) and fifth in fielding percentage (.974).
- OU is one of two teams in the conference to own a team batting average over .300 (Oklahoma State hitting .306).
- OU leads the Big 12 with 37 home runs, more than triple the amount hit by Texas (12) and at least 10 more than 5 teams.
- OU leads the conference with 366 runs, the next closest team, Oklahoma State has scored 293 runs. OU leads the Big 12 in hits with 530 and Oklahoma State is second with 505.
- The Sooner offense has outscored the opposition 366-184.
- OU has outscored opponents 58-24, 57-31, 49-17 and 51-21 in the third, fifth, sixth and eighth innings, respectively.
- The Sooners have four of the top 10 Big 12 players in batting average with Cameron Seitzer (fourth), Tyler Ogle (fifth), Garrett Buechele (sixth) and Evan Mistich (eighth).
- Garrett Buechele, the Big 12 Player of the Week on Feb. 21 and 28, leads the Big 12 with 51 RBIs and ranks second in 71 hits.
- Seven freshmen have seen playing time and 10 newcomers overall have taken the field.
- In 28 of the Sooners' 48 starts, the hurlers have lasted at least five innings, including six complete games by Jordan John, Bobby Shore and Michael Rocha (4). OU owns six of
the 21 complete games tossed in the Big 12 in 2011.
- Michael Rocha and the Sooner bullpen limited the Tribe to one hit on Feb. 18, 2011, the fewest allowed since OU's last no-hitter, a combined effort on March 9, 2005 vs. UAPB.
- Rocha struck out 13 batters in the March 18 shutout vs.Texas A&M, the most by a Sooner since Daniel McCutchen also sat down 13 Aggies on April 7, 2006.
- Rocha, a two-time 2011 Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, has lasted at least seven innings in 10 of his 12 starts ... He ranks third in the Big 12 with nine wins (8th nationally), third with a 1.49 ERA (19th nationally) and first with four complete games (23rd nationally).

SCORING FIRST
OU is 22-5 when scoring first this season, including a 10-4 mark in Big 12 play. The Sooners have scored first in 13 of the last 22 contests with a 15-7 record in that span.

THE BIG INNING
OU has hit through the batting order 19 times in 48 games. OU had 23 such occasions in 2010. In addition, the Sooners have plated five or more runs in 10 different innings, including 14 in the eighth inning on Feb. 22 vs. UAPB. The 14 runs tied an OU record for most scored in an inning with the 1998 Sooners that plated 14 in one frame against Emporia State on Feb. 17.

ONE-RUN GAMES
The Sooners are 3-5 this season in games decided by one run, including four of the last five defeats. OU was 14-7 in those situations in 2010 and the Sooners are 66-30-1 (.686) under head coach Sunny Golloway. The Sooners' skipper entered 2011 with the best winning percentage among Big 12 coaches over the last five years in that category.

DOUBLE DIGITS
The Sooners recorded 10 or more hits in 27 games this season with a 23-4 mark (42 in 2010 with a 38-4 record), including 16 out of the last 23 and are averaging 11 hits per game in 2011.

OU is averaging 7.6 runs per game, featuring 17 contests scored in double digits with a 16-1 record, including each of the last three games. OU had 23 such games in 2010 with 22-1 record. OU scored 27 in game one of the UAPB series, the most since exploding for 29 runs on March 22, 2009 at Kansas State.

TOUGH SCHEDULE
The Sooners are 7-8 in games against Top 25 teams this year after defeating then-No. 14 Cal (W, 5-3), then-No. 11 Texas A&M (W, 1-0),No. 23 Oklahoma State (W, 8-3), No. 9/7 TCU (13-6/7-4) No. 18 Oklahoma State and No. 4 Texas. OU also dropped two games to Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Texas and two to then-No. 9 Arizona State.

Overall, OU faces 10 opponents from 2010 NCAA tournament (23 games) in 2011, including five foes with 40-plus wins a year ago. OU also will face two 2010 CWS participants (Ari zona State & TCU) and two Super Regional hosts (Texas and Arkansas).

OVERTON AND OGLE COLLECT FIRST BIG 12 WEEKLY HONOR
Dillon Overton was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on May 2 after recording a pair of wins on the road at No. 7 TCU and No. 4 Texas. Overton combined to throw 8 2/3 innings in the week with three hits allowed and one run. It was a career first honor for Overton and represents the seventh time a Sooner has been recognized by the Big 12 this season, a league best.

Junior Tyler Ogle was named the Big 12 Player of the Week and NCBWA National Player of the Week on April 18 after collecting 11 hits (3 HR) and 11 RBI in four games played. In 2011, Garrett Buechele has twice been named the player of the week (Feb. 21 and 28), Michael Rocha was tabbed the pitcher of the week twice (March 7 and April 4) and Jordan John was tabbed the newcomer of the week (Feb. 28).

SHUTOUTS
Michael Rocha's 13 strikeouts and Ryan Duke's first save of 2011 led OU to a 1-0 shutout over then-No. 11 Texas A&M on March 18. The Sooners have two shutouts in the books, after blanking SDSU 4-0 on March 3, and posted three in 2010. OU has also limited opponents to one run in nine games. The most shutouts recorded in a single season during the Sunny Golloway era is five, posted in 2009, 2007 and 2006.

TIME FOR A RALLY
In the 35 victories in 2011, the Sooners have come from behind in 16 of those contests. Of Sunny Golloway's 255 wins at OU, 130 (.510) have been in come-from-behind fashion, including 22 last year.

SIX COMPLETE GAMES
Oklahoma has the most complete games in a season since the 2001 team also had six. Michael Rocha's four complete games, which leads the Big 12 Conference, is the most by a Sooner since Daniel McCutchen recorded all five of the Sooners' complete games in 2006. Overall, OU had two complete games last season, three in 2009, one in 2008 (Rocha) and one in 2007.

OGLE ON JOHNNY BENCH WATCH LIST
For the second straight season, junior catcher Tyler Ogle was named to the Johnny Bench watch list for the 2011 season. Ogle caught in 42 games last year as he hit .331 with 11 homers and 46 RBIs, while recording a .992 fielding percentage and throwing out 11 base stealers. The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission released the Watch List for the 2011 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John's Pizza on March 10.

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).

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 Arizona
March 16 - at Arizona State (8:30 p.m.)

Fox Sports Midwest
March 27 - at Missouri (1 p.m.)

Fox Sports Southwest
April 30 - at Texas (11:30 a.m.)
May 7 - Kansas (2 p.m.)

ESPNU
May 1 - at Texas (1 p.m.)
April 2 - vs. Texas Tech (7 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.)