Baseball Closes Regular Season at Baylor

May 18, 2011

No. 7 OU (39-13, 13-9 Big 12) at Baylor (27-23, 11-13 Big 12)
Game 53	Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Game 54	Friday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Game 55	Saturday, May 21 at 3 p.m.
Location	Waco, Texas \| Baylor Ballpark
Radio	Sooner Sports Network \| KREF 1400 AM
TV	none
Live Stats	SoonersSports.com
Webcast	BaylorBears.com
Game Information	Game Notes \| 2011 Media Guide \| Baseball Blog \| Twitter

WEEKEND PREVIEW
• No. 7 Oklahoma (39-13, 13-9 Big 12) concludes the 2011 regular season at Baylor (27-23, 11-13) with a three-game Big 12 series.
• Thursday's series opener in Waco is slated for 6:30 p.m. Friday's game is also set for 6:30 p.m. and Saturday's finale is at 3 p.m.
• OU is ranked No. 7 by the NCBWA, No. 8 by USA Today/Coaches, No. 12 by Collegiate Baseball and No. 13 by Baseball America.
• The Sooners return seven position starters from the 2010 squad that finished 50-18 and advanced to the program's 10th CWS.
• Baylor returns 19 letterwinners from the 2010 team that finished 36-24 at the NCAA Fort Worth Regional with a sixth-place finish in the Big 12 at 12-13. The Bears are hitting .269 as a team led by sophomore first baseman Max Muncy (.333, 8 HR, 38 RBI).
• The Bears have won each of their last two Big 12 series (at Nebraska and at Oklahoma State) topped Dallas Baptist Tuesday night.
• BU rotation: GM1: RHP Logan Verrett (5-4, 3.06 ERA) | GM2: LHP Josh Turley (3-4, 3.82 ERA) | GM3: RHP Brooks Pinckard (5-2, 3.83 ERA)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
• The OU broadcast with Chuck Kelly (play-by-play) and Ross Hubbard (color) can be heard throughout the weekend on the Sooner Sports Network and at SoonerSports.com. The pregame show will air 30 minutes prior to first pitch. Check local listings for coverage in your area. Thursday's game will be broadcast on KREF 1400 AM and Saturday's game will be joined in progress following OU softball's NCAA Regional game.
• Live stats are available on the baseball schedule page on SoonerSports.com and a live webcast can be found on BaylorBears.com.

OU ROTATION
No. 1 RHP Michael Rocha (10-2, 1.54 ERA, 13 BB, 72 SO)
No. 2 RHP Burch Smith (9-3, 3.82 ERA, 25 BB, 78 SO)
No. 3 LHP Jordan John (4-0, 2.36 ERA, 13 BB, 43 SO)

PLAYER TO WATCH - MAX WHITE
The sophomore has hit safely in each of the last four games and hit .636 (7-for-11) with four runs scored and two RBI in three starts versus New Mexico over the weekend. White was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate in the series opener, marking a career high in hits, and he also drove in a pair of runs. In the last 10 games, White has 12 hits and five RBI while raising his batting average from .280 to .316.
2011 Season Stats: .316, 3 HR, 20 RBI

OU - BAYLOR SERIES
Oklahoma and Baylor met just twice last season, including one regular season game after inclement weather cancelled the final two games of the series in Norman. OU won the opener, 7-6, and then fell 8-3 in the Big 12 Championship. The Sooners last met the Bears in Waco, Texas, in a three-game series in 2009. OU swept the three-game set with scores of 4-2, 12-4 and 11-8. It marked OU's first series win in Big 12 play at Baylor, where the Sooners are 11-15 all-time. In the 55 games played in the series (OU leads 28-27), 32 have been decided by three runs or less with BU holding a 17-15 advantage. The two have split the 18 games decided by one run.

VIDEO: SOONERS ON BAYLOR AND POSTSEASON
View video below from Tuesday's practice as head coach Sunny Golloway and seniors Michael Rocha and Casey Johnson talk to the media about Baylor and the upcoming postseason.

ON DECK
OU awaits the release of the bracket for the 2011 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. The tournament returns to the double-elimination format for the first time since 2005. The action begins on Wednesday, May 25 with the championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament decided on Sunday, May 29.

LAST TIME OUT
The No. 8 Sooners posted another 4-0 record last week with a four-game sweep of New Mexico in Norman. Oklahoma opened the series with a 6-2 win on Friday and swept Saturday's doubleheader with a pair of 8-3 victories. On Sunday, OU completed the sweep with a 6-2 win in the 2011 home finale.

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 259.
- After 52 games, OU leads the Big 12 in batting average (.323), and ranks third in earned run average (3.01) and fifth in fielding percentage (.974).
- OU is the only team in the conference to own a team batting average over .300.
- OU leads the Big 12 with 38 home runs, more than triple the amount hit by Texas (12) and at least 10 more than 4 teams.
- OU leads the conference with 394 runs, the next closest team, Texas A&M has scored 305 runs. OU leads the Big 12 in hits with 572 and Oklahoma State is second with 533.
- The Sooner offense has outscored the opposition 394-194.
- OU has outscored opponents 62-24, 60-31, 50-18 and 54-21 in the third, fifth, sixth and eighth innings, respectively.
- During the current nine-game winning streak, OU has scored 74 runs off 91 hits, while holding teams to 27 runs off 75 hits.
- Garrett Buechele, the Big 12 Player of the Week on Feb. 21 and 28, leads the Big 12 with 55 RBIs. He ranks second in hits (74).
- Seven freshmen have seen playing time and 10 newcomers overall have taken the field.
- In 32 of the Sooners' 52 starts, the hurlers have lasted at least five innings, including seven complete games by Jordan John, Bobby Shore and Michael Rocha (4). OU owns seven of the 23 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 11 of his 13 starts. He ranks third in the Big 12 with nine wins (8th nationally), second
with a 1.54 ERA (19th nationally) and first with five complete games (23rd nationally).

SOONERS PLACE FIVE ON ACADEMIC ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Senior Elliott Blair and juniors Caleb Bushyhead, Tyler Ogle and Cameron Seitzer were all named to the first team. The first team selections were career firsts for all four Sooners, despite Bushyhead and Ogle appearing on the second team a year ago. Sophomore Jack Mayfield (multi-disciplinary studies) rounded out the 2011 honorees with his selection to the second team.

Oklahoma has had at least two honorees on the academic all-conference team since 1993. In addition, the four first team members is tied for second most by OU in the Big 12 era with the 2003 and 2006 squads (1997 team had 11).

DEFENSE AND PITCHING
OU has held its opponents to five runs or less in 15 of the last 16 games. The 11-7 win over Kansas on May 8 was the only time the Sooners failed to do so. In 11 of the last 16 games, the OU starting pitcher has lasted at least five innings, including each of the last eight outings.

SCORING FIRST
OU is 25-5 when scoring first this season, including a 10-4 mark in Big 12 play. The Sooners have scored first in 16 of the last 26 contests with a 19-7 record in that span.

THE BIG INNING
OU has hit through the batting order 20 times in 52 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.

SEVEN COMPLETE GAMES
Oklahoma has the most complete games in a season since the 1995 team had eight, led by Mark Redman's such outings. Michael Rocha's five 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.

DOUBLE DIGITS
The Sooners recorded 10 or more hits in 30 games this season with a 26-4 mark (42 in 2010 with a 38-4 record), including 19 out of the last 27 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 three of the last seven 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.

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 39 victories in 2011, the Sooners have come from behind in 17 of those contests. Of Sunny Golloway's 259 wins at OU, 131 (.506) have been in come-from-behind fashion, including 22 last year.

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).

SOONERS' RPI
OU is No. 17 in the latest RPI released by NCAA.com on May 17. The Sooners are 17-12 against the RPI top 100, including a 10-9 mark against the top 50. OU still has three games remaining against Baylor at No. 35 this weekend.

16-0 RECORD START
The 16-0 start is the best for a Sooner club, topping the 12 straight wins to begin the 1998 season. Other double-digit undefeated streaks to begin a season include 1984 (11-0) and 1974 (10-0). It marks the longest undefeated streak in the Big 12 era (since 1997), tied with the 2005 Texas team.

The 16-game winning streak is also the best under head coach Sunny Golloway and the sixth double-digit streak in his tenure (13 in 2006, 11 in 2007, 11 in 2008, 10 in 2009 and 10 in 2010). Its also the 25th in program history and longest since 1985 (19).

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.

OU NO. 5 IN PRESEASON POLLS
The Sooners were tabbed No. 5 in Baseball America's preseason top 25 poll. Oklahoma was also ranked No. 5 in the preseason by the NCBWA. The Sooners have been ranked in the top 10 by Baseball America, at some point in the season, in each of the last three years. Only the 1984-1987 Sooners can claim a better streak among the nation's top 10 in program history. The 2011 preseason ranking is the highest for OU since 1995 when it was coming off the program's second National Championship and entered the season as Baseball America's No. 3 team in the nation.

Polls: BA | USA | CB | NCBWA

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.

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 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 - 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.)