Five Things to Watch: OU Baseball

April 20, 2012

By Andrew Gilman | SoonerSports.com

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma (23-14) steps out of Big 12 play this weekend to host Alabama State (16-23) in a three-game set starting on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Game two on Saturday is set for 2 p.m. while Sunday's finale gets underway at 1 p.m.

Below are five things to watch this weekend when the Sooners and the Hornets meet for the first time.

1. Sooners try to keep it rolling
OU gets the weekend off from Big 12 play, but the Sooners are playing arguably their best baseball of the season. They have won five in a row, including a sweep of Missouri and midweek wins over Arkansas and Oral Roberts. The five-game winning streak is tied for the longest of the season for OU.

2. All about the pitching
When the Sooner pitchers have done their job, OU has done really well. OU is 21-3 this year when opponents score five or les runs. On the other hand, when OU gives up six or more runs, the Sooners are just 2-11. Part of the reason for the recent five-game win streak, is OU has limited the opposition to five or less runs in nine games in a row. OU is 6-3 in that stretch and are 12-5 in the last 17 games – 15 of which teams have failed to score more than five runs.

3. Okert is better than OK
Left-handed pitcher Steven Okert has been great out of the bullpen. He is in the top 10 in the Big 12 in strikeouts with 56 in 52 1/3 innings pitched. He also picked up his first save of the season with a one-out appearance against Arkansas and then got his second save when he went 3 1/3 innings against Missouri.

4. Tough schedule ahead
After this weekend's games against Alabama State, OU has some tough non-conference, mid-week games ahead, including an April 24 game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater. OU also takes on Dallas Baptist, a team the Sooners lost to in the NCAA tournament last year, in Norman on April 25. OU will also travel to TCU on May 1 and play TCU in Norman on May 15. As far as the conference season goes, the Sooners still have home series remaining against the Big 12's top team, Baylor.

5. Promotions!
The first 250 fans Friday receive “K” cards. Saturday, the first 250 fans receive mini sun screens and the Sooners will sign autographs after the game (weather permitting). On Sunday, kids can run the bases and play catch in the outfield after the game (weather permitting).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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