Big 12 Title Game: Five Things to Watch

May 26, 2012

NORMAN, Okla. -- No. 25 Oklahoma (38-21, 13-10 Big 12) and Missouri (31-26, 10-14 Big 12) meet in the 2012 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. The No. 4 seed Sooners (3-0) are 3-0 this year against the Tigers (3-0), seeded sixth, this year after sweeping a series in Norman back in April.

OU went undefeated on its side of the bracket after wins over Oklahoma State and Baylor. The Sooners advanced after topping the Bears 7-2 on Saturday. Missouri is also undefeated this week with wins over Texas (Wednesday), Texas A&M (Thursday) and Kansas (Saturday).

Below are five things to watch this week as the Sooners look to win their second Big 12 Championship and first since 1997.

1. OU and Missouri in the Big 12 Championship
The Sooners and Tigers will meet for the ninth time in the Big tournament, but first in the championship game on Sunday. The teams have split the previous eight meetings, with the Tigers winning the last meeting, 5-4, in 2009. OU is playing in its second Big 12 Championship game after winning its first appearance in 1997 over Texas Tech. Missouri is playing in its third title game in the last four years and has an 0-3 record in that span.

2. Let it Fly
OU is playing its best baseball down the stretch and is riding a five-game winning streak while going 8-2 in the last 10 games. The Sooners have been playing more loose and more confident since putting themselves into a more comfortable position for next weekend's NCAA tournament. Missouri, on the other hand, more than likely needs a victory on Sunday to advance to the big dance.

No. 25 Oklahoma vs. Missouri in the Big 12 Championship | Sunday, May 27 at 1 p.m.
Radio: KREF 1400 AM | TV: Fox Sports Net | Bracket/Live Stats/Webcast

3. Taming the Tigers
OU right-hander Damien Magnifico (3-1, 3.51) will get the start against Missouri. Magnifico did not make an appearance when the Sooners swept the Tigers in the three-game series in Norman on April 13-15. The Tigers will counter with left-handed ace Rob Zastryzny (5-5, 3.65), who shut out Texas on Wednesday in eight innings. Zastrynzy gave up four runs off seven hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings during the series opener against OU earlier this year. The Sooners lead the overall series 130-84, while 46 of those games have been decided by one run (OU 24-22).

4. Early Runs and Solid Pitching
The Sooners have won 20 of the last 27 games with solid pitching and timely hitting. Once the starters have received a lead, they have settled down into the sixth and seventh innings. Each of the last seven starters for OU have lasted at least six innings. The offense has done its part too, scoring first in 14 of the last 27 games with a 12-2 record. In addition, OU is 8-2 in that span when it scores in the first inning.

5. Get Your Tickets
Tickets for the 2012 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship may be purchased by calling the Oklahoma City RedHawks Box Office at (405) 218-1000 or online at Ticketmaster.com. For more information, please visit Big12Sports.com and OKCAllSports.org.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Big 12 Title Game: Five Things to Watch

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