Completed Event: Baseball versus (2) Georgia Tech on May 31, 2026 , Win , 15, to, 8
Final
Baseball
15
vs (2) Georgia Tech
8
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Baseball Opens Friday in Norman
February 18, 2016 | Baseball
Feb. 19-21 | Norman, Okla. | L. Dale Mitchell Park
Northeastern
21 Oklahoma
| Oklahoma Sooners |
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 2015: 34-27 (13-11 Big 12)Coach: Pete Hughes (3rd Season) Career Record/Years: 587-441-2/18 Rank: 21BA/RVUSA |
| Northeastern Huskies |
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 2015: 25-30 (14-10 CAA)Coach: Mike Glavine (2nd Season) Career Record/Years: 25-30/1 Rank: NR |
| On the Air | ||
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| Radio | 1400 AM Ed Murray |
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| Stream | SoonerSports.tv |
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| Player to Watch |
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 OF-Hunter Haley, Sr.The last remaining link to the Sooners' 2013 Big 12 Championship, Haley brings a wealth of experience to the OU outfield. Starting better than 40 games each season, he is a career .266 hitter with 12 home runs, 75 RBI and 27 stolen bases. Haley possesses the ability to be one of the premier power/speed threats in the league. |
NORMAN, Okla. – The Oklahoma baseball team opens 2016 at home; marking the fourth consecutive opening day spent at L. Dale Mitchell Park when the Sooners host Northeastern at 4:00 pm on Friday afternoon. The series continues with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm and closes with a 12:00 pm first pitch for the finale on Sunday.
Oklahoma enters the season ranked for the first time since 2014. The No. 4 team in the Big 12 Coaches Poll, the Sooners are ranked as high as No. 21 by Baseball America. OU finished third in the conference a year ago with a 13-11 league mark and 34-27 record overall. The Sooners look to bounce back from the loss of 11 MLB Draft picks, the most in the nation, as well their top four hitters and 110 relief appearances out of the bullpen. Back in the mix for Oklahoma is junior shortstop Sheldon Neuse. He hit .275 and drove in 43 runs from the middle of the order. The Sooners return a wealth of experience in their weekend rotation with junior right-handers Jake Elliott, who will start the opener, and Alec Hansen. Elliott went 4-6 in 2015 with a 3.06 earned run average, while Hansen was 5-6 with a 3.95 ERA and 94 strikeouts. Newcomers Austin Kerns, a junior lefty, and freshman Jake Irvin round out the OU rotation for opening weekend.
Northeastern went 25-30 in its first season under head coach Mike Glavine in 2015. Glavine, a native of Concord, Mass. and the brother of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine, is a NU alum and spent a cup of coffee in the bigs with the 2003 New York Mets. The Huskies, who will play their first 15 games on the road plus an exhibition against the Boston Red Sox (Feb. 29) in Fort Myers, return junior outfielder Pat Madigan, a .313 hitter in 2015, to anchor their lineup. Junior Cam Hanley (.293) and sophomore Nolan Lang (.285) return to the NU infield. Senior LHP James Mulry and junior RHP Dustin Hunt return to the Huskies' rotation. Mulry went 3-8 with a 5.71 ERA, while Hunt posted a 5-5 record and 4.96 ERA.
Weekend Pitching Match-Ups
| Game | Oklahoma | Northeastern |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | RHP-Jake Elliott, Jr. (4-6, 3.06, 80 K) | RHP-Aaron Civale, Jr. (7-2, 3.24, 41 K) |
| Saturday (1) | RHP-Alec Hansen, Jr. (5-6, 3.95, 94 K) | RHP-Dustin Hunt. Jr. (5-5, 4.96, 82 K) |
| Saturday (2) | LHP-Austin Kerns, Jr. (---,---,--) | LHP-James Mulry, Sr. (3-8, 5.71, 61) |
| Sunday | RHP-Jake Irvin, Fr. (---,---,--) | RHP-Will Jahn, RSo. (---,---,--) |
Season Openers
Since 1962, Oklahoma is 36-18 on opening day and 24-2 when playing the first game of the season at home, including 23-1 at L. Dale Mitchell Park. All-time in home openers, the Sooners are 49-5 going back to 1962, including 33-1 at L. Dale Mitchell.
Opening Day Starters
Elliott will make his second opening day start on Friday. He becomes the first OU pitcher to start back-to-back opening days since Dillon Overton (2012-13). As a sophomore, Elliott became the first righty to start opening day for Oklahoma since Michael Rocha in 2011. He is also the third sophomore to earn the nod in the last four year after Jacob Evans (2014) and Dillon Overton (2012).
| Year | Starter, Year | R/L | Decision-Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Jake Elliott, So. | RHP | Win-Notre Dame |
| 2014 | Jacob Evans, So. | LHP | Loss-Seton Hall |
| 2013 | Dillon Overton, Jr. | LHP | Win-Hofstra |
| 2012 | Dillon Overton, So. | LHP | ND-Pepperdine |
| 2011 | Michael Rocha, Sr. | RHP | Win-William & Mary |
| 2010 | Zach Neal, Jr. | RHP | ND-San Diego State |
Oklahoma is Home
The Sooner roster features 11 players from within the state's borders and 11 from Texas. This season marks the most Oklahoma born players at OU since 12 in 2012 and the first time with as many or more players from Oklahoma than Texas since 2006. In 2006, 13 Sooner players called Oklahoma home, while just five were from Texas.
Power and Speed
Senior outfielder Hunter Haley enters the 2016 season with 12 home runs and 27 stolen bases in his career. Over the last decade, he is one of just three players at Oklahoma to record more than 10 home runs and 25 steals in a career. Max White (2010-13) and Jamie Johnson (2008-09) are the other two to reach the feat in the last 10 years. White hit 23 homers and swiped 29 bags, while Johnson posted 18 and 38.
Players Mentioned
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/ BaseballSaturday, July 11
Thursday, June 25
Wednesday, June 24
Monday, June 22
