Completed Event: Baseball versus (2) Georgia Tech on May 31, 2026 , Win , 15, to, 8
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Summer Ball Notebook: That's a Wrap
August 18, 2016 | Baseball
The nearly yearlong committment to the game for a collegiate baseball player has reached another milestone on the calendar as student-athletes begin to filter back to campus for the start of the fall semester. Summer ball wrapped up across the country over the past few weeks with several leagues extending its postseason into the middle of August.
For the Sooners representing the University of Oklahoma in various leagues from coast-to-coast, the summer culminated in dogpiles, world series appearances, batting titles and more.
Walker Wins Northwoods League Batting Crown
| The Walker File | |
|---|---|
| Position | Outfielder |
| Hometown | Prosper, Texas |
| High School | Prosper |
| Major | Human Relations |
| 2016 Stats | .290/.352/.414, 17 2B, 32 RBI |
| Batting Champ |
|---|
 Walker followed up a spring season in which he tied the OU freshman record for doubles with 17 by leading the Northwoods League in hitting at .406 despite being left off the league's All-Star team. |
Outfielder Steele Walker spent his summer with the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League. He led the way with a .406 batting average as he collected 86 in in 53 games. On July 22, Walker doubled to mark his 20th consecutive game with a hit and thus broke the Woodchucks' franchise hit streak record.
The next closest hitter to Walker's crown in the Northwoods League was 46 points back at .360. During the season, he scored 47 runs and drove in 31. Walker added 11 doubles and seven home runs for a .557 slugging percentage.
As a freshman at Oklahoma, Walker hit .290 with an OU freshman record 17 doubles. He was named a Freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger and earned All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
Larks and Bee Jays Participate in NBC World Series
The Hays Larks and the Liberal Bee Jays, both of the Jayhawk League, participated in the National Baseball Congress World Series in August. The Larks reached the final of the 82nd NBC World Series before falling to the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League. First baseman Austin O'Brien, who hit .410 during the Jayhawk regular season, started for the Larks in the world series. In six games at the series, O'Brien hit .345 (10-for-29) with seven RBI. He finished the summer hitting an even .400 with 10 home runs and 55 RBI.
The Bee Jays were eliminated short of the NBC quarterfinals with a loss to the Kansas Stars. Outfielder Blake Brewster kept the team's postseason run alive with a RBI-triple to start the scoring before ultimately falling, 12-4. Brewster hit over .300 in the regular season and finished at .298 with 21 RBI following the world series. Right-handed pitcher JB Olson also pitched in for the Bee Jays this summer. He appeared in 12 games with six saves and allowed just one unearned run for a 0.00 earned run average in 11.1 innings. Olson finished the season as a popular participant and broadcaster on the team's "Bee Jay Bucket Talk". For tweets and videos click HERE.
Sooner Trio Dogpiles With Brazos Valley Bombers
The Brazos Valley Bombers dominated their way to a Texas Collegiate League championship by winning nine in a row, including a 16-0 decision in the championship game on August 12. The Bombers' dogpile marked the fourth consecutive title for the organization. Sooner outfielder Ben Hollas and pitcher Austin Kerns were among those on the field for the celebration at Nutrabolt Stadium.
Hollas played 31 games for the Bombers and hit .216 with a .386 on-base percentage and 15 runs scored. Kerns, a left-hander, totaled nine appearances with four starts posted a 3-0 record and 0.69 ERA. Each of his wins came in consecutive starts during the month of July. Kerns totaled 30 strikeouts and walked just seven in 26 innings of work. In his first live-game performances since coming back from Tommy John, Zurawik, a right-handed, made five relief appearances for 3.2 innings. He struck out eight, but walked 10. In three of his five relief outings, he was able to work a scoreless- and hitless-frame.
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Monday, June 22
