Baseball Takes on Little Rock Tuesday Afternoon

February 28 | Norman, Okla. | L. Dale Mitchell Park

Little Rock

Oklahoma

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Midweek Pitching Match-Up
First Pitch	Oklahoma	Little Rock
Friday 3 p.m.	RHP-Ryan Madden, So. (1-0, 3.86)	LHP-Cole Townsend, RJr. (0-0, 0.00)
>>>Last Start	vs. Grambling (2/22): W, 4.2 IP, 2 B 5 K	at Norfolk State (2/17): L, 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 8 K

Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 8-1 (0-0 Big 12) Coach: Pete Hughes (4th Season) Career Record/Years: 625-469-3/21 Rank: 18^CBN

Little Rock Trojans
Record: 2-5 (0-0 Sun Belt) Coach: Chris Cury (3rd Season) Career Record/Years: 44-66/3 Rank: NR

On the Air
TV/Stream	FSSW FOXSportsGo Chad McKee Mickey Tettleton
Radio	KREF 1400 AM TuneIn Radio App Toby Rowland (Fri.)

Player to Watch
2B-Mendenhall, Jr. Mendenhall homered in back-to-back games of a day-night doubleheader against Northern Illinois and Villanova on Saturday. He is hitting .333 (10-for-30) on the season.

SOCIAL FEED

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FIRST PITCH

The University of Oklahoma baseball team reaches the midway point of its season-opening 19-game homestand with a Tuesday afternoon tilt against Little Rock. The Sooners and Trojans take the field for first pitch at 3 p.m. from L. Dale Mitchell Park. The game will be televised by Sooner Sports TV on FOX Sports Southwest and will air locally on Sportstalk 1400 AM/99.3 FM.

Promotions
Tuesday	$4 Ticket w/ Promo Code "SOCIAL" $1 Hot Dogs While Supplies Last

ABOUT THE SOONERS

Oklahoma is 8-1 and riding a seven-game win-streak following a four-game sweep of its home 19 Ways Invitational over the weekend. The Sooners wrapped up the weekend with a come-from-behind, walk-off win over ACC opponent Boston College. Sophomore third baseman Brylie Ware has made five starts and leads OU in hitting at .455 (10-for-22). He posted four two-hit games a week ago and has totaled six RBI. Senior first baseman Austin O'Brien is second with a .433 average and .633 slugging percentage. Senior Jack Flansburg, who has started games at three infield positions, is hitting .429 with a team-leading 11 runs and .643 slugging percentage. The Sooners are hitting a Big 12-leading .331 as a team and have outscored their opponents, 75-26, including a season-high 17 runs scored Saturday night vs. Villanova. Oklahoma turns to sophomore right-hander Ryan Madden on the hill against Little Rock. He picked up the win last Tuesday against Grambling State in 4.2 innings of work with five strikeouts. Opposing hitters are batting just .179 off OU pitchers, who have averaged 9.56 strikeouts per nine innings.

THE FORECAST

Projected Starters
OU Lineup	BA/OBP/SLG	Stats	Notes
LF-Kyler Murray	.235/.435/.235	5 R, 3 SB	Stole second and third in first vs. Villanova (2/25).
2B-Kyle Mendenhall	..333/.429/.567	2 HR, 7 R	Homered in back-to-back games vs. NIU and Villanova.
LF-Steele Walker	.389/.421/.583	3 2B, 2 3B	Extended hit-streak to 12 in eighth inning vs. BC (2/26).
1B-Austin O'Brien	.433/.514/.633	10 R, 4 RBI	Totaled a league-leading 10 hits last week.
3B-Jack Flansburg	.429/.469/.643	11 R, 8 RBI	Holds a 1.112 OPS through first five games.
DH-Brylie Ware	.455/.480/.545	6 RBI, 4 R	Posted four two-hit games last week.
C-Renae Martinez	.304/.333/.522	8 R, 6 RBI	Reached on leadoff-E6 and scored walk-off run vs. BC.
RF-Domenic DeRenzo	.214/.368/.214	3 RBI, 2 R	Started first two career games in outfield last week.
SS-Brandon Zaragoza	.391/.462/.435	7 R, 6 RBI	Posted a four-hit game vs. Villanova (2/25).

Last 10 Meetings
Year	Result	Location
2016	Win, 5-2	Little Rock
2015	Win, 22-0	Norman
2014	Loss, 2-11	Norman
2013	Loss, 3-4	Norman
	Loss, 2-5	Norman
2011	Win, 7-3	Little Rock
	Loss, 0-7	Norman
	Win, 2-1	Norman
	Win, 11-4	Norman
2010	Win, 14-5	Norman

SCOUTING THE TROJANS

Coming into the midweek matchup against the Sooners, Little Rock is 2-5 overall. The Trojans enter Tuesday's game following a series win over Purdue at home, which saw Little Rock shut out the Boilermakers on both Saturday and Sunday. Little Rock's offense is led by catcher Cameron Knight, who leads the team with a .458 batting average through seven games. Center fielder Hunter Owens is one of four players with a home run and has driven in a team-high eight runs on a .400 average. Lefty Cole Townsend is expected to take the hill. He has made one start and one relief appearance; totaling seven innings and 10 strikeouts.

ALL-TIME VS. LITTLE ROCK

Oklahoma leads the all-time series with Little Rock, 24-6, and won their second consecutive game against the Trojans with a 5-2 road win in 2016. The Sooners, who have played Little Rock on the road only twice, are 22-6 at home and 9-4 against the Trojans since 2004. Oklahoma last hosted Little Rock in 2015; a 22-0 Sooner victory. Craig Aikin set the OU record for hits in a game with a 6-for-7, six-RBI, four-run day at the plate.

Next Home Game
Oklahoma vs. Central Conn. March 3-5 \| Norman, Okla. The Sooners bring Central Connecticut State to town for a four-game series beginning Friday night at 6:30 pm. TICKETS

REACHING THE CHARTS

Oklahoma became ranked for the first time in 2017 as it reached No. 18 in the Collegiate Baseball News Top-30 on February 27. The Sooners had previously been ranked on February 22, 2016 when they were No. 25 by Baseball America. The No. 21 ranking to open the 2016 was the previous high for OU under head coach Pete Hughes. Oklahoma has spent 11 weeks on the charts in Hughes' tenure and owns a 19-22 record when ranked.

STEELE STILL STREAKING

In the eighth inning of Oklahoma's Sunday game against Boston College (2/26), the 11-game hit-streak of Steele Walker was in jeopardy. To that point, he as 0-for-3 on the day and came up with two on and the Sooners trailing by three. Walker salvaged his streak by punching a base hit through the right side that scored a run and would later come in to score the game-tying run in an eventual walk-off. The streak, which started against Kansas State (5/26/16) at the Big 12 Championship, is the longest by a Sooner since Craig Aikin safely hit in 17 games between the end of the 2014 season and beginning of the 205 season. Over Walker's streak, he is hitting .388 (19-for-49). The streak marks Walker's second of 10 or more in his career.