Sooners Earn Two-Seed in Louisville Regional

June 3-6 | Louisville, Ky. | Jim Patterson Stadium

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NORMAN – The University of Oklahoma baseball team was selected as the two-seed in the NCAA Louisville Regional hosted by the No. 7 overall seed Louisville Cardinals. The Sooners open postseason play on Friday, June 2 at 1 p.m. CT against three-seed Xavier.

THE FIELD

Louisville Cardinals
Record: 47-10 (23-6 ACC) Coach: Dan McDonnell (11th Season) Career Record/Years: 503-201/11 Rank: 6^BA/6^CBN

Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 34-22 (12-11 Big 12) Coach: Pete Hughes (4th Season) Career Record/Years: 651-490-3/21 Rank: NR

Xavier Musketeers
Record: 32-25 (10-6 Big East) Coach: Scott Googins (12th Season) Career Record/Years: 339-355/12 Rank: NR

Radford Highlanders
Record: 27-30 (11-13 Big South) Coach: Joe Raccuia (10th Season) Career Record/Years: 351-320-1/12 Rank: NR

REGIONAL SCHEDULE

Friday, June 2
G1	1 p.m.	Oklahoma vs. Xavier
G2	5 p.m.	Louisville vs. Radford

Saturday, June 3
G3	11 a.m.	Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser
G4	6 p.m.	Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner

Sunday, June 4
G5	12 p.m.	Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser
G6	6 p.m.	Game 5 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

Monday, June 6 (If Necessary)
G7	6 p.m.	Game 6 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner

Oklahoma earned the 37^th NCAA postseason appearance in program history and the first under fourth-year head coach Pete Hughes; who previously took Virginia Tech to the postseason in 2010 and 2013. The Sooners head to Louisville with an overall record of 34-22 after finishing third place in the Big 12, the nation's top RPI conference, at 12-11.

“It has been a crazy process, but we've gone through that process with the right people,” began Hughes. “To see our name pop up kind of validates everything that has been going on in this clubhouse. I'm happy for our guys. It's more a celebration of things to come and not what we've already accomplished. These guys are humble and hungry.”

Louisville won the ACC regular season championship with a 23-9 conference mark. The Cardinals are 47-10 overall and hosting a regional for the fifth consecutive season. Over that stretch, Louisville and 11^th-year head coach Dan McDonnell have earned a top-eight national seed four times and been to the College World Series twice.

“We're going to get locked in on Xavier right out of the gates,” Hughes said of the competition in Louisville. “We're going to figure out how we can win this tournament. These guys can feel good about themselves right now, but we'll get out on the field to prepare and make it all about Xavier.”

Xavier won the Big East Tournament championship to claim one of 31 automatic bids to the tournament for the second year in a row. The Musketeers, guided by 12^th-year head coach Scott Googins, are 32-25 overall and finished third in their conference standings at 10-6.

THE FORECAST

Rounding out the field is four-seed Radford, which finished in a three-way tie for fifth in the Big South. The Highlanders and 10^th-year head coach Joe Raccuia won the automatic bid in their conference tournament and enter the postseason with an overall record of 27-30 after finishing conference play at 11-13.

Each game of the regional will be streamed on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. The Sooner Sports Network will also carry each Oklahoma game.

Notes:

Oklahoma is making its 37^th NCAA postseason appearance and first since 2013.
The Sooners own an all-time record of 79-69 in NCAA tournament play.
OU last received an at-large bid in 2012 when the Sooners went to the Charlottesville Regional and came out of the loser's bracket to advance to the Columbia Super Regional.
In program history, Oklahoma has never played Xavier, Louisville or Radford.
Head coach Pete Hughes owns a 4-4 record in NCAA Regionals; having reached the regional final at South Carolina (2010) and as a host at Virginia Tech (2013).

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