Baseball Opens 2018 Friday in Myrtle Beach

Feb. 16-18 | Myrtle Beach, S.C. // Conway, S.C.
TicketReturn.com Field // Springs Brooks Stadium

KREF 1400

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Weekend Pitching Match-Ups
First Pitch	Oklahoma	Opponent
Fri. vs. IU, 11 a.m.	RHP-Jake Irvin (6-3, 3.53)	RHP-Jonathan Stiever (4-4, 4.31)
>>>Last Start	at Louisville (6/3): L, 7.0 IP, 3 ER	vs. Ohio (6/3): W, 9.0 IP, 2 R, 4 K
Sat. vs. USA 10 a.m.	RHP-Nathan Wiles (4-4, 5.26)	RHP-Tyler Carr (7-1, 4.46)
>>>Last Start	vs. Texas (5/24): L, 2.1 IP, 4 ER	vs. Ark. State (5/27); W, 6.0 IP, 1 R
Sat. vs. CCU, 2 p.m.	RHP-Devon Perez (6-2, 3.50)	RHP-Zack Hopeck (5-2, 3.79)
>>>Last Start	vs. Xavier (6/2): W, 7.0 IP, 7 K	App. State (5/20): W, 5.0 IP, 1 R
Sun. vs. VT, 1 p.m.	RHP-Kyle Tyler (0-3, 5.15)	TBA
>>>Last Start	vs. Xavier (6/4): L, 0.1 IP, 1 ER	N/A

Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 0-0 (0-0 Big 12) Coach: Skip Johnson (1st Season) Career Record/Years: 0-0/1 Rank: RV^USA

Indiana Hoosiers
Record: 0-0 (0-0 Big Ten) Coach: Chris Lemonis (4th Season) Career Record/Years: 101-72-2/4 Rank: 20^BA/23^D1B/RV^USA

South Alabama Jaguars
Record: 0-0 (0-0 Sun Belt) Coach: Mark Calvi (7th Season) Career Record/Years: 207-150/7 Rank: 17^CBN/20^D1B/23^USA/24^BA

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Record: 0-0 (0-0 Sun Belt) Coach: Gary Gilmore (28th Season) Career Record/Years: 1,337-559-3/28 Rank: NR

Virginia Tech Hokies
Record: 0-0 (0-0 ACC) Coach: John Szefc (1st Season) Career Record/Years: 392-259-3/12 Rank: NR

On the Air
Radio	KREF 1400 AM TuneIn Radio App Brendan Flynn

Player to Watch
2B-Kyle Mendenhall Entering his final season, the Sooners' only four-year player, Mendenhall has started 112 career games at second base. Coming off his best offensive season to date, he hit five home runs and drove in 27 as a junior.

FIRST PITCH

The University of Oklahoma baseball team opens its season on the road for the first time since 2012 when it hits the road for Coastal Carolina's “Baseball at the Beach” in Conway and Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Sooners' four-game slate on opening weekend begins Friday, Feb. 16 against Indiana at 11 a.m. CT at TicketReturn.com Field; home of the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Oklahoma plays twice at Coastal on Feb. 17 against South Alabama at 10 a.m. and the host Chanticleers at 2 p.m. The weekend wraps with a 1 p.m. first pitch against Virginia Tech on Feb. 18 back in Myrtle Beach. All four games will air locally on Sportstalk 1400 AM and 99.3 FM in Norman. OU communications director Brendan Flynn will handle the play-by-play from the booth throughout the weekend. Audio of the games can also be streamed at Sportstalk1400.com and on mobile via the Sportstalk page on the TuneIn application.

ABOUT THE SOONERS

Under first-year head coach Skip Johnson, Oklahoma enters 2018 off its first NCAA Regional appearance since 2013. The Sooners went 35-24 overall and 12-11, good for third place, in the Big 12 a year ago. OU returns all 59 starts on the mound from 2017, including junior right-hander Jake Irvin and senior right-hander Devon Perez. Irvin went 6-3 with a 3.53 earned run average in the Sooners' Friday night role last season. Perez stepped into the Saturday spot midway through 2017 and went 6-2 with a 3.50 ERA and was seventh in the nation with a 7.36 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Offensively, Oklahoma's lineup centers around junior outfielder Steele Walker. A preseason All-American, he hit .333 and slugged .541 as a sophomore. Walker hit eight home runs and drove in 51 runs.

THE FORECAST

Projected Starters
OU Lineup	BA/OBP/SLG	Notes
LF-Cade Harris	.267/.454/.395	Hit .283 out of the leadoff spot in 2017.
2B-Kyle Mendenhall	.232/.324/.354	Smashed walk-off HR vs. No. 2 Texas Tech.
RF-Steele Walker	.333/.413/.541	On the Golden Spikes Award Watch List.
1B-Brylie Ware	.298/.383/.429	Hit .390 in the Northwoods Leage.
CF-Kyler Murray	.122/.317/.122	Swiped 12 consecutive bags in 2017.
3B-Cade Cavalli	---/---/---	Drafted in 29th round by the Brewers.
C-Domenic DeRenzo	.183/.277/.378	Tripled and doubled vs. Xavier in Louisville.
DH-Tyler Hardman	---/---/---	Drafted in the 37th round by the Rockies.
SS-Brandon Zaragoza	.251/.332/.273	First freshman to start at SS for OU since 2007.

SCOUTING THE FIELD

Indiana and South Alabama enter 2018 in several preseason Top-25 polls. The Hoosiers peak at No. 20 by Baseball America, while the Jaguars top out at No. 17 by Collegiate Baseball News. Indiana went 34-24-2 in 2017 and finished with one win at the Lexington Regional. USA played in the Hattiesburg Regional a year ago and finished the season 40-21 after a 1-2 showing in the postseason. Coastal Carolina missed out on the 2017 postseason after winning the 2016 National Championship. The Chanticleers were 37-19-1 and won the Sun Belt regular season title. South Alabama was tabbed the preseason favorite in the Sun Belt's East Division; one spot ahead of Coastal. Virginia Tech is under the direction of first-year coach John Szefc after a 23-32 season. The Hokies were picked sixth in the ACC's Coastal Division.

SEASON OPENERS

Since 1962, Oklahoma is 37-19 on opening day and 25-3 when playing the first game of the season at home, including 24-2 at L. Dale Mitchell Park. All-time in home openers, the Sooners are 50-6 going back to 1962, including 34-2 at L. Dale Mitchell. In its last season opener on the road, Oklahoma lost to No. 1 UCLA in 2008. The Sooners' last win in a season opener away from home came against Texas State in 2006 in Edinburg, Texas.

Home Opener
Oklahoma vs. Abilene Christian Feb. 21 \| Norman, Okla. The Sooners return to Norman for their home opener at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Tuesday when they take on the Wildcats of Abilene Christian. TICKETS

OPENING DAY STARTERS

Right-hander Jake Irvin started on the mound for the Sooners on opening day 2017. He became the fourth sophomore to get the ball in game one in the last six seasons and third in four seasons. Irvin also became the third consecutive righty to start on opening day following three years in a row of lefties getting the nod.

A STARS AND STRIPES SUMMER

Over the summer, Steele Walker split his time between the Team USA Collegiate National Team and the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League. As a part of Team USA's 24-man roster, he hit .333 and slugged .514 in 20 games. Walker was named MVP of the teams' two series wins over Chinese Taipei and Cuba. He became the first Sooner to play for Team USA since Brian Shackelford pitched for the Team USA CNT in 1995. Teammate Jake Irvin was invited to tryouts with Walker and represented Team USA in an early exhibition game and later was recalled for a start prior the team's series vs. Japan.