Baseball Hosts Undefeated Alabama This Weekend

March 2-4 | Norman, Okla. | L. Dale Mitchell Park

Oklahoma

²⁹Alabama

Tickets

SoonerSports.tv (Fri.)

FSOK/FOXSportsGO (Sat./Sun.)

KREF 1400

Live Stats

Notes

Twitter

Weekend Pitching Match-Ups
First Pitch	Oklahoma	Alabama
Fri. 6:30 p.m.	RHP-Jake Irvin (2-0, 2.45)	RHP-Sam Finnerty (2-0, 3.86)
>>>Last Start	vs. Holy Cross (2/24): W, 6.0 IP, 0 R, 11 K	vs. Washington St. (2/23); W, 5.2 IP, 4 R, 4 K
Sat. 4 p.m.	RHP-Devon Perez (0-0, 5.62)	RHP-Jake Walters (1-0, 5.73)
>>>Last Start	vs. Holy Cross (2/25): ND, 4.0 IP, 4 R, 1 K	vs. Washington St. (2/24): W, 6.0 IP, 2 R, 7 K
Sun. Noon	RHP-Kyle Tyler (0-0, 3.24)	TBA
>>>Last Start	vs. Valparaiso (2/25): ND, 5.1 IP, 0 R, 7 K	N/A

Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 4-5 (0-0 Big 12) Coach: Skip Johnson (1st Season) Career Record/Years: 4-5/1 Rank: NR

Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 9-0 (0-0 SEC) Coach: Brad Bohannon (1st Season) Career Record/Years: 9-0/1 Rank: 29^N/30^CBN

On the Air
TV/Stream	SoonerSports.tv (Fri.) FSOK (Sat.) FSOK+ (Sun.) Toby Rowland (Sat.-Sun.) George Frazier
Radio	KREF 1400 AM TuneIn Radio App Chad McKee (Fri.)

Player to Watch
P-Jake Irvin Irvin is 2-0 on the season and 14-5 in his career following six innings of two-hit, shutout ball last Friday. He struck out 11 for his fourth career game of 10 Ks or more.

FIRST PITCH

The Oklahoma baseball team begins a 13-game homestand by welcoming Alabama to L. Dale Mitchell Park this weekend. The Crimson and Cream take the field against the Crimson Tide for game one of the series Friday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. The series continues Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at noon. All three games will be broadcast locally on Sportstalk 99.3 FM/1400 AM. Veteran OU broadcaster Chad McKee will handle the play-by-play duties Friday before voice of the Sooners Toby Rowland jumps on the call for the final two. Former Sooners and MLB pitcher George Frazier will be in the booth all weekend long on color commentary. Friday's game will be streamed at SoonerSports.tv with the following games televised by Sooner Sports TV on FOX Sports Oklahoma and FOX Sports Oklahoma-Plus. Games two and three can be streamed on the FOXSportsGo mobile application. 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

Oklahoma is 4-5 on the year after a 5-2 loss at No. 24 Dallas Baptist on Tuesday night. The Sooners have started the same outfield for each of the last five games. Junior left fielder Cade Harris is hitting a team-high .412 with six doubles. Redshirt-sophomore Kyler Murray was inserted into center field last weekend and has hit two home runs in the last four games. Junior right fielder Steele Walker has hit third in eight of nine games and clean-up on Tuesday. He entered the season as a preseason All-American and was on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Watch List. On the mound, the Sooners look to junior right-hander Jake Irvin in the Friday role. He is 2-0 with a 2.45 earned run average and coming off six-shutout innings and 11 strikeouts vs. Holy Cross (2/24).

PROMOTIONS

The Sooners host their first Friday Night Fireworks of the season with fireworks scheduled to begin immediately following the conclusion of the series opener. Saturday will feature an OU basebal box of chocolates giveaway to the first 150 fans. A food drive will also be held on Saturday to benefit the OU food pantry. Fans are encouraged to donate soups, rice, canned goods, pasta, juice and milk. All fans that donate will receive a Whataburger coupon in return. Sunday features the first kids run the bases during postgame. The kids zone near the main entrance will make its return this season and be open all weekend.

THE FORECAST

Projected Starters
OU Lineup	BA/OBP/SLG	Notes
LF-Cade Harris	.412/.535/.706	.538 (14-for-26 hitter in the leadoff spot.
SS-Brandon Zaragoza	.207/.273/.276	Walk-off sacrifice-fly to beat Valpo (2/25).
RF-Steele Walker	.188/.366/.344	Drove in 86th career run Tuesday at DBU (2/27).
3B-Brylie Ware	.200/.324/.233	6-for-16 after 0-for-14 start to the season.
CF-Kyler Murray	.294/.368/.706	Stole 13th consecutive base vs. Holy Cross (2/25).
C-Justin Mitchell	.125/.160/.208	39th round draft pick of the Royals.
1B-Cade Cavalli	.226/.385/.387	Winning pitcher, scored winning run vs. Valpo (2/25).
2B-Kyle Mendenhall	.226/.325/.323	Hit 12th career HR vs. Holy Cross (2/25).
DH-Domenic DeRenzo	.167/.474/.417	Hit 12th career HR vs. Holy Cross (2/25).

SUNDAYS ARE FOR WALK-OFFS

Since the beginning of the 2016 season, Oklahoma has walked off a winner 10 times; all at home. Eight of those 10 wins have come on Sundays. The Sooners added their latest walk-off against Valparaiso, 3-2 in 10 innings. Freshman Cade Cavalli started as the designated before pitching the top of the 10th; striking out three and leaving a runner at second. He led off the home half and scored the game-winning run from third on a sacrifice-fly by sophomore Brandon Zaragoza.

WINNING COMPARISON

In 30 games, including 24 starts, Jake Irvin owns a 14-5 record. His career 14 wins are tied with Robert Tasin for the seventh most by a Sooner pitcher to take the mound in the last 10 years. Michael Rocha (2008-11) won the most games over that period with 27 followed by Dillon Overton (2011-13) with 23. Overton won his 14th in the 44th game and 23rd start of his career, while Rocha's 14th win came in his 47th game as a Sooner.

Next Home Game
Oklahoma vs. Dallas Baptist March 6 \| Norman, Okla. The Sooners and Patriots face off in Norman for a rematch of this past Tuesday's action down in Dallas. The game will feature the first Tuesday t-shirt giveaway of the season. TICKETS

Last 10 vs. the SEC
Year	Opponent	Result
2016	Mississippi State	Tie, 5-5
2013	LSU	Loss, 1-11
	LSU	Loss, 0-2
2012	South Carolina	Loss, 1-5
	South Carolina	Loss, 0-5
	Arkansas	Win, 4-0
2010	South Carolina	Loss, 2-3
	South Carolina	Win, 4-3
	Mississippi State	Win, 16-5
	Arkansas	Win, 5-2

SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE

Alabama is 9-0 under first-year head coach Brad Bohannon. The Crimson Tide, which is ranked in the top-30 by the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball News, swept Valparaiso opening weekend and Washington State last week. Alabama is hitting .344 as a team and averaging 10 runs per game. Left fielder Keith Holcombe is hitting a team-high .625 with 11 RBI. Right fielder Chandler Taylor has slugged a team-leading three home runs and designated hitter Cody Henry has driven in 13. Right-hander Sam Finnerty will throw game one for the Crimson Tide. He is 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 11.2 innings.

ALL-TIME VS. THE SEC

Oklahoma holds a 26-38-1 record against Southeastern Conference opponents, excluding former Big 12 rivals Missouri and Texas A&M. The Sooners, most common opponent from the SEC is Arkansas, which holds a 14-11 advantage in the all-time series. OU last hosted a SEC opponent in 2012; as 4-0 win over Arkansas to run its record to 11-10 in home games vs. SEC foes. The Sooners have hosted just two series all-time against a SEC team; last welcoming te Razorbacks to L. Dale Mitchell Park for three games in 1983.

NEW BEDLAM SCHEDULE

Due to a conflict with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, game one of the 2018 Bedlam Series will be played at OUS's Allie P. Reynolds Stadium on Friday, April 27 at 7 p.m. The remaining two games will be played in Tulsa as scheduled. In 2019, game one will be played in Tulsa, game two in OKC and game three in Norman.

University of Oklahoma Athletics