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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners Make MLB Opening Day History
April 04, 2018 | Baseball
History was made on March 29, 2018, Major League Baseball's opening day, by a trio of former University of Oklahoma pitchers. Chase Anderson, Jon Gray and Garrett Richards all started on the mound for their respective teams. It marked the first time in MLB history that three pitchers from the same school started at pitcher on opening day. It was also the first time since 2015 that multiple pitchers from the same school held the honor of opening day starter; a feat that has been accomplished only eight times since 2000.
“It says something about the University of Oklahoma, the baseball program, and what the guys here have done in the past,” said current OU head coach Skip Johnson. “There's no doubt about that. Those guys are all really good. I got to play against them. They were all really good when they were here. Competing against those guys was an honor. You're looking at Jonathan Gray, Garrett Richards and Chase Anderson. You can't ask for three better people on opening day to represent the University of Oklahoma.”
Anderson was stellar in a no-decision for the Milwaukee Brewers on the road at San Diego last week. Milwaukee would get the win, 2-1, in 12 innings, but after the Brewers' 1-0 lead was lost in the ninth; costing Anderson his first win of the season. He went six-scoreless with six strikeouts and allowed just one hit in his first career opening day start. Anderson also singled and scored Milwaukee's first run of the season in the third.
For Richards, it was his second career opening day start; having previously tossed the opener for the Los Angeles Angels in 2016. After battling injuries the last two seasons, resulting in just 12 starts over that time, he earned the nod against Oakland on the road last week. Richards kept the Athletics off the board for four innings, leading 4-0, before running into trouble in the fifth. In what proved to be his last inning of the day, the A's tied the game with four runs off Richards, who totaled four strikeouts on the afternoon in a no-decision that Oakland won, 6-5, in 11.
“We would have liked to win today, but it's one of 162,” Richards said at the time. “We'll get them tomorrow.”
The Angels did win game two, 2-1, and claimed the series in the finale, 7-4. In Richards' second start, he bounced back from a first-inning two-run homer to steady the ship for his team in a 13-2 win over the Cleveland Indians. He went 5.2 innings and struck out nine; his highest strikout total since Sept. 9, 2015 in his last completely healthy season.
"You couldn't ask for three better people on opening day to represent the University of Oklahoma."
-- Skip Johnson, OU Head Coach
Oklahoma has had a pitcher start opening day each of the last three years, combing for five opening day starts, which is the most in that period and tied for the most with Vanderbilt (David Price-3, Sonny Gray-2) since 2014. Gray bridged the gap between Richards' 2016 start and this season with his first career opening day start in 2017.
He last took the mound in October as the Colorado Rockies' starter in the NL Wild Card against the Arizona Diamondbacks. A rematch between the Rockies and Dbacks on opening day went Arizona's way. Gray was touched for three runs in the first inning. He bounced back to throw three-scoreless before the end of his outing as he struck out four and walked three.
“I didn't get ahead. A lot of pitches weren't competitive at all and it's tough to win that way because you put yourself in a bad spot, really,” Gray said of his start. “But nothing's changed. I'm excited about the season. I know we're going to be a good team.”
Anderson, a ninth-round pick of the Diamond backs, pitched at Oklahoma from 2008-09. Primarily a reliever for the Sooners, he made 50 career appearances with an 8-5 record and 5.01 earned run average and 124 strikeouts in 115 innings.
Anderson was the sixth pitcher in Brewers history to toss six-scoreless on opening day. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
“With Skip at the helm now, I couldn't be more excited with the direction this program is going,” Anderson stated. “It's always a good time to be a Sooner, but especially now with what he's going to build. This program has been so good for such a long time. It's cool to come back see the guys and the upgrades they've made to the facilities.”
Richards played at Oklahoma from 2007-09 before becoming the ninth first-round pick in program history as the Angels drafted him 42nd overall. He saved nine games as a freshman and won nine games as a senior. In 63 games, including 16 starts, he struck out 127 across 125.2 innings.
Gray followed Richards as the 10th first-rounder from OU as the No. 3 pick by Colorado in 2013. He was the ace of the Sooners' staff that led the team to the 2013 Big 12 Tournament Championship as he was named Most Outstanding Player. Gray went 18-7 with a 2.32 career ERA and 251 strikeouts in 229 innings. He was a consensus All-American as a junior and named the College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year.
“It's all just good memories. It was one of the most fun times of my life,” added Gray about his time at OU. “I wouldn't trade it for anything.”
MLB Notes:
- One-time Sooner Burch Smith (2011) made his return to the big leagues for the first time since 2013, pitching in relief on opening day for the Kansas City Royals.
- Zach Neal (2010), who pitched for Oakland the last two years, signed with the Dodgers for 2018. He was assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, but was immediately called up to Los Angeles prior to MiLB opening day and made his first appearance for the Dodgers in Arizona on April 3.
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