Baseball Set to Host Missouri State This Weekend

March 15-17 | Norman, Okla. | L. Dale Mitchell Park

Oklahoma

Missouri State

Tickets

SoonerSports.tv (Fri.)

FSOK (Sat. & Sun.)

KREF 1400

Live Stats

Notes

Twitter

Pitching Matchup
First Pitch	Oklahoma	Missouri State
Fri. 6:30 p.m.	RHP-Cade Cavalli (2-1, 2.57)	LHP-Davis Schwab (1-3, 6.62)
Sat. 2 p.m.	RHP-Nathan Wiles (3-0, 3.09)	RHP-Logan Wiley (0-3, 6.30)
Sun. 1 p.m.	LHP-Levi Prater (3-1, 1.09)	RHP-Logan Thomazin (1-1, 3.63)

FIRST PITCH

• Oklahoma continues its homestand this weekend with a three-game series against Missouri State at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Game times are 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
• This will be the first meeting between the Sooners and Bears since 2003. OU leads the series 3-1.
• Oklahoma is at least 14-3 to start a season for the second time in three years. In 2017 – when Skip Johnson joined OU as pitching coach – the team started the season 17-3.
• OU ranks 10th in the country with a 2.44 team ERA. The Sooners rank 16th in the country in triples (7), fourth in shutouts (4) and sixth in double plays (19).
• Sophomore first baseman Tyler Hardman ranks 24th nationally in RBIs (22), 49th in total bases (42) and 47th in hits (25).
• OU leads the Big 12 in ERA (2.44) and walks per nine innings (3.22). Hardman is tied for the league lead in RBIs (22) and hits (25). Brandon Zaragoza is tied for sixth in runs scored (16). Sophomore Levi Prater is fourth in opponent batting average (.198) and tied for fifth in strikeouts (25).

ON THE AIR

• The games will be televised on SoonerSports.tv (Friday) and Fox Sports Oklahoma (Saturday and Sunday) with Chad McKee and Ross Hubbard on the call. Toby Rowland will have the radio call on Friday and Saturday, set to air locally on Sportstalk 99.3 FM/1400 AM. The audio broadcast can also be streamed online at Sportstalk1400.com or on the TuneIn mobile app. Sunday's audio will be a TV simulcast, with McKee and Hubbard calling the game both on TV and radio.

TICKETS/PROMOTIONS

• Saturday is Hometown Heroes Day. Police, Fire and EMS personnel can receive $5 tickets to the game. A Patriot of the Game will be honored during the contest.
• Sunday is St. Patrick's Day. Any fans wearing green can receive a $5 ticket to the game. The first 250 fans in the park will receive a free OU shamrock pint glass.
• The ticket office and gates open 90 minutes prior to the scheduled game time. The ticket office and will call windows are located behind home plate, along W. Imhoff Rd.

CLEAR BAG POLICY/STADIUM ENTRY FOR 2019

• Consistent with all University of Oklahoma Athletics events, a clear bag policy is in effect for the 2019 baseball season at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
• The approved clear plastic bag size is a maximum of 12 inches x 6 inches x 12 inches or a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag. Stadium policy will allow non-transparent clutch purses that are no larger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches.
• In addition, metal detectors will be located at each stadium entrance gate.
• Lawn chairs and metal frame seats with chairbacks are allowed in L. Dale Mitchell Park, and will be required to go through appropriate security screening at the main gate west entrance.
• For more information, visit SoonerSports.com/gameday.

ABOUT THE SOONERS

• OU is in its second year under the direction of head coach Skip Johnson. Johnson is 52-28 as OU head coach, and led the Sooners to an NCAA regional appearance last season.
• OU is batting .285 as a team and averaging 6.7 runs per game, with 29 doubles, seven triples and 10 home runs. The Sooners allow opponents 2.8 runs per game and a .228 batting average.
• The OU bullpen has pitched in 58.0 innings this season, allowing 20 runs and 48 hits while striking out 62 batters.
• The starting pitchers have a 2.44 ERA and have struck out 84 batters and allowed 80 hits in 91.0 innings.
• In his last three games, senior Brylie Ware has batted .643 with six runs scored and six RBIs. His two-run single last Saturday at Rice tied the game 8-8 and his leadoff home run in the eighth inning put the Sooners in front sparking a nine-run frame.
• Sophomore Jordan Vujovich has reached base in 11 straight games. He has collected 11 walks and nine hits in that span. Junior Brady Harlan is on a five-game hitting streak, and is 8-for-18 (.444) in that span.
• Freshman Diego Muniz hit his first career home run Tuesday, with a three-run shot in the third inning. He has started in each of the last three games, and is 4-for-7 (.571) with a home run, four RBIs, two walks and two runs in that span.
• Sophomore Levi Prater was excellent in the series-clinching win on Sunday, matching his career high with nine strikeouts over 8.0 shutout innings. He only allowed two runners to reach second base, and struck out three batters in the seventh and sat down the side in order in the eighth.
• Sophomore Cade Cavalli did damage with his bat last weekend, hitting a home run on Saturday and driving in four runs. The solo homer was his first of the season, and he hit a two-run double in the first inning Sunday to set the tone for that game. Cavalli now has a five-game hitting streak and a seven-game reached base streak.
• Junior catcher Brady Lindsly hit his second home run of the season on Sunday, a three-run shot in the eighth inning that broke open a 5-0 lead. He drove in five runs last week. He hit a sacrifice fly on Wednesday and walked in a run on Saturday.
• The sophomore trio of Ledgend Smith, Aaron Brooks and Zack Matthews have been big bullpen contributors for the Sooners. For the season, they have combined for: 21.1 innings, 30 strikeouts, 17 hits, four runs and seven walks allowed.
• In four career starts, freshman Ben Abram has pitched 21.0 innings and allowed three earned runs, 12 hits and no walks, and has struck out 16 batters.

ABOUT THE BEARS

• Missouri State is in its 37th year under head coach Keith Guttin, who has led the Bears to a 1,263-787 record, 11 NCAA regional appearances and the 2003 College World Series.
• The Bears split two midweek games, losing at Oklahoma State 13-2 on Tuesday and winning at Oral Roberts 11-2 on Wednesday.
• MSU also played at the Tony Gwynn Legacy in San Diego last month. The Bears lost to Cal State Fullerton 7-0, San Diego 14-4 and Fresno State 3-2.
• Missouri State is hitting .218 as a team, and averaging 4.4 runs and 1.7 extra base hits per game. John Privitera leads the team with a .283 batting average while Logan Geha has a team-high seven RBIs and two home runs.
• The Bears have a 7.59 team ERA and 109 strikeouts against 80 walks in 128.0 innings.

SERIES HISTORY

• Oklahoma and Missouri State have played four times. The Sooners lead the series, 3-1.
• The last meeting was a 7-3 OU win in 2003 at an early season tournament in Beaumont, Texas.
• The Sooners also won 7-5 in Norman in 1993. The teams split two games in 1989. OU won the first meeting 11-4 in Norman, before MSU won 19-3 later that year in Springfield.