Completed Event: Baseball versus #25 Florida on May 1, 2026 , Win , 4, to, 3
Final
Baseball
4
vs #25 Florida
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Family Focused
February 07, 2020 | Baseball
When Jason Ruffcorn first set foot in the Oklahoma baseball clubhouse as a junior last season, he could tell right away that he'd come to a place that emphasized being a family.
Since he was a transfer, Ruffcorn couldn't help but initially wonder if his new teammates would like him. What he found was a team that immediately accepted him, a team that he decided to return to as a senior despite being drafted.
Once Ruffcorn decided to transfer from Texas A&M, his family talked about his different options. He could stay in Division I, but there would be a realistic possibility he'd have sit out a year. He could always look into Division II schools instead, where he'd be eligible to play right away. At the end of the day, Ruffcorn was adamant about wanting to learn from OU head coach Skip Johnson, even if that meant he might not play in 2019.
As the season opener approached, Ruffcorn was fully prepared to sit out and instead focus on supporting his teammates. That changed the morning of OU's first game when the right-handed pitcher received a call from Johnson telling him he'd been cleared. Johnson said OU's Compliance office "went the extra mile" to get Ruffcorn eligible and showed him he was indeed wanted at OU.
That night, Ruffcorn took the mound for the first time in an OU uniform, earning the save in a 4-1 home win over Cal Poly. As a junior, Ruffcorn posted a 2.43 ERA, pitching 37.0 innings while striking out 28 batters and allowing just six extra base hits. He also led the Big 12 Conference with 11 saves.
"Being able to throw that first game, it helped me relax a little bit in all honesty," Ruffcorn said. "We were up 4-1 at that point, so I was thinking, 'OK, take a deep breath. This is actually happening. Let's just have fun this season and do whatever I can to help the team.'"
Ruffcorn brought leadership, a sense of pride in working to get better and a strong work ethic to the Sooners and fit in with the team from day one, Johnson said.
"He had to come in and show everybody how much he cared before he showed them his leadership," Johnson commented. "They saw his work ethic, and they saw that he was going to pick his teammates up no matter what the outcome of it was. Once he showed them how much he cared, then he could show them leadership by his examples of being on time, making sure that he puts a day's work in, the effort that he shows in his work, the pride that he takes in going pitch to pitch."
Last summer, the Cincinnati Reds drafted Ruffcorn in the 18th round. Ruffcorn admitted it was initially a tossup whether he wanted to start his pro career or return to OU for his senior season. He spent time talking to his parents and sister, the OU coaching staff and some of his teammates while making his decision.
One major influence was the advice of his dad, Scott, who played five years in the big leagues and was Ruffcorn's coach at Hyde Park High School in Austin, Texas. Scott explained that he was married and had a family to support by the time he finished playing, so he was not in a position where he could go back to school and finish his degree.
"He always harped on me get my degree no matter what," Ruffcorn shared. "You want to be able to get your degree and finish that degree because baseball's not going to last forever, so he was a huge impact on me."
Another significant factor that drew Ruffcorn back was his OU baseball family.
"This really is a family here," Ruffcorn said. "It's something that is irreplaceable, so I wanted to get one more year here and one more year with Skip and with this team."
Johnson said Ruffcorn's decision to play for the Sooners for one more season highlights what the program is all about.
"We're about trying to make a kid better," Johnson stated. "Is there going to be tough love? Absolutely, but that's constructive criticism, and if you're with a family member, that's what it's about is trying to help him learn through the journey of his life."
While his dad was happy to see Ruffcorn's statistical success, he was even happier to hear how his son talked about his teammates and see the way the new environment was positively affecting him.
"From the first time he got on the field in the fall and practices, he was in a happier place, which made it so much easier for him to relax and actually perform," Scott shared. "It's such a different game when you're having fun, and him going to Oklahoma is what has really allowed him to have fun."
The Sooners open the 2020 season next weekend in Pensacola, Fla., playing Virginia at the Wahoos Classic in a three-game series starting Feb. 14. Ruffcorn, one of OU's four Preseason All-Big 12 Baseball Team selections, is looking forward to one final season with the Sooners.
"It was the family. It was the coaching staff. It was just everything because this year we have a chance to be something really special," said Ruffcorn of his return to OU. "I grew really close with a few of the guys last year and being able to come back be a part of this family, be a part of this culture, this program, I want to make sure to leave an impact on it."
Since he was a transfer, Ruffcorn couldn't help but initially wonder if his new teammates would like him. What he found was a team that immediately accepted him, a team that he decided to return to as a senior despite being drafted.
Once Ruffcorn decided to transfer from Texas A&M, his family talked about his different options. He could stay in Division I, but there would be a realistic possibility he'd have sit out a year. He could always look into Division II schools instead, where he'd be eligible to play right away. At the end of the day, Ruffcorn was adamant about wanting to learn from OU head coach Skip Johnson, even if that meant he might not play in 2019.
As the season opener approached, Ruffcorn was fully prepared to sit out and instead focus on supporting his teammates. That changed the morning of OU's first game when the right-handed pitcher received a call from Johnson telling him he'd been cleared. Johnson said OU's Compliance office "went the extra mile" to get Ruffcorn eligible and showed him he was indeed wanted at OU.
That night, Ruffcorn took the mound for the first time in an OU uniform, earning the save in a 4-1 home win over Cal Poly. As a junior, Ruffcorn posted a 2.43 ERA, pitching 37.0 innings while striking out 28 batters and allowing just six extra base hits. He also led the Big 12 Conference with 11 saves.
Jason Ruffcorn led the Big 12 with 11 saves in 2019 and was selected in the 18th Round of the MLB Draft before deciding to return to OU for his senior season.
"Being able to throw that first game, it helped me relax a little bit in all honesty," Ruffcorn said. "We were up 4-1 at that point, so I was thinking, 'OK, take a deep breath. This is actually happening. Let's just have fun this season and do whatever I can to help the team.'"
Ruffcorn brought leadership, a sense of pride in working to get better and a strong work ethic to the Sooners and fit in with the team from day one, Johnson said.
"He had to come in and show everybody how much he cared before he showed them his leadership," Johnson commented. "They saw his work ethic, and they saw that he was going to pick his teammates up no matter what the outcome of it was. Once he showed them how much he cared, then he could show them leadership by his examples of being on time, making sure that he puts a day's work in, the effort that he shows in his work, the pride that he takes in going pitch to pitch."
Last summer, the Cincinnati Reds drafted Ruffcorn in the 18th round. Ruffcorn admitted it was initially a tossup whether he wanted to start his pro career or return to OU for his senior season. He spent time talking to his parents and sister, the OU coaching staff and some of his teammates while making his decision.
One major influence was the advice of his dad, Scott, who played five years in the big leagues and was Ruffcorn's coach at Hyde Park High School in Austin, Texas. Scott explained that he was married and had a family to support by the time he finished playing, so he was not in a position where he could go back to school and finish his degree.
"This really is a family here. It's something that is irreplaceable, so I wanted to get one more year here and one more year with Skip and with this team."
-- Jason Ruffcorn
"He always harped on me get my degree no matter what," Ruffcorn shared. "You want to be able to get your degree and finish that degree because baseball's not going to last forever, so he was a huge impact on me."
Another significant factor that drew Ruffcorn back was his OU baseball family.
"This really is a family here," Ruffcorn said. "It's something that is irreplaceable, so I wanted to get one more year here and one more year with Skip and with this team."
Johnson said Ruffcorn's decision to play for the Sooners for one more season highlights what the program is all about.
"We're about trying to make a kid better," Johnson stated. "Is there going to be tough love? Absolutely, but that's constructive criticism, and if you're with a family member, that's what it's about is trying to help him learn through the journey of his life."
While his dad was happy to see Ruffcorn's statistical success, he was even happier to hear how his son talked about his teammates and see the way the new environment was positively affecting him.
"From the first time he got on the field in the fall and practices, he was in a happier place, which made it so much easier for him to relax and actually perform," Scott shared. "It's such a different game when you're having fun, and him going to Oklahoma is what has really allowed him to have fun."
The Sooners open the 2020 season next weekend in Pensacola, Fla., playing Virginia at the Wahoos Classic in a three-game series starting Feb. 14. Ruffcorn, one of OU's four Preseason All-Big 12 Baseball Team selections, is looking forward to one final season with the Sooners.
"It was the family. It was the coaching staff. It was just everything because this year we have a chance to be something really special," said Ruffcorn of his return to OU. "I grew really close with a few of the guys last year and being able to come back be a part of this family, be a part of this culture, this program, I want to make sure to leave an impact on it."
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballBB Highlights: OU 12, Tennessee 9
Saturday, May 16
BB Highlights: OU 15, Arkansas 10
Sunday, May 10
BB Highlights: OU 4, Florida 3
Friday, May 01
BB Highlights: OU 2, Auburn 1
Saturday, April 25
