The Year That Was: Baseball

March 23, 2020 | Baseball

The Year in Pictures Highlight Reel Statistics Acker's No-No 2021 Tickets

The Oklahoma baseball team was only getting started with the 2020 season. Although the season was comprised of only 18 games, the Sooners produced some monumental moments and rarely had an uneventful outing. OU ended the abbreviated campaign with a 14-4 record and was ranked in the top-15 of every major national poll.

The Sooners had already displayed the depth, athleticism and versatility of which good teams are made, and along with big victories on the field, were creating a palpable buzz to match.

By the Numbers

0

Hits allowed by Dane Acker against LSU on March 1. He struck out 11 and walked just one, tossing Oklahoma's first individual no-hitter since Jim Huslig in 1989. Catcher Justin Mitchell provided the only scoring when he broke up the dual no-hitter with a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning. The historic moment was sealed when shortstop Brandon Zaragoza fielded a ground ball and threw to first baseman Tyler Hardman. Acker earned Big 12 and national pitcher of the week honors for the effort.

.986

OU's fielding percentage, with only nine errors in 629 total fielding chances through 18 games. The figure led the Big 12 and ranked as seventh best in the country.

3

Straight weeks an OU player earned a Big 12 weekly award in the four-week season. Outfielder Tanner Tredaway was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Feb. 24, Acker was named Pitcher and Newcomer of the Week on March 2 and freshman third baseman Peyton Graham was named Player of the week on March 9. Graham was the first Oklahoma freshman to be named the Big 12 Player of the Week since Hunter Lockwood on April 2, 2012.

5

OU ended the season ranked in the top-10 of five national statistical categories. The Sooners ranked third in strikeouts per nine innings (12.4), fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.63), seventh in fielding percentage (.986), ninth in walks allowed per nine innings (2.68) and 10th in doubles (41).

6

The number of pitchers who started a game for the Sooners this season. Oklahoma was already beginning to display its depth on the mound with Cade Cavalli, Levi Prater, Acker (four starts apiece), Jake Bennett (three starts), Wyatt Olds (two starts) and Ben Abram (one start) leading the way. The starting pitchers were 9-3 with a 2.85 ERA and 138 strikeouts over 101.0 innings (in starts only).

Bennett was 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA and Olds was 4-0 overall with two relief wins and a 1.89 ERA. Cavalli had totaled a team-high 37 strikeouts over 23.2 innings.

9

Oklahoma's highest national ranking in the final polls of the 2020 season. The Sooners were ranked No. 9 by Baseball America (March 9) and Perfect Game (March 9). OU was also ranked No. 10 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (March 16) and No. 13 by D1Baseball (March 9) and the USA Today Coaches Poll (March 16).

11

The number of pitchers who made at least three relief appearances this season, underscoring the Sooners' depth on the mound. The group posted a 5-1 record with six saves and 84 strikeouts in 59.0 innings. Jason Ruffcorn, Ledgend Smith and Aaron Brooks did not allow an earned run in 18 combined appearances and 19.0 combined innings, allowing just seven hits between them. Ruffcorn recorded five saves and a win in seven appearances.

12

The number of games in which OU allowed its opponents to score three or fewer runs in 18 tries. The Sooners pitched two shutouts and gave up two runs twice. OU allowed only one run in five straight games from Feb. 15-21.

14

Oklahoma's wins in 18 games. The Sooners were 14-4 against the nation's 11th-ranked schedule to that point (according to WarrenNolan.com). The record includes a 4-2 mark in neutral site games: OU won two of three from Virginia in Pensacola, Fla., to open the season, and won two of three in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic (vs. Arkansas and LSU). Oklahoma also won its first true road game in its final contest of the season, 3-0, at UT Arlington on March 10.

15

Players who started at least one game in the lineup for Oklahoma this season. A total of 14 started at least four games. Seventeen players recorded a hit, 16 scored a run and 15 recorded an RBI. Zaragoza, Hardman, Tredaway and Graham each started all 18 games. Five other newcomers (Kendall Pettis [7], Logan Kohler [6], Trent Brown [5], Connor Beichler [4] and Vinny Bologna [1] recorded at least one start.

21

The Sooners set a Big 12 record for a nine-inning game with 21 strikeouts against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on March 4. The starter Bennett struck out nine batters in 4.0 innings, while Abram (four strikeouts in 2.0 innings), Braxton Webb (two strikeouts), Carson Carter (three strikeouts) and Christian Ruebeck (three strikeouts) combined in the effort.

32

The number of steals by the Sooners through 18 games, or just under one-third of the season, already surpassing the stolen base total (29) for all of the 2019 season. Graham led OU with eight steals (8 of 9) while Tredaway was 5 of 6, Beichler was 4 of 4 and Brady Harlan was 3 of 3 in stolen bases. Here's a look at Oklahoma's stolen base totals for each year since 2010: 98 (2010), 79 (2011), 77 (2012), 62 (2013), 47 (2014), 50 (2015), 56 (2016), 37 (2017), 44 (2018), 29 (2019).

By contrast, Oklahoma allowed only 11 stolen bases in 19 attempts, just a .579 success rate by opponents. Mitchell threw out five of 14 runners stealing while Brady Lindsly caught three of five base stealers.

67

Extra base hits by the Sooners, an average of 3.7 per game. The total includes 67 doubles, eight triples and 18 home runs. Graham led OU with eight doubles and was one of four tied for the team lead with three home runs (also Tredaway, Lindsly and Hardman). Tredaway led the team with four triples, which tied for the national lead, and also hit five doubles.

222

Oklahoma's strikeout total through 18 games, which tied for most in the nation (along with Texas Tech). In 2018, the Sooners set a record with 608 strikeouts, breaking the previous mark of 548 in 1998. OU struck out 479 batters in 2019 and 531 in 2017, Johnson's first with the Sooners.