Baseball Set for Round Rock Classic

²⁵ Oklahoma

²¹ Auburn

Texas A&M

Baylor

Round Rock Classic / Friday-Sunday, Feb. 26-28 / Dell Diamond / Round Rock, Texas

Watch ($) | Radio | Live Stats | Game Notes | Twitter

Pitching Matchups
First Pitch	Oklahoma	Opponent
Friday vs. Auburn, Noon	RHP Wyatt Olds (0-0, 2.25)	AU: Cody Greenhill (1-0, 3.60)
Saturday vs. Texas A&M, 6 p.m.	LHP Dalton Fowler (0-1, 6.75)	A&M: Bryce Miller (0-0, 9.82)
Sunday vs. Baylor, 5 p.m.	TBA	BU: TBA

First Pitch:
• Oklahoma is set to compete in the Round Rock Classic this weekend, Feb. 26-28, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas.
• The Sooners will face Auburn at noon Friday, Texas A&M at 6 p.m. Saturday and Baylor at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Leading Off:
• Oklahoma is opening its season with seven games in an eight-day span. The Sooners began with two home games against Omaha on Sunday and Monday, followed by games Tuesday and Wednesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, before continuing on to the Round Rock Classic.
• OU is playing nine consecutive games in professional ballparks, all affiliates of the Texas Rangers. Games on Tuesday and Wednesday will be played at Globe Life Field, home of the Rangers. The Round Rock Classic is held at Dell Diamond, home of the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate Round Rock Express. The Frisco Classic will be held at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas, home of the Rangers' Double-A affiliate Frisco RoughRiders.
• This is the third straight season in which Oklahoma has played at least one game in a Major League Ballpark. Prior to its two games at Globe Life Field, this week, the Sooners faced Minnesota at Target Field during the 2019 season, competed in the Shriners College Classic at Houston's Minute Maid Park during the 2020 season.

Watch/Listen/Follow:
• Mike Capps will be on the call for the games on Friday and Saturday and Toby Rowland will call Sunday's game locally on Sportstalk 99.3 FM/1400 AM KREF. The radio broadcast will also be available through the TuneIn app.
• The games will be broadcast via FloBaseball.tv. Subscription is required.
• Live stats will be available at OUStats.com.

Series History vs. Auburn:
• Oklahoma leads the all-time series against Auburn, 4-1. Auburn won (9-8) the last meeting in the 1998 NCAA Atlantic II Regional. The Sooners won twice in the 1995 NCAA Midwest II Regional in Oklahoma City (9-8 and 3-1) and were also victorious in the 1994 College World Series (5-4). This will be just the second contest between Oklahoma and Auburn that will not take place in the postseason; OU won the first meeting between the schools, 6-3 in 1992 at a March tournament in Mobile, Ala.

Series History vs. Texas A&M:
• Oklahoma leads the all-time series against Texas A&M, 35-30. The teams met each year from 1997-2012 as members of the Big 12; OU held a 23-22 advantage in those games. The last meeting was in 2012, an A&M three-game sweep. The first two meetings were in the 1975 NCAA Midwest Regional in Norman; the Sooners won both on their way to the College World Series.

Series History vs. Baylor:
• Oklahoma leads the all-time series against Baylor, 49-46. The Bears won three of four games in 2019 and the Sooners won three of five meetings in 2018. The teams did not play during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, but have otherwise met each year since 1995. This year's Big 12 series is slated to be played May 20-22 in Waco.

About the Sooners:
• OU pitchers have combined for a 3.50 ERA and 46 strikeouts (just 18 walks) through the first 36.0 innings of the season. Jake Bennett struck out 10 batters in a 5.0-inning start against Omaha on Monday.
• Braden Carmichael (four-inning start vs. UTA) and Carson Carter (two 2.0-inning relief outings) have each pitched 4.0 scoreless innings so far this season.
• Conor McKenna and Jimmy Crooks have each homered in consecutive games during this first week of the 2021 season.
• Oklahoma's first home run of the 2021 season was a grand slam in the eighth inning of Monday's 8-5 win over Nebraska Omaha. McKenna's blast put the Sooners up 8-3, all but securing the team's first victory of the season. It was McKenna's first career grand slam at OU (he transferred from Palomar College prior to the 2018-19 academic year).
• Crooks, a redshirt freshman transfer from McLennan College, hit a three-run homer Tuesday night at Globe Life Field and followed with a solo shot Wednesday night.
• Four Sooners are on national award watch lists: Peyton Graham was named on the Golden Spikes Award Watch List, awarded by USA Baseball; Jason Ruffcorn is on the Stopper of the Year Watch List, presented by the NCBWA; Graham, Tyler Hardman and Tanner Tredaway are named on the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award watch list.
• Jason Ruffcorn was named a first-team Preseason All-American by D1Baseball and the NCBWA; Graham was recognized as a third-team preseason All-American by D1Baseball, and Tredaway was honored as a third-team preseason All-American by the NCBWA.
• Ruffcorn and Graham were named on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Oklahoma was picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 by the league's head coaches.

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Players Mentioned

Jake Bennett

Braden Carmichael

Carson Carter

Jimmy Crooks

Dalton Fowler

Peyton Graham

Tyler Hardman

Conor McKenna

Wyatt Olds

Jason Ruffcorn

Tanner Tredaway

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics