Sooners Head to Wichita for Tuesday Contest

First Pitch

• Oklahoma (11-5) travels up I-35 Tuesday for a midweek contest at Wichita State (8-7). Game time is set for 6 p.m.
• The Sooners return home this weekend to open Big 12 play against TCU at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Game times for that series are 6:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets for the weekend series can be purchased for just $5 with the Spring Break Special offer.
• Oklahoma is celebrating its 125th anniversary season in 2023. The program was established in 1898, and OU has competed in 118 seasons since (including 2023).

Watch/Listen/Follow

• The game will be televised via ESPN+, and also broadcast locally on Sportstalk 99.3 FM/1400 AM KREF with Toby Rowland on the call.
• Live stats will be available at OUStats.com.

Leading Off

• Oklahoma is in its sixth season under the direction of head coach Skip Johnson (including the 2020 season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Johnson, who spent the 2017 season on staff as an assistant coach, has led the Sooners to a 168-109 record, two NCAA Tournament appearances, the 2022 Big 12 tournament championship and the 2022 College World Series finals since taking over as head coach prior to the 2018 season.
• The Sooners swept a three-game series at Houston this weekend, winning by scores of 13-1, 8-3 and 7-6.
• Freshman catcher Easton Carmichael was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after batting .571 (12 for 21) with 13 RBIs, two home runs, two triples and six runs in Oklahoma's 5-0 week. The Prosper, Texas, product registered a 1.048 slugging percentage and a .591 OBP for the week. In OU's weekend road sweep at Houston, he went 8 for 14 with eight RBIs, a home run, two triples and four runs in the three-game set. Against UNLV on Tuesday and Wednesday, Carmichael went 4 for 7 with five RBIs.
• Through 16 games, Carmichael leads the Sooners with a .433 batting average (26 for 60) and 25 RBIs. He also paces the team with nine extra base hits (team-high four triples and tied for team lead with three home runs). He leads the Big 12, is tied for fifth nationally and leads all catchers with his four triples.
• Junior transfer first baseman Anthony Mackenzie is batting .409 (27 for 66), and leads the team with 15 runs scored and 11 stolen bases (12 of 13). Junior shortstop Dakota Harris has registered 22 RBIs and a team-high five doubles, and is hitting .386 (27 for 70). Freshman first baseman Rocco Garza-Gongora is hitting .349 (15 for 43) with two home runs, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored. Junior right fielder Bryce Madron has registered 27 walks in the season's first 16 games and has scored 15 runs.
• Oklahoma is batting .303 and averaging 7.6 runs, 10.0 hits, 3.1 extra base hits, 6.7 walks and 2.9 stolen bases per game, and has a 4.43 team ERA. OU opponents have batted .248 and averaged 5.1 runs, 8.5 hits, 2.5 extra base hits, 3.8 walks and 7.3 strikeouts per contest.
• Wichita State is batting .291 and averaging 7.2 runs, 10.1 hits, 3.8 extra base hits and 3.9 walks per game and has a 4.21 team ERA. WSU opponents have batted .241 and averaged 4.7 runs, 7.9 hits, 2.3 extra base hits, 2.7 walks and 9.5 strikeouts per contest.
• Carmichael and Mackenzie both carry seven-game hitting streaks. Sophomore second baseman Jackson Nicklaus has reached base in 16 consecutive games while Carmichael has reached in 13 straight contests. Carmichael and Harris lead the team with nine multiple-hit games and seven multiple-RBI games apiece. Mackenzie has multiple hits in eight contests.

Series History

• This will be the 34th meeting between Oklahoma and Wichita State. The Sooners lead the series 19-14.
• OU won two of three games last season, defeating the Shockers 6-2 on Feb. 22 and 9-5 on April 19. WSU won the final meeting 18-0 on May 16. Oklahoma won the last meeting prior to 2022, 9-4 at Wichita State in 2019.
• The Shockers lead the series in Wichita 11-4, but OU is 3-4 there since 2006.