Oklahoma Set for Midweek Matchup vs. DBU

Oklahoma

Dallas Baptist

Feb. 20 / Dallas, Texas / Horner Ballpark

FIRST PITCH

• Oklahoma continues its road swing to start the 2024 season with its first midweek contest of the year Tuesday at Dallas Baptist (3-0). First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT

• Tuesday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Reagan Ratcliff and Brendan Smith on the call.

• The game will be broadcast locally in Oklahoma on Sportstalk 99.3 FM/1400 AM KREF. OU play-by-play announcer Toby Rowland will handle play-by-play duties, while Ross Hubbard will serve as the color analyst.

• Live stats can be found at OUStats.com.

• Season and single-game tickets for home games at L. Dale Mitchell Park are available for purchase via SoonerSports.com/tickets.

LEADING OFF

• The Sooners opened the season last weekend at Globe Life Field in Arlington, going 2-1 at the Shriners Children's College Showdown.

• After dropping the opener to Oregon Friday, the Sooners bounced back in a big way with a pair of wins vs. No. 9 Tennessee and Nebraska in dramatic fashion.

• The Sooners beat the top-ten Volunteers in 10-innings, rattling off four runs in the 10th to win 5-1. On Sunday, after trailing by four runs in the fifth inning, Oklahoma fought back to walk off the Huskers off the bat of freshman Jaxon Willits.

• OU will play eight games in 10 days, to start the season including opening the home slate this weekend at L. Dale Mitchell Park with a four-game series vs. Wright State.

• Oklahoma is in its seventh 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 191-133 record, three 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 returned 13 letterwinners from the 2023 squad and brought in 26 newcomers for the 2024 season.

• Oklahoma finished the 2023 season by making its 40th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, playing in the NCAA Charlottesville Regional.

• The Sooners ended the 2023 season with a 32-28 record and an 11-13 mark in Big 12 Conference play.
Lead, BSB K Witherspoon vs TENN

SERIES HISTORY

• Dallas Baptist: The Sooners and Patriots history goes back to the first meeting between the programs in 1978. OU holds the all-time series lead over DBU, 26-16.

• The teams met twice a season ago, splitting the season series with the away team winning each contest. The most recent meeting was a 10-7 OU win in Dallas on May 2, 2023. The win marked Oklahoma's first win at Horner Ballpark since 2010.

ON THE MOUND

• Redshirt senior Grant Stevens is in line to start the contest on the mound for the Sooners.

• A transfer to OU after four seasons at University of the Pacific, Stevens was the primary Friday starter in 2023, making 15 appearances and 14 starts and tossing three complete games.

RECAPPING OPENING WEEKEND

• The Sooners opened the season at Globe Life Field in Arlington at the Shriners Children's College Showdown by going 2-1.

• On opening day, the Sooners dropped a tight contest to Oregon, 4-2, before winning two straight on Saturday and Sunday.

• In OU's first win of the season Saturday vs. No. 9 Tennessee, a defensive showcase broke out with both outfields and pitching staff's shining. A 1-1 game through nine innings sent the contest to extras where OU broke it open in the top half, scoring four runs before OU closer Ryan Lambert (W, 1-0) closed the door on the Vols. An RBI double to left from junior John Spikerman broke the tie before RBI singles from sophomores Easton Carmichael and Rocco Garza-Gongora created separation.

• Sunday, a Big Red battle between OU and Nebraska lacked no action. The Sooners, down by as many as four into the fifth, rallied to win 7-6 behind a Bryce Madron home run, Michael Snyder double and walk-off RBI single from freshman Jaxon Willits.

• The game-winning single from Willits marked the frosh's first collegiate hit after previously being 0-for-8.

~ARM~AGEDDON

• Oklahoma's pitching staff was exceptional on opening weekend, striking out a combined 41 batters to just 15 walks and 8 earned runs (11 runs).

• The Sooners threw eight arms over the weekend with none surrendering more than three earned runs and six registering three-or-more strikeouts.

• Sunday starter LHP James Hitt paced OU with 10 strikeouts, while Saturday starter RHP Brendan Girton fanned nine and Friday starter LHP Braden Davis K'ed seven.

• The Witherspoon twins, Kyson and Malachi, impressed in their Sooner debuts in relief, striking out four a piece with Kyson throwing 4.1 scoreless innings vs. Tennessee on Saturday.

• Head coach and pitching coach Skip Johnson and the Sooners have 22 pitchers on the roster in 2024.

MADRON RECEIVES PRESEASON HONORS

• Senior outfielder Bryce Madron was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 baseball team

• Madron, who earned honorable mention All-Big 12 last season, played in all 60 games and batted .320 with team highs of 12 home runs, 15 doubles, 51 RBIs, 58 runs scored and 61 walks. The former junior college transfer also led the squad with his .580 slugging percentage and .476 on-base percentage. He added three triples and 16 stolen bases while notching 70 hits.

• The Blanchard, Okla., product paced the Sooners with 21 multiple-hit games and registered multiple RBIs in 10 contests. In his last 40 games of the 2023 campaign, Madron hit .379 while recording 58 hits, 43 RBIs, 10 home runs, 12 doubles and 41 runs. He ended the season by reaching base in 20 consecutive contests.

#CHAOUS

• The Sooners registered 114 stolen bases in 148 attempts (77%) last season. In 2022, OU registered 145 steals, the most by an Oklahoma club since 1989 (168 steals). 2023 marked the first time since the 1985 through '89 seasons OU has totaled at least 100 steals in consecutive campaigns.

• John Spikerman and Anthony Mackenzie led OU and ranked in the top 10 in the Big 12 with their 27 and 21 steals, respectively. Kendall Pettis (17 steals) and Bryce Madron (15 steals) also had double-digit bags. Twelve players stole at least one base last season, five players had at least nine steals and nine players notched at least four stolen bases.

• On 12 occasions, an OU player stole at least two bases in a game. Oklahoma registered a season-high eight steals against Rider on Feb. 25 and stole at least three bases in 17 games last season.

• OU's recent mantra '#CHAOUS' is not only about just stealing bases, but also about being aggressive on offense and putting pressure on the defense. While Oklahoma ranked 19th nationally in steals (114) and 26th in steals per game (1.9), it also ranked 11th nationally in walks (350) and batters have been hit by a pitch 74 times. The Sooners also have 24 sacrifice bunts and 39 sacrifice flies (which ranked T6th in the country). OU opponents committed 65 errors (.971 fielding percentage).

ROSTER OUTLOOK

• The Sooners return plenty of production, including key pieces in Jackson Nicklaus (INF, Jr.), Kendall Pettis (OF, R-Sr.) and John Spikerman (OF, Jr.) that were a part of the team's 2022 CWS run, along with 2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention outfielder Bryce Madron.

• In addition to the veteran leadership, Oklahoma returns Anthony Mackenzie (INF, Sr.) Easton Carmichael (C, So.), Rocco Garza-Gongora (INF/OF, So.) and Patrick Engskov (IF, So.) who all have starting experience from a season ago.

• HC Skip Johnson and staff hit the portal hard this offseason to add a plethora of talent across the field and in the bullpen for 2024.

• There is significant buzz around true freshman Jaxon Willits, son of assistant coach and OU alum Reggie Willits, who looks to bring power at the plate and take over at shortstop for the Sooners following the departure of Dakota Harris to the MLB Draft in 2023.

• Big-hitter transfers in 6-4, 227 pound Carter Frederick (Snead State College) and fifth-year senior Michael Snyder (Washington) are primed to add more power numbers to the Sooners already dynamic lineup.

• OU's starting rotation will feature plenty of fresh faces in 2024 as the only returning weekend starter from a season ago is senior LHP James Hitt. Transfer lefty from Sam Houston State, Braden Davis, gets the opening day nod this weekend prior to transfer righty Brendan Girton from Texas Tech getting the ball on Saturday.

• Plenty other names will look to rise to the occasion including JUCO second-year right-handed senior Will Carsten, true freshman righty Jacob Gholston, a pair of Wichita State transfers in LHP Jace Miner and RHP Austin Henry, as well as transfer sophomore twins from NW Florida State College, Kyson and Malachi Witherspoon.

• Left-hander Carter Campbell returns to lead the bullpen arms, as well as Carson Atwood and Jett Lodes, among others.

L. DALE MITCHELL PARK EXPANSION PROJECT

• The Oklahoma baseball facility enhancement project will transform the look of the ballpark from both the interior bowl and the exterior of the stadium. New locker rooms, training areas, coaches offices and team meeting areas combined with chairback seating, terraced berms and additional awnings and concourses will provide a first-class facility for fans and student-athletes. In addition, a new, state-of-the-art performance and player development center will be added. A new entry to the team areas will include a Champions Lobby, displaying the success and tradition of the Oklahoma baseball program.

• More than 35,000 in square-foot-space of new areas benefiting student-athlete performance and recovery including a robust medical services area, weight room and sports science to centralize student-athlete training at the baseball field.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma baseball, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Baseball) and like Oklahoma Baseball on Facebook.