No. 10 Oklahoma Welcomes UTA for Midweek

NORMAN – No. 10 Oklahoma (17-2, 2-1 SEC) returns to Norman for a midweek matchup vs. UT Arlington (6-10) Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game can be seen via SECN+ with Chad McKee and OU alum Rich Hills on the call and heard on the radio in Oklahoma on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF or nationwide on The Varsity app with Toby Rowland calling the action.

THE BASICS

• Oklahoma enters the contest at 17-2 and fresh off its first SEC series win in program history. The Sooners have a pair of top-10 non-conference wins (vs. Oregon State, Virginia at the Round Rock Classic) already on their resume. OU started the season 11-0, the program's best start since 2011.

• The Sooners won a back-and-forth series at South Carolina this past weekend. After taking game one of the series Friday, the Gamecocks won game two to force a rubber match Sunday which the Sooners rallied in the ninth inning to win 6-5 in the 10th.

• Oklahoma currently sits at No. 9 in the NCAA RPI, the fourth-highest in the SEC. The Sooners jumped two spots into the top 10 at No. 10 in this week's D1Baseball poll. The team holds its highest rankings in the Perfect Game USA (No. 8), Baseball America (No. 9) and USA TODAY Coaches (No. 9) polls, while ranking No. 12 in the NCBWA top 25 rankings.

• The Sooners hold the all-time advantage vs. UTA 27-12, including a seven-game win streak vs. the Mavericks. OU's last loss to UTA came in 2014 in Norman. All-time in Norman the Sooners are 16-5.

#10 Oklahoma vs. UTA
Dates: March 18
Time (CT): 6:30 p.m.
Location: Norman
Arena: L. Dale Mitchell Park

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FOR THE FANS

• Tuesday is "$2 Tuesday" at L. Dale Mitchell Park where fans can purchase $2 concessions including soda, beer, hot dogs and popcorn. Tickets are available via SoonerSports.com/tickets.

THE NUMBERS

• OU's rotation is headlined by 2025 Preseason All-SEC RHP Kyson Witherspoon, who is 5-0 this season in his five starts with a 47-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List honoree has struck out a career-high 12 batters in two of his five starts.

• Twin brother, Malachi Witherspoon, holds a 2-1 record in five starts with 22 strikeouts and lefty transfer Cameron Johnson is 2-0 in five starts with 20 K's.

• The pitching staff ranks 39th in the country with its 3.95 team ERA. Kyson Witherspoon ranks fifth in the country and third in the SEC in strikeouts with 47 and 11th in the nation in K/9 (14.93). His 0.70 WHIP is good for fourth in the league and 24th in Division I.

• The Sooners are outscoring opponents 144-81 and OU's pitchers have struck out 193 batters on the year, holding a 3.95 ERA. This season marked the first time in program history the Sooners have started a season 11-0 and held each opponent to five runs or less. OU has surrendered double-digit runs just twice on the year.

• Oklahoma is an undefeated 12-0 at L. Dale Mitchell Park, outscoring the opposition 109-39 on its home field, including a 13-1 home run advantage in Norman.

• OU's deep bullpen has been impressive early, surrendering 38 runs with a 90-to-36 K/BB ratio. The Sooners have utilized 10 bullpen arms so far in 2025. Senior Dylan Crooks has taken on the closer role, ranking first in the country with six saves in eight appearances, striking out 11 in 13.1 innings of work.

• In the batter's box, returning NCBWA All-American Easton Carmichael paces OU with five home runs, 12 extra-base hits and 21 RBIs. Sophomore Jaxon Willits is tied with Carmichael for the team lead with five homers, including two in his last six games. Centerfielder Jason Walk has been the table setter in the leadoff spot, with hits in 16 of 18 games played. Freshman second baseman Kyle Branch has impressed in his first season, batting .358, good for second on the team, to go with six XBH and 15 RBIs. Redshirt sophomore Sam Christiansen leads OU with 22 walks drawn, good for 13th in the country and third in the SEC.

• As an offense, the Sooners rank second in the SEC and 19th in the nation with 48 stolen bases.

THE BEST BASEBALL CONFERENCE IN AMERICA

• The OU baseball program looks to make a name for itself in the premier baseball conference in the country in its inaugural season in 2025.

• The Sooners are no strangers to competing against their new conference foes. Since head coach Skip Johnson's hiring in 2018, OU is 40-31 versus current members of the SEC (including Texas).

• OU won its first conference series as members of the SEC last weekend at South Carolina, taking the rubber match in Columbia by a final of 6-5 in 10 innings. OU erased a two-run deficit with two outs in the ninth to tie the game before sophomore Jason Walk launched his second home run of the season at the top of the 10th to give the Sooners the lead. Closer Dylan Crooks slammed the door in the bottom of the 10th, inducing a popup with two runners on base to seal the series victory.

• The Sooners welcome Mississippi State (13-7, 0-3 SEC) to L. Dale Mitchell Park this weekend for the first SEC series in Norman.

• The Sooners will play 30 conference games this season, highlighted by five home series versus four of the past five national champions (Vanderbilt [2019], Mississippi State [2021], Ole Miss [2022], LSU [2023]), and a home regular season finale vs. rival Texas. The Sooners will travel to South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri in 2025.

RANKINGS CHATTER

• Oklahoma currently sits at No. 9 in the NCAA RPI, the fourth-highest in the SEC. The Sooners jumped two spots into the top 10 at No. 10 in this week's D1Baseball poll. The Sooners made their debut at No. 16 on Feb. 24 after the Round Rock sweep, and have since been ranked 13th, 12th and 10th.

• The Sooners hold their highest rankings in the Baseball America (No. 8) and Perfect Game USA (No. 9) polls, while ranking No. 12 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the NCBWA top 25 rankings.

• The Sooners are 2-1 in ranked matchups in 2025 after going 4-1 in such games throughout the regular season in 2024, with all four wins coming against top-15 opponents.

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