University of Oklahoma Athletics

Baseball Team Moves Into Simulated Games :: Sooners get ready to wrap up fall practice with Red and White weekend.

Baseball Team Moves Into Simulated Games :: Sooners get ready to wrap up fall practice with Red and White weekend. Baseball Team Moves Into Simulated Games

Sooners get ready to wrap up fall practice with Red and White weekend.






Oct. 5, 2001

NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma baseball team turned its attention to simulated games for the fourth week of fall practice. These games have a real-time feel with umpires and Oklahoma Head Coach Larry Cochell acknowledged the importance of this.

"To get the most out the most of intrasquad is to make these as 'game like' as you can," said Cochell. "The presence of umpires does that and players respond to it as if playing a regular-season game. It helps us even more with evaluation."

Meanwhile, more position battles have developed.

"One of the better position battles that has taken place recently is at shortstop with (Denver) Kitch and (Eddie Cornejo). Both players have been impressive," said Cochell. Cornejo is a junior college transfer from Riverside Community College where he hit .370 with 50 RBI. He was an All-Orange Empire Conference selection and led his team to the California State Championship in 2000 and 2001. Denver, a sophomore from Yukon, Okla., continues to develop after seeing action in 34 games last season (14 starts).

Centerfield, where someone must replace Jerome Godsey (.339 in 2000), is coming down to two newcomers who've have outstanding junior college careers: Matt Arkison and Reggie Willits. Arkison, from Texarkana Junior College, compiled 148 runs scored and 18 home runs in two seasons and a .350 batting average or higher in both years. He led his team to Junior College World Series in consecutive seasons. Willits hit .387 with 6 home runs and 71 RBI last year for Seminole State College. His freshman year in 2000, Seminole State place third in the Junior College World Series and Willits hit .400 with two home runs in the tournament. "Both players are really battling for that centerfield position. It's going to be interesting. But, regardless, we do have depth there," said Cochell.

Several members of the pitching have been impressive this season, which bodes well for a staff that remains virtually intact from last year, including all three front-line starters: seniors Rocky Cherry and Evan Greusel and junior Austin Mix. "(Rocky) Cherry has been throwing the ball extremely well and is showing tremendous poise," said Cochell.

Cherry was taken in the Major League Draft last spring but decided to return to school. Cherry, OU's all-time leader in apperances (72), led the team in wins last year with eight. Greusel, despite a 4-5 record in 2000, pitched his best ball down the stretch and ended the season with a 4.88. Mix, a Freshman All-American two seasons ago, hopes to bounce back after's last year's 3-9 mark. Despite the record, Mix was hurt with poor run support and led the Sooners in strikeouts for the second consecutive season (111).

The Sooners will wrap up the fall baseball 2001 campaign with the annual Red and White scrimmages this weekend. Oklahoma will play three intrasquad games from Friday to Sunday at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

"This is just a special way to end the fall season," said Cochell. "It's good for the players to put something on the line and make it a little more competitive. It's also a way to get draw interest to the program from the community."