University of Oklahoma Athletics

Trio Of Sooners Named To Freshman All-Big 12 Baseball Team :: Purcey, Bose and McAuliff honored by conference for stellar play in first seasons at college level.

Trio Of Sooners Named To Freshman All-Big 12 Baseball Team :: Purcey, Bose and McAuliff honored by conference for stellar play in first seasons at college level. Trio Of Sooners Named To Freshman All-Big 12 Baseball Team

Purcey, Bose and McAuliff honored by conference for stellar play in first seasons at college level.




Pitcher Jarod McAuliff was one of three Sooners named to the 2002 Freshman All-Big 12 Baseball Team on Thursday.

June 13, 2002

NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma pitchers David Purcey (Dallas, Texas) and Jarod McAuliff (Stillwater, Okla.) and Sooner third baseman Matt Bose (Midland, Texas) were named to the 2002 Freshman All-Big 12 Baseball Team, the conference announced on Thursday. This is the second freshman honor in as many weeks for Purcey and Bose, as both were named to the Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Baseball Team last week.

Purcey, a left-hander from Dallas, began the season in the Sooner bullpen, however, worked his way into the starting rotation and was one of the team's most consistent performers all season long. Purcey finished his freshman campaign with a 5-4 record, a 3.35 earned run average and a team-best 84 strikeouts. The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder also notched six saves, which was the most ever by an Oklahoma freshman and the sixth-most ever for any OU hurler. Purcey was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week for his play during the week of April 15-21.

Bose started at third base in 59 of Oklahoma's 62 contests on the year and tied for the team lead with 18 doubles. The Midland, Texas, native batted .304, hit five home runs and was third on the club with 40 runs batted in.

McAuliff compiled a 1-2 record and a 4.44 earned run average for the Sooners. The righty made four starts on the season and picked up an impressive win against Baylor in his first career start on March 31, pitching seven innings and allowing just one run to the Bears. He earned his first career save on May 4 after getting out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth inning unscathed.

A total of 17 freshmen were honored by the league and OU was one of only three Big 12 schools to have three players honored. Texas and Nebraska, both of which will compete in the 2002 College World Series, were the others with three freshmen honored. Oklahoma State, Missouri and Texas A&M each placed two members each on the squad.