Weekend Wrap-up - Oklahoma took 2 of 3 from No.10 Texas Tech to open conference play ... improving to 17-9 (2-1) on the season. Oklahoma received votes in the USA Today Coaches poll this week.
Friday (L, 6-1)
Jake Elliott fell on the short side of a 6-1 decision as Oklahoma was unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position. The two teams were scoreless through the first three innings. Oklahoma left runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings and stranded five runners on base.
Texas Tech capitalized for the first run of the night in the top of the fourth. First baseman Eric Gutierrez was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and stole second. With two outs, he scored easily on a double to the warning track in left off the bat of second baseman Ryan Long.
The Red Raiders added two runs in the eighth against the Sooner bullpen.
Saturday (W, 5-2)
When Oklahoma needed him the most sophomore RHP Alec Hansen provided the best outing of his career striking out 10 in a complete game three-hit effort. The first complete game by a Sooners pitcher since Jon Gray in 2013, Hansen reached the double-digit strikeout mark for the second time this season.
Junior first baseman Kolbey Carpenter, hitting lead-off for the first time in his career, blasted the first pitch he saw in the fifth inning over the wall in left for a three-run home run to put the Sooners in front.
Freshman Kyle Mendenhall finished the day 3-for-3 with two runs scored and Carpenter went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs.
Sunday (W, 3-2)
It wasn't a trip Pete Hughes wanted to make.
But with Oklahoma in jeapordy of giving up a crooked number in the opening frame of Sunday's rubber match Hughes hands were tied. In came Robert Tasin and with him the momentum. Strikeout. Pop out. Ground out. The Sooners were out of the inning. Disaster avoided.
"[Tasin] won the game for us," Hughes said. "There's always that one inning that sort of dictates the game and you just don't know what it is. And sure enough, it was the first inning. That thing could've gone south; that's could've been a five-run deal in a second, and I don't like the way we play from behind. So that's all that I was thinking. So Robert comes in with bases loaded, no outs, 1-0, and I told him 'don't try to do too much. If you can damage control this thing, you let up one run, we come in and it's, 2-0.'
"For him to go, punch out, pop-up, ground out, it's unbelievable. I can't say enough. And then for him to get settled in, they weren't comfortable against him. He's just a senior who's ready for it and gave us a chance to win. He was awesome."
Tasin (4-1) picked up the win by matching a career-high 5.1-scoreless innings pitched. He surrendered just two hits and two walks, while striking out six. Evans notched his second save of the season in 2.2 hitless-innings to go with three strikeouts and one walk.
Alspaugh finished the game 4-for-4 with a run and a RBI. Junior left fielder Hunter Haley (Nacogdoches, Texas) added a 2-for-3 afternoon.
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News/Notes/Observations from the opening weekend series win ...
* Alec Hansen's performance probably didn't get it's due over the weekend. Not only was the Loveland (Col.) sophomore dominant in the three-hit, 10 strikeout outing. Per the OU game week notes package, Hansen flashed a 101 MPH in the third and sustained a 97 MPH fastball through the ninth
Doing all of this against one of the better offensive clubs in the country in Texas Tech. Thus allowing the ability for Hughes and Co. to have a fresh bullpen available on Sunday afternoon.
Following the series clinching win Hughes brought it up again with reporters.
"(Hansen) wins twice this weekend," said the Sooners skipper. "If he doesn't do that I can't go to the bullpen early and do that. We had a rested fully loaded 'pen because that dude goes out and throws a complete game on Saturday. It wasn't even an afterthought."
Hansen's league leading strikeout total is impressive. The 47 Ks rank No.15 nationally, while he ranks
25th in the country posting 12.09 strikeouts per nine innings.
More on the OU pitching ... The Sooner pitching staff leads the Big 12 with 241 strikeouts; averaging a league best 9.27 per nine innings, which 0.79 more per nine than the next closest team. Jake Elliott currently ranks third in the league with 37.
* You might have noticed Kolbey Carpenter into the lead off spot over the weekend. Why did this happen? It was a rather simple move by Hughes that ended up paying off as Carpenter smacked the go-ahead 3-run home run on Saturday. Hughes explains:
"Just getting some life (into the line-up) whether you get hits or not that was the basically the premise," Hughes said. "I put all of our on-base percentage guys early in the line-up getting Sheldon (Neuse) then to Hermeyln. That was basically the idea behind that."
Carpenter leads Oklahoma with a .438 on-base percentage. Which sets up nicely for the four hitters behind him in the line-up that enter Tuesday's game batting over .300.
Craig Aikin and Carpenter lead the team hitting .352. Anthony Hermelyn (.303), has started at three different positions this season. Carpenter is slugging a team-high .604 with five home runs and 19 RBI, while Hermelyn has doubled seven times and knocked in 18 runs. Redshirt-senior right fielder Taylor Alspaugh (.304) is coming off a four-hit day and has scored and driven in 16 runs. Sophomore shortstop Sheldon Neuse (.303) and Anthony Hermelyn (.303) are round out the group. Neuse leads the team with five home runs and a team-best 24 RBI.
* Oh by the way ... Carpenter added a second Big 12 Player of the Week award to his trophy case this past week after going 5-for-11 (.455) with four RBI and two stolen bases, while making two starts at first base, one at second and another in left. He's the last Sooner to earn Big 12 Player of the Week twice in one season was Matt Oberste in 2013. The only other players at OU to have accomplished this feat are Garrett Buechele (2011), Ole Sheldon (2004), Jason Fransz (2002) and Rick Park (2000).
* So what did we learn over the weekend? They have a chance. Stay with me. Going into last weekend I really thought it was a series that would offer us a chance to see where this teams stands. We've continued to learn more and more ... Oklahoma is 5-2 in games after a loss.
Now go-ahead and breathe. It's all still rather early.
After the game on Sunday I asked Hughes what his impressions were so far, especially in regard to if he has a different feeling about this team after the first weekend of conference play in comparison to last year.
"We have a completely different team. Different mindset. More depth, more athleticism. We've almost turned more double-plays right now than we did all of last year. That's everything. You know how many extra pitches that is?," said Hughes.
For the most part it's not hard to buy into what Hughes is saying. Oklahoma has won four straight series. The next week and half offers the Sooners an opportunity to continue racking up wins- outside of what will be an extremely tough match-up Tuesday night in Fort Worth.
@ Baylor - 3 game series
vs. Central Arkansas - midweek game
vs. Kansas - 3 game series
The challenge will be riding the momentum from last week into this week and then on into the next.
"The series was important, especially being the Big 12 opener for us, but I think the biggest thing for us being put in those big spots and capatizling on it," said Alspaugh. "We used a good mix of small ball and everything. It was a good team win and we'll get ready for TCU on Tuesday and then Baylor next weekend. It was a big win for us."
* Two reoccurring themes in talking with Hughes ... 1.) He loves the depth they are building and 2.) he loves the athleticism around the diamond defensively.
"You have to have depth in this league and you have to be more athletic and you have to have options as far as on the mound match-up wise and I thought we did a great job of that," Hughes said. "We''re going to need momentum cause we've got to go on the road and in a very tough place to play. TCU is a very good team with a ton of pitching and play very well at home. It's going to be a good challenge for us ... it'll go a long way RPI wise to get that one."
Entering Tuesay night TCU ranks No.2 in college baseball's RPI ... this after losing 2 of 3 over the weekend to Oklahoma State.
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Talking with some folks around the ballpark last weekend it sounds like Alex Wise will be returning to action sooner than expected. Wise has missed a good portion of the regular season being hit by a pitch that resulted in a broken left wrist.
Wise started hitting of a tee last week and was supposed to see the Dr. again this week before they determined when he would return to the line-up.
- Staying out in the outfield it was a also a good sign to see Hunter Haley finally put something together at the plate ending the weekend vs. Tech with a 3-for-3 afternoon. Despite his struggles plate, hitting just .164 (9-for-55), Haley has driven in 11 runs this season ranking him ahead of Chris Shaw and Austin O'Brien who have 9 RBIs each.
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TV/RADIO - TUESDAY vs. TCU
We'll get a game thread fired up for Tuesday nights game but I do have good news for those at home this evevning ... the game will be televised on Fox Sports South West+ with Chuck LaMendola and Ben Carruthers calling the action ... if you're going to be out and about the game can be heard locally on KREF 1400 AM and/or KEBC 1560 AM with Chris Plank taking care of PBP duties and former Sooner Ross Hubbard providing the color commentary.
LHP Jeffery Curran is slated as the Sooners starter vs. TCU
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I'm sure there will be some other things that come to mind but that is definitely a good start. OU baseball fans have something they should be getting a little excited about. Let's see how they play tonight.
Friday (L, 6-1)
Jake Elliott fell on the short side of a 6-1 decision as Oklahoma was unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position. The two teams were scoreless through the first three innings. Oklahoma left runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings and stranded five runners on base.
Texas Tech capitalized for the first run of the night in the top of the fourth. First baseman Eric Gutierrez was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and stole second. With two outs, he scored easily on a double to the warning track in left off the bat of second baseman Ryan Long.
The Red Raiders added two runs in the eighth against the Sooner bullpen.
Saturday (W, 5-2)
When Oklahoma needed him the most sophomore RHP Alec Hansen provided the best outing of his career striking out 10 in a complete game three-hit effort. The first complete game by a Sooners pitcher since Jon Gray in 2013, Hansen reached the double-digit strikeout mark for the second time this season.
Junior first baseman Kolbey Carpenter, hitting lead-off for the first time in his career, blasted the first pitch he saw in the fifth inning over the wall in left for a three-run home run to put the Sooners in front.
Freshman Kyle Mendenhall finished the day 3-for-3 with two runs scored and Carpenter went 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs.
Sunday (W, 3-2)
It wasn't a trip Pete Hughes wanted to make.
But with Oklahoma in jeapordy of giving up a crooked number in the opening frame of Sunday's rubber match Hughes hands were tied. In came Robert Tasin and with him the momentum. Strikeout. Pop out. Ground out. The Sooners were out of the inning. Disaster avoided.
"[Tasin] won the game for us," Hughes said. "There's always that one inning that sort of dictates the game and you just don't know what it is. And sure enough, it was the first inning. That thing could've gone south; that's could've been a five-run deal in a second, and I don't like the way we play from behind. So that's all that I was thinking. So Robert comes in with bases loaded, no outs, 1-0, and I told him 'don't try to do too much. If you can damage control this thing, you let up one run, we come in and it's, 2-0.'
"For him to go, punch out, pop-up, ground out, it's unbelievable. I can't say enough. And then for him to get settled in, they weren't comfortable against him. He's just a senior who's ready for it and gave us a chance to win. He was awesome."
Tasin (4-1) picked up the win by matching a career-high 5.1-scoreless innings pitched. He surrendered just two hits and two walks, while striking out six. Evans notched his second save of the season in 2.2 hitless-innings to go with three strikeouts and one walk.
Alspaugh finished the game 4-for-4 with a run and a RBI. Junior left fielder Hunter Haley (Nacogdoches, Texas) added a 2-for-3 afternoon.
******************************************************************************
News/Notes/Observations from the opening weekend series win ...
* Alec Hansen's performance probably didn't get it's due over the weekend. Not only was the Loveland (Col.) sophomore dominant in the three-hit, 10 strikeout outing. Per the OU game week notes package, Hansen flashed a 101 MPH in the third and sustained a 97 MPH fastball through the ninth
Doing all of this against one of the better offensive clubs in the country in Texas Tech. Thus allowing the ability for Hughes and Co. to have a fresh bullpen available on Sunday afternoon.
Following the series clinching win Hughes brought it up again with reporters.
"(Hansen) wins twice this weekend," said the Sooners skipper. "If he doesn't do that I can't go to the bullpen early and do that. We had a rested fully loaded 'pen because that dude goes out and throws a complete game on Saturday. It wasn't even an afterthought."
Hansen's league leading strikeout total is impressive. The 47 Ks rank No.15 nationally, while he ranks
25th in the country posting 12.09 strikeouts per nine innings.
More on the OU pitching ... The Sooner pitching staff leads the Big 12 with 241 strikeouts; averaging a league best 9.27 per nine innings, which 0.79 more per nine than the next closest team. Jake Elliott currently ranks third in the league with 37.
* You might have noticed Kolbey Carpenter into the lead off spot over the weekend. Why did this happen? It was a rather simple move by Hughes that ended up paying off as Carpenter smacked the go-ahead 3-run home run on Saturday. Hughes explains:
"Just getting some life (into the line-up) whether you get hits or not that was the basically the premise," Hughes said. "I put all of our on-base percentage guys early in the line-up getting Sheldon (Neuse) then to Hermeyln. That was basically the idea behind that."
Carpenter leads Oklahoma with a .438 on-base percentage. Which sets up nicely for the four hitters behind him in the line-up that enter Tuesday's game batting over .300.
Craig Aikin and Carpenter lead the team hitting .352. Anthony Hermelyn (.303), has started at three different positions this season. Carpenter is slugging a team-high .604 with five home runs and 19 RBI, while Hermelyn has doubled seven times and knocked in 18 runs. Redshirt-senior right fielder Taylor Alspaugh (.304) is coming off a four-hit day and has scored and driven in 16 runs. Sophomore shortstop Sheldon Neuse (.303) and Anthony Hermelyn (.303) are round out the group. Neuse leads the team with five home runs and a team-best 24 RBI.
* Oh by the way ... Carpenter added a second Big 12 Player of the Week award to his trophy case this past week after going 5-for-11 (.455) with four RBI and two stolen bases, while making two starts at first base, one at second and another in left. He's the last Sooner to earn Big 12 Player of the Week twice in one season was Matt Oberste in 2013. The only other players at OU to have accomplished this feat are Garrett Buechele (2011), Ole Sheldon (2004), Jason Fransz (2002) and Rick Park (2000).
* So what did we learn over the weekend? They have a chance. Stay with me. Going into last weekend I really thought it was a series that would offer us a chance to see where this teams stands. We've continued to learn more and more ... Oklahoma is 5-2 in games after a loss.
Now go-ahead and breathe. It's all still rather early.
After the game on Sunday I asked Hughes what his impressions were so far, especially in regard to if he has a different feeling about this team after the first weekend of conference play in comparison to last year.
"We have a completely different team. Different mindset. More depth, more athleticism. We've almost turned more double-plays right now than we did all of last year. That's everything. You know how many extra pitches that is?," said Hughes.
For the most part it's not hard to buy into what Hughes is saying. Oklahoma has won four straight series. The next week and half offers the Sooners an opportunity to continue racking up wins- outside of what will be an extremely tough match-up Tuesday night in Fort Worth.
@ Baylor - 3 game series
vs. Central Arkansas - midweek game
vs. Kansas - 3 game series
The challenge will be riding the momentum from last week into this week and then on into the next.
"The series was important, especially being the Big 12 opener for us, but I think the biggest thing for us being put in those big spots and capatizling on it," said Alspaugh. "We used a good mix of small ball and everything. It was a good team win and we'll get ready for TCU on Tuesday and then Baylor next weekend. It was a big win for us."
* Two reoccurring themes in talking with Hughes ... 1.) He loves the depth they are building and 2.) he loves the athleticism around the diamond defensively.
"You have to have depth in this league and you have to be more athletic and you have to have options as far as on the mound match-up wise and I thought we did a great job of that," Hughes said. "We''re going to need momentum cause we've got to go on the road and in a very tough place to play. TCU is a very good team with a ton of pitching and play very well at home. It's going to be a good challenge for us ... it'll go a long way RPI wise to get that one."
Entering Tuesay night TCU ranks No.2 in college baseball's RPI ... this after losing 2 of 3 over the weekend to Oklahoma State.
****************************************************************************
Talking with some folks around the ballpark last weekend it sounds like Alex Wise will be returning to action sooner than expected. Wise has missed a good portion of the regular season being hit by a pitch that resulted in a broken left wrist.
Wise started hitting of a tee last week and was supposed to see the Dr. again this week before they determined when he would return to the line-up.
- Staying out in the outfield it was a also a good sign to see Hunter Haley finally put something together at the plate ending the weekend vs. Tech with a 3-for-3 afternoon. Despite his struggles plate, hitting just .164 (9-for-55), Haley has driven in 11 runs this season ranking him ahead of Chris Shaw and Austin O'Brien who have 9 RBIs each.
****************************************************************************
TV/RADIO - TUESDAY vs. TCU
We'll get a game thread fired up for Tuesday nights game but I do have good news for those at home this evevning ... the game will be televised on Fox Sports South West+ with Chuck LaMendola and Ben Carruthers calling the action ... if you're going to be out and about the game can be heard locally on KREF 1400 AM and/or KEBC 1560 AM with Chris Plank taking care of PBP duties and former Sooner Ross Hubbard providing the color commentary.
LHP Jeffery Curran is slated as the Sooners starter vs. TCU
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I'm sure there will be some other things that come to mind but that is definitely a good start. OU baseball fans have something they should be getting a little excited about. Let's see how they play tonight.
