Oklahoma baseball game vs. Minnesota rescheduled due to weather

Friday’s baseball game between Oklahoma and Minnesota at the Round Rock Classic has been rescheduled due to weather, it was announced. The first pitch was originally set for 2 p.m. CT but has been moved to 12 p.m. at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas.

Winter weather has affected the area with near freezing temperatures forecasted on game day. That in mind, an earlier start can hopefully help move things along quickly before things get even colder at night.

It’s the second time this week that the Sooners have had a game impacted by weather, as their contest against UT-Arlington scheduled for Wednesday was postponed. OU is off to a 3-0 start after sweeping their season-opening series against Lehigh this past weekend.

The other game in the Round Rock Classic between Oregon State and Virginia has also been moved from 6 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oklahoma is scheduled to take on the Beavers on Saturday and wrap things up against the Cavaliers on Monday.

The Sooners are coming off of a 40-21 finish last season that earned them the No. 9 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They picked up right where they left off to start out this year by outscoring Lehigh 36-7 over the weekend.

OU’s pitching staff was efficient to strike out a total of 32 batters, including nine by Kyson Witherspoon in the opener. Easton Carmichael led the way in the hitting department as he went 6-for-11 at the plate and hit a pair of home runs.

Since that hot start to the baseball season, however, cold weather has kept Oklahoma off the field. Hopefully there won’t be any more postponements or delays and the Sooners will count on the weather warming up in the next few weeks.

Oklahoma baseball coach Skip Johnson praises pitchers Malachi, Kyson Witherspoon

The conversation around Oklahoma’s lofty internal expectations begin (and possibly end) in the middle of the diamond.

Kyson and Malachi Witherspoon head into their junior seasons headlining a rotation that – simply put – has a chance to develop into one of the elite staffs in college baseball.

Just ask OU coach Skip Johnson, who has worked with some of the best hurlers this sport has seen over the last three and a half decades. 

“What’s funny is you hear everybody talk about our offense well you’ve got two of the best pitchers that I’ve coached in 35 years sitting to my right,” Johnson said. “Their leadership sets a standard in our program for our other pitchers and other players in how they go about their business. I think they were aware of it playing for Team USA in how you stand for the national anthem and how you go about your business. I think that’s what has been exciting.

“The growth in Malachi has really been exciting. A little bit of a change in his delivery has really helped him be more consistent, and we’re looking forward to watching them compete. The game is an imperfect game. It’s not a perfect game. I know one thing when I sit over in the dugout that they are going to give you effort and that’s all you can ask out of them. They can’t be superheroes. They just have to be themselves, and that’s good enough for us.”

SoonerScoop’s Eddie Radosevich contributed to this report.