Oklahoma baseball ready for stretch run

With four weekends left in conference play, let’s set the scene for what’s ahead for Oklahoma baseball.

OU (29-11) heads to Athens sitting in a three-way tie with Georgia and Ole Miss for fifth place in the SEC standings. 

Auburn and Alabama sit a game back in sixth at 9-9. Kentucky and surging Texas A&M in seventh with 8-10 records. This league, huh? Kentucky just took a series in Knoxville for the first time since 2016 and A&M left Fayetteville with a series victory. The Aggies have won 10 of their last 11. We mentioned it in this week’s Scoop SEC Power Rankings, feels like the Aggies have turned a corner.

Ahead of the Oklahoma, Georgia and Ole Miss trio is Vanderbilt at 11-7 in fourth. Tennessee and LSU are tied for third with 12-6 conference records. And Arkansas is in second place, trailing Texas (16-2) by three games. 

Perhaps it’s obvious, but with 12 conference games remaining, there’s a lot of movement that can (and will!) still happen before all 16 teams convene in Hoover, Ala., for the conference tournament (May 20-25). 

The Sooners RPI currently sits at No. 27 (Warren Nolan) after taking a hit on Tuesday following a 5-3 loss to Oral Roberts. And while Ryan Fulmer’s club will likely still be tabbed as a favorite to win the Summit League conference tournament, it was OU’s first Quad 4 (12-1) loss this season. 

Plenty of time to add to the resume 

The opportunity to enhance its resume, of course, comes with some good and some bad. 

The good news? Skip Johnson’s crew can make up for the midweek loss to ORU by playing good baseball to end the regular season. 

As for the bad news? Oklahoma’s remaining weekend series include this weekend’s trip to play RPI No. 1 Georgia and a trip No. 26 Kentucky. They’ll host No. 16 Mississippi next weekend and close out the regular season against No. 2 Texas. 

We lay it all out here because it certainly won’t be brought up in the Sooners lockerroom. They’re aware of the difficulties on the remaining schedule. They’re aware of the magnitude that comes with the final four weekend series. 

Why make it more difficult than it already is? The message from Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson is crystal clear. Just play good baseball. 

“I don’t think you do that because I don’t think they know the difference between RPI, winning or losing. I think they feel sorry for themselves when they don’t win a baseball game for 15 minutes and then they leave (the ballpark),” joked Johnson. 

The chance to host a regional for the second consecutive season at L. Dale Mitchell Ballpark is, in fact, still intact with a strong finish. It’s been 15 years since Oklahoma hosted a regional in back-to-back seasons. 

“Just go play baseball. Be better at playing baseball than the other team,” Johnson said. “That’s really what ends up happening.”  

Dickerson emergence, Mudler returns to line up 

Scott Mudler’s return to the Oklahoma starting lineup on Tuesday was a big development. But somewhere not too far behind Mudler’s first start since dislocating his shoulder on March 23 was Drew Dickerson first career start in right field. 

During Mudler’s month-long absence, Dickerson has started to turn the corner as Oklahoma’s designated hitter. He went 7-for-14 at the plate last weekend, hitting his second home run of the year and driving in five runs. His career weekend was rewarded on Monday when he was named the SEC’s Co-Freshman of the Week. 

So where does Oklahoma go from here at designated hitter? If Easton Carmichael is going to be your primary backstop, do you stick with the freshman? Or will Mudler catch, allowing Carmichael to stay in the line up and serve as the team’s DH? 

For now, as Mudler continues to get back to full strength, it sounds like it’ll be on a game-to-game basis. 

“That was the first time we had tried (Dickerson) in right field. We’re trying to get him in there and see if we can play him at a position other than DH. It might lengthen our line up,” said Johnson. 

Jason Walk (rest) is expected to be back in the Sooners starting lineup this weekend.

Speaking of Georgia … talk about a test 

While Oklahoma run-ruled its way to a 4-0 record last week, the Bulldogs head into this weekend’s series on a season-long four-game losing streak, including losses in five of its last eight games. 

Is Oklahoma catching Georgia at a good time? Or is Georgia due for a breakout weekend? Wes Johnson’s club has lost two of its last three conference weekends, including sweeps in Austin and last weekend in Nashville. They are 4-8 in their last 12 games. 

“They play really good at home. I think the average age is 24 years old, so it’ll be like playing in a men’s league in Dallas. It’ll be fun to see that,” said Johnson. 

In a snapshot, Georgia isn’t much different offensively than they were a year ago when Charlie Condon (Colorado Rockies, No. 3 overall 2024 MLB Draft) and friends blasted a school-record 161 home runs, falling just a game short of Omaha. 

The Bulldogs lead the country with 105 home runs on the year. Robbie Burnett ranks No. 3 nationally with 17 home runs. Ryland Zaborowski has hit 16, ranking No. 7 nationally. Ten players have hit five home runs or more. 

Needless to say, Oklahoma’s hopes this weekend will rely on its pitching staff. The Sooners rank No. 18 nationally in strikeouts per innings (10.5). Texas and Vanderbilt found success against Georgia with the strikeout pitch. The ‘Dogs struck out 38 times in Austin and 40 times last weekend in Nashville.

UGA is tremendous defensively as well. The Bulldogs’ .982 fielding percentage ranks No. 7 nationally, chasing the school-record .981 mark set in 2023. 

Crooks nominated for Stopper of the Year 

If there’s a negative that could be found in Oklahoma’s recent offensive explosion, it’d be the fact there haven’t been a whole lot of back-end opportunities for Dylan Crooks to get in the game. 

Despite throwing just 2.2 innings in the month of April, Crooks was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award watchlist on Wednesday. 

Crooks holds a 1.31 ERA in 15 appearances this season, ranking No. 2 in the SEC and No. 5 nationally with nine saves. The junior reliever has allowed just three earned runs this season over 20.2 innings, holding opponents to a .189 batting average. 

News & Notes

* It’s a family affair this weekend for Sooners freshman second baseman Kyle Branch, facing off against older brother, Kolby. The eldest Branch brother has started all 43 games for Georgia at shortstop this season, hitting .304 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. 

* Thursday night’s opener will be the first ever meeting between Oklahoma and Georgia 

Weekend Rotation 

Thursday (6 p.m. – ESPNU) – Kyson Witherspoon (7-2, 2.48 ERA, 58.0 IP, 12 BB, 84 SO) vs. RHP Brian Curley (2-1, 3.40 ERA, 39.2 IP, 16 BB, 51 SO) 

Friday (5 p.m. – SECN+) – Cade Crossland (3-2, 5.62 ERA, 40 IP, 20 BB, 47 SO) vs. TBA 

Saturday (11 a.m. – SECN) – Malachi Witherspoon (3-4, 5.32 ERA, 47.1 IP, 22 BB, 56 SO) vs. RHP Leighton Finley (2-1, 5.62 ERA, 40 IP, 16 BB, 48 SO)