Oklahoma baseball rises in the polls, DBU test awaits

Following a perfect 5-0 week on the diamond, Oklahoma baseball moved up three spots in D1Baseball.com’s Top 25 to No. 13, No. 12 in Perfect Game and – wait for it – debuted at No. 10 in Baseball America’s Top 25 after being snubbed from the weekly Top 25 rankings a week ago. 

Oklahoma’s 11-0 start to the season is the best start to a season since 2011 when the Sooners opened the year 16-0. They are just one of eight teams that are unbeaten through the first three weeks of the season.

Last week Oklahoma swept a midweek two-game set from Texas Southern and outscored CSUN 22-4 en route to the weekend series sweep. The Sooners pitching staff struck out 28 Matadors over the weekend and rank No. 6 nationally in team ERA. Oklahoma has yet to allow more than five runs in a game this season. 

BY THE NUMBERS

Three Sooners are hitting over .400 through the first 11 games. Sophomore Jason Walk leads the Sooners from the front, hitting a team best .421 followed by freshman infielder Kyle Branch who is hitting .415 and junior first baseman Dayton Tockey who is hitting .406. As a team, Oklahoma is hitting .330, ranking them among the Top 25 teams in the country. 

They’re also getting on base. A lot. Oklahoma has drawn 70 walks through the first 11 games of the season and is posting a .446 on-base percentage to rank them in the top 30 nationally in both categories. Junior outfielder Sam Christiansen has drawn 17 free passes, ranking him top five nationally. Not to be outdone, junior outfielder Trey Gambill has walked 12 times while also being hit by a pitch twice. 

SOONERS PITCHER GRANT STEVENS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Oklahoma’s pitching staff was dealt a blow over the weekend with an announcement from pitcher Grant Stevens, posting on Instagram he has officially medically retired from baseball. 

Stevens underwent elbow surgery on Friday morning. 

The graduate senior was fantastic last season for Oklahoma making 18 appearances and nine starts on the back end of the schedule playing a pivotal role in a weekend rotation that led the Sooners to their first Big 12 regular season championship in school history, posting a 6-1 record in 54.2 innings. He ranked third on the team with 54 strikeouts with 20 punchouts coming in 19.2 innings of conference play. 

Stevens saved his best for last, throwing 5.1 innings of relief against Kansas in a semifinal of the Big 12 Tournament, earning him All-Big Tournament team honors. He also threw a gem in the Norman Regional, keeping Oklahoma alive in an elimination game against Duke where he threw seven innings of one-run ball, striking out seven Blue Devils. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT DALLAS BAPTIST 

There’s no two ways about it. The Patriots have been a thorn in Oklahoma’s side as of late, winning five of the last seven. Last season DBU swept Oklahoma, taking the first game in Dallas 11-7 and shutting out the Sooners at L. Dale Mitchell Ballpark 6-0. 

Dan Heefner’s club has become a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament and are expected to be in regional hosting contention this season, being selected as the preseason favorite in Conference USA. 

The Patriots (8-3) head into Tuesday night’s midweek clash after taking a weekend series at Oral Roberts, winning the final two games of the series after being walked off Friday night in the opener. 

Dallas Baptist is led offensively by catcher Grant Jay (.425) who opened the year on a tear posting a .571/.655/1.190 slash in the Patriots first seven games of the season, earning him BBMNCSA and CUSA Player of the Week honors. Junior infielder Joey Nerat (.389) and Tom Poole (.341) follow Jay in the order with Nathan Humphrey’s off to a good start at the dish hitting .325. The Patriots rank No. 30 nationally in doubles (27).

First pitch from Horner Park is set for 6:05 p.m. on Tuesday and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Oklahoma will close out the week hosting Sam Houston State for a three-game series starting on Friday.