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Oklahoma bats go cold, drop midweek to ORU

Eddie On3by:Eddie Radosevich•04/22/25
Oklahoma baseball. Photo provided.

The difference a week can make for Oklahoma baseball. To heck with that. More like, the difference a few days can make. 

After scoring 57 runs over the course of four run-rule wins last week, Oklahoma dropped its midweek game on Tuesday night 5-3 to Oral Roberts at L. Dale Mitchell Ballpark.

The Golden Eagles outhit Oklahoma 13-6, scoring three runs with two outs. That was the difference. 

“I think the biggest thing, you just got to witness what I’ve been talking about. When you try really hard and you fail,” head coach Skip Johnson said. “And that’s what it was. They tried really hard at the plate and didn’t take it pitch to pitch. And when you do that with younger kids that we have on our team. That happens”. 

Golden Eagles delivered clutch two-out hits 

Oral Roberts jumped ahead in the second inning off Sooners starter Gavyn Jones. Jack Schark started the frame with a single. Makani Tanaka followed with a double. Following an RBI ground out and a strikeout, Matthew Brandt shot an RBI single into centerfield. 

For Jones, making his first start of the season, it was nothing spectacular. But if nothing else? A good step in the right direction after allowing three runs in 0.2 innings in each of his last two appearances against Dallas Baptist and Vanderbilt. 

“I thought the first inning was really good. The second inning he didn’t really attack until he had men on. He made a really quality pitch with two outs and the guy bleeds it into center. I thought he made big pitches when he had to make big pitches. Just made a pitch and the ball got in. It wasn’t hit hard. Other than that, I thought he did well,” said Johnson. 

Ethan Fender added a two-out RBI single in the fourth. Martell Davis started the ORU fifth with a double and scored on a Corey Combs single. Wailele Kane-Yates added an insurance run with a two-out RBI single in the ninth. 

Missed opportunity in the fourth 

Oklahoma saw its window of opportunity open in the fourth. Drew Dickerson walked. Kyle Branch singled. Scott Mudler took a pitch up and in to load the bases with one out. Dawson Willis followed with a game-tying RBI single scoring Dickerson and Branch. 

There was momentum. 

Then just as quickly as the rally came together, it fell apart. Jaxon Wilits was rung up on a called third strike. Easton Carmichael flied out to right. Missed opportunity. The kind of opportunity that can turn a game. The kind of thing that happens when you’re trying to do too much.

“We didn’t sustain a rally because we were trying really hard,” said Johnson. “When you do that, that happens. You can’t separate the game. That’s part of trying.” 

Small but costly miss.

Mudler back behind the dish 

Scott Mudler returned to the Sooners starting line up on Tuesday, making his first start since dislocating his shoulder against Mississippi State on March 23. 

“I thought it was good. We’ll see how sore he is tomorrow. I thought he was good at the plate. He’ll just grow from that point, see how much better he gets. He’s a really good player,” said Johnson. 

Mudler went 1-for-2 and was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. His lone hit was a two-out triple in the second. Good news for Oklahoma, giving the lineup some flexibility after Easton Carmichael was forced to catch the Sooners last 16 games in a row, including Friday’s double-header. 

Another short turnaround 

Oklahoma (29-11) now faces yet another quick turnaround as they board a plane and head to Athens for a three-game series this weekend against No. 10 Georgia. The Bulldogs lost to No. 2 Clemson 3-0 on Tuesday night. 

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