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Sooners baseball begins busy week with Bedlam

Eddie On3by:Eddie Radosevich•03/12/24
Syndication: The Oklahoman
Easton Carmichael bats as the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) play the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) in Bedlam baseball on May 19, 2023 at L Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, Okla. [Steve Sisney/For The Oklahoman]

There’s a reason for Sooners baseball to be feeling a bit better about themselves these days. Less than a week removed from leaving Las Vegas worse for the wear – not uncommon, believe me– Skip Johnson’s club rides a four-game winning streak into Tuesday night’s first Bedlam installment in Norman. 

The bats woke up. Pitching and defense were consistent. Things were clicking over the weekend as Oklahoma opened Big 12 Conference play with a three-game sweep of Central Florida. Most important? They’re getting contributions up and down the line-up. Look close enough and there’s signs of the team some envisioned. 

The Sooners offense scored 29 runs over the weekend. Eleven of the Sooners 29 hits in games two and three went for extra bases, highlighted by three-home run afternoon in the Sunday finale capped by an Easton Carmichael walk-off three-run homer. 

But I keep returning to the Sooners pitching staff. Through one weekend of conference play, it was really good. We’ve talked about the depth on the mound. Now it’s going to be tested. Five games over the next six days with a three-game conference series this weekend in Fort Worth on the horizon makes for a big week ahead. 

CARMICHAEL NAMED BIG 12 CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK 

Easton Carmichael continues to lead from the front offensively, earning Big 12 Co-Player of the Week honors as announced by the league on Monday after hitting .615 with four-extra base hits, two homeruns and 8 (!) RBIs over the weekend. Simply put: He feasted on Central Florida pitching. 

But just how good has been through the first month of the season? His .472 batting average is second-highest in the conference, third in hits (25) and sixth in slugging percentage.  

SCHEDULE THIS WEEK 

Tuesday: vs. Oklahoma State
Wednesday: @ UT-Arlington 
Friday-Sunday: @ TCU 

NEWS & NOTES

* Michael Snyder leads the team in RBIs (20) and home runs (3). Nine different Sooners have hit a dinger so far this season, including Carter Frederick who got on the board over the weekend. It’s going to be interesting to see how Oklahoma continues to get him at bats moving forward into conference play. 

* Will Carsten makes his second midweek start of the year on Tuesday vs. Oklahoma State. He pitched three innings in his first start of the season last week vs. Wichita State. 

* It feels like Oklahoma has found a line-up with Anthony Mackenzie finding a home at first base. Michael Snyder has been really good at third. Jaxon Willits and Jackson Nicklaus up the middle.

* Tuesday night’s midweek Bedlam contest is a non-conference game and the first midweek meeting at L. Dale Mitchell Ballpark since 2018.

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