Skip to main content
oklahoma logo

Sooners baseball looks to get right ahead of conference play

Eddie On3by:Eddie Radosevich•03/07/25
OU Baseball5
Oklahoma baseball. (OU Athletics)

It took just six words to sum up Oklahoma Sooners baseball performance in Dallas on Tuesday. 

On the tail end of an 11-0 run rule that featured Dallas Baptist hitting more two run home runs (4) than Oklahoma had hits (2). It was succinct and to the point. 

“We got our teeth kicked in,” said Sooners head coach Skip Johnson in the aftermath of Oklahoma’s first loss of the season.

Yep, that’ll do it. 

“We walked into it and basically kind of went through the motions a little bit,” said Johnson Thursday morning during his weekly appearance on the The Franchise Morning Show. “There’s a lot of things you could dissect over it.

“But what you’ve got to do is chalk it up and go on to the next pitch. Go on to the next game. You can feel sorry for yourself and do all the things that the game wants you to do but the game knows. You’ve just got to move on.” 

Oklahoma wasn’t going to go 56-0. And, sure, the continued tailkicking at the hands of a Patriots program that has now won six of its last eight against Oklahoma stings. But now it’s more about the response as the Sooners head into the final weekend of non-conference play. 

On the horizon is a trip to South Carolina. There’s little time to waste ahead of the school’s first journey through the mighty Southeastern Conference. 

Here’s three things to watch heading into this weekend’s series against Sam Houston. 

FIND RHYTHM OFFENSIVELY – TRY LESS 

Over the last 18 innings, Oklahoma has struggled offensively. The lone bright spot coming out of Tuesday night’s midweek standing as Jason Walk extended his hitting streak to 11 games. 

The most startling aspect of lowly performance in Dallas was the 12 strikeouts in *just* seven innings. Four Sooners have now tallied double-digit strikeouts on the season. 

“Early the first time through the line up we had great approaches. Then all of the sudden they’re down and then they start trying. Once you start trying in this game and start trying instead of having the same plan and quality at-bats that’s what ends up happening,” said Johnson. 

While it doesn’t seem like there’s a big concern for the likes of Jaxon Willits (10) or Easton Carmichael (10). We will keep an eye on Dayton Tockey (10) and Dawson Willis (team-high 13 Ks) this weekend. We wouldn’t mind seeing Drew Dickerson get more at-bats in the games ahead.

Oklahoma should expect to find a return to quality at-bat opportunities this weekend against a Bearkats pitching staff that sports a 6.69 ERA as a team (No. 182 nationally), allowing over 11 hits per nine (No. 228 nationally). 

It’ll be most important to simply put the ball in play. The numbers for Sam Houston, you ask? They aren’t great. Through 12 games the Bearkats hold a .951 fielding percentage and have committed 21 errors. That ranks them No.261 nationally. 

CONTINUED CONSISTENCY ON THE BUMP

You’ve been doing something right when it’s a headline your pitching staff has allowed more than five runs in a game. That was, obviously, the case Tuesday when the Patriots scored 11, including a five-run fourth inning. It was the first time this season Oklahoma allowed more than four runs in a game, snapping a program-best 11 game streak to start the season. 

It’ll be the usual suspects in the weekend rotation with Kyson Witherspoon followed by Malachi Witherspoon and Cam Johnson. But it wouldn’t hurt to get more workload for a bullpen that, while good through 12 games, will need to continue to find reliable arms against better competition. 

Who leads to Dylan Crooks on the back end of games? We think that is starting to develop. From the right-side Michael Catalano has been excellent (5.2 ip, 2 hits, 8 Ks). Reid Hensley and Jason Bodin will continue to be leaned on as well. Jamie Hitt has been the most used left-handed option tied for a team-high six appearances alongside Bodin. And despite a rough outing in his last appearance against Dallas Baptist, you can expect two-way lefty Gavyn Jones to be utilized as well. 

The biggest questions moving forward? Does Cade Crossland become the midweek starter or is it more important to have him available on the weekends once conference play begins? That’ll be answered in the coming weeks. It should be presumed the long-term plan for Crossland is to be apart of the rotation as a starter. 

NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN IN THE CLUBHOUSE

It certainly doesn’t outweigh the sour taste of Sooners performance on Tuesday night but Skip Johnson did acknowledge his team’s leadership in wake of the first loss of the season. 

And it came from two of the team’s best players.  

“I’m telling you right now I wish every fan and every person could have been sitting in the dugout with me as that game was going on at DBU and show you the passion that Kyson Witherspoon and Malachi Witherspoon have for their teammates,” said Johnson. “They could go about their business and go week to week and probably get drafted somewhere in a pretty good round but they were so into the game for their teammates. It was so incredible to watch.

“We were getting our teeth kicked in. Was I upset? Yeah I was a little upset. But I got to watch those guys pull for their teammates. That’s leadership that’s real. That’s what I’m in it for. We’re trying to raise leaders and young men.” 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE UPDATE 

Due to forecasted weather this weekend in Norman, Oklahoma-Sam Houston will play the series opener Friday night, followed by a double-header on Sunday starting at noon.

You may also like