Welcome to the SEC: Skip Johnson leading Oklahoma into the trenches

Oklahoma head baseball coach Skip Johnson is staying in Norman. This news comes after a scare by the affected online following the bombshell that landed in the college baseball world with Jim Schlossnagle departing College Station (Texas A&M) for Austin (Texas). 

Last week, the Oklahoma administration and Johnson, the reigning Big 12 Coach of the Year, agreed to a five-year contract extension as the Sooners embark on a trip to the Southeastern Conference. 

Johnson’s seventh season at Oklahoma wrapped with the Sooners winning the Big 12 regular season title for the first time in school history en route to a school-record 23 conference wins. Earning the Sooners a No. 9 overall national seed in the NCAA Tournament, playing host to a regional at L. Dale Mitchell Ballpark for the first time since 2010. 

State of the program 

Two years removed from a national title series appearance in Omaha, perhaps there’s no better representation of a program’s positive momentum than the Oklahoma baseball program. They’ve won 40-plus games two times in the last three seasons. The Sooners finally season in the Big 12 Conference was historical in a sense, capturing the school’s first regular season title, sweeping a school-record six conference series. 

Kyson and Malachi Witherspoon are pitching for Team USA collegiate national team this summer. Jaxon Willits, Easton Carmichael, Reid Hensely and LSU transfer portal addition Cam Johnson are playing in the Cape Cod League. Prized freshman right-hander Jacob Gholston has pitched well in the Appalachian Collegiate League. 

There’s a foundation in place to have success, while also recognizing Oklahoma will be losing players to the Major League Baseball Draft in a few weeks. Think John Spikerman. 

State of the SEC

Simply put: It’s the best of the best. The Southeastern Conference is the premier conference when it comes to college baseball. From fan support to facilities to teams that are sent to Omaha every season, the SEC does it better than everyone else.

Weeks removed from Tennessee capturing its first diamond national title in school history, that makes it six consecutive seasons in which the SEC has claimed a national title. The craziest part of that six-year run is the fact it’s been a different team dogpile at Charles Schwab Field each of those last six seasons. 

“My vision is to go to Omaha every year. That’s what we practice everyday for is winning the last game of the year. I think with our support staff with Joe (Castiglione) at the head of it. You can’t ask for a better athletic director and administrator in Greg Tipton,” said Skip Johnson following the Sooners loss in the Regional Championship to UConn. 

There’s always talk about ‘regional atmospheres’ that surround big regular season conference series. Those types of atmospheres will now come almost every weekend in conference play. 

Biggest challenge facing OU

It’s no secret around Norman the facilities at L. Dale Mitchell Ballpark will need to be improved. It’s going to take a village in a sense but the commitment for Oklahoma baseball to succeed in the SEC is there. Now it’s about acting on those intentions. 

“Their plans are to build a facility. When is it going to be built? Who knows but we’re not worried about that. Our culture is really good. We get after it and play hard and that’s what we’re about,” said Johnson. 

While he may play coy on the facilities subject, it’s no secret that is going to be a question that needs to be answered if Oklahoma truly wants to make a seamless transition into the elite baseball conference in America. 

The good news is it’ll be Skip Johnson that is leading the program into the unknown. That’s a positive in and of itself. This program has earned the opportunity to fight with both arms rather than with one tied behind its back.