Bedlam baseball returns this weekend as the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys battle it out in a three game set.
The games, the first of which starts tonight at Tulsa Drillers' stadium, will all be played at neutral sites with the final two games of the series being played at the SBC Bricktown Ballpark on Saturday and Sunday.
"This series is always important because of the crowds," OU head coach Larry Cochell said. "There's a lot of interest in these games and it's a big rivalry."
The Sooners (14-23, 2-14 Big 12) are looking to improve their conference record and get back into the running for a spot in the Big 12 tournament. OU is four games behind Kansas for the eighth and final spot in the tournament. The tournament will be played next month in Bricktown.
"We're a lot better team than or record indicates," Coach Cochell said. "Every game is important now, because we're behind Kansas and we only have 12 conference games left."
Oklahoma's offense is led by senior second baseman Eddie Cornejo. Cornejo leads the team with 33 RBIs and is second on the team with a .372 batting average after getting a hit in nine of his last 15 at bats.
He is also making a name for himself and is coming under consideration for All-Big 12 second baseman honors.
In tonight's first game, Oklahoma will put junior Mark Roberts on the hill. Roberts is 4-3 on the season with a 4.57 ERA. The Cowboys come into the series with a 27-13 record, 9-6 in the Big 12.
Oklahoma State is led by a potent offensive attack that has five starters with six or more home runs.
Outfielder Jose Virgil is tied for the team lead with seven home runs and leads the team with 40 RBIs.
The Cowboys starting pitcher tonight will be righthander Scott Baker. Baker leads OSU with a 3.62 ERA, seven wins and 62 strike outs.
Oklahoma State goes into the weekend series as the clear favorite; however, Oklahoma took three of four games from the Cowboys last season: two in Bricktown and one in Arlington during last year's Big 12 tournament.
In the next three days Oklahoma State will be looking for a bit of revenge against the reeling Sooners.
While Oklahoma fights for a spot in the Big 12 tournament, OSU will be fighting for rank and seeding.
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