Following its 2-1 start to the season at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Oklahoma defeated Wichita State (0-4) 6-2 in a standalone game at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Tuesday.
Redshirt sophomore infielder Peyton Graham led the way for OU (3-1) offensively, notching two hits in three at bats while scoring two runs. Redshirt freshman infielder Cade Horton also notched a pair of hits in the contest.
Here are three takeaways from the victory:
Sooners love free bases
After Graham ripped the first ball he saw Tuesday out to left field for a single, he then stole second and third base on the ensuing at-bat to put runners on the corners. Shortly after, redshirt senior outfielder Tanner Tredaway notched a two RBI double to put the Sooners up ahead 2-0 right off the bat.
The quick start to the game for the OU offense set the tone. Calling the Sooners’ baserunning aggressive could be an understatement, as they collectively tallied 11 stolen bases in the game.
“Our offense was outstanding, kept putting pressure on their defense which is great to see,” OU coach Skip Johnson said.
Graham, Tredaway, and redshirt sophomore outfielder Kendall Pettis all led the way with three, the first time a Sooner has tallied three steals in a game since Erik Ross did so against Hartford on Feb. 26, 2012.
Volunteer assistant coach Reggie Willits sits in the top-10 for most stolen bases at Oklahoma with 54 for his career, and interestingly enough, OU is showing similar quick-wittedness just four games into the season. Perhaps some of that can be attributed to the assistance of Willits, who Johnson previously said has been helpful with baserunning instruction.
“I think it's awesome that we’re taking extra bases.” Horton said. “It’s definitely improved our offense, getting guys in scoring position faster.”
Horton finding rhythm
Following Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the 2021 season, Horton makes his return to action this spring and has started all four games at third base thus far. After starting the opening weekend in Arlington 0-for-10 at the plate, he tallied his first two hits of his career on Tuesday, as well as scoring Tredaway in the first to push the lead to 3-0.
“At Globe Life, I was hitting stuff hard and it just wasn’t falling,” Horton said. “That’s baseball. I just stuck with it and simplified things today.”
As he’s worked on his plate appearances, Horton has racked up multiple impressive defensive plays from the hot corner, showing off his rehabbing arm by launching bullets across the infield as well as notching multiple tough outs on his own.
♨ 𝗛𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 @cadehorton14💻 https://t.co/ZA9Pn6C6Ui@FloBaseball pic.twitter.com/OGwaqPR3Jb
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) February 20, 2022
“Even when I had surgery and was in my brace, I was out taking ground balls,” Horton said. “It’s something I’ve kept doing and I think it's really helped me because now I’m prepared for the games.”
Johnson seemed pleased with the progress of Horton, who he called one of the best freshman pitchers he’s ever seen prior to his elbow injury. Johnson said he hopes to get Horton back on the mound at some point this season, but for now, the emerging offensive production and defensive slickness is a plus.
“When he started playing offense instead of just getting hits, it was really huge for him to get on the board so he can relax a little bit and stop trying so hard,” Johnson said. “When you try in this game, you fail, and I think he did a great job of staying with it.”
Pitching showing improvement
After a disappointing 2021 season for the Sooners’ pitching staff in which it cardeda 5.84 ERA, a bounce-back season is the goal for 2022. Outside of a 14-4 loss to No. 15 Arizona, OU has only given up three runs, while ringing up 25 strikeouts in its wins.
On Tuesday against the Shockers, OU used only two pitchers, and both were effective on the mound. Redshirt junior left-handed starter Braden Carmichael pitched the first five innings, only allowing one run on six hits while striking out five. Lamar graduate transfer Trevin Michael pitched in relief for the Sooners, ringing up five batters and allowing one run of his own in the final four frames.
“We’re looking to see if they’re gonna throw strikes and be competitive and throw quality pitches, and they’ve done that so far,” Johnson said.
As the season kicks off, maintaining a good rhythm and pace for the pitching staff early on helps keep arms ready to go over the course of the spring. Having two pitchers throw a complete game effectively sets the tone for the rest of the bullpen.
“We’ve got some good arms that still haven’t thrown, and we’re going to keep trying to get those guys reps and try to get those guys in there as we go through it,” Johnson said.
Next, OU opens a three-game home series against Northwestern State at 4 p.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 25.
