OU baseball: How Sooners' Tyler Hardman became 'the best hitter in the country' after freshman struggles, COVID-19 cancellations

Tyler Hardman sat with his father, Jeff, unsure what to do next.

His senior season at Temescal Canyon High School was over, and he was enjoying the summer in his hometown of Corona, California. During that season, Hardman was the team’s cornerstone, leading the Titans to the playoffs with his .526 batting average, 44 RBIs and nine home runs.

Before that, he competed in numerous tournaments in the fall and summer of 2016, making the All-Tournament Team at five out of six tournaments he participated in. He was even named MVP at the 2016 California World Series. He was Benny Rodriguez in “The Sandlot”–  a young prodigy waiting for his chance at the big leagues. 

Major league scouts were watching, and Hardman impressed. On June 14, 2017, he was selected in the 37th round by the Colorado Rockies in the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft. 

“My end goal is obviously to be in the major leagues, but I knew there were stepping stones to get there,” Hardman said. “When I came to the realization that I might be able to skip a step, I was shocked. I didn’t know that was an option.”

Hardman had already committed to OU but was now considering going pro. He had a chance to fulfill his dream right out of high school. He saw it as a win-win situation but struggled to decide what to do.

He could report to the Rockies and be assigned to the minor leagues. It would be a new environment, but he would be closer to living out his dream. If he chose to go to Norman, he wouldn’t be playing under the coaching staff that recruited him, as head coach Pete Hughes was fired after the 2017 season. It also would mean waiting a few more years to achieve his dream, but also more time to develop his game.

“Why wouldn’t you want to continue to hone your craft in an atmosphere that’s controlled,” Jeff told him. “You can grow more as a player if you go to college.”

The chance to better himself resonated with Hardman. In the end, he decided to go to OU, and it paid off. The redshirt junior first baseman leads the country with 74 hits and the Big 12 in batting average and on-base percentage. He’s become OU’s star, leading the Sooners in almost every hitting statistic. He was named a midseason All-American by D1 Baseball on April 9 and seems to get better with every game.

Growing up, Hardman has always wanted to play in the MLB. Now, he’s a Big 12 Player of the Year candidate and on the path to achieving his goal once and for all.

‘He’s like the Energizer Bunny' 

Growing up, Hardman was easygoing and energetic. He got involved in multiple sports early, but baseball became his passion. Hardman was considered too good to play with kids his age throughout his childhood. His brother, Blake, played as well and was three years his senior. But despite the age difference, Hardman surpassed him as the years went by, even playing up on Blake’s teams.

“He’s like the Energizer Bunny,” Blake said. “He was always super competitive. At one point, I was better than him, but that was probably in kindergarten. We kept each other on our toes. He was always just a little bit better.”

Like any younger sibling, Hardman strived to be just as good as his older brother and the two, naturally, had a rivalry.

“I would say anybody that has an older brother has an advantage over those that don't,” Jeff said. “Because the younger brother feels a real desire to be on the same level as their older brother, and that can drive him to compete. You’re always wanting to beat the older person.” 

Anything Blake did, Tyler wanted to do it too, and he wanted to do it better. From baseball, to playground games, to video games, Hardman wanted nothing more than to be seen at Blake’s level. And during his freshman year at Temescal Canyon, Hardman eclipsed his brother for good.

Before the state playoffs, Hardman was called up to the Titans’ varsity squad. Once again, he and Blake, a senior, were on the same team. His first game was on senior day, meaning Blake would be taking the field at home for the last time. Both brothers knew, with Blake’s baseball career ending after high school, it’d be the last time they’d share the field. They knew the moment was special, and it became even more so in the playoffs.

In the first round, Temescal Canyon was down 4-2 to Gahr High School. Neither Hardman brother started, and both were chatting away on the bench when their coach, Neil Post, made a substitution. Instead of calling Blake, Post called Tyler up to bat. 

“In that moment it was his time,” Post said. “We saw the writing on the wall that he was going to be a great player for years to come, so we wanted to give him the experience to help him in the next moment he would have.” 

Hardman couldn’t bring home any runs, as he grounded out to end the seventh inning. The Titans lost, but his varsity career was just beginning. He was explosive with the bat in the next three seasons, setting school records with a .530 batting average and 53 hits in his sophomore season. He graduated with a .489 career average, 16 home runs and 95 RBIs. 

During the 2016 World Wood Bat Association World Championship in Jupiter, Florida, he began to catch scouts’ eyes. Hardman, a member of the California Baseball Academy Marucci team, hit four home runs in the tournament, including an inside-the-park home run. Up to that point, he wasn’t getting the recognition his teammates did. But after leaving Jupiter, he was the center of attention. 

Hardman received multiple Division I offers but narrowed his final three to Oregon, Arizona and Oklahoma. The Sooners began to recruit Hardman after the Perfect Game World Series in Mesa, Arizona, in July 2016. Ryan Gaines, OU’s director of baseball operations, was the first to contact him and get him to Norman for a visit. Hardman came in August 2016, and after gaining an appreciation for OU’s program, he knew it was the right place. He committed but was still struggling with whether to turn pro.

A phone call made his choice easier. On the line was Skip Johnson, OU’s then-new head coach. Johnson knew how good Hardman was and knew of his drive, and he wanted him in Norman. 

“Johnson just told him, ‘You’re our guy,’” Blake said. “Tyler knew how Skip was, and at that moment, he knew where he stood with him.” 

That was enough to convince Hardman, alongside his desire to grow as a player. He reaffirmed his commitment, and in the summer of 2017, Hardman left for Norman and never looked back.

‘He always has a plan of attack’

Hardman arrived at OU with confidence and was excited to get to work. He was nervous, despite feeling a warm vibrancy around the campus. Despite the worries, he gelled with his new teammates the moment he entered the locker room.

“The coaching staff did a great job of making sure everyone was comfortable,” Hardman said. “I was in a new place and made some new friends. It was a family atmosphere.” 

Hardman liked Johnson and his coaching style. But in the offseason, he mainly worked with one of Johnson’s new assistants, Clay Van Hook. Van Hook came from Rice, where he’d been an assistant for six years, to coach OU’s hitters and work with infielders. He knew of Hardman’s talent and took a patient approach with him.

“I was obviously excited to work with a guy who had some hidden talent,” Van Hook said of Hardman. “We had a diamond in the rough. For a freshman like that to be able to come to our school was big for our program.”

The work Hardman and Van Hook put in failed to translate into on-field results at first. Hardman instantly started at first base after primarily playing third base and shortstop in high school. He started 37 games in the 2018 season and struggled throughout.

Hardman hit .207 as a freshman, splitting time between first base and designated hitter. He had just 16 RBIs and a .273 on-base percentage — by far the lowest of any of OU’s regular starters. A far cry from his success in high school, Hardman experienced the growing pains of being a freshman in a major program.

“I’d say the biggest thing I learned is that you’re not going to have instant success. I learned that the hard way,” Hardman said. “I might have been great at where I was before, but I had to adapt to my surroundings. I wouldn’t change it, though. Being able to struggle, and then learning from it, and then making a comeback from it, that’s what makes it all worth it.” 

Hardman was willing to do anything to improve and was prepared to put in as much time as possible to achieve his goals. Blake said his brother’s a “first one in, last one out” type of player that can “outlast” anyone, and his teammates agree. 

“That guy likes to work,” said redshirt junior catcher Justin Mitchell, Hardman’s roommate. “Anytime we have free time, he always wants to come up and hit. It’s fun to see him succeed because he definitely puts the work in.” 

Hardman put the work in and learned from his mistakes. He focused on his mechanics with Van Hook that offseason, wanting to improve his stance and swing. Hardman mainly focused on establishing a consistent leg kick, wanting to increase his power. He also wanted to improve his mentality, not wanting one mistake to snowball into multiple.

Hardman also got help from a former Sooner, Cameron Seitzer, a fellow first baseman who played for Oklahoma from 2009-11. Seitzer taught Hardman to simplify his game. He also helped Hardman with his defense, something he’s always tried to improve upon. He specifically taught Hardman how to correctly hold a runner on first base as well as teaching him the proper stance and movement. 

Those physical and mental changes instantly paid off. Hardman, now a full-time starter at first base, played in all 56 games in 2019. He led the Sooners with a .306 average and improved his slugging percentage from .324 to .457 while driving in a team-high 42 RBIs. Hardman went from being one of OU’s worst hitters to one of its best in one season. His fielding percentage also went up from .984 to .994 thanks to adopting Seitzer’s techniques. He had made his comeback and solidified his role. 

“The routines he built were important,” Van Hook said. “He always has a plan of attack ... when he steps into the box, and that’s what the best hitters in the country do. They’re routine-oriented. They set goals, and they stick to them, and that’s what Tyler does.” 

Hardman continued to be productive in the 2020 season, hitting .270 in 18 games. The 14-4 Sooners were ranked as high as No. 9 by Baseball America before COVID-19 ended the season. Hardman, like anyone, was crushed when he heard the news but knew it was an opportunity to get better.

Hardman wanted to improve his nutrition and diet, something he hadn’t focused on previously. His parents had a house in Georgia, fit with batting cages and a weight room. Hardman took advantage and made a goal to workout every day throughout the offseason. He went from 218 pounds to 204 ahead of the 2021 season, gaining greater mobility, speed, and reaction time. Heading into the new season, those closest to him knew he would continue to perform. However, nobody expected what was about to come.

“I simply wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to be holding back my team. I wasn’t just going to be sitting there all offseason not doing anything,” Hardman said. “I wanted to jump into next season without skipping a beat.”

‘He’s the best hitter in the country’

Hardman was feeling renewed when the 2021 season rolled around. Entering his fourth year at Oklahoma, the redshirt junior would again be the team’s starting first baseman and bat third.

“I wanted to have consistent confidence at the plate,” Hardman said. “I wanted to be reliable for my team. I just wanted to be able to provide for them and put our team in the best spot to win.”

Throughout the 2021 season, Hardman has provided, from his .394 batting average, to his .644 slugging percentage, to his 43 RBIs. He’s become OU’s go-to hitter, providing power in the heart of its lineup.

On March 14, Hardman had the biggest moment of his career against Arkansas State. After third baseman Peyton Graham and catcher Jimmy Crooks hit back-to-back home runs, Hardman stepped to the plate for the fourth time already with a single, double and a home run on the day. With one out in the eighth, the Sooners were down 14-10. Not only was Hardman one step from the cycle, but his team needed a huge hit to keep the rally going.

Hardman just needed a triple, undoubtedly the most challenging part of the cycle. Facing a full count, he fouled-off twice from Arkansas State pitcher Jack Jumper before hitting a deep line drive into right-center field.

“I would tell you if anybody says they weren’t thinking about it, they definitely were thinking about it,” Hardman said about his mindset before the at-bat. “You’re always aware of what you’re doing in the game.”

That awareness drove him to take the turn to third base, and even though the ball was coming back into the infield, his newly developed speed paid off as Hardman dove safely into third. He became the first Sooner to hit for the cycle since Seitzer, his mentor throughout college, in 2010.

Oklahoma narrowly lost to the Red Wolves, 15-14, but Hardman didn’t let defeat dampen his achievement. In fact, it was only the beginning of what was coming. That contest marked the seventh time he had multiple hits in a game just 13 games into the season.

He continued being a force at the plate, having two multi-home run games against then-No. 9 Texas on March 27 and then-No. 12 TCU on April 2. He put together a 15-game hitting streak spanning almost a month, starting on March 24 against Texas State and ending on April 17 against Kansas State.

In 2018, he struggled. In 2019, he improved. In 2020, he didn’t get a chance. Now, in 2021, he’s thriving. Hardman has made his way from struggling newcomer, to team leader, to one of the nation’s best players.

“He’s the best hitter in the country,” Van Hook said. “If there’s somebody better, I’d like to see that hitter.”

Hardman also made it a priority to be a good teammate and leader. He wants to make everyone, especially younger players, comfortable, just like he felt when he arrived in Norman. He’s taken his team to new heights offensively, as Oklahoma ranks third in the Big 12 in team batting average.

“Our program isn’t where it’s at right now without Tyler Hardman,” Van Hook said. “Everybody knows when he steps up to the plate, you’re going to get the best of Tyler Hardman. If there’s a young kid in the stands, they need to watch 36, because that’s who they should model their game after. He has his benefits because of what he puts in, and that’s not going to stop. He’s going to continue to work through the season.”

But despite the success and attention, Hardman doesn’t feel any pressure. He remains focused on his goals of making it to the MLB. And of course, helping the Sooners fight for a postseason berth. His coaches and teammates at OU are people he holds close to his heart, and Hardman wants nothing more than to have one last moment with them.

“I’m going to do everything I can for the team… that’s the most important thing going forward,” Hardman said. "Personal accolades are great, but I think team ones are a lot bigger and better to be known for. I’ve created a bond with players and coaches, and I’m going to call them when I get married and have my first kid. They’re family for the rest of my life, and I want to share something special with them when it’s all said and done.”