Oklahoma (25-14, 7-5 Big 12) is set to face Kansas State (21-19, 3-9 Big 12) at 6:30 p.m. on April 29 at L. Dale Mitchell Park to open a three-game weekend series.
The Sooners most recently swept Kansas in Big 12 play, outscoring the Jayhawks 46-12 in Lawrence. They dropped their first midweek contest of the season against Oral Roberts 5-1 on April 26.
Head coach Skip Johnson and redshirt sophomore infielder Blake Robertson met with reporters on Thursday afternoon.
Here are three things to know ahead of the K-State matchup:
OU football head coach Brent Venables during the spring game on April 23.
OU baseball x OU football
As a part of his mission to re-energize the OU fanbase, Sooners football coach Brent Venables has been a strong advocate for his athletic counterparts and their success this spring.
Venables took advantage of the 2022 spring game’s success to invite Oklahoma fans to fill up the stands at L. Dale Mitchell Park this weekend. The first-year head coach has also taken to social media to put out a call to action.
🪄THIS🗣⭕️U…B⭕️⭕️MER‼️@CoachJohnsonOU @OU_Baseball #SoonerMagic https://t.co/avGOJXl2qm
— Brent Venables (@CoachVenables) April 26, 2022
“Our kids get really fired up about it, seeing the berm packed and people yelling ‘Boomer Sooner,'” Johnson said when asked about Venables stirring up support. “He’s only helping us out, and that’s a sign of a great leader.”
Continuing the engagement, OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel is set to throw out the first pitch on Friday. Gabriel, a left-hander who pitched throughout his youth, drew the attention of Johnson, who jokingly said the UCF transfer’s first pitch may land him a spot on the roster.
Fastball or Curve?, I’ll let y’all decide! https://t.co/YcReZHhfSv
— Dillon Gabriel (@_dillongabriel_) April 28, 2022
Johnson agrees with Venables’ approach of embracing community and family, and the boost provided by the football program comes right as Johnson’s team prepares for its Sooner Family Cookout, a gathering between players, staff and their families.
“We’re always looking forward for the families to come in,” Johnson said. “We see them on the road, we don’t get to talk to them much … those moments for us are always big.”
Redshirt senior infielder/outfielder Tanner Tredaway during the game against Baylor on March 27.
Big 12 seeding race intensifies
Entering this weekend, Oklahoma is tied with West Virginia for fifth place in the Big 12, five games behind first place TCU.
Oklahoma’s sweep over Kansas was its first of the year against a Big 12 opponent, and it brought forth some of the best offense the Sooners have produced all season. OU scored 46 runs in the series, largely thanks to redshirt sophomore infielders Peyton Graham and Blake Robertson, who combined for 21 hits, 18 runs and 19 RBIs.
Prior to the 24-4 run-rule victory on April 24, the Sooners found themselves down 6-3 in the ninth inning on April 23 before tying the game and eventually winning 7-6 in the 14th inning.
In a crucial opportunity to continue its momentum, the OU offense uncharacteristically mustered only four hits and scored one run against Oral Roberts in a 5-1 loss on April 26.
“You just gotta keep trying to grind it out and win pitches, it's the only thing you can talk about more so than anything with these kids,” Johnson said. “Keep the same approach, keep the same passion, keep the same fire.”
As the last month of Big 12 competition and the postseason approaches, Johnson says he’s maintaining a week-by-week approach to keep his players healthy and focused in the long run.
“If we're going to preach about staying pitch-to-pitch,” Johnson said, “we gotta take it pitch-to-pitch ourselves as coaches."
Freshman outfielder John Spikerman during the baseball game against Pacific on April 14.
Freshmen continue impact
The quick emergence of freshman Wallace Clark at third base has allowed redshirt freshman Cade Horton to transition from the infield back into a starting pitcher.
Horton, who missed the 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, was pulled out of the game on April 24 after two innings due to a back injury. Johnson said he’s currently day-to-day and is expected to be on the mound against Kansas State on Sunday barring a setback.
Meanwhile, Clark continued to deliver for OU, slapping a two-out, two-RBI single to spark a nine-run second inning in the 24-4 clobbering of Kansas on April 24.
“He’s kind of what we call an extremist,” Johnson said. “He’s gonna get better and better because of the work he puts in. He's a tireless worker, he plays fast defense, he's getting stronger and stronger with the bat.”
Clark came to OU from Holland Hall as the No. 7 ranked player in the state, according to Prep Baseball Report. Since becoming a regular in the lineup in April, Clark has compiled a .320 batting average, eight RBIs and has notched a hit in seven of his last 10 games.
John Spikerman, the other freshman who has seen increased playing time as of late, has made his presence felt early.
In his 14 starts in the outfield in place of veterans like redshirt junior Diego Muniz, redshirt sophomore Kendall Pettis and redshirt sophomore Sebastian Orduno, Spikerman remains without an error, while others’ mistakes have proven costly recently.
In game two of the Sooners’ series against Texas on April 3, Muniz and redshirt senior outfielder Tanner Tredaway collided on an attempt to field a fly ball and both watched the ball fall next to them. Texas scored five runs in the frame and won the series finale.
More recently, Tredaway misplayed a fly ball in centerfield that went over his head and scored three runs against Oral Roberts on April 26.
Spikerman has also made strides at the plate, boosting his on-base percentage to .385 in his nine appearances.
Johnson hints that the switch-hitter may have more in the tank when he switches to solely hitting left-handed, which he has yet to do.
“I think he's going to be really good, it's fun to watch him run and fun to watch him grind at-bats out,” Johnson said. “He’s gonna be a special guy before it’s all said and done.”
