INTRODUCTION - University of Oklahoma...2009/02/10 · J.T. Wise 89 Bryan Groth 90 Garrett Richards...

www.soonersports.com | THE PROGRAM

three regional fi nals in 2005, 2006 and 2008 | 2006 norman regional champions | 27 sooners drafted in last fi ve years | two fi rst round selections | 35 all-big 12 honorees since 2004

AARON BAKERAARON BAKER

INTRODUCTION

Nike is the offi cial footwear, apparel and equipment supplier and sponsor of the Oklahoma baseball team.

LETTER FROM COACH GOLLOWAYWelcome to OU baseball, one of the most storied collegiate programs in the nation. The Sooners have built a strong tradition by winning National Champion-ships in 1951 and 1994. After appearing in a NCAA Regional fi nal in three of the last four years, including the 2006 Super Regional, we believe OU baseball is on the brink of making the program’s 10th College World Series appearance.

As a Sooner coach, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of three College World Series and the last four regional titles at Oklahoma. It’s fair to say that Sooner baseball is second to none when it comes to its student-athletes enjoying success on and off the fi eld.

The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department is committed to excellence on the fi eld and in the classroom and that is evident by the amount of resources available to our student-athletes.

The expectations remain high and the goals are simple -- to present the student-athletes with the most competitive setting that will prepare them for success at OU and, in turn, in life.

As a Sooner head coach, I recognize the outstanding leadership that has come be-fore this coaching staff and the successful student-athletes who have represented this program. We acknowledge the awesome responsibility as caretakers of this program and work very hard to build upon its rich tradition.

We will continue to extend our right hand of fellowship to our alumni, fans and the dedicated people who represent this great university as we all work together to bring championships home to L. Dale Mitchell Park.

2009 MEDIA GUIDE CREDITSThe 2009 Oklahoma baseball media guide is a production of the University of Oklahoma Athletics Media Relations offi ce. The guide was written, designed and edited by Assistant Director of Media Relations Craig Moran. Additional design provided by student intern Jennifer Van Tuyl. Additional editing provided by Direc-tor of Publications Debbie Copp. Additional contributions provided by student interns Matt Wilson and Kristin Conder.

COVERThe front, back and inside covers were designed by Director of Graphic Design Scott Matthews with assistance from Craig Moran.

PHOTOGRAPHY Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Matt Brown, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Kevin M. Cox, Richard Darby, Wendy Egan, Kevin Ellis, Florida Marlins, Lisa Hall, Houston Astros, Simon Hurst, ICON Sports Media Inc., Kansas City Royals, Mark Kraus, Jackson Laizure, Jerry Laizure, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Stan Lui, Minnesota Twins, Bruce Newman, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Elizabeth Roberts, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Ty Russell, Aaron Sprecher, Ben VanHouten, John Williamson and Shevaun Williams & Associates.

PRINTINGThis publication was printed by the Transcript Press at no cost to taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution (Feb. 2009).

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THE PROGRAMA summary of the tradition established by Oklahoma baseball including two National Championships, nine College World Series appearances, Sooners in Major League Baseball, the coaching staff, facilities, the Bedlam rivalry, media attention, community service, the university and academics.

SEASON OUTLOOKA preview of the 2009 season. Oklahoma returns 18 letterwinners from 2008 and opens the year at home against Western Illinois on Feb. 20. Also included in this section is a breakdown of the Sooners by position, a projected depth chart and the services provided by the OU Athletics Media Relations’ offi ce.

OKLAHOMA STAFF A closer look at the people who run the Sooner baseball program, including the coaches and support staff. Sunny Gollo-way is entering his fourth full season as the head coach after taking over at the end of the 2005 season. He is joined by assistant coaches Tim Tadlock, Mike Bell and Russell Raley.

RETURNER PROFILESEach of the 21 returning players from the 2008 squad are highlighted with complete bios, including juniors Andrew Doyle and Aaron Baker. The Sooners return nearly every starter in the fi eld and the pitching staff is highlighted by six hurlers who started at least fi ve games a year ago. T

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OKLAHOMA BASEBALL - 1951 and 1994 national champs | nine college world series appearances | 31 ncaa tournament appearances | 10 regional/district titles | 25 conference titles 2

RYAN DUKE

TABLE OF CONTENTSTHE PROGRAMIntroduction 1Table of Contents 2Quick Facts 4Team Information 52009 Roster 62009 Schedule 7Baseball Tradition 81994 National Championship 101951 National Championship 12College World Series 14Conference Success 16MLB Draft 18Home Run Club 20Sunny Golloway 22Assistant Coaches 23Offense 24Defense 25Media Attention 26Community Service 28Bedlam 30L. Dale Mitchell Park 32OU Facilities 34Strength/Sports Medicine 36The University 38Academics 40Athletic Excellence 42Tradition and Spirit 44Norman and Oklahoma City 46SoonerSports.com 48

SEASON OUTLOOK2009 Season Outlook 502009 Big 12 Championship 54Big 12 Conference 55Oklahoma Media Policies 56Broadcast Information 57Oklahoma Media Outlets 58

OKLAHOMA STAFF Head Coach Sunny Golloway 60Golloway Q&A 63Assistant Coach Tim Tadlock 64Assistant Coach Mike Bell 65Support Staff 66University President David Boren 70VP/Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione 71Athletics Administration 72OU Head Coaches 73OU Baseball Camp 74

RETURNER PROFILES Bryant Hernandez 76Casey Johnson 77Matt Harughty 78Jamie Johnson 79Tyson Seng 80Chase Anderson 81Antwonie Hubbard 82Jeremy Erben 83Chad Colbert 84Andrew Doyle 85Aaron Baker 86Ryan Duke 87Trey Sperring 88J.T. Wise 89Bryan Groth 90Garrett Richards 91C.J. Blue 92Stephen Porlier 93Garrett Buechele 94Elliott Blair 95Michael Rocha 96

*Player bios listed in order by jersey number*

NEWCOMER PROFILES Chis Ellison and Caleb Bushyhead 98Jordan Imhoff and Mehdi Djebbar 99Kaleb Herren and Kennedy Winn 100Jason Chowning and J.R. Robinson 101Ross Hubbard and Levi Rhoades 102Cameron Seitzer and Jarrett Semler 103Tyler Ogle 104

THE OPPONENTSNon-Conference Opponents 106Big 12 Opponents 109

2008 REVIEWSeason Recap/Highlights 1122008 Results 114Miscellaneous Stats 115Overall Team Statistics 116Big 12 Team Statistics 117Hitting Game-by-Game 118Pitching Game-by-Game 119Big 12 Year-In-Review 120

HISTORYBaseball Timeline 122Year-by-Year Statistics 126Year-by-Year Results 127All-Time Coaches 128Game-by-Game Results 129Conference Tournament History 142NCAA Postseason History 143Team Records 144Individual Offensive Records 145Individual Pitching Records 148All-Americans 150All-District Honorees 151Conference Honorees 152Postseason Honorees 154Academic Honorees 156Letterwinners 158Series Records 163Major League Alumni 182

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RYAN DUKE

NEWCOMER PROFILESComplete bios on each of the 13newcomers, including fi ve Oklahoma natives. The 2009 roster is fi lled with numerous fresh faces, including six true freshmen and eight junior college transfers. Several of the newcomers are expected to compete for playing time in the spring.

THE OPPONENTSOklahoma will face 12 opponents, for a total of 27 games, that participated in last year’s NCAA Tournament (two in the Super Regional), including nine teams that fi nished the season ranked in the top 25. In addition, 28 home games at L. Dale Mitchell Park highlight the schedule.

2008 REVIEWThe Sooners advanced to their 31st NCAA Tournament and to the championship game of the Tempe Regional. The strong fi nish to the season also included an appearance in the Big 12 Championship where OU was one game away from playing for the conference title.

HISTORYReview the complete history that has helped OU establish itself as one of the premier collegiate baseball programs in the nation. OU is one of 13 schools to win multiple national titles and it also ranks in the top 15 among College World Series appearances and victories.



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TREY SPERRING

TABLE OF CONTENTS

97 105 111 121

TREY SPERRINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

In 2008, head coach Sunny Golloway led OU into the championship round of an NCAA Regional for the third time in his four years at the helm.

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OKLAHOMA BASEBALL - 1951 and 1994 national champs | nine college world series appearances | 31 ncaa tournament appearances | 10 regional/district titles | 25 conference titles

QUICK FACTSJ.T. WISEJ.T. WISE

CRAIG MORANAssistant Director | Baseball, Soccer | [email protected]

DAVID BASSITYAssistant Director | Cross Country, Track & Field | [email protected]

CASSIE GAGEAssistant Director | Softball, Volleyball | [email protected]

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The number of victories for the University of Oklahoma baseball team, including 18 40-plus win seasons since 1973.

The OU baseball program’s fi rst year of competition.

The number of career wins by current head coach Sunny Golloway.

The Sooners have won two National Championships in baseball. The fi rst was in 1951 under Jack Baer and the second under Larry Cochell in 1994.

2,194

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KENNY MOSSMANSenior Associate A.D./Communications | Football | [email protected]

MIKE HOUCKAssociate Director | Men’s Basketball | [email protected]

JARED THOMPSONAssociate Director | Women’s Basketball | [email protected]

The Sooners’ returning position starters accounted for more than 60 percent of the major offensive catego-ries in 2008 (at-bats, hits, runs, HRs, RBIs, SBs).

JAMIE JOHNSON

THE UNIVERSITY Location: Norman, Okla. Founded: 1890 Enrollment: 29,931 Nickname: Sooners Colors: Crimson and CreamConference: Big 12President: David Boren VP/Director of Athletics: Joe Castiglione

OU HISTORY First Year of Baseball: 1898All-Time Record (seasons): 2,194-1,261-11 (110)All-Time Big 12 Record (seasons): 175-159-2 (12) Big 12 Tournament Titles: One (1997)NCAA Postseason Appearances (last): 31 (2008)College World Series Appearances (last): Nine (1995)College World Series Titles: Two (1951 & 1994)

STAFF INFORMATION Head Coach: Sunny GollowayAlma Mater: Oklahoma Christian College (1984) Career Record (years): 462-234-1 (12) OU Record (years): 127-78-1 (4) Assistant Coach: Tim Tadlock - Hitting CoachAssistant Coach: Mike Bell - Pitching CoachCoordinator of Baseball Operations: Ryan GainesOffi ce Phone: 405-325-8354

STADIUM INFORMATIONStadium: L. Dale Mitchell ParkCapacity: 2,700Surface: GrassYear Opened: 1982Dimensions: LF - 335, CF - 411, RF - 335Pressbox Phone: 405-325-8363

MEDIA RELATIONSBaseball Contact: Craig MoranOffi ce: (405) 325-8231Fax: (405) 325-7623Cell: (405) 249-8264E-mail: [email protected] site: www.SoonerSports.com Mailing and overnight shipping address: 180 West Brooks St., Suite 2525, Norman, OK 73019



BRYAN GROTHBRYAN GROTH

TEAM INFORMATION2008 TEAM INFORMATION2008 Overall Record: 36-26-12008 Conference Record (Finish): 9-17-1 (Eighth)2008 Conference Tournament Record: 2-12008 NCAA Postseason: NCAA Tempe Regional (2-2)

2009 OUTLOOK Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 18/9Position Starters Returning/Lost: 7/1Pitchers Returning/Lost: 10/4Newcomers: 13All-Americans Returning: 1

RETURNING POSITION STARTERSName Class Pos. GP-GS Key StatsAaron Baker Jr. 1B 62-60 .315, 9 HR, 12 2B, 61 RBIMatt Harughty Sr. 3B 59-54 .273, 27 RBI, 10 SBBryant Hernandez Jr. SS 40-22 .337, 8 2B, 13 RBICasey Johnson So. OF 48-40 .346, 9 2B, 4 HR, 24 RBIJamie Johnson Jr. OF 63-55 .344, 12 2B, 27 RBI, 20 SBTyson Seng So. 2B 53-49 .284, 8 2B, 21 RBI, 11 SBJ.T. Wise Sr. C 60-59 .278, 18 2B, 49 RBI, .976 FLD%

RETURNING PITCHERSName Class APP-GS Key StatsChase Anderson Jr. 24-5 5-4, 5.04 ERA, 64.1 IP, 64 SOC.J. Blue Sr. 15-8 6-3, 5.37 ERA, 65.1 IP, 23 SOAndrew Doyle Jr. 16-15 9-4, 4.53 ERA, 99.1 IP, 72 SORyan Duke So. 22-10 7-5, 3.77 ERA, 71.2 IP, 54 SOJeremy Erben Jr. 17-10 1-4, 6.89 ERA, 64.0 IP, 50 SOAntwonie Hubbard So. 13-3 1-0, 3.97 ERA, 22.2 IP, 28 SOStephen Polier (2007 stats) Jr. 16-15 7-5, 4.18 ERA, 99.0 IP, 99 SO Michael Rocha So. 20-8 4-3, 5.70 ERA, 53.2 IP, 33 SOGarrett Richards Jr. 18-1 1-0, 6.97 ERA, 20.2 IP, 18 SOTyson Seng So. 7-0 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 11.2 IP, 10 SO

KEY NEWCOMERSName Class Pos. Hometown (Last School)Chris Ellison OF FR Norman, Okla. (Norman North)Kaleb Herren OF/RHP JR Midwest City, Okla. (North Central Texas College) J.R. Robinson LHP JR Burnaby, British Columbia (New Mexico J.C.)Cameron Seitzer INF FR Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley West High School)Jason Chowning RHP JR Louisville, Ky. (Texarkana College) Ross Hubbard C/INF JR Denton, Texas (Navarro J.C.)Mehdi Djebbar LHP JR Montreal, Canada (Seminole State College)

ROSTER BREAKDOWNBy Class:Senior 5Junior 15Sophomore 6Freshman 8

By State:Texas 17Oklahoma 8California 2Canada 2Florida 1Illinois 1Kansas 1Kentucky 1Louisiana 1

Stephen Porlier returns in 2009 after missing last season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. The right-hander was the Sooners’ No. 1 starter in 2007 and led all hurlers during the regular season with 99 strikeouts.

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2009 ROSTERGARRETT RICHARDSGARRETT RICHARDS

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. B/T Yr. Hometown (Previous school) 1 Chris Ellison OF 6-1 173 L/R FR Norman, Okla. (Norman North High School)2 Bryant Hernandez INF 5-8 170 R/R JR Oxnard, Calif. (St. Bonaventure H.S.) 3 Casey Johnson OF 6-0 183 L/R SO Mesquite, Texas (Mesquite H.S) 4 Matt Harughty INF 6-0 180 R/R SR Spring, Texas (Blinn College) 5 Caleb Bushyhead INF 5-10 166 L/R FR Mannford, Okla. (Mannford High School) 6 Jamie Johnson OF 5-8 185 L/R JR Calhoun, La. (Texarkana College)7 Jordan Imhoff OF 6-1 193 R/L FR Arlington, Texas (Martin High School)8 Tyson Seng INF/RHP 6-1 180 R/R SO Enid, Okla. (Enid H.S.) 9 Chase Anderson RHP 6-1 165 R/R JR Wichita Falls, Texas (North Central J.C.) 11 Antwonie Hubbard RHP 6-3 249 R/R RS-SO Hooks, Texas (Hooks H.S.)12 Jeremy Erben RHP 6-0 210 R/R JR New Braunfels, Texas (Weatherford J.C.) 13 Chad Colbert OF 5-10 180 R/R RS-FR Allen, Okla. (Allen H.S.) 14 Andrew Doyle RHP 6-3 210 R/R JR Rock Island, Ill. (Alleman H.S.)15 Aaron Baker INF/C 6-3 230 L/R JR Denton, Texas (Denton H.S.)16 Mehdi Djebbar LHP 6-1 200 L/L JR Montreal, Canada (Seminole State College)17 Ryan Duke RHP 6-0 168 R/R SO Corpus Christi, Texas (Calallen H.S.) 18 Kaleb Herren OF/RHP 6-1 199 R/R JR Midwest City, Okla. (North Central Texas College) 19 Kennedy Winn LHP/OF 5-11 202 L/L FR Chickasha, Okla. (Chickasha High School)20 Trey Sperring RHP 6-3 230 R/R SR Cypress, Texas (San Jacinto J.C.) 21 J.T. Wise C/INF 6-1 207 R/R SR Apopka, Fla. (Louisiana State) 23 Jason Chowning RHP 6-3 170 R/R JR Louisville, Ky. (Texarkana College) 25 Bryan Groth C 6-0 195 R/R JR Spring, Texas (Klein H.S.) 26 Garrett Richards RHP 6-2 217 R/R JR Edmond, Okla. (Memorial H.S.) 27 J.R. Robinson LHP 5-10 169 L/L JR Burnaby, British Columbia (New Mexico J.C.)28 Ross Hubbard C/INF 6-3 222 L/R JR Denton, Texas (Navarro J.C.)31 Levi Rhoades RHP 6-2 196 R/R JR Sentinel, Okla. (Western C.C.) 32 C.J. Blue LHP 6-0 187 L/L SR Terrell, Texas (Grayson County J.C.)33 Cameron Seitzer INF 6-4 195 L/R FR Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley West High School)34 Jarrett Semler RHP 6-2 214 R/R JR Glendora, Calif. (Cypress J.C.)35 Tyler Ogle C 5-10 172 R/R FR San Antonio, Texas (Canyon High School)37 Stephen Porlier RHP 6-3 210 R/R JR Sugarland, Texas (Tulane) 38 Garrett Buechele INF 6-0 195 R/R RS-FR Arlington, Texas (Lamar H.S.)39 Elliott Blair OF 6-1 185 R/R RS-SO Argyle, Texas (Liberty Christian School)44 Michael Rocha RHP 5-10 210 R/R SO Buda, Texas (Hays H.S.)

COACHING STAFF29 Head Coach Sunny Golloway50 Assistant Coach Tim Tadlock (Hitting Coach) 22 Assistant Coach Mike Bell (Pitching Coach) 51 Volunteer Assistant Russell Raley40 Student Assistant Zach Sawyer

PRONUNCIATION GUIDEGarrett BUECHELE BOO-shellJason CHOWNING chow-NINGMEHDI DJEBBAR meh-DEE, JUH-barSunny GOLLOWAY GAHL-a-wayBryan GROTH GrowthMatt HARUGHTY HARE-uh-teeANTWONIE Hubbard ANN-twonSTEPHEN PORLIER STEVE-en POUR-lee-ayMichael ROCHA ROW-chaTyson SENG SINGTrey SPERRING SPARE-ing

ALPHABETICAL ROSTERNo. Name9 Anderson, Chase*15 Baker, Aaron**32 Blue, C.J.*39 Blair, Elliott*38 Buechele, Garrett5 Bushyhead, Caleb13 Chad Colbert23 Chowning, Jason16 Djebbar, Mehdi14 Doyle, Andrew**17 Duke, Ryan*1 Ellison, Chris12 Erben, Jeremy*25 Groth, Bryan*4 Harughty, Matt*2 Hernandez, Bryant**18 Herren, Kaleb

11 Hubbard, Antwonie*28 Hubbard, Ross7 Imhoff, Jordan3 Johnson, Casey*6 Johnson, Jamie*35 Ogle, Tyler37 Porlier, Stephen*31 Rhoades, Levi26 Richards, Garrett**27 Robinson, J.R.44 Rocha, Micheal*33 Seitzer, Cameron34 Semler, Jarrett8 Seng, Tyson*20 Sperring, Trey*19 Winn, Kennedy 21 Wise, J.T.*

* - letters earned



2009 SCHEDULEDAY DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME Friday Feb. 20 Western Illinois Norman 3 p.m.Saturday Feb. 21 Western Illinois - DH Norman noonSunday Feb. 22 Western Illinois Norman 1 p.m.Tuesday Feb. 24 San Diego San Diego, Calif. 4 p.m.Wednesday Feb. 25 San Diego San Diego, Calif. 4 p.m.Friday Feb. 27 Washington State Pullman, Wash. 5:30 p.m.Saturday Feb. 28 Washington State - DH Pullman, Wash. 2 p.m.Sunday March 1 Washington State Pullman, Wash. 2 p.m.Tuesday March 3 Arkansas Little Rock - DH Norman 1 p.m.Friday March 6 UCLA Norman 3 p.m. Saturday March 7 UCLA Norman noonSunday March 8 UCLA Norman 1 p.m.Monday March 9 California Norman 1 p.m.Tuesday March 10 Houston Baptist Norman 3 p.m.Wednesday March 11 Houston Baptist Norman 3 p.m.Friday March 13 Bethune Cookman Tampa, Fla. 2 p.m.Saturday March 14 South Florida Tampa, Fla. 6 p.m.Sunday March 15 Eastern Illinois Tampa, Fla. 11 a.m.Tuesday March 17 TCU Fort Worth, Texas 6:30 p.m.Friday March 20 *Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. 6:30 p.m.Saturday March 21 *Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. 2 p.m.Sunday March 22 *Kansas State Manhattan, Kan. 1 p.m.Tuesday March 24 Central Arkansas Norman 7 p.m.Friday March 27 *Nebraska Norman 6:30 p.mSaturday March 28 *Nebraska Norman 2 p.m.Sunday March 29 *Nebraska Norman 1 p.m.Friday April 3 *Missouri Columbia, Mo. 6:30 p.m.Saturday April 4 *Missouri Columbia, Mo. 2 p.m.Sunday April 5 *Missouri Columbia, Mo. 1 p.m.Wednesday April 8 Wichita State Wichita, Kan. 7 p.m.Friday April 10 *Texas Tech Norman 6:30 p.m.Saturday April 11 *Texas Tech Norman 2 p.m.Sunday April 12 *Texas Tech Norman 1 p.m.Tuesday April 14 TCU Norman 7 p.m.Friday April 17 *Texas Austin, Texas 6:05 p.m.Saturday April 18 *Texas Austin, Texas 2 p.m.Sunday April 19 *Texas Austin, Texas 1 p.m.Wednesday April 22 Wichita State Norman 7 p.m.Friday April 24 *Baylor Waco, Texas 6:30 p.m.Saturday April 25 *Baylor Waco, Texas 1 p.m.Sunday April 26 *Baylor Waco, Texas 1:30 p.m.Tuesday April 28 Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. 6:30 p.m.Friday May 1 *Kansas Norman 6:30 p.m.Saturday May 2 *Kansas Norman 2 p.m.Sunday May 3 *Kansas Norman 1 p.m.Monday May 4 Southern Utah Norman 7 p.m.Tuesday May 5 UT-Arlington Arlington, Texas 6:30 p.m.Friday May 8 *Oklahoma State$ Tulsa, Okla. 7:35 p.m.Saturday May 9 *Oklahoma State@ Oklahoma City 7:05 p.m.Sunday May 10 *Oklahoma State@ Oklahoma City 4:05 p.m.Friday May 15 *Texas A&M Norman 6:30 p.m.Saturday May 16 *Texas A&M Norman 6:30 p.m.Sunday May 17 *Texas A&M Norman 1 p.m.Wednesday-Sunday May 20-24 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship @ Oklahoma City TBAFriday-Monday May 29-June 1 NCAA Regional Campus Sites TBAFriday-Monday June 5-8 NCAA Super Regional Campus Sites TBASaturday-Wednesday June 13-24 NCAA College World Series Omaha, Neb. TBA

- All times listed are central | * Big 12 game | $ Game to be played at Drillers Stadium in Tulsa, Okla. | @ Games to be played at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark (Oklahoma City)

C.J. BLUE

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BASEBALL TRADITIONSTEPHEN PORLIER

The Sooners’ last National Championship came in 1994, when they 1994 defeated Georgia Tech, 13-5, en route to a 50-17 overall record.

Oklahoma captured its fi rst NCAA title in 1951, led by hurler 1951 Jack Shirley. OU won a then-program record 19 games in 1951.

The number of victories recorded by the 1976 Sooners under head 62 coach Enos Semore, a program best.

Oklahoma has appeared in 31 NCAA Tournaments, a mark that ranks 31 third in the Big 12 Conference.

The OU baseball program has captured 26 conference champion- 26 ships in the regular and postseason, the third best total in the Big 12.

Only two other schools in the Big 12 Conference have made more trips (9) to Omaha than the Sooners.9

One of OU’s most successful alums, L. Dale Mitchell played 11 Major League seasons and his .507 batting average in 1946 is a school record. OU’s stadium is named in his honor.

Since the number of games in a season was increased in the early 1970s, the Sooners have won 40 or more games in 18 different years.18

Since the University of Oklahoma started its baseball program in 1898, the Sooners have recorded 83 seasons with a winning record, including 31 NCAA Tournament appear-ances, 10 regional/district titles, nine College World Series appearances and two National Championships.

OU is one of 13 programs across the country to win multiple national titles and the only other school, except Texas, to do so in the Big 12 Conference.

From the first conference championship in 1925 under head coach Bill Owen to the Sooners’ last regional title in 2006 under current head coach Sunny Golloway, winning is a regular occurrence in Norman.

JACK BAER Architect of OU’s first National Title in 1951, the same year he was named the National Coach of the Year.

LARRY COCHELLNamed the 1994 National Coach of the Year after leading the Sooners to the program’s second National Championship.

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“Tradition at the University of Oklahoma is second to none. I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the 1994 National Championship, three CWS appearances and four regional titles and we look forward to adding on to the storied history.” - Sunny Golloway, OU Head Coach



BASEBALL TRADITIONGARRETT BUECHELE

The number of wins recorded by former OU head coach Enos Semore. 851 The total is the highest in school history.

The number of years coached by Semore at Oklahoma (1968-1989). 22 The Sooners averaged 38.5 wins per season during his tenure.

Semore’s clubs won nine conference championships, including two 9 Big Eight postseason titles (1977 and 1979).

Oklahoma appeared in fi ve consecutive College World Series from 5 1972-1976.

FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS16 players have been drafted in the fi rst

round, with Jackson Williams (above) the latest in 2007. Other notables include:

David Purcey, Mark Redman, Jack Armstrong, Bobby Witt and John Russell.

ALL-AMERICANSGreg Dobbs (above) was an All-

American in 2001 and one of 53 Sooners to earn the accolade since 1950. Current Sooner Aaron Baker is the last player to collect the honor and he did so in 2007.

ALL-CONFERENCE Seven Sooners have been named a fi rst team all-conference honoree on three

occasions in OU history and Casey Book-out (above) was the last to accomplish

the feat (1997-99).

ACADEMICSOU has three Academic All-Americans in the last three seasons, including Aaron Ivey (above) who was the fi rst Sooner to

be named baseball’s Academic Al-American of the Year in 2007.

Enos Semore won .697 percent of his games coached at Oklahoma, a mark that ranks 40th all-time in NCAA history.

The Sooners hosted and won the 2006 Norman Regional. Oklahoma has hosted the opening weekend in three of its last six appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

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ELLIOTT BLAIR

The Sooners ran the table during the 1994 NCAA Tournament 8-0 with a perfect 8-0 mark, including a 4-0 record in the CWS.

OU displayed its dominance in the eight games of the tournament 71 by only trailing in one of the 72 innings played.

Oklahoma topped Georgia Tech, 13-5, off 16 hits in the champion-ship game, setting a then CWS record. It marked the fourth time the Sooners scored 10 or more runs in the NCAA tourney that year.

The OU pitching staff fi nished the 1994 CWS with the lowest ERA, 2.37 2.37, among all the participants.

The sluggers also led all CWS teams in 1994 with a .327 batting .327 average. OU averaged seven runs per game in the series.

OKLAHOMA POWERS TO SERIES TITLEFor Immediate Release: June, 11, 1994

OMAHA, Neb. -- “Twenty-fi ve guys pulling on the same rope.” The 1994 Oklahoma baseball team’s season-long motto that inspired them to a 42-17 regular-season record continued to spark OU during postseason play where the Sooners produced thier second baseball national title in school history with a 13-5 rout of Georgia Tech. The national title capped off an incredible NCAA Tournament run by the Sooners who went undefeated in both the regional tournament in Austin, Texas, and the eight-team double elimination World Series. At the time, OU became only the fi fth team since the College World Series moved to Omaha in 1950 to accomplish such a feat. To further demonstrate the Sooners’ dominance during the postseason, Oklahoma trailed in just one of the 72 innings in the NCAA Tournament. OU fi nished the series as the top hitting (.327) and pitching (2.37 ERA) team, while ranking second in defense (committing only fi ve errors). “We got hot at the right time,” said Oklahoma Head Coach Larry Cochell following the championship game. “The momentum that we got in Austin carried over, and the two one-run victories here (against Auburn and Arizona State) gave us the confi dence to keep it going.” Leading the way for the Sooners was senior centerfi elder Chip Glass, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the series. Glass, who hit only three home runs during the regu-lar season, nailed three round-trippers during the series, including one in the championship game. Over the four-game tournament, the Ukiah, Calif., native batted .389 with four RBI and three stolen bases. With the game tied at two after three innings, Oklahoma jumped ahead and claimed a com-manding lead that it would not relinquish. Aided by four hits and three Yellow Jacket errors, the Sooners scored fi ve runs in the fourth inning to break open a 7-2 lead. Two frames later, a two-run double by Tech’s designated hitter Michael Sorrow (in the top of the sixth) brought the Jackets back to within three runs before a three-run homer by sophomore designated hitter Damon Minor capped off a four-run bottom of the sixth to put the game away for good. Junior leftfi elder Aric Thomas and senior rightfi elder Darvin Traylor led all Oklahoma hitters with three hits and runs apiece, while both drove in one run each. Junior righthander Tim Walton, who pitched fi ve scoreless innings in relief a week before against Arizona State in the Sooners’ second game of the series, picked up the win for OU after throwing 2.1 strong innings in relief of senior starting pitcher Kevin Lovingier.

Oklahoma’s ace closer, junior righthander Bucky Buckles, came on for the fi nal 3.2 innings of work to close out the game and record his school and Big Eight record 14th save of the season.

Buckles’ performance earned him a spot on the all-tournament team along with fi ve other Sooners: Glass, senior second baseman Rick Gutierrez, sophomore fi rst baseman Ryan Minor, Traylor and junior pitcher Mark Redman. As a team, Oklahoma set a championship game record with its 13 runs and tied the record with 16 hits.

“We didn’t have any superstars. This was a team in the truest sense of the word. We all pulled together and did what it took to win.”

- Chip Glass, 1994 College World Series Most Outstanding Player

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1994 NATIONAL CHAMPS

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1994 NATIONAL CHAMPSMICHAEL ROCHA

DEFENSEThe Sooners’ defense, led up the

middle by Rick Gutierrez (left) and Rich Hills, fi nished the College World Series ranked second with fi ve errors.

ACE IN THE PENBucky Buckles completed what was

then a school-record 14th save for the season after tossing the fi nal 3 2/3 innings in the championship game.

POWER LINEUP The middle of the Sooners’ lineup

(3-5) drove in seven runs in the title game, led by Damon Minor’s three-

run homer in the 6th inning.

1994 NCAA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

OKLAHOMA 13, Georgia Tech 5Sunday, June 11 * Omaha, Neb.

Oklahoma (50-17)Name (Pos.) AB R H RBI BB SO PO AThomas, lf 5 3 3 1 0 0 2 0Hansen, lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Traylor, rf 4 3 3 1 1 0 1 0Gutierrez, 2b 4 1 2 3 1 0 2 3D. Minor, dh 4 1 1 3 0 1 0 0Bradshaw, ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0Hills, ss 4 1 2 2 0 1 1 4Glass, cf 5 2 2 1 0 0 5 0Mariani, 3b 3 0 2 2 2 0 1 1R. Minor, 1b 4 1 0 0 0 1 9 1Soto, ph/1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0Flores, c 5 1 1 0 0 0 2 6Lovingier, p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2Buckles, p 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1Totals 39 13 16 13 5 4 27 18

Georgia Tech (50-17)Name (Pos.) AB R H RBI BB SO PO AGarciaparra, ss 5 1 2 1 0 0 3 4McIntyre, 2b 5 0 0 0 0 1 3 7Payton, cf 5 0 2 0 0 1 0 0Varitek, c 3 2 2 1 2 0 4 1Hensley, 3b/1b 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 4Byers, 1b 1 0 0 0 2 0 12 0T. Barr, ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0Lincoln, pr 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0Easterling, lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Sorrow, dh 2 0 1 2 1 0 0 0M. Barr, ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0Smith, lf/rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0Saier, rf 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0Ritter, ph/3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0Gogolin, p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2Totals 34 5 10 5 6 5 24 18

Score By Innings: R H EGeorgia Tech 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 5 10 4Oklahoma 2 0 0 5 0 4 2 0 x 13 16 0 E - Hensley 2 (16), Saier (5), Varitek (9); DP - Georgia Tech 3, Okla-homa 1. LOB - Georgia Tech 8, Oklahoma 8; 2B - Payton (27), Sorrow (9), Hills (28). 3B - Traylor (3); HR - Garciaparra (16), Varitek (17), D. Minor (14), Glass (6); SB - Glass (26). CS - Garciaparra, Mariani.

Oklahoma IP H R ER BB SOLovingier 2.0 3 2 2 2 2Snyder 1.0 1 0 0 1 0Walton (7-3) 2.1 2 2 2 2 1Buckles (14) 3.2 4 1 1 1 2

Georgia Tech IP H R ER BB SOGogolin (12-3) 3.1 7 7 3 3 0Myers 2.2 5 4 4 0 3McGill 1.0 4 2 2 1 0Cason 1.0 0 0 0 1 1

WP - McGill, HBP - by Myers (Hills).Umpires - Runchey, Pedersen, Nelson, Magnusson.Start - 12:07 p.m., Time - 2:50, Attendance - 21,053

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The Sooners claimed the championship hardware for the second time in program history in 1994.

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1951 NATIONAL CHAMPSBRYANT HERNANDEZ

The Sooners were undefeated during the 1951 NCAA Tournament with a perfect 7-0 mark, including a 4-0 record in the CWS.

Oklahoma’s win total during the 1951 season, a school record for the fi rst 72 years of OU baseball until 1969 (23).

The Sooners won their last 13 games en route to the 1951 title. That mark ranks in the top 10 all-time as the longest win streak to end a season by a College World Series champion.

The Sooners won the title game with three runs off 11 hits, oppositeTennessee’s two runs scored off three hits.

The University of Oklahoma won three national championships in 1951. With titles also claimed by the wrestling and football teams, OU was the fi rst university to accomplish the feat.

SOONERS EARN FIRST TITLEFor Immediate Release: June, 17, 1951

OMAHA, Neb. -- They weren’t supposed to be there. They weren’t even supposed to be that good, but the 1951 Oklahoma baseball team proved in the end that it could play with the best teams in the nation by sweeping through an impressive tournament fi eld en route to its fi rst baseball national title.

Oklahoma came from behind to defeat the University of Tennessee, 3-2, in the champion-ship game to become the fi rst team in College World Series history to claim the title after winning the double-elimination tournament in straight games without defeat.

The title also gave the University of Oklahoma the distinction of becoming the fi rst school to win three national titles in one school year after the football and wrestling teams both captured national championships. It was a fi ne pitching performance by one of those good pitchers that lifted OU to victory in the championship game. Sooners’ starting pitcher Jack Shirley limited the Volunteers to two runs on three hits. He faced only fi ve batters over the minimum and retired the side in order in seven of the nine innings. After surrendering a single and a double in the fi rst inning, the righthander from Altus, Okla., quieted the Tennessee bats until the fi fth inning when he gave up a RBI-single that drove in the Volunteers’ second run of the inning.

The win was Shirley’s second of the tournament after leading the Sooners to victory in their fi rst game against Ohio State, and his eighth in nine starts that year.

Offensively, Oklahoma pounded out 11 hits off of two Tennessee pitchers. Most of the Soon-ers’ offensive production came from catcher John Reddell (3-for-5), leftfi elder Phil McKee (2-for-4) and fi rst baseman Gene Sheets (2-for-5).

However, it was centerfi elder Charley Pugsley who delivered the key hit for the Sooners that day. With the game tied at two and two outs in the top of the eighth, Pugsley hammered his only hit of the evening into centerfi eld to score third baseman Ray Morgosh with the winning run.

OU scored its fi rst run of the game in the sixth inning when UT’s starting pitcher walked in Reddell with the bases loaded. Reddell fi gured into the Sooners’ next scoring play when he singled home McKee from third to tie the game at two in the top of the seventh.

After struggling with a 9-8 win in 10 innings over Ohio State in the opener, and a 7-1 win over Springfi eld (Mass.) College in the second game of the tournament, OU took its spot in the national championship game by defeating Southern California, 4-1.

Another pitching star for Oklahoma, Floyd Murphy, led the Sooners to victory over the Trojans as Murphy scattered eight hits, while the Sooner defense aided the effort by turning four double plays in the game.

After beginning the season with six straight losses, OU fi nished the regular season 12-9 and captured the Big Seven Conference crown after compiling a 10-1 mark in league play. The Sooners’ shaky start melted away into a hot streak which saw OU win its last 13 games en route to the title. The 13-game streak ranks in the top ten all-time as the longest win streak to end a season by a College World Series champion.

“We just weren’t a great team, but everybody worked hard. We had a couple of good hitters and two good pitchers, three really.”

- Jack Baer, OU Head Coach (1942-1967)

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Gene Sheets tags out a Tennessee base runner during the 1951 College World Series.



1951 NATIONAL CHAMPSCASEY JOHNSON

GENE SHEETSAfter winning the 1951 National Championship as a soph-omore, Sheets became OU’s fi rst two-time All-American,

earning the honors in 1952 and 1953. Sheets was also OU’s fi rst, fi rst team All-American in 1953.

JACK SHIRLEYThe Sooners’ ace during the championship run. His win in the title game was his eighth of the season in nine starts. Prior to limiting Tennessee to two runs off three hits, Shir-

ley also helped OU defeat Ohio State in the CWS opener.

JOHN REDDELLA three-year letterwinner in both baseball and football at

OU, Reddell scored the Sooners’ fi rst run in the national championship game and later drove in the game-tying run

in the seventh inning against the Volunteers.

JACK BAERThe Sooners’ coach led Oklahoma to its fi rst national

championship in baseball and 281 wins overall during his 26 years. The Sooners won six conference championships

and advanced to fi ve NCAA Tournaments under Baer.

1951 NCAA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

OKLAHOMA 3, TENNESSEE 2 Sunday, June 17 * Omaha, Neb.

OklahomaName (Pos.) AB R H RBI PO AWich, ss 5 0 1 0 2 8Morgosh, 3b 3 1 1 1 2 1Sheets, 1b 5 0 2 0 10 0Pugsley, cf 3 0 1 1 1 0Antonio, rf 4 0 0 0 1 0McKee, lf 4 1 2 0 1 0Reddell, c 5 1 3 1 7 1Harrah, 2b 4 0 0 0 3 2Shirley, p 3 0 1 0 0 1Totals 36 3 11 3 27 13

TennesseeName (Pos.) AB R H RBI PO AAsbury, lf 3 0 2 1 0 0Bell, ss 4 0 0 0 3 5Hopkins, 3b 4 0 1 0 1 1Hatfi eld, 1b/p 4 0 0 0 3 3Richichar, cf 4 0 0 0 3 0Anderson, c 2 1 0 0 6 0Payne, rf 1 1 0 0 3 0Huffstetler, p 0 0 0 0 0 0Powell, -b 2 0 0 1 5 0Totals 27 2 3 2 27 10

Score By Innings: R H EOklahoma 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 11 0Tennessee 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 3 1

E - Richichar.2B - Hopkins, Reddell, Morgosh. 3B - McKee.SB - Reddell. S- Powell.DP - Wich and Sheets; Hatfi eld, Bell and Powell.LOB - Oklahoma 16, Tennessee 3.BB - Shirley 4, Huffstetler 1, Hatfi eld 8.SO - Shirley 6, Hatfi eld 5.

Winner - Shirley. Loser - Hatfi eld.HBP - Pugsley (by Hatfi eld).. WP - Shirley.PB - Reddell, Anderson.Umpires - Warneke, Alvarez, Tobin.Time - 2:12, Attendance - 6,290

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COLLEGE WORLD SERIESMATT HARUGHTY

Any Division I baseball program’s success is measured in Omaha, Neb., the home of Rosenblatt Stadium and the College World Series. The Sooners have produced that success with two National Championships and nine CWS appearances, the third highest total in the Big 12 Conference and a top 20 mark across the country, respectively.

OU also ranks in the top 20 in CWS wins (14) and games played (28).

The Sooners’ crowning moments came during the 1951 and 1994 seasons when they ran the table with 7-0 and 8-0 marks, respectively.

Head Coach: Larry Cochell | CWS Record: 0-2 | Overall: 42-161995 Team Stats - Batting Average: .312 | Earned Run Average: 4.01

1995 - The last Oklahoma team to reach Omaha

1976 - The Sooners set a school record with 62 wins



Head Coach: Enos Semore | CWS Record: 0-2 | Overall: 62-191976 Team Stats - Batting Average: .318 | Earned Run Average: 2.78





Head Coach: Jack Baer | CWS Record: 4-0 | Overall: 19-91951 Team Stats - Batting Average: .232 | Earned Run Average: 3.94

CWS CHAMPS||

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The Sooners played in Rosenblatt Stadium during fi ve consecutive seasons from 1972-1976.



NCAA TOURNEY SUCCESSJAMIE JOHNSON

The Sooners’ fi rst recorded NCAA Tournament appearance was in in 1947. They defeated Oklahoma A&M, 6-2, in the opener.

OU’s total number of NCAA Appearances, third in the Big 12 behindTexas and Oklahoma State. Twice, the Sooners have made six straight trips to the tourney (1972-1977 and 1984-1989).

The Sooners have recorded a winning record in 15 of their 31 NCAATournament appearances. OU is 68-60 in 128 games played.

The Sooners have enjoyed home fi eld advantage on six occasions. OU has hosted NCAA Regionals in 2006, 2004, 2000, 1977, 1975 and 1974.

The Sooners scored 21 runs against Eastern Kentucky to open the 1986 Tournament, a program best for an NCAA Tournament game. OU has scored 10-plus runs on 15 occasions in NCAA postseason play.

2006 NORMAN REGIONAL Under fi rst year head coach Sunny Golloway, the Sooners won the 2006 Norman Regional

at L. Dale Mitchell Park. After winning the program’s 10th regional/district title, OU took then-No. 1 Rice to game three of the Houston Super Regional. Despite narrowly missing the

program’s 10th College World Series Appearance, the Sooners made their fi rst appearance in a Super Regional after the format originated in 1999. In addition, Golloway became just the second coach in NCAA history to lead his club to a Super Regional in his fi rst full season

at the helm.

MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER Chip Glass was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1994 College World Series. Glass is pictured above signing autographs in Norman after the team returned from Omaha with the programs’ second National Championship. Glass is one of 27 Sooners who have been named

to a postseason All-Tournament team in the last 16 years.

Sunny Golloway is 27-14 as a coach in seven of the Sooners’ last 11appearances and has been on the staff for OU’s last fi ve regional championships (2008, 2006, 1995, 1994 and 1992).

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OU has played in three NCAA Regional fi nals in the last four years, including the 2006 Norman Regional Championship.

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CONFERENCE SUCCESSTYSON SENG

Oklahoma won the fi rst Big 12 Tournament Championship in 1997 with four straight wins to close out the tourney. OU defeated Texas Tech, 19-17, to win the inaugural championship.1997

SOONERS CLAIM ’79 CROWNOU won its second Big 8 Tournament Championship in 1979 after defeating Missouri and Nebraska, twice. Nick Capra was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship and joined four other Sooners on the all-tournament team.

The Sooners’ national success begins with winning championships in one of the toughest conferences year in and year out. Oklahoma has won 25 conference championships, which includes three postseason titles in 1977, 1979 and 1997.

OU’s 25 conference championships rank third among active Big 12 schools. Below is a closer look at the breakdown:

Texas ........................88 Nebraska .......... 10 Oklahoma State .......29 Baylor ................. 6 OKLAHOMA ..............25 Kansas ................ 4 Texas A&M ...............21 Texas Tech ........... 4 Missouri ...................15 Kansas State ....... 2

The 1997 Sooners came home with the inaugural Big 12 Championship.16

The Sooners have 35 All-Big 12 honorees over the last fi ve years under Sunny Golloway.35

The Sooners’ 25 conference championships rank third all-time among active Big 12 schools. The Sooners have also fi nished second in the regular season standings on 20 occasions.

The Sooners hold the record for most runs scored in a Big 12 Tourna-ment game. OU defeated Oklahoma State, 21-6, in 2006 and held the previous high with 19 against Texas Tech in the 1997 title game.

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Oklahoma won four straight regular season crowns from 1972-1975 under head coach Enos Semore.4



CONFERENCE SUCCESSCHASE ANDERSON

DARRON COXCox was named the 1989 Big Eight Player of the Year after a solid senior season. The Sooners’ catcher hit .362

with 56 RBIs in 58 games played in 1989. Cox also had 17 doubles and 19 stolen bases en route to earning all-district

honors that season.

RICK GUTIERREZGutierrez was one of several key players who helped

OU claim its second national title in 1994. The second baseman was named the 1994 Big Eight Player of the

Year after hitting .352 with 10 home runs and 68 RBIs. Gutierrez was also named a fi rst team All-American

after the season.

MARK REDMANPrior to helping lead the Sooners to the 1994 National

Championship, Redman was named the Big Eight New-comer of the Year. Redman led the Sooners in 1994 with 14 wins and 136 strikeouts in 135 innings pitched. He later

broke his single-season strikeout record in 1995 with a158 Ks, still a program best.

BRIAN SHACKELFORDShackelford, a utility player, helped lead OU to the fi rst

Big 12 Tournament Championship in 1997. For his efforts, Shackelford was named the tournament’s Most Out-

standing Player. Shackelford hit three homers and drove in 13 runs in the six-game span.

GREG DOBBSDobbs was named the 2001 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after hitting .428 throughout the season with 10

homers and 62 RBIs. In conference play, Dobbs hit .423 with 27 RBIs and later was named a second team All-

American by three different publications.

OLE SHELDONSheldon was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year

in 2004. The Sooners’ fi rst baseman hit .367 with 54 RBIs during the 2004 62-game campaign. In Big 12 play, Sheldon drove in half of his overall RBI total and hit .390

with a .996 fi elding percentage.

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OU was one game away from playing for the 2008 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City for the second straight year.

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SOONERS IN THE PROSANTWONIE HUBBARD

Jackson Williams is the last Sooner to be drafted in the fi rst round of MLB’s Amateur Draft in 2007. Williams was the second fi rst round draftee out of OU in the last fi ve years (David Purcey - 2004)

Number of draftees since Sunny Golloway’s return to Oklahoma in 2004. In the fi ve previous seasons, 21 Sooners were selected in the draft.

Eleven current players on the 2008 OU roster have been drafted in their careers, including four of this year’s newcomers.

Former Sooner John Russell (1980-1982) completed his fi rst year as the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008. Russell was hired after successful coaching stints in MLB and the minor leagues.

Eight former Sooners were on Major League rosters in 2008, includ-ing Jason Bartlett (Tampa Bay Rays) and Greg Dobbs (Philadelphia Phillies), who faced off in the 2008 World Series.

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The OU baseball program has a long standing reputation of producing top talent for the professional level and with 27 players selected in the last fi ve years, the tradition continues.

Six Sooners were selected in the 2007 MLB Draft, including Jackson Williams, who was taken in the fi rst round by the San Francisco Giants. Williams was the second fi rst round selection in the last four years at OU (David Purcey - 2004) and the 16th in program history.

During Sunny Golloway’s 14 years as a coach, he has helped produce 76 drafted players, including 52 while serving as an assistant or head coach at Oklahoma.

52 SOONERS DRAFTED UNDER GOLLOWAYPlayer Position Year Round Team Mike Gosse 2B/DH 2008 23rd Detroit TigersJackson Williams C 2007 1st San Francisco GiantsJoe Dunigan OF 2007 5th Seattle MarinersHeath Taylor LHP 2007 10th Cleveland IndiansStephen Porlier RHP 2007 21st Oakland AthleticsAaron Reza INF 2007 21st Boston Red SoxBrad Burns RHP 2007 26th New York MetsRyan Rohlinger INF 2006 6th San Francisco GiantsDaniel McCutchen RHP 2006 13th New York YankeesRussell Raley INF 2006 21st New York YankeesKody Kaiser OF 2006 26th Los Angeles DodgersWilliam Savage RHP 2006 26th Philadelphia PhilliesJohn Brownell RHP 2006 27th Philadelphia PhilliesChuckie Caufi eld OF 2006 39th Milwaukee BrewersKevin Smith INF 2006 39th New York YankeesRyan Mottern RHP/OF 2006 49th Cleveland IndiansGarrett Patterson LHP 2005 7th New York YankeesDaniel McCutchen RHP 2005 12th St. Louis CardinalsRyan Rohlinger INF 2005 21st St. Louis CardinalsTyler Gooch RHP 2005 50th Philadelphia PhilliesDavid Purcey LHP 2004 1st Toronto Blue JaysJarod McAuliff RHP 2004 7th Oakland AthleticsMark Roberts RHP 2004 8th Texas RangersOle Sheldon INF 2004 14th Houston AstrosCasey Brown RHP 2004 27th Houston AstrosMike Swindell RHP 2004 29th New York MetsDaniel McCutchen RHP 2004 29th Tampa Bay RaysMark Redman LHP 1995 1st Minnesota TwinsRuss Ortiz RHP 1995 4th San Francisco GiantsRyan Minor INF 1995 7th New York MetsDamon Minor INF 1995 19th New York MetsRich Hills INF 1995 20th San Diego PadresSteve Connelly RHP 1995 24th Oakland AthleticsTim Walton RHP 1995 25th Philadelphia PhilliesToby Wilmot RHP 1995 45th Minnesota TwinsJerry Whittaker OF 1994 2nd Chicago White SoxBucky Buckles RHP 1994 7th Texas RangersKevin Lovingier RHP 1994 25th St. Louis CardinalsRicky Gutierrez INF 1994 28th Cleveland IndiansChip Glass OF 1994 37th Cleveland IndiansRich Hills INF 1994 48th Atlanta BravesGreg Norton INF 1993 2nd Chicago White SoxDrew Christmon OF 1993 8th Detroit TigersTim Cossins C 1993 16th Texas RangersRicky Gutierrez INF 1993 22nd Milwaukee BrewersByron Mathews OF 1992 3rd Chicago White SoxClifton Foster RHP 1992 6th Oakland AthleticsJason Evans INF 1992 12th Chicago White SoxBrian Eldridge INF 1992 13th Oakland AthleticsCasey Mendenhall RHP 1992 17th Detroit TigersZak Krislock RHP 1992 23rd Houston AstrosTim Cossins C 1992 45th Pittsburgh Pirates

* 24 players from Oral Roberts were drafted during Golloway’s tenure (1996-2003).

Nine Sooners were drafted in 2006 following head coach Sunny Golloway’s fi rst full season at the OU helm, the most since the 1998 season when 10 Sooners were selected.9

Ryan Rohlinger (left) and David Purcey made their Major League debuts in 2008.



SOONERS IN THE PROSJEREMY ERBEN

OKLAHOMA ALL-STARSMark Redman, now with the Colorado Rockies, became the eighth Sooner to earn a spot in the MLB All-Star Game with his selection in 2006 while with the Kansas City Royals.

Below is a look at the other Sooners who have earned all-star status in professional baseball:

2006 Mark Redman Kansas City Royals2003 Russ Ortiz Atlanta Braves1994 Danny Jackson Philadelphia Phillies1990 Jack Armstrong Cincinnati Reds1988 Danny Jackson Cincinnati Reds1965 Eddie Fisher Chicago White Sox1961 Don Schwall Boston Red Sox1960 Lyndall McDaniel St. Louis Cardinals1952 L. Dale Mitchell Cleveland Indians 1949 L. Dale Mitchell Cleveland Indians

FIRST ROUNDERSSince 1967, 16 Sooners have been selected in the fi rst round of Major League Baseball’s Amateur Draft.

Below is a look at each of those players and the teams that selected them:

Player Position Year Team Jackson Williams C 2007 San Francisco GiantsDavid Purcey LHP 2004 Toronto Blue JaysMark Redman LHP 1995 Minnesota TwinsJack Armstrong RHP 1987 Cincinnati RedsBobby Witt RHP 1985 Texas RangersRay Hayward LHP 1983 San Diego PadresCraig Reid SS 1983 San Diego PadresPaul Williams OF 1983 Houston AstrosJohn Russell C 1982 Philadelphia PhilliesBilly Irions RHP 1981 Philadelphia PhilliesBob Shirley LHP 1976 San Diego PadresBilly Severns OF 1975 Milwaukee BrewersMike Swenton OF 1971 San Francisco GiantsMike Swenton OF 1971 St. Louis CardinalsMike Swenton OF 1970 Cleveland IndiansRalph Rickey OF 1968 Chicago Cubs

MAJOR LEAGUE AFFILIATIONOff the playing fi eld, several former Sooners are still involved with the sport on the Major League level, including second-year manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, John Russell.

Below is a look at some of the Sooners working in professional baseball:

Name (years at OU) Position OrganizationRickey Bennett (1989-92) Assistant General Manager Houston AstrosGeorge Frazier (1975-76) Television Broadcaster Colorado RockiesMickey Hatcher (1977) Hitting Coach Los Angeles Angels of AnaheimStan Meek (1972-74) Scouting Director Florida MarlinsRyan Minor (1993-95) Minor League Assistant Coach Baltimore OriolesJohn Russell (1980-82) Manager Pittsburgh PiratesJoe Simpson (1971-73) Television Broadcaster Atlanta Braves

2008 MAJOR LEAGUE SOONERSDuring the 2008 MLB season, eight Sooners played signifi cant roles on various teams across the country.

Included in that group was a pair of former Sooners from the 2001 season that played in the 2008 World Series as Philadelphia topped Tampa Bay for the championship. Jason Bartlett was an everyday starter at short for the Rays and Greg Dobbs was a utility player for the Phillies.

In addition, hurler David Purcey and infi elder Ryan Rohlinger. Both former Sooners made their Major League debut in 2008. Purcey started on the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays and Rohlinger started at third base for the San Francisco Giants.

Finally, Rocky Cherry, who had stints with the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs, was acquired by the New York Mets in the offseason.

JASON BARTLETTCurrent .....Tampa Bay RaysOther .........Minnesota TwinsAt OU .........2000-2001

ROCKY CHERRYCurrent .....New York MetsOther .........Chicago and BaltimoreAt OU .........1999-2002

GREG DOBBSCurrent .....Philadelphia PhilliesOther .........Seattle MarinersAt OU .........2001

GEOFF GEARYCurrent .....Houston AstrosOther .........Philadelphia PhilliesAt OU .........1997-1998

DAVID PURCEYCurrent .....Toronto Blue JaysOther .........noneAt OU .........1993-1995

RYAN ROHLINGERCurrent .....San Francisco GiantsOther .........noneAt OU .........2004-2006

REGGIE WILLITSCurrent .....LAA AngelsOther .........noneAt OU .........2002-2003

GREG NORTONCurrent .....Atlanta BravesOther .........Tampa Bay, Detroit, ...................Colorado & Chicago White SoxAt OU .........1991-1993

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ANDREW DOYLE

HOME RUN CLUB

For more than 20 years, the Home Run Club has been a helpful source of fi nancial support for the Oklahoma baseball program. Joining the Home Run Club provides a chance for Sooner fans to help make sure that the tradition that is OU baseball will prosper well into the new millennium. The club provides a great social opportunity as well as a chance to be a part of one of the best programs in the country.

The club begins each baseball season with its annual kickoff banquet. Put on by the club, the banquet allows fans and supporters of the program to socialize with other members and staff of the baseball team. The banquet includes speeches from distinguished guest speakers and from Head Coach Sunny Golloway. Golloway previews the upcoming season and introduces each member of the team to the gathering. The event usually takes place in late January or early February, depending on the opening of the season.

The University of Oklahoma Home Run Club is the offi cial presenter of the event. Those interested in joining the Oklahoma baseball team’s offi cial support group can do so at the banquet or by contacting the Oklahoma baseball offi ce with a donation of $50.

During past years, the Home Run Club has helped provide the resources to enable the team’s facilities to be among the best in the nation. They raised money to provide the washers and dryers for the new equipment room, as well the medical equipment for the training room in the new clubhouse at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

One of the club’s main fund-raising events every year is its annual golf tournament held at the Jimmie Austin Golf Course. The tournament, which is attended by both OU coaches and players, allows participants a chance to have a great time while supporting the Sooners. Drawings are held for door prizes as well as prizes for a Hole-in-One, closest to the hole on all par 3s and team prizes for fi rst-, second-, and third-place teams.

The Home Run Club also supports the Sooners with its presence at both home and away games. The club organizes road trips for members to travel to away games together, such as the series against Oklahoma State held in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. At home games, members have the chance to sit together in some of the best seats inside L. Dale Mitchell Stadium.

Those Interested in joining the Home Run Club can contact the OU baseball offi ce at (405) 325-8354.

DIAMOND DINNER HONOREESAt the annual Diamond Dinner, former Sooner greats are honored by the program.

Below is a look at the 12 honorees who have been recognized over the past six years, including the 2009 selection, catcher Darron Cox.

Cox was the 1989 Big Eight Player of the Year was a three-time letterwinner and All-Big Eight performer. In 1989, he hit .367 with 56 RBIs and was selected in the fi fth round of the draft that year by the Cincinnati Reds . He made his MLB debut in 1999 with the Montreal Expos and in 2001, he fi nished his pro career with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, the AAA affi liate of the Colorado Rockies.

EDDIE FISHER - 2007Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1956-1958

GEOFF GEARY - 2007Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1997-1998

L. DALE MITCHELL, SR. - 2007Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1942-1946

JEFF BAJENARU - 2006Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1999-2000

RICH HILLS - 2006Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1992-1995

KYLE DENNEY - 2005Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1998-1999

DAMON MINOR - 2005Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1993-1996

RYAN MINOR - 2005Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1993-1995

RUSSELL ORTIZ - 2004Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1993-1995

MARK REDMAN - 2004Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1994-1995

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BOB STEPHENSON - 2008Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1948-1950

REGGIE WILLITS - 2008Oklahoma Letterwinner, 2002-2003

DARRON COX - 2009Oklahoma Letterwinner, 1987-1989



AARON BAKER

HOME RUN CLUB

DIAMOND DINNER Q&AsAt each Diamond Dinner, the inductees participate in a question and answer session with the audience. Pictured left, Reggie Willits and Bob Stephenson participate at last year’s banquet.

HOME RUN CLUB TENT PARTIESPrior to select home games throughout the season, the Home Run Club offers a tailgate for its members. Players and coaches also speak at the function, which also serves as an opportunity for fans to learn more about the current team.

TOP NOTCH FACILITIESDonations over the years by the Home Run Club have helped provide the Sooners with the top resources in the country, including a new indoor hitting facility and upgrades to the team’s clubhouse.

POST GAME AUTOGRAPHSAfter select home games, the players and coaches are available down the third base line to sign autographs for the fans in attendance.

LETTER FROM COACH GOLLOWAYThe baseball program at the University of Oklahoma is poised to return to the nation¹s elite and continue its storied tradition. We invite you to be a part of this collective effort by joining the Home Run Club. Through your membership in the Home Run Club, you will be supporting our student-ath-letes, both fi nancially and with your presence at the numerous functions held throughout the season. The OU Baseball team looks forward to the opportunity to get to know the individuals who contribute to the team¹s success on and off the fi eld. Your donation gives us a competitive advantage and helps us reach our goals of winning Big 12 and National championships.

Together, let’s support our players in their journeys to winning championships.

Boomer Sooner,

Sunny Golloway - Head Coach

2004-present

“This is a great event for fans of OU baseball to not only get to see the current players but also the former players who helped build this program into what it is today,” said OU head

coach Golloway. “It’s always an honor to have the former Sooner greats come back to celebrate the

great tradition of this program.

“I think all the players, past and present, have enjoyed this event over the past six years and its

a tradition we look forward to continuing.”

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RYAN DUKE

HEAD COACH

Golloway’s .664 winning percentage ranks in the top 25 among current coaches in Division I baseball.

In just over three years at the helm, Golloway has won 127 games. At the end of the 2005 season, Golloway took over as the interim head coach and OU won 10 of its last 12 regular season games.

In a 12-month period, Golloway won three national champion-ships. The summer before and after OU’s 1994 NCAA Championship, Golloway led his Kenai Peninsula Oilers to NBC titles .

OU has advanced to seven NCAA tournaments during seven of his nine seasons as an OU coach (1992, ’94, ’95, 2004, ’05, ’06 and ‘08). He accomplished the same feat in eight years at Oral Roberts.

Golloway won 45 games in his fi rst full year at the Sooners’ helm in 2006. The total was the highest since 1994, the year OU won its second national title and Golloway was an assistant on the staff.

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The Sooners have recorded a winning record in 15 of their 30 NCAATournament appearances. OU is 66-58 in 124 games played.

The Sooners have enjoyed home fi eld advantage on six occasions. OU has hosted NCAA Regionals in 2006, 2004, 2000, 1977, 1975 and 1974.

The Sooners’ scored 21 runs against Eastern Kentucky to open the 1986 Tournament, a program best for an NCAA Tournament game. OU has scored 10 or more runs on 15 occasions.21

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HEAD COACH SUNNY GOLLOWAYA native of Oklahoma, Sunny Golloway’s dream of becoming the head coach at the University of Oklahoma became a reality in 2006 when he was named the Sooners’ skipper on July 15. Prior to offi cially taking over the reins of the program, Golloway served as the interim head coach in 2005, when the Sooners won 10 of their last 12 regular season games and played in the NCAA Regional fi nal against Ole Miss.

After helping OU clubs in 1992, 1994 and 1995 reach the College World Series as an assistant coach, Golloway traveled northeast to take over the Oral Roberts program. The Golden Eagles dominated the Mid-Continent Conference under Golloway, winning six conference titles in eight years. ORU became one of the nation’s winningest programs during his tenure, averag-ing 46 victories per season.

In 2004, Golloway returned to Oklahoma to help his former mentor, Larry Cochell, bring the Sooners’ program back to national prominence. That goal has been accomplished in a short time as three top-10 recruiting classes have been signed at OU while the Sooners enjoyed four trips to the NCAA Tournament, including three NCAA Regional fi nals and the program’s only appearance in a NCAA Super Regional in 2006.

OKLAHOMA VP/DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS ON GOLLOWAY“His passion for this program is obvious and his enthusiasm never falters. I know that we have a coach who is devoted to the University of Oklahoma and one that is completely com-mitted to the long-term success of the program.”

- OU VP/Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione

PROMINENT PUPILSCoaching for various successful teams has given Coach Golloway the opportunity to work with several outstanding players. Below is a list of some of those prominent pupils:

Ryan Christenson Damon Minor J.D. Drew Ryan Minor Joe Dunigan Garrett Patterson Mike Gosse David Purcey Braden Looper Mark Redman Greg Norton Ryan Rohlinger Russ Ortiz Heath Taylor Daniel McCutchen Jackson Williams Doug Mientkiewicz

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ASSISTANT COACHESTREY SPERRING

SURROUNDED WITH SUCCESSHead coach Sunny Golloway has hired two of the game’s best in Tim Tadlock and Mike Bell.

The OU baseball program is in good hands as Golloway, Tadlock and Bell each served as recruiting coordinators in Division I programs in the last fi ve years and have landed some of the best amateur talent in the country.

Tadlock was hired away from Grayson Junior College prior to the 2006 season. He won two NJCAA World Series and made fi ve appearances in the championship series overall while at Grayson. In nine seasons at the helm, Tadlock recorded 435 victories and a .770 winning percentage.

The Sooners have thrived with him on the recruiting trail since his arrival in Norman and have hit over .300 in each of his three seasons on the staff, including a league-best .316 mark in Big 12 play in 2008.

Bell is the latest addition to the OU staff and completed his fi rst year in Norman in 2008 after three successful years at Tennessee. In his fi rst year, the 2005 Volunteers returned to the College World Series for the fi rst time since 2001. In addition, Bell helped tutor the 2005 Roger Clemens Award winner and fi rst overall pick of the 2006 MLB Draft, Luke Hochevar.

TIM TADLOCKAssistant Coach | Fourth year at OU | 18 years of experienceHitting and Recruiting

GOLLOWAY ON TADLOCK“Tim brings a wealth of knowledge to the areas of recruiting and hitting. He is a proven winner and his success speaks for itself. What is even more impressive about Coach Tadlock is how his players speak so highly of him.”

PROMINENT PUPILS:John Lackey .................LAA Angels - MVP of the 2002 World SeriesBrian Tallet ..................Toronto Blue JaysBrandon Fahey ............Baltimore OriolesVictor Diaz ...................Houston AstrosAndy LaRoche .............Pittsburgh PiratesRyan Rohlinger ............San Francisco Giants

MIKE BELLAssistant Coach | Second year at OU | Eight years of experiencePitching

GOLLOWAY ON BELL“Mike has proven to be a true asset to this program in a short time. Our student-athletes are working with an outstanding and knowledgeable coach, who has had success every where he goes. “

PROMINENT PUPILS:Luke Hochevar .............Kansas City Royals - First overall draft pick in 2006James Adkins ..............Los Angeles DodgersSean Watson ...............Cincinnati Reds

Tadlock landed the fourth best recruiting class in the country in 2007 for the Sooners. It was the highest ranked class in program history since 1987.

Tadlock brings 18 years of collegiate coaching experience to Oklahoma and is entering his fourth year with the Sooners in 2008.

The Sooners posted the program’s highest batting average (.323) since 1999 during Tadlock’s fi rst year on the staff in 2006..323

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Bell coached Luke Hochevar, the 2006 No. 1 draft pick, for two seasons (2005-06) at Tennessee. Hochevar was also the winner of the 2005 Roger Clemens Award (top pitcher).

In addition to coaching Tennessee to the 2005 College World Series. Bell was also a member of the 1994 and 1995 teams at Florida State that advanced to the College World Series.

At Tennessee, Bell was in charge of recruiting and landed back-to-back top 15 nationally ranked classes in 2005 and 2006. The 2005 group was ranked sixth nationally.15

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OFFENSEJ.T. WISE

SOONERS GET OFFENSIVEThe OU offense has rejuvenated itself in the last three years, averaging seven runs per game across the past three seasons.

In addition, for the fi rst time since 2000, the Sooners recorded a team batting average over .300 in three consecutive seasons.

Prior to the 1999 and 2000 seasons, OU enjoyed one of its best offensive seasons with 606 runs scored and a .335 team batting average. The 1998 Sooners also averaged more than nine runs per game that season.

In 2008, OU hit .312 as a team (third best average in the Big 12 Conference) and led the league with a .316 average in Big 12 games.

The Sooners had six regular starters hit better than .300 throughout the 2008 season, including four with a mark of .340 or better.

Senior Mike Gosse, who was drafted in the following the 2008 season, was one of those sluggers and the last Sooner to be crowned the team’s batting champion with a .368 clip.

Each of the Sooners’ last nine batting champions have been drafted professionally or signed as a free agent the following season.

In addition, fi ve of those nine individuals were selected in the fi rst 10 rounds of the draft, with Joe Dunigan and Ryan Rohlinger (6th round selection in 2006) being the last Sooners to hold that distinction.

ELLIOTT BLAIRThe sophomore outfi elder is one of several Sooners on this year’s squad who can hit for average and steal multiple bases. OU returns more than 73 percent of its stolen bases from a year ago, including junior Jamie Johnson, who led the squad with 20 swipes. Sophomore Tyson Seng and senior Matt Harughty also return in 2009 with double-digit stolen bases with 11 and 10, respectively.

The number of combined runs scored since Coach Golloway’s return to Oklahoma in 2004. The Sooners plated 1886 runs in the previous fi ve years before his arrival.

The 2006 Sooners scored 492 runs en route to a regional champion-ship, the most since the 1998 OU team recorded 606.

Freshman Aaron Baker hit in 22 consecutive games to start the 2007 season (second longest in the Big 12 in 2007). The mark established an OU freshman record and ranks as the third longest streak in program history.

The number of regular starters who hit better than .300 throughout the 2008 season, including four with a mark of .340 or better. The last time four regulars hit over .340 was in 1998.

In Big 12 games played, OU led the conference with a .316 clip, a mark slightly higher than its overall average (.312). OU has hit over .300 in Big 12 play in two of the last three seasons.

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In 2006, OU led the Big 12 in hitting with a .323 average, the high-est for an OU squad since 1998 (.335). OU hit .305 in 2007 and is averaging a .304 clip in Sunny Golloway’s fi ve years since his return, up fi ve points from the previous fi ve (.299).

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AARON BAKERJunior Aaron Baker has been one of the Sooners’ most productive players at the plate and in the fi eld during his two years in an OU uniform. Baker has connected for 111 career RBIs and is the fi rst player since Ryan Rohlinger (2005-06) to drive in 50 or more runs in consecutive seasons. The Denton, Texas, native led OU in 2008 with 61 RBIs and hit .315. As a freshman, Baker led the team with a .996 fi elding percentage and recorded the third longest hitting streak in school history at 22 games, a freshman best.



BRYAN GROTH

DEFENSEOklahoma led the nation with a .983 fi elding percentage in 2006, the highest in school history and the second best all-time in the NCAA.

Number of errors committed in 2006, the second fewest in school history and the lowest since the NCAA schedule was expanded to 56 games.

The number of errors committed by junior Aaron Baker at fi rst base during his two years starting at the corner position. Baker’s .991 fi elding percentage is anchored by the two errors committed in 2007.

The 2009 Sooners return 296 strikeouts from last year’s staff, or 69 percent. Junior Andrew Doyle leads that group with 72 Ks recorded during his team-leading 99.1 innings of work.

Sophomore Stephen Porlier recorded 99 strikeouts in 2007, the most by a Big 12 hurler during the 2007 regular season. After missing the 2008 season due to injury, Porlier returns to the staff in 2009.

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ANDREW DOYLEJunior Andrew Doyle, a two-year letterwinner, fi nished the 2008 season with the Big 12’s third highest win total (9) and is expected to maintain the Sooners’ No. 1 starting spot in the rotation after solidifying the role at the end of last year. Doyle lasted seven or more innings in six of his 15 starts and at least fi ve innings in 12 starts. None of those appearances on the mound were bigger than Doyle’s last two starts, which both resulted in victories to open the Big 12 Championship and NCAA Tempe Regional for the Sooners.

www.soonersp

The number of errors committed by junior Aaron Baker at fi rst base during his two years starting at the corner position. Baker’s .991 fi elding percentage is anchored by the two errors committed in 2007.

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GARRETT RICHARDSOne of two, two-year letterwinners on the 2009 pitching staff, Richards is expected to make an impact in 2009 after battling injury early on last season. Richards was very produc-tive in 2007 as a freshman with a team-leading nine saves. After a strong showing in the summer, Richards was named one of the top prospects in the 2008 Alaska Summer League. The Oklahoma native is poised to compete for a spot in the starting rotation in 2009 after making just one start in his two previous seasons.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPSA common heard statement throughout the history of sports, “defense wins champion-ships” could not have been more true during head coach Sunny Golloway’s fi rst full year at OU’s helm.

In 2006, the Sooners led the nation with a .983 fi elding percentage, the best mark in program history. The mark also ranks as the second best all-time in NCAA history.

Behind the strength of its defense, the 2006 Sooners won a regional championship and advanced to the program’s fi rst Super Regional appearance (format originated in 1999).

OU has fi nished each of the last fi ve seasons with Golloway on the staff with a mark over .960. In the 10 years prior to Golloway’s return in 2004, only fi ve OU squads recorded marks of .960 or better.

Coach Golloway stresses fundamental baseball at OU and fans can expect to see strong defense accompanied by solid pitching.

Since 2004, Golloway and company have helped develop some of the conference’s top pitchers.

Sixteen of the 27 draft picks selected since Golloway’s return have been pitchers, including fi ve who were selected in the fi rst 10 rounds.

In 2009, OU returns six pitchers with fi ve or more starts recorded last season and the Soon-ers return nearly the entire defensive starter in the fi eld.

The Sooners’ 2008 defense ranked 12th in the country in double plays turned with 64. OU turned at least one double play in nine straight games near the end of the season.12

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MEDIA ATTENTIONGARRETT RICHARDS

The number of consecutive games televised for the OU football team. In addition, ESPN College GameDay has been on site for 20 of OU’s games in the last nine years.

Since 2000, OU student-athletes have appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated 11 times. Sooner football is one the most popular subjects for SI with 31 cover appearances.

More than 50 million people logged on to SoonerSports.com last year, making the offi cial Web site of the Oklahoma Athletics Depart-ment one of the top collegiate sites in the nation.

The popularity of the Sooners is evident in the signifi cant amount of products and apparel purchased by fans. OU ranks in the top 10 nationally every year in the sales of licensed merchandise.

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SOONER BASEBALL IN THE SPOTLIGHTOklahoma Athletics is a household name due to the overwhelming media attention that hovers around the Sooners. Writers and broadcasters representing the nation’s most recognized media outlets regularly interact with Sooner players and coaches and routinely spend time in Norman.

And when they can’t come to campus, those same observers keep tabs on OU thanks to extensive television coverage. The Sooners are at the very center of the college athletics and everybody is watching.

Being the most popular sports entity has its advantages. Oklahoma athletics receive more coverage than any other professional or minor league team in the state.

OU baseball benefits from that coverage. Behind football and the basketball programs, baseball and softball are next on the food chain. Throughout the spring, several media outlets cover the Sooners on a regular basis.

The media attention blossomed in 2006 when the Sooners came one win away from advancing to their 10th College World Series in program history. Oklahoma was not only one of the most popular stories in the state, but also drew attention nationwide.

Located on page 27 are a few examples of the various front page stories from local publications over the last couple of seasons. Also shown are other recent stories and clippings from OU’s last National Championship run in 1994.

Every contest of the baseball team’s 56-game schedule is broadcast live on OU’s fl agship station KOKC 1520 AM or on the internet. Each year, over 80 percent of the games can be heard live on the radio.

OU baseball has enjoyed 27 television broadcasts over the last four seasons, including 13 contests on the ESPN family of networks.27

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During the 2007-08 season, the men’s and women’s basketball teams combined to make 58 appearances on television, including 23 nationally televised games.58

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Coach Golloway addresses the media prior to the program’s annual media day in February.



MEDIA ATTENTIONC.J. BLUE

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IN THE COMMUNITYSTEPHEN PORLIER

SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS OUOU lives by a clear and strong motto in dealing with its student-athletes...Inspiring Cham-pions for Today, Preparing Leaders for Tomorrow.

To fulfi ll that promise, the athletics department and student-athletes take an active role in a number of community service projects. Sooner student-athletes are exposed to life outside of sports and school work with opportunities to serve and help others.

In conjunction with OU’s CHAMPS/Life Skills Program, all 21 intercollegiate athletics teams participate in community service efforts each month.

Oklahoma’s student-athletes recognize that wearing the Crimson and Cream means representing a popular sports program and themselves as individuals. They are encouraged to respond to a public that adores them, while learning important lessons about making a positive impact in the lives of others and in the community in which they live.

Below is a list of some of the community service efforts that the OU baseball team participates in each year:

SPECIAL SPECTATORSThe Special Spectators is a national organization that invites seriously ill children to attend a sporting event and meet the players and coaches. More than 30 children from several Oklahoma City hospitals have been hosted by football, basketball, baseball and gymnastics over the past year. The Sooner baseball team has participated in the event for the past three years. On top of meeting the players and coaches and participating in batting practice, the children throw out the ceremonial fi rst pitch for that day’s game.

WILLOW SPRINGS BOYS RANCHSince 2005, Oklahoma baseball has partnered with the Willow Springs Boys Ranch in Chandler, Okla., to interact with the children and participate in a day of various landscap-ing duties and team building exercises. The Willow Springs Boys Ranch is a long-term residential childcare facility that accepts applications from boys between the ages 7 to 12 years old. Boys are able to live on the ranch until they graduate from high school, obtain their G.E.D. or participate in an independent living program after graduation. It is the program’s goal to provide an environment where boys can become successful and develop into productive adults.

MIRACLE LEAGUEFor each of the last three seasons, the OU baseball team has traveled to Mitch Park in Edmond, Okla., to play in a “Miracle League Game.” The Miracle League, founded in 1997, is an organization that gives special-needs children an opportunity to play baseball. Miracle Leagues across the country play in specialized complexes that include custom-designed fi elds with cushioned rubberized turf fi elds that prevent injuries, wheelchair accessible dugouts and a completely fl at surface that eliminates any barriers or obstacles for wheel-chair bound or visually impaired athletes.

HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVEFounded in 2000 by OU assistant football coach Josh Heupel, various athletics programs, including baseball, participate in the annual Holiday Food Drive. The event has grown to help hundreds of families in Norman over the past nine years. In 2008, the Holiday Food Drive targeted 750 families in eight different communities across Oklahoma.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITYAlong with other teams at OU, the Sooner baseball team helped out the local Habitat for Humanity Organization in 2007. The program was founded in 1976 and is designed to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness around the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.

SOONERS VISIT KENNEDY ELEMENTARYElliott Blair was one of several Sooners who participated in a weekly program in the fall which features baseball players interacting with children at local elementary schools in various classroom activities.

WILLOW SPRINGS BOYS RANCH - FALL 2008“I am grateful for all that the OU Baseball Team does for Willow Springs Boys’ Ranch,” said J. Todd Vinson, the Founder and Executive Director last fall. “I want to thank the players and coaches for another great day today. We appreciate their help, their hearts, and their character.”

INTRODUCTION - University of Oklahoma...2009/02/10 · J.T. Wise 89 Bryan Groth 90 Garrett Richards...

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Transcript of INTRODUCTION - University of Oklahoma...2009/02/10 · J.T. Wise 89 Bryan Groth 90 Garrett Richards...