Last week:
The Sooners went 4-0 last week starting with a 4-0 win over No. 9 Arkansas on Tuesday. OU swept Missouri in three games in Norman over the weekend, including a 6-5 victory in 10 innings on Friday. The Sooners won game two on Saturday 8-4 and won their fourth straight game with a 5-4 victory on Sunday.
This week:
OU travels to Oral Roberts on April 17 for a 6:30 p.m. game. The Sooners host Alabama State over the weekend in a three-game series starting on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Game two on Saturday is slated for 2 p.m. while Sunday’s finale gets underway at 1 p.m.
Notes:
OU swept Missouri for the sixth time in Big 12 play and fifth time at home (2012, 2006, 2004, 2002 and 2000) … OU and ORU last met in Tulsa during the regular season in 2004, a 6-4 win for the Golden Eagles … The Sooners topped the Golden Eagles earlier this year, 5-2, in Norman on March 27 … Jordan John recorded two wins last week (game one and two versus Missouri) and Steven Okert recorded two saves (Arkansas and game three vs. Missouri) … Erik Ross had eight hits in the weekend series and has four multi-hit games in his last six outings ... Ross has hit safely in 12 of the last 13 games with seven multi-hit performances ... His 11 multi-hit games on the year ranks second on the team behind Max White (13).
Promos:
The first 250 fans on Friday will receive “K” cards … The first 250 fans on Saturday and Sunday will receive mini sun screens … On Saturday, the Sooners will sign autographs after the game, weather permitting … On Sunday, kids can run the bases and play catch in the outfield after the game, weather permitting.
Max White | Junior | OF/INF | 6-1 | 203| Durant, Okla. (Durant HS)
Junior Max White hit .429 (6-for-11) as Oklahoma went 4-0 last week with wins over No. 9 Arkansas and Missouri. White reached base safely all four games and hit safely in three contests with four doubles, including three multi-hit games. He also scored two runs and drove in six with multi-RBI games against Arkansas on Tuesday and against Missouri on Saturday and Sunday. He was 3-for-3 with two RBI in game two of the series with the Tigers as the Sooners clinched the series win. In the four games, White slugged at a .714 clip (10 total bases) with a .471 on-base percentage (two walks) and did not commit an error playing centerfield. White was also stole a base and had a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly.
White ranks second on OU with a .328 batting average and 30 RBI (8th in the Big 12). He leads all Sooners with 13 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI contests.
Pitcher of the Week Nomination - none
Jordan John | RS-Sophomore | LHP | 6-3 | 205 | Corpus Christi, Texas (Calallen HS)
RS-Sophomore Jordan John won two Big 12 games in two appearances last week, with eight innings pitched against Missouri, as the Sooners swept the Tigers. John tossed one inning of relief in Friday’s 6-5 extra-inning win over the Tigers with 19 pitches. He came back the next day and tossed 103 pitches across seven innings for his team-leading sixth win of the year. John gave up three earned runs off eight hits and a walk in the contest. He also struck out four batters.
John ranks second in the Big 12 Conference with six wins and 11th with a 2.92 ERA. He also ranks fourth in the league in saves (4), sixth in strikeouts (55) and seventh in innings pitched (61.2). Since moving into the weekend rotation, John has lasted at least seven innings in all four of his starts.
Newcomer of the Week Nomination
Damien Magnifico | Junior | RHP | 6-2 | 187 | Mesquite, Texas (Howard JC)
Junior Damien Magnifico was one out short of his first complete game on Tuesday as he tossed 8 2/3 shutout innings to defeat No. 9 Arkansas. He improved to 1-0 after his second start of the year. Magnifico combined for a shutout and limited the Razorbacks to three hits (.107 batting avg.) while striking out four batters. Magnifico hit 100 MPH or more on 22 occasions and outside of a 20-pitch eighth inning, he tossed 14 pitches or less in the remaining frames. That included five pitches in the second inning, eight pitches in the third and nine in the seventh. Magnifico posted season highs in innings pitched, pitches and strikeouts.
Magnifico (1-0, 3.16 ERA) ranks third on the team with 14 appearances and second in saves with two.
OU Baseball News and Notes 4-16-12!