TEXAS LONGHORNS at #18 OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Date: April 26-28, 2024
Where: L. Dale Mitchell Park (Norman, Ok)
Time: Friday at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday at 4 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: AM-1300 The Zone/103.1 FM
BREAKDOWN:
A massive series on tap as the Horns travel to the top Big 12 team in the conference. This is the first time the Horns have visited Norman since 2018 due to COVID and Oklahoma moving their 2022 series to Arlington to raise money for the program.
Currently, the Horns sit tied for 2nd place in the Big 12, just three games back from the Sooners. Unfortunately, the Horns are also just three games ahead of UCF who is currently in 10th place in the conference.
Depending on how some of the results go, the Big 12 could become a two-team race after this weekend, with Oklahoma and Oklahoma State having the opportunity to pull away. At the same time, the log jam in the Big 12 could become even bigger if a few teams are able to steal a series away from others.
If you are a pitcher, this weekend could be one to forget. Texas ranks 12th in the Big 12 in giving up home runs and Oklahoma ranks 13th (dead last) in the Big 12, but the Sooners have given up just one more home run on the season. I expect an offensive weekend though as the Dale plays small and the wind will be blowing out all weekend long.
If the Horns are behind late, the Horns are in trouble statistically and literally. The Sooners strength is their ability to throw a lot of guys, while the Horn statistically have scored the fewest runs in the 1st and 9th innings. Malachi Witherspoond, brother of Saturday starter Kyson will be the first arm out of the bullpen, while the emergence of Ryan Lambert has big huge for the sooners. In Lambert's last outing, he threw just 15 pitches, 9 of which were over 100+, plus he throws a tight slider as an out pitch making him dang near unhittable.
On the offensive side, Oklahoma got back two of their best hitters back this week as Jack Nicklaus and Johnspikerman are both back from injury.
The potential "x" factor for the weekend is also going to be at the catcher position. Can the Horns keep the Sooners runners in check on the base paths as Coach Willits loves to put pressure on opposing teams with their speed on the bases.
Just 13 games left in the season, 12 of which are Big 12 conference games. This is the 2nd to last away series of the season that the Horns have on the docket, though if they make the NCAA Tourney, they will most assuredly be on the road.
Here is a comparison of the Horns record through 42 games in a season during Coach Pierce's tenure at Texas. While the 2024 season is not the worst season under Pierce’s tenure, it is just one game ahead of where the 2019 team was.
2017: 27-15
2018: 28-14
2019: 24-18
2021: 33-9
2022: 29-13
2023: 27-15
2024: 25-17
RECORDS:
Texas: 25-17 (11-7 Big 12)
Oklahoma: 25-14 (14-4 Big 12)
Texas Records Breakouts
Home: 18-11
Away: 7-3
Neutral: 0-3
OU Records Breakouts
Home: 14-8
Away: 9-3
Neutral: 2-3
RPI / SOS
Texas: 66 / 43
OU: 18 / 8
Texas Quadrant Records:
Q1: 4-5
Q2: 7-3
Q3: 3-1
Q4: 11-8
OU Quadrants Records:
Q1: 9-5
Q2: 5-7
Q3: 4-1
Q4: 7-1
SERIES MATCHUP:
- Texas and OU first met in 1910
- Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson is in his 7th season at OU with a 214-146 record
- Skip was the pitching coach at Texas (as everyone knows)
- First time the Horns have been to Norman since 2018
- Horns have a 156-68-2 series lead
- Horns are 33-19 in Norman
- In 2023, Oklahoma swept the Horns in Austin
- Under David Pierce (since 2017), Horns have a 4-2 series lead against OU
- During that same time, Horns are 2-2 against OU in the Big 12 Tourney
- Horns have lost the last 4 games against OU going back to the 2022 Big 12 Tourney
- Oklahoma is 9-1 in its past 10 games and are currently on an 8 game win streak
- Oklahoma recently received a massive boost offensively as they got star player John Spikerman and Jack Nicklaus back from injuries and into the lineup
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
FRIDAY–Texas RHP Max Grubbs (4-3, 3.61) vs. OU LHP Braden Davis (4-3, 5.37)
SATURDAY–Texas LHP Ace Whitehead (4-0, 3.32) vs. OU RHP Kyson Witherspoon (4-2, 3.72)
SUNDAY–Texas RHP Lebarron Johnson Jr. (2-3, 5.03) vs. OU LHP Grant Stevens (5-0, 4.72)
OU Top Relievers:
Ryan Lambert (3-0, 1.32 ERA, 13.2 IP) – in a recent game hit 100+ in 9 of 15 pitches
Dylan Crooks (1-0, 2.57 ERA, 14 IP)
Reid Hensley (0-0, 2.92 ERA, 12.1 IP)
Carson Atwood (0-0, 3.32 ERA, 21.2 IP)
Malachi Witherspoon (2-1, 5.06 ERA, 16 IP)
Carter Campbell (2-0, 5.74 ERA, 26.2 IP)
OU Offensive Leaders:
Jackson Nicklaus (.368 avg, 1.096 OPS, 7 HR, 20 RBI, .596 SLG%, .500 OB%, 6-9 SB)
John Spikerman (.378 avg, .951 OPS, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .514 SLG%, .437 OB%, 10-12 SB)
Easton Carmichael (.359 avg, .962 OPS, 4 HR, 36 RBI, .538 SLG%, .424 OB%, 8-11 SB)
Bryce Madron (.342 avg, 1.119 OPS, 9 HR, 36 RBI, .651 SLG%, .468 OB%, 11-12 SB)
Michael Snyder (.340 avg, 1.113 OPS, 8 HR, 45 RBI, .667 SLG%, .446 OB%, 6-6 SB)
LOOK AT THE NUMBERS:
| STAT | TEXAS | OKLAHOMA |
| Batting Avg | .292 | .308 |
| OPS | .910 | .912 |
| Doubles | 96 | 85 |
| Triples | 6 | 11 |
| Home Runs | 81 | 49 |
| RBI | 288 | 277 |
| SLG% | .531 | .500 |
| Walks | 170 | 209 |
| Strikeouts | 393 | 283 |
| On-Base % | .379 | .412 |
| Stolen Bases | 32-40 | 63-78 |
| ERA | 4.75 | 5.25 |
| WHIP | 1.46 | 1.52 |
| Bases on Balls | 175 | 184 |
| Strikeouts | 349 | 387 |
| Wild Pitches | 38 | 35 |
| B/Avg Against | .261 | .253 |
| Home Runs Against | 52 | 53 |
| Errors | 37 | 45 |
| Fielding % | .977 | .968 |
BIG 12 RANKS
| STAT | TEXAS | OKLAHOMA |
| Hitting Avg | 6th | 2nd |
| Hits | 2nd | 4th |
| Home Runs | 1st | 8th |
| RBI | 2nd | 6th |
| SLG% | 2nd | 4th |
| Base on Balls | 10th | 5th |
| Strikeouts | 11th | 2md |
| Stolen Bases | 9th | 5th |
| Fielding % | 3rd | 9th |
| ERA | 4th | 7th |
| Walks Allowed | 6th | 9th |
| Strikeouts | 9th | 5th |
| HR Allowed | 12th | 13th |
| Hits Allowed | 11th | 5th |
PREDICTION
Horns lose the series 1-2
On the season, I am 29-13 with my predictions, BUT if you want to have a great laugh at my expense, take a look back to the pre-season Big 12 conference predictions. JUST a bit outside!
WEEKEND AHEAD IN THE BIG 12
- Baylor at West Virginia
- BYU at Oklahoma State
- Cincinnati at UCF
- Kansas State at TCU
- Texas at Oklahoma
- Texas Tech at Kansas
- UT Arlington at Houston
BIG RANKINGS (reminder, Top 10 teams make Big 12 tourney)
- Oklahoma (14-4)
- Oklahoma State (11-7)
- West Virginia (11-7)
- Texas (11-7)
- Texas Tech (12-9)
- Kansas State (9-9)
- Kansas (9-9)
- Cincinnati (9-9)
- Baylor (9-9)
- UCF (8-10)
- --------------
- TCU (8-13)
- BYU (6-15)
- Houston (6-15)
COLLEGE BASEBALL SERIES TO WATCH
- #10 Florida State at #6 Duke
- #20 Georgia at #1 Texas A&M
- #4 Kentucky at #24 South Carolina
- Florida at #2 Arkansas
- #22 Oregon at #9 Oregon State
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