The Basics
Games 1-3
South Alabama Invitational
Oral Roberts (0-0) vs Tennessee Tech (0-0) | Oral Roberts (0-0) at South Alabama (0-0) | Oral Roberts (0-0) vs Radford (0-0)
Dates: February 18-20, 2021
Location: Mobile, Ala. (Stanky Field)
Listen: ORU Sports Network | Watch: ESPN+ (ORU vs. USA)
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3

MOBILE, Ala. – The Oral Roberts baseball team opens their 2022 season on the road in Mobile, Alabama, for the South Alabama Invitational Feb. 18-20 at Stanky Field. The Golden Eagles will face off against Tennessee Tech on Friday, followed by South Alabama on Saturday and Radford on Sunday. 

All three contests can be heard on the ORU Sports Network with Josh Salim on the call and fans can follow along with live stats. Saturday's game against South Alabama will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Important Links
ORU Game Notes
Summit League Notes

Quick Hits     
•  ORU returned to the top of the Summit League last season as they captured their 19th regular season title, finishing with a 31-23 overall record. The Golden Eagles enter the 2022 season in search of their 29th NCAA Postseason appearance and first since 2018.

•  ORU was selected as the unanimous favorite to retain their crown in the 2022 Summit League Preseason Coaches' poll, garnering 36 points and all six of the possible first-place votes they could attain. Hawaii transfer Dustin Demeter and junior Isaac Coffey were named the Preseason Player and Pitcher to Watch for the Golden Eagles as voted on by the league's seven head coaches. The Golden Eagles return 19 letterwinners from a season ago and welcomed 11 talented newcomers to the roster over the offseason. 

•  Last season, the ORU offense led the Summit League in batting average (.285), doubles (100), triples (10), home runs (42) and RBIs (322). The Golden Eagles pitching staff topped the league in ERA (4.40).

• Coffey earned plenty of preseason accolades as the junior was selected as the Summit League Preseason Pitcher of the Year by both D1 Baseball and Perfect Game USA. The Goleta, California, native also garnered Preseason All-American honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Collegiate Baseball. Outfielder Joshua Cox was selected as the Summit League Player of the Year by both D1 Baseball and Perfect Game USA. Brooks Fowler garnered Preseason Summit League Freshman of the Year honors from D1 Baseball.

•  Head Coach Ryan Folmar enters his 10th season at the helm of the Golden Eagles and has compiled 281-190 (.597) overall record and is the reigning Summit League Coach of the Year.

•  In season openers, ORU is 35-18 all-time and 5-4 under Folmar. In neutral site games, ORU is 147-116 all-time and 11-12 under Folmar. Saturday's contest against South Alabama marks the road opener for ORU as the Golden Eagles are 22-31 all-time in such contests. Folmar and ORU have won two straight road openers and are 4-5 during his tenure.

Inside the Series: Tennessee Tech
• Friday's contest marks the first meeting all-time between ORU and Tennessee Tech.
 
• Coming off a 22-25 season in 2021, TTU was picked eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason poll. Head Coach Matt Bragga, who is in his 16th season at the helm, will have to replace three of his top six hitters from a season ago. 

•  Coffey (RHP) will take the bump for ORU in the season opener and will square off against Peyton Calitri (RHP) for TTU. Coffey is coming off a stellar 2021 campaign in which the junior registered a sterling 2.81 ERA en route to a 9-2 record and Summit League Pitcher of the Year honors. Calitri is in his first season with Tennessee Tech after transferring in from Walters State Community College.

Inside the Series: South Alabama
• Saturday's matchup marks the 10th meeting all-time between the Jaguars and Golden Eagles, with South Alabama holding a 5-4 edge in the series history. ORU is making only their second trip to Mobile and first since 2005 when they split a two-game set with the Jaguars.
 
• South Alabama enters this season fresh off their 28th NCAA Postseason berth in 2021 as they totaled a 36-22 overall record en route to a Sun Belt Championship. The Jaguars were picked to repeat as Sun Belt Champions in the league's Preseason Coaches' poll. Head Coach Mark Calvi returns 22 letterwinners, including all five of his starting pitchers from last season's squad.

• Offensively, the Jaguars will be led by the return of shortstop Santi Montiel, who was named to the 2022 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award watch list. The senior has started 132 straight games for South Alabama and finished last season with a .295 batting average to go along with seven home runs and 34 RBIs.

• Oklahoma transfer Ledgend Smith (LHP) will get the nod for the Golden Eagles on Saturday and will be opposed by Matt Boswell (RHP). Smith logged a 3.77 ERA over 14.1 innings pitched in 2021 for Oklahoma, while Boswell finished with a 3-3 record and a 5.07 ERA.

Inside the Series: Radford
• The weekend finale will feature the first meeting all-time between the Golden Eagles and Highlanders.
 
• After finishing last season with a 23-23 overall record, the Highlanders were picked third in the Big South Preseason Coaches' poll. Led by Head Coach Karl Kuhn, Radford returns only one starter from a season ago and welcomes 27 newcomers.

• Shortstop David Bryant will anchor the Highlander lineup after posting a .364 batting average in 2021 to go along with seven homers and 37 RBIs. 

• Senior AJ Archambo (RHP) will close out the weekend on the mound for the Golden Eagles. Archambo totaled a 6.50 ERA in 12 appearances last season for ORU and will be making his sixth career start.


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