The Basics
Games #38
Oral Roberts (22-15, 10-6) vs. No. 14 Oklahoma (29-10, 10-8)
Dates: April 22^nd | 6:30 p.m.
Location: L. Dale Mitchell Park (Norman, Oklahoma)
Watch: SEC Network Plus | LiveStats: StatBroadcast
 
Norman, Okla. - The Oral Roberts baseball team wraps up its nine-game road trip as it heads to Norman to take on Oklahoma for the second and final time in the regular season.
 
The Golden Eagles last took on the Sooners on March 25^th, where they fell by a final score of 11-2.  ORU took the lead 2-0 after one inning of play, but OU scored 11 unanswered to secure the win.  Conner Johnson, who gets the start in this week's game, threw 2.1 innings and gave up three hits, four runs, one walk, and struck out one while picking up the loss the first time around.
 
Oral Roberts is now 5-3 through eight games of the nine-game road trip, most recently taking two of three from the Omaha Mavericks at Tal Anderson Field in Nebraska.  ORU has won three consecutive series and finds itself in sole possession of second place heading into the mid-week.
 
As for Oklahoma, the Sooners just completed a dominating sweep of the Missouri Tigers, outscoring them 46-12 and getting each win in "run rule" fashion.  The successful weekend for OU propelled them back above .500 in SEC play as they sit in a three-way tie for sixth with Georgia and Ole Miss.
 
 
  
Pitching Matchup: 
RHP Conner Johnson (1-3, 9.87) v. TBD
 
 
Inside the Series:
Oral Roberts trails the all-time series 21-16 losing their last two meetings with OU.  Last time out on March 25th, Oklahoma took an 11-2 win over ORU at Chapman Park.  The Golden Eagles have a 6-14 road record with the Sooners and are 4-6 in their last 10 games with the in-state rival.  ORU's last win over OU came on April 30th, 2024 by a final of 3-1 in Tulsa.
 
Quick Hits: 
-            ORU has at least 10 hits in eight of their last nine games, averaging 8.1 runs per game
-           Will Edmunson's hit streak is up to 17 games, the longest of any Golden Eagle in 2025
-           Head Coach Ryan Folmar is eight wins away from the program record
 
Scouting the Opponent:
Oklahoma heads into their second matchup with ORU at No. 14 in the country, moving up four spots from the previous week.  OU comes off a sweep of the Missouri Tigers on the road run ruling over them all three times.  The Sooners outscored Mizzou 46-12 and are getting back over .500 in SEC play at 10-8.
 
Jaxon Willits leads the way in average for the Sooners, batting .345 with nine homers, which ranks second on the team, and 39 RBIs. All-American catcher Easton Carmichael continues to have his way at the plate, leading the team in both homers with 10 and RBIs with 45 while batting .331 and slugging .605.  However, back in March, Carmichael went 0-for-4 against the Golden Eagles.  The OU offense averaged 7.5 runs per game and has hit 50 homers as a team, driven in 272, and is batting .296.  In addition, Oklahoma leads the SEC by a landslide in stolen bases with 96 which ranks 13th nationally.
 
On the bump in their most recent mid-week game against rival Oklahoma State, left-hander Jaden Barfield got the nod, going 2.0 no-hit innings, allowing one walk and striking out two in an 11-1 run-rule victory.  On the season, he's 1-0 with a 4.73 ERA in 13.1 innings.  In the mid-week previous to Oklahoma State, it was righty Reid Hensley getting the start, going 2.1 innings, giving up three hits, two runs, one walk, and striking out four in a 9-1 loss.  In the first meeting with ORU, he appeared out of the bullpen in the first inning and tossed 5.0 scoreless with one walk and three punchouts, his longest outing of the season.
 
In the field, the Sooners are very clean with the baseball sporting a .971 fielding percentage, committing 39 errors and turning 28 double plays this season.  They committed one of those errors at Chapman Park on March 25th, over the weekend, and they recorded two against Mizzou.
 

For the latest information on ORU Baseball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.