Tag: 2022 College World Series

Sooners open College World Series with 13-8 win over Texas A&M

A seven-run second inning and grand slam from Jackson Nicklaus in the fourth propelled the Oklahoma Sooners to a 13-8 win in their College World Series opener over Texas A&M.

Making their first appearance since 2010, the Oklahoma Sooners wasted little time making their presence felt against future SEC foe Texas A&M. The Sooners jumped out quick with a run in the first and seven in the second to go on to a 13-8 victory over the Aggies in game one of the Men’s College World Series.

The Sooners got off to a great start, putting pressure on Texas A&M from the opening frame.

John Spikerman led off the College World Series with a walk. Peyton Graham fought off an 0-2 count to slap a single to right field, moving Spikerman to third.

Blake Roberson followed that up with a fielder‘s choice to short to get the scoring going.

Pitcher Jake Bennett started hot as well, retiring the Aggies in order in the first.

And the the fireworks started. Jackson Nicklaus earned a one-out walk and Kendall Pettis reached on a hit by pitch with two outs in the inning. Spikerman then reached on an infield single before Peyton Graham got the bases loaded walk to make it 2-0.

Robertson singled to score Pettis and Spikerman and Tanner Tredaway drove in Peyton Graham from second.

Still with two outs in the inning and two on, Jimmy Crooks stepped to the plate and crushed a three-run homer to make it 8-0 before the end of the second inning.

Still early in the game the Aggies would get a three-run homer to cut the lead to five.

Heading to the top of the fourth and looking to get some momentum back, the Sooners loaded the bases for Nicklaus who deposited the offering into the right field seats for the grand slam to make it 12-3.

The Aggies again rallied in the seventh off  of David Sandlin for five runs on four hits to make it a 12-8 ball game.

Trevin Michael came in with one out and runners on the corners and allowed both of the inherited runners to score before shutting the door in the seventh. Skip Johnson relied on Michael’s arm the rest of the way as the Sooners’ closer pitched the final 2.2 innings to seal the victory for Oklahoma and put them into the winner’s bracket of the Men’s College World Series.

Michael allowed just one hit and one walk in the 2.2 innings pitch and recorded three strike outs to close the door on Texas A&M.

Starter Jake Bennett pitched six innings, allowing five hits, two of which were home runs, four earned runs, and struck out just three Aggies on the day.

Robertson went 2-for-4 with two walks and an RBI from the lead off spot and Tanner Tredaway was 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored. Oklahoma registered seven RBIs with two outs and forced Aggie pitching to surrender 10 walks on the afternoon.

Oklahoma now awaits the winner of Texas vs. Notre Dame, potentially setting up some Red River drama in the winner’s bracket if the Men’s College World Series.

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Texas’ Ivan Melendez wins the 35th Dick Howser Trophy

Melendez becomes the fourth Longhorn to win the prestigious award presented to the best player in college baseball.

Texas first baseman Ivan Melendez is going to need more space in his trophy room before the season comes to an end. After already taking home Big 12 Player of the Year and plenty of All-American honors, the Texas slugger continues to be recognized for his monster season.

Melendez has been named winner of the 35th annual Dick Howser Trophy, presented to the best player in college baseball.

The “Hispanic Titanic” is hitting .396 with the nation’s best 32 home runs and 94 RBI. He provided excellent defense at first base after strictly playing the designated hitter role in 2021.

Melendez becomes the fourth Longhorn to win the prestigious award along with Taylor Jumngman (2011), Brooks Kieschnick (1992-93) and Scott Bryant (1989). No other program has more than three all-time winners.

Texas is off to the 2022 College World Series for the second straight season with the help of Melendez’s play. The Horns open their trip to Omaha with a matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday night.

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Oklahoma’s Skip Johnson discusses Augie Garrido’s impact ahead of College World Series

“He didn’t talk about winning or losing. He talked about executing.”

Augie Garrido is widely regarded as one of the best to ever fill a lineup card at the college level. Garrido coached a number of great players and assistant coaches during his time at Texas and Cal State Fullerton.

One of Garrido’s assistants, Skip Johnson, is now the manager of the Oklahoma Sooners. He said the following about his experience as Garrido’s pitching coach in the 2009 College World Series:

“We get ready for the first game… he didn’t talk about winning or losing the game. He talked about executing. He talked about getting bunts down. He talked about first pitch strikes. He talked about playing good catch, and we win on a walk off walk. I mean, how does that happen? … It was just about executing your game plan.”

Both the Sooners and Longhorns have overcome adversity with that mindset this season. After a slow start the Sooners are playing as good as anyone. The Longhorns similarly erased what seemed like an insurmountable 7-2 lead against East Carolina last week. They may meet up again at the College World Series.

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Tale of the Tape: Individual Leaders – Notre Dame vs. Texas

Which players do you trust more?

Although Texas has an overall offensive advantage against Notre Dame, some individual leaders on the Irish can boast better numbers. Sure, [autotag]Jack Findlay[/autotag] having the best starter ERA between the two schools is fine, but what do the offensive leaders tell us about how these teams match up? Well, it still isn’t the best news for the Irish, even if [autotag]Ryan Cole[/autotag] has stolen the most bases of anyone in this matchup. Still, they’ve shown so far in this tournament that timeliness matters as much as stats.

The Longhorns have five players on MLB.com’s top draft prospects list. None is ranked higher than first baseman and unquestioned offensive leader Ivan Melendez. After that is left-hander Pete Hansen, arguably their best pitcher. But again, the Irish didn’t make the College World Series without dispatching some of the best potential future major leaguers, which always will show up on the road to Omaha. What’s not to say they can’t do it again?

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas A&M: How to watch, stream, listen, and key players of College World Series opener

The Oklahoma Sooners open the College World Series Friday against the Texas A&M Aggies, and here’s how you can check out the action.

The Oklahoma Sooners return to the College World Series for the first time since 2010. Riding the wave as one of the hottest teams in baseball over the last few months, the Sooners have erupted for incredible offensive performances and received timely pitching from their staff.

On Friday, they take on the Texas A&M Aggies in their opener in the College World Series. The Aggies hold a 42-18 record and went 19-11 in the SEC, finishing atop the SEC West.

The Sooners’ former Big 12 foe and future SEC opponent advanced to the College World Series after winning the College State regional and beating Louisville in the Super Regional, which was also in College Station.

Oklahoma’s road to the College World Series was a little more tenuous. First they advanced through the Gainesville Regional after beating regional host Florida twice. They then went on the road again to face No. 4 seed Virginia Tech and took two of three.

Skip Johnson’s crew has been battle-tested and has faced every situation over the last few months. Their run of five straight series wins, a Big 12 tournament title, and advancing to the College World Series reveals a team that’s been playing their best baseball and shouldn’t be counted out against anyone.

If the Sooners can get solid pitching from their staff, the offense should be able to take care of the rest.

As we get set for the return trip to Omaha, here’s how you can tune into Oklahoma Baseball’s opener against Texas A&M.

  • Date: Friday, June 17, 2022
  • Time: 1:00 p.m. CDT
  • TV Channel: ESPN2
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
  • Radio Broadcast: The game can be heard on 99.3 and 1400 KREF in Oklahoma and nationwide on The Varsity app.

Oklahoma vs Texas A&M

Players to watch:

Oklahoma Sooners

[autotag]Tanner Tredaway[/autotag]: .373 batting average with 9 home runs, 61 RBIs, 17 walks, and 23 stolen bases.

[autotag]Peyton Graham[/autotag]: .336 batting average with 20 home runs, 70 RBIs, 24 walks. and 32 stolen bases.

[autotag]Blake Robertson[/autotag]: .311 batting average with 5 home runs, 48 RBIs, 65 walks, and 12 stolen bases.

[autotag]Jimmy Crooks[/autotag]: .311 batting average with 7 home runs, 45 RBIs, 43 walks, and 10 stolen bases.

[autotag]Kendall Pettis[/autotag]: .279 batting average with 5 home runs, 26 RBIs, 30 walks, and 22 stolen bases.

[autotag]Jake Bennett[/autotag]: 9-3 with a 3.53 ERA, 120 strikeouts in 104.2 innings pitched.

[autotag]Trevin Michael[/autotag]: 4-1 with a 2.94 ERA, 90 strikeouts in 64.1 innings pitched with 10 saves.

Texas A&M Aggies

Jack Moss: .394 batting average with 6 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 27 walks.

Austin Bost: .359 batting average with 9 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 32 walks.

Dylan Rock: .332 batting average with 18 home runs, 61 RBIs, 50 walks. and 16 stolen bases.

Ryan Targac: .298 batting average with 15 home runs, 57 RBIs, 39 walks. and 11 stolen bases.

Nathan Detmer: 5-2 with a 4.75 ERA, 75 strikeouts in 83.1 innings pitched.

Micah Dallas: 6-3 with a 5.40 ERA, 83 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Texas vs. Notre Dame preview for the 2022 College World Series

What to expect in Texas’ College World Series opener vs. Notre Dame.

The No. 9 Texas Longhorns will square off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College World Series on Friday night. Both teams took down a higher-ranked team on the road in the super regionals to punch their tickets to Omaha.

Texas’ season looked all but dead in the seventh inning of game two vs. East Carolina. The Longhorns trailed 7-2 before mounting a historic comeback victory prior to dismantling the Pirates in game three.

Notre Dame was snubbed of a top 16 national seeded and proved the tournament committee wrong in a big way. The Irish swept through the regional round before pulling the upset of the year over No. 1 Tennessee in Knoxville.

Both teams enter with tons of experience and postseason familiarity. Texas appeared in the College World Series last season while Notre Dame was one game away.

Here is a look at the probable pitching matchups along with a few players to watch on both sides.

WATCH: Texas baseball receives proper send-off to Omaha

Fans provided Texas baseball with a proper send-off to Omaha for the 2022 College World Series on Wednesday.

The University of Texas invited fans to UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Wednesday to send off the Longhorns to Omaha for the 2022 College World Series. Continue reading “WATCH: Texas baseball receives proper send-off to Omaha”

Tale of the Tape: Team Stats – Notre Dame vs. Texas

Who do you like in the College World Series opener?

After Notre Dame’s upset of top-ranked Tennessee in the Super Regional, there’s no reason to think it can’t beat anyone. That includes Texas in its first game of the College World Series. Potentially helping the Irish in this particular matchup will be their advantages in pitching, strikeout-to-walk ratio and stolen bases. As we saw against the Volunteers, the hitting also can come alive at any point to make the difference in a game.

Much like the Volunteers, the Longhorns are entering a game against the Irish with substantial advantages on offense. In fact, that lineup is just as much, if not more balanced. Although the Irish are seen as the team with a better pitching staff, the Longhorns are almost as effective in that aspect, which means this game could be more even than anticipated. So pretty much anything could determine whether each team plays the winner or loser of the game between Texas A&M and Oklahoma next.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

How did the Aggies fare against the College World Series field in 2022?

How did the Aggies fare against the seven other College World Series contenders in 2022?

With half of the 2022 College World Series field members of the SEC – all of which residing in the SEC West, ironically enough – one would think the Aggies benefitted in the scouting department. Unfortunately, of the four SEC programs, A&M is the only member school in Bracket #1.

Nonetheless, the Aggies recorded the most wins (6) and share the best winning percentage with Oklahoma (0.60) against the field in their 2022 regular season – albeit facing only one opponent in their current bracket, a 12-9 victory at Texas’ UFCU Disch-Falk Field on March 29th.

As previously stated, with the three remaining SEC schools playing in the SEC West – Arkansas, Auburn and Ole Miss – the Aggies played a best-of-three series against each of them: a 2-1 series loss against Auburn in late March, a 2-1 series win against Arkansas in late April, and a 2-1 series win at Ole Miss in their last regular-season series before the SEC Tournament.

Thus with some unfamiliar faces standing in A&M’s path to the Championship Series, the scouting department will be hard at work, as will the student-athletes learning their opponent, until opening pitch on Friday afternoon as the Aggies take on Oklahoma at 2PM ET on ESPN.

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