The complete 2021 Oklahoma baseball season preview

A complete preview with everything you need to know for the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners baseball season.

The longest offseason in the history of college baseball has finally come to an end. The season is here, we have made it all the way back.

The sport was canceled a year ago right when it was just starting to really get going in early March. So fans, players, coaches and media have all waited over 11 months for it to finally return and that time has mercifully arrived.

College football made it through their season, and it looks like college basketball is on track to do the same. So, there is obvious optimism that baseball will follow in that same path, albeit with inevitable game cancellations and hiccups along the way.

Few teams have had a more tough pill to swallow with the way last season ended than Oklahoma. The Sooners for all the world looked to be a legitimate contender in 2020, led by a weekend rotation that was simply performing at an absolutely elite level.

But now, those three guys are gone. Cade Cavalli, Levi Prater and Dane Acker are all off to begin their professional careers and leave Oklahoma with an unfortunate case of wondering what could have been. But, despite losing those three big pieces, the team does still bring lots of production back and features the talent to once again compete at the highest level in 2021.

“The 2020 season got cut a little short,” head coach Skip Johnson said at preseason media day. “We had a really good team last year. Going into the season, we’re just really thankful for the opportunity to get to play this spring.”

Johnson enters his fourth season as the head coach of the Sooners, which will begin with a double-header against Wichita State on Saturday in Round Rock, Texas.

While the sting of last year won’t go away for Oklahoma and the fans for a long time, there are loads of reasons to be excited about the team this season. Here is everything you need to know about the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners baseball team ahead of the new campaign beginning this weekend.

Oklahoma’s Jason Ruffcorn, Peyton Graham named to preseason All-Big 12 team

Oklahoma relief pitcher Jason Ruffcorn and third baseman Peyton Graham were named to the preseason All-Big 12 team on Wednesday.

It has been a good week for Oklahoma relief pitcher Jason Ruffcorn and third baseman Peyton Graham.

Just two days after they were both named preseason All-Americans by D1Baseball, Ruffcorn and Graham were both selected to the preseason all-Big 12 team on Wednesday.

Ruffcorn looks to be absolutely set up to have a fantastic season for Skip Johnson and company. After showcasing himself well last season, there is a lot of reasonable buzz around what he could be in 2021 as the expected anchor of the Sooners bullpen.

On the offensive side of things, Graham is a quickly rising star for Oklahoma. He burst onto the scene as a freshman a year ago, making an immediate impact and being one of the team’s best offensive players in the short amount of time they were able to play before the season cancellation.

The season is set to start just a hair over three weeks from now, with the Sooners hosting Southern at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Feb. 19th.

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Oklahoma’s Jason Ruffcorn, Peyton Graham named preseason All-Americans by D1Baseball

Oklahoma’s Jason Ruffcorn and Peyton Graham were named preseason All-Americans on Monday by D1Baseball.

College baseball is set to begin its season in just over three weeks, and the preseason selections are starting to pour in. On Monday, D1Baseball released their preseason All-American teams with two Oklahoma players making the cut.

Relief pitcher Jason Ruffcorn was named to the first team with third baseman Peyton Graham getting a third-team selection.

Ruffcorn was simply dominant in his time with the Sooners last year before the season was shut down. In eight innings, he struck out 12 batters while only allowing three hits and no runs. Getting five saves in the process, he will slide right back into the closer role for the team in 2021.

Graham is coming off of a freshman season where he certainly turned heads in the games that they got in before the shutdown. In 18 games played, Graham hit .358 with an on-base percentage of .457. He also hit three home runs with 10 runs batted in while playing a very solid third base as well. He has all the makings of a potential star for Skip Johnson in the years to come.

Oklahoma opens their season at home against Southern on Feb. 19th.

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