Tag: Skip Johnson

Oklahoma Sooners absent from preseason baseball Coaches Poll

Oklahoma Baseball absent from initial preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

Baseball is almost here for Skip Johnson’s crew. As he gets ready to coach his sixth year as the head man in charge of the Oklahoma Sooners, he will do so with his squad unranked to start the season.

The USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll was released on Tuesday, and Oklahoma is noticeably absent from the mix. The Sooners weren’t even receiving votes.

Wake Forest opens the season at No. 1 with a loaded roster headlined by first baseman Nick Kurtz, a projected top 10 pick in June’s 2024 MLB Draft.

TCU, Texas, and Texas Tech are the only three Big 12 schools in the initial top 25. Kansas State is receiving the most votes of anyone not in the top 25. With a hot start, the Wildcats are poised to enter the mix early.

Oklahoma will look to return to the NCAA Tournament after they were ousted by the No.12 team in the preseason poll, East Carolina, to end their 2023 season.

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted shortstop Dakota Harris in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft and he will be missed. Harris started 46 games last year and led the Sooners with a .328 batting average and clubbed seven home runs, 12 doubles, and 48 RBIs. He also scored 27 runs, drew 19 walks, and was 6 for 9 in stolen bases while posting a .516 slugging percentage and a .403 OBP.

Pitching was a significant problem for Oklahoma last year. Skip Johnson and his staff went into the transfer portal to rectify it. They added multiple talented arms from programs across the country, headlined by redshirt freshman Austin Henry, who has the talent to be a weekend starter and future MLB draft pick.

Oklahoma will start its season on February 16 in Arlington, Texas, against Oregon. That weekend, they’ll also play No. 8 Tennessee and Nebraska as part of the Shriners Children’s College Baseball Showdown.

A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:

Rank Team Points
1 Wake Forest 751 (15)
2 LSU 731 (11)
3 Florida 727 (5)
4 Arkansas 672
5 TCU 643
6 Vanderbilt 576
7 Oregon State 543
8 Tennessee 529
9 Clemson 484
10 Texas A&M 468
11 Virginia 431
12 East Carolina 391
13 Texas 381
14 Duke 351
15 North Carolina 342
16 North Carolina State 289
17 Alabama 197
18 UC-Santa Barbara 187
18 Coastal Carolina 187
20 Iowa 186
21 South Carolina 169
22 Texas Tech 157
23 Stanford 121
24 UCLA 80
25 Northeastern 71

Others Receiving Votes

Kansas State 65; UC Irvine 51; Oregon 42; Oklahoma State 41; Auburn 35; Southern Miss 21; Dallas Baptist 21; Troy 19; Ole Miss 16; Florida State 13; UNCW 12; Arizona 10; Oral Roberts 9; Indiana State 8; Connecticut 7; USC 6; Georgia 6; Campbell 6; Kentucky 5; West Virginia 4; Indiana 4; Georgia Tech 4; Maryland 3; Hawaii 3

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Brent Venables feels Skip Johnson deserves the credit for ‘2 Sport U’

The Sooners uniquely signed two players who will also be playing baseball but how does that work?

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a history of players playing multiple sports. The most notable one, of course, is [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], who played football and baseball.

Murray became the first player drafted in the first round of both the [autotag]NFL[/autotag] and [autotag]MLB[/autotag] draft. He ultimately decided on a football career. In the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag], the Sooners have two more who are set to play both sports. [autotag]James Nesta[/autotag] will play linebacker for the football team and will pitch for the baseball team. [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] will play running back and then, most likely, in the outfield.

But this wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for the plan in place that [autotag]Skip Johnson[/autotag] has. He’s been through it with Murray and knows how to make this work. It was his plan that both Nesta and Tatum have talked about as to why they chose Oklahoma.

Brent Venables talked about how this plan came to be. “I wouldn’t say it’s as much as me. Skip and the baseball team is willing to do it,” Venables said. “I think the attractiveness of how well our baseball program has done. The history, the tradition, certainly they did a great job of selling those things. I think that attracted them as much as anything. That combination of the excellence of Oklahoma football and what it’s represented and the excellence of baseball. I personally don’t think we would have gotten either one of them had the football been a powerhouse and excellent and had the history and tradition and then the baseball program stunk. I don’t think we would have gotten either one of those guys.”

It’s a testament to how good of a job Johnson has done since taking over. It’s also why Oklahoma has become “2 Sport U.”

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

One of North Carolina’s best, James Nesta, signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma is getting not only a talented linebacker but Oklahoma’s baseball team is also getting a stud pitcher with James Nesta signing.

When the dust settles on the signing periods this cycle, Oklahoma will have not one but two athletes on its football team who also will play baseball. One  hails from North Carolina. [autotag]James Nesta[/autotag] is a dynamic two-sport star who will make his home on the Oklahoma football team as a dynamic linebacker.

On the diamond, he’s a pitcher who could one day be drafted, but for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], he’ll join a loaded linebacker room led by [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]. Nesta stands 6 feet, 5 inches, and his Hough High School team possessed a fearsome defense partly due to his ability to play in space as a traditional linebacker and on the edge, rushing the passer.

With the depth in Oklahoma’s linebacker unit, Nesta will likely not see the field much in Year 1, but he should be able to learn and grow plenty.

Nesta is the first prospect from North Carolina Venables has signed since taking over the program. However, Nesta will not be the last due to how fruitful North Carolina was to Venables during his time at Clemson.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Kyler Murray encourages Taylor Tatum after commitment to OU football and baseball

Former Sooner and two-sport star Kyler Murray encouraged Taylor Tatum after the five-star running back’s commitment to Oklahoma.

“Two-sport U” has made a couple of splashes in the 2024 recruiting cycle with the commitments of James Nesta and, most recently, Taylor Tatum to Oklahoma football and baseball.

On Friday, Tatum, the No. 1 running back in the nation and a 247Sports composite five-star player, pledged to the Sooners’ 2024 recruiting class, choosing OU over USC.

Sooners baseball coach Skip Johnson’s success working with the football team to manage the schedule of a former two-sport star had to play a big role in earning Tatum’s commitment. It certainly helps that he boasts a recent trip to the College World Series championship.

Oklahoma’s most notable two-sport star, Kyler Murray, took to Twitter on Saturday to encourage Taylor Tatum after his commitment, saying, “Great choice, play both for as long as you can! Boomer!” He also shared a hand emoji representing the sign for “I love you.”

Kyler Murray was the No. 1 pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. Prior to that, the Oakland Athletics took him No. 9 overall in the 2018 MLB draft.

Like Murray, Tatum’s speed kills on the gridiron and is a terror on the basepaths. He’ll certainly be someone that provides ChaOUs for both Brent Venables and Skip Johnson. All that’s left to do is get him signed and on campus and let his athleticism do the rest.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Nation’s No. 1 running back prospect Taylor Tatum chooses Oklahoma over USC Trojans

Oklahoma lands 15th commit in 2024 recruiting class as elite running back Taylor Tatum commits to the Sooners over the USC Trojans.

The Oklahoma Sooners and running backs coach DeMarco Murray picked up another big-time recruiting win, earning the commitment of Taylor Tatum. Tatum is the No. 1 running back in the nation and a composite five-star prospect, according to 247Sports. Tatum committed to Oklahoma on Friday morning over Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans.

With his commitment, Tatum becomes the highest-rated recruit in Murray’s coaching career. The Sooners have been involved in a highly contested recruitment that has spanned well over a year. While Oklahoma wasn’t always considered the leader throughout, Murray and the Sooners staff remained steady in their pursuit of Tatum as he played out the process.

Oklahoma entered the race last summer by offering him in June. Tatum had a highly productive junior season where he was named Texas District 7-5A D-I Overall MVP, rushing for 1,891 yards and 33 TDs on 8.33 yards per carry. He also caught three touchdowns to help his Longview squad to a 14-1 record and the Texas 5A D-I state semifinals.

With his junior season behind him, Tatum’s recruitment took off. On April 24, he announced a top seven list of Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, Texas A&M, Georgia and Texas.

Around that time, Michigan already had several predictions in its favor.

Eventually, the recruitment whittled itself down to the Sooners, Trojans and Wolverines. Official visits to Oklahoma, Michigan and USC came and went. All three schools sold Tatum on playing football and baseball. A significant factor in his recruitment was his ability to play both sports. He patrols the outfield or can slide down and play second base.

As the calendar turned to July, Oklahoma and USC stood tall as the final two.

Oklahoma surged in his recruitment, and predictions from insiders at 247Sports, On3 and Rivals overwhelmingly favored the Sooners. But it was the Sooners that closed it out. In doing so, Murray and Skip Johnson landed one of the best three-sport stars in the country. In addition to football and baseball, Tatum also stars for his track squad, winning district and area meets in the 200 meters.

By landing Tatum, Murray gets a three-down back capable of hitting the home run and one unafraid of getting behind his pads and fighting for the dirty yards. In contrast, Skip Johnson gets a dynamic athlete capable of roaming the outfield like former Sooners quarterback [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag].

Gabe Brooks of 247Sports had this to say in his evaluation of Tatum.

Enters senior campaign as an elite running back prospect in the 2024 cycle. Catalog of physical tools and play style should fit myriad offensive schemes. Projects to the high-major level as an eventual impact starter with a long-term ceiling as a possible NFL Draft early-round candidate. – Brooks, 247Sports

Now that Oklahoma has landed Tatum, the Sooners have passed rivals Texas and Nebraska in recruiting for 2024. Oklahoma sits 16th in the nation in team recruiting rankings.

Tatum’s commitment also makes him the highest-rated recruit for Oklahoma’s class, overtaking a spot held by four-star wide receiver Zion Kearney.

The work is not done for Murray. Next up in the 2024 recruiting cycle is four-star running back Caden Durham. Durham is set to commit on Aug. 25, choosing among Oklahoma, LSU and Texas A&M.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1367]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Oklahoma baseball earns pair of commitments over the weekend

The transfer portal continues to be kind to Oklahoma as they land two commitments over the weekend.

Skip Johnson has been busy since Oklahoma’s season ended in Charlottesville, Virginia. The portal and high school recruiting have been highly advantageous to the Sooners this summer, and Johnson continues to reap the benefits from both.

While Sooner fans were head over heels after elite tight end prospect Davon Mitchell chose Oklahoma this weekend, the Sooners baseball team also landed new talent.

Jacob Lapham, formerly of Hudson Valley Community College in New York, committed to the Sooners. Lapham is another pitcher to add to the Sooner’s mix. He earned all-conference honors this past season as a starter.

It remains to be seen if he’ll start at Oklahoma. However, someone that can start or work in long or middle relief is always valuable for the college baseball grind.

Staying on the diamond, Johnson deviated from his run on pitchers to add Carter Frederick. Frederick is a massive bat from Snead State, where he posted an NJCAA-best .493 batting average with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs. He swiped seven bags for good measure and was named ACCC-North Player of the Year.

Snead is a physically imposing player, standing 6 feet, 4 inches and more than 215 pounds. He likely slots as a middle-of-the-order bat to add some much-needed pop to an Oklahoma team that finished tied for 210th nationally in home runs with 47 in 60 games. His on-base percentage is a few ticks shy of .600. Needless to say, Frederick’s addition to this Sooner lineup will be very welcome.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=701601166]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Sooners receive another prediction for 2024 5-Star RB Taylor Tatum

Just a few days after receiving his fifth star from 247Sports composite rankings, Oklahoma received another prediction for Taylor Tatum.

Just a few days after Taylor Tatum received his fifth star in the 247Sports composite, Oklahoma received another prediction for the running back.

Still, there’s no date for a commitment, but this has long felt like the Sooners are going up against the USC Trojans.

At one point, it felt like a commitment could pop at any moment, with a number of predictions rolling in from each of the three major recruiting services. But the Sooners continue to wait for Tatum to announce a date or make his pledge known.

On Sunday, the Sooners received another prediction in their favor from On3 national host Josh Newberg. That brings the Sooners’ probability of landing Tatum to 66.4%, according to On3. Oklahoma is also the heavy favorite according to Rivals and 247Sports.

Tatum is a player they don’t mind waiting for. He’s too talented to move on from at any point.

Waiting is the hardest part. However, this is the new world order for  Oklahoma recruiting. Brent Venables encourages players to take all of their visits before committing, so it’s going to make the process play out a little longer. Especially for some of the top players in the recruiting class. They are players teams just don’t give up on easily. The top teams in pursuit will not slow their recruitment until the paperwork is faxed in.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what your recruiting class is in July. What matters is how it finishes come signing day.

One thing is for certain, DeMarco Murray and the baseball staff led by Skip Johnson have done an incredible job recruiting the talented two-sport athlete.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1367]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Transfer portal is helping fill Oklahoma’s pitching holes

Skip Johnson has wasted little time fortifying his pitching staff after a 2023 season in which Oklahoma ranked No. 151 in team ERA.

Oklahoma’s 2023 season was a rough one. Fresh off their trip to the final of the 2022 College World Series, the Sooners came into the 2023 season looking for similar success. Sure, they lost a lot of guys to the draft and graduation, but it’s hard to imagine that the returning players felt that they couldn’t make a run to the College World Series again.

However, titles aren’t decided on paper. Aside from a mid-season run, Oklahoma started the season flat and fizzled out early in the Big 12 tournament. The Sooners snuck into the NCAA tournament as the second-to-last tournament team. They bowed out after losing two games in the Charlottesville regional.

The constant in almost every loss for the Sooners this year? Pitching.

Oklahoma’s pitching from the beginning of the season to the end never really held up its end of the bargain. Oklahoma finished the season No. 151 nationally in team ERA allowing 5.95 runs per game. Seven of the eight finalists that made it to Omaha this season were in the top 50 in team ERA.

Pitching is the great equalizer; it can fill in many gaps for teams and propel them to new heights.

Skip Johnson and the Sooners coaching staff has made a concerted effort this offseason to add to their pitching staff, landing five transfer pitchers to Oklahoma’s roster for next year.

Oklahoma landed a pair of transfers from Wichita State in Jace Miner and Austin Henry, JUCO transfers Malachi and Kyson Witherspoon, and a recent commitment from Texas Tech transfer righty Brendan Girton.

Oklahoma saw firsthand what Miner and Girton could do as both pitched against Oklahoma this season. Girton pitched four innings of one one-hit ball with four strikeouts in April. Miner faced Oklahoma three times in 5.2 innings of work, allowing zero runs.

Henry may have the highest ceiling. He was a top 75 prospect out of high school. His pedigree is incredibly impressive. He could eventually be a weekend starter at some point next season.

The Witherspoon twins feature nice repertoires and will be essential options for the staff. Both throw low to mid-90 fastballs.

Oklahoma’s only way to continue to push forward as a baseball program, especially as they prepare to move to the SEC, is to construct the caliber of rosters the SEC has.

Three of the eight teams to make it to Omaha this season were from the SEC. The championship series features LSU and Florida. Both teams are potent offensive juggernauts but remain balanced with top 50 pitching and MLB quality arms in the rotation and out of the bullpen. Oklahoma’s blueprint to success is right in front of them.

Skip Johnson sees it. And if this summer is any indication, Johnson is determined to turn a weakness into a strength.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Oklahoma Sooners land Wichita State transfer RHP Austin Henry

Oklahoma landed transfer right-handed pitcher Austin Henry from Wichita State today.

Oklahoma’s baseball team will have a bit of a Wichita State feel next season. Recently, the Sooners landed a commitment from Jace Miner to bolster their ranks. Now the Sooners added their second transfer from the Shockers on Thursday afternoon as right-handed pitcher Austin Henry committed to Oklahoma.

Henry hails from South Dakota but spent his first year at Wichita State. He was the No. 1 player in the state according to Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report. Perfect Game had him tabbed as the No. 72  recruit nationally and the No. 20 right-handed pitcher in the country.

He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs over 215 pounds. In high school, he was South Dakota’s first-ever Perfect Game All-American and was selected for the 2021 Perfect Game All-American Classic. Perfect Game also listed him as the top recruit joining the American Athletic Conference in the fall of 2022.

Henry’s redshirt year comes after Tommy John’s surgery in 2022 and should have him ready to start for Oklahoma next spring. He entered the transfer portal after some coaching changes at Wichita State. There’s tremendous upside with this commitment, and paired with the pledge of James Nesta, it gives the Sooners two high-ceiling arms that could headline their rotation over the next few years. Both players have professional aspirations.

From a scouting perspective, Henry’s fastball was sitting comfortably in the low to mid 90’s. That velocity could see a notable uptick as he gets stronger and in a collegiate strength and conditioning program. His curveball may be his best pitch, with spin rates over 3,200 RPMs. Pairing the two together and finding another secondary pitch to keep hitters off balance should be next in his evolution as a pitcher.

Skip Johnson has been a busy man as he continues to make sure Oklahoma’s pitching woes from the 2023 season aren’t a problem he has to sweat next year.

[lawrence-auto-related count=2 category=701601166]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Oklahoma’s pitching staff gets boost with commitment of James Nesta

In addition to his prowess on the football field, the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team got a gem with the commitment of James Nesta.

Oklahoma found themselves a gem from the Tarheel State when they landed two-sport athlete James Nesta earlier this week.

It’s a win for Oklahoma on the gridiron as they landed their first linebacker of the 2024 class. Nesta has exceptional versatility where he can play in space as an off-ball linebacker or rush the passer off the edge. He stands 6-foot-4 and could be a candidate to play cheetah in Brent Venables’ system.

As a junior last fall, Nesta was credited with 41 tackles, including 13 for loss and nine sacks. He also had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The draw of learning from Brent Venables helped the talented four-star linebacker choose OU over UNC and Miami. It wasn’t his only reason for picking Oklahoma, though.

Nesta’s ability on the diamond is special in its own right. Nesta has played baseball virtually his whole life. For his high school and travel ball teams, he pitches and plays in the outfield. Nesta’s value to the Oklahoma baseball program over the next three years will be because of his right arm. Perfect Game named Nesta a preseason underclassman second-team All-American for the summer baseball circuit. The Oklahoma commit plans to battle with his South Charlotte Panthers squad this summer.

Nesta has a fastball that has been clocked as high as 94 MPH. That’s incredibly impressive for a high school pitcher heading into his senior year. It’s something that head baseball coach Skip Johnson and his staff will dream of all summer. His fastball’s velocity will improve with dedicated time in two different strength and conditioning programs, along with his body maturing with age.

Nesta also features promising offspeed offerings that will also continue to improve. Lowering his arm angle would help with his command, which he’s worked on diligently over the last year. Oklahoma’s pitching was a significant thorn in their side in 2023. Johnson has already added to his staff with the transfer commitment of Jace Miner from Wichita State, so adding Nesta feels like a cherry on top.

If Nesta blossoms and shines as a pitcher, Venables may have to have some tough conversations. An arm with the possibility to throw triple digits is a money maker in the MLB and something many scouts will be monitoring going forward as Oklahoma enters the SEC next season. Either way, you slice it, Oklahoma athletics is better after having landed James Nesta. Now we wait and see how and where he shines brightest.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.