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.