Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma Baseball: Sooners’ Winning Ways Will Be Severely Tested at TCU

By Chip Rouse

Jun 19, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; The TCU Horned Frogs acknowledge their fans after the defeat against against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Vanderbilt defeated TCU 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; The TCU Horned Frogs acknowledge their fans after the defeat against against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Vanderbilt defeated TCU 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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After winning seven of its last nine games – all but one of those games at home – the Oklahoma baseball team heads south this weekend for a giant road test at TCU.

The Sooners (18-15-1) began their Big 12 season with three consecutive losses at conference-leading Texas Tech, but since that time they have captured series wins over Texas and Baylor in consecutive weeks.

Now comes a much sterner test against No. 9-ranked TCU (24-8). The Horned Frogs, who currently sit second in the league standings, three and a half games back of Texas Tech, swept all four games with Oklahoma last season, including three played in Norman.

Despite TCU’s mastery over the Sooners, winning six of the last seven, OU holds a 57-29 advantage in the all-time series. Since the Horned Frogs joined the Big 12 Conference, though, they have won five of nine conference games against the Sooners and are 6-5 over OU overall.

Although Oklahoma has been on the short end of the score the last couple of seasons in games against TCU, 10 of the last 13 games between the two schools have been decided by two runs or less.

OU shortstop Sheldon Neuse has been on a terror in the batter’s box this season, leading the Sooners with a batting average of .385 and a slash line of .385/.493/.689 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage). His versatility also extends to the pitching mound, where he owns a 3-1 record as a relief pitcher for the Sooners.

Left-fielder Hunter Haley, this week’s Collegiate Baseball News’ National Player of the Week, and middle infielder Jack Flansberg, each have four home runs and are tied with Neuse with 24 runs batted in.

Haley has gone 9 for 19 (.473) with 13 RBI in his last five games, four of them Oklahoma wins.

The TCU pitching staff is holding conference opponents to a .251 batting average, while the Horned Frogs hitters are second-best in conference games with a .329 average. The Horned Frogs have doubled the Sooners in runs scored with 68 in their nine conference game, compared to 33 by Oklahoma in the same number of games.

The top two hitters in the Big 12 (in conference games only) wear TCU jerseys: sophomore Austin Wade, hitting .471, and just two tenths of a point back is junior Elliott Barzilli, hitting .469.

A pair of freshman are scheduled to take the hill for both teams in the first two games of the series. The Sooners will go with right-hander Ryan Madden (1-2, 3.60 ERA) in Friday’s game and righ-hander Chris Andritsos (4-2, .270) on Saturday. TCU will counter with right-handed hurler Luken Baker (2-1, 1.79) on Friday and southpaw Daniel Horton (5-0, 2.08) in the second game on Saturday.

The starting OU pitcher for the series finale on Sunday has not been announced.

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