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Oklahoma Baseball: Testing Your Sooner Diamond IQ

By Chip Rouse

Mar 27, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; The Oklahoma Sooners cheerleader perform during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans in the semifinals of the east regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Carrier Dome. Michigan State won 62-58. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; The Oklahoma Sooners cheerleader perform during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans in the semifinals of the east regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Carrier Dome. Michigan State won 62-58. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oklahoma baseball is making its strongest case to prove the experts wrong this season by racing out to a 21-4 record ahead of Big 12 conference play.

The Sooners made it 22 wins on Friday, the most among teams from major conferences, with an 11-3 road victory over Baylor in their conference opener. For more than half the contest, however, the game appeared to be going in quite the opposite direction.

Oklahoma put itself in jeopardy right from the opening pitch. Sooner starter Dylan Grove walked the bases loaded before getting the first out, and Baylor put up a two spot in the opening frame. OU managed just two hits over the first five frames and trailed the hometown Bears 3-1 entering the sixth.

That’s when things turned drastically in the Sooners favor. A pair of home runs by corner outfielders Steele Walker and Blake Brewster produced four runs in the sixth, and OU added two more in the seventh and four in the ninth to win going away.

More from OU Baseball

It was the 12th time this season that the Sooners have scored 10 or more runs.

The sixth inning is turning out to be the inning to be feared by Sooner opponents. Oklahoma has scored 36 times in the sixth frame this season, eight more than in any other inning.

Here are a few more fun facts that might help explain why the 10th-ranked Sooner baseball squad is off to one of their best starts in years:

  • Starting pitcher Jake Irvin leads all NCAA Division I hurlers with 5 wins and no losses this season.
  • The OU offense is one of the hottest things going currently in college baseball. The Sooners rank sixth in the nation with 265 hits through 26 games.
  • Those 265 hits have produced 197 runs, first in the Big 12 and fifth best in the country.
  • As a team, Oklahoma his hitting .309 to lead all Big 12 teams. That ranks 31st in the nation.
  • OU pitching has been doing its part, as well. Sooners pitchers have a combined earned run average of 2.61. That leads the Big 12 and ranks ninth in the nation.
  • The Sooners have 10 triples this season. That ranks first in the Big 12 and 10th in the country.
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