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Oklahoma baseball: Sooners still have much to play for in final Big 12 series

By Chip Rouse

Riverside baseball player Aaron Aguilar, one of the team's top batters, outfielder and pitcher Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at the high school baseball field in El Paso.MAIN_Riverside Aaron Aguilar 001
Riverside baseball player Aaron Aguilar, one of the team's top batters, outfielder and pitcher Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at the high school baseball field in El Paso.MAIN_Riverside Aaron Aguilar 001 /
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Oklahoma baseball enters its final weekend of the 2021 regular season with the possibility of finishing anywhere from fifth to ninth in the Big 12 standings.

The Sooners (25-25, 9-12) travel to Waco, Texas, for a three-game series with Baylor, which sits one game ahead of OU at 10-11 and in fifth place in the conference standings. OU must win at least two of the three games to avoid finishing  with its worst conference record since 2014, when the Sooners were 8-16.

Oklahoma leads the all-time series with Baylor, but only narrowly, 50-46. In the Big 12 era, though, Baylor leads the series 32-31. The two teams have already played once this season, in the final game of the Round Rock (Texas) Classic, with OU prevailing 9-3.

The Sooners and Bears have split six games in Oklahoma last two visits to Waco.

Baylor has won five of seven Big 12 series this season and is 22-4 overall at home in 2021. The Sooners have a better road record this season in conference play (5-5) than at home (4-7).

Led by junior first baseman Tyler Hardman, the Sooners have been a strong hitting team all season. Their problem has been on the mound, where their pitchers have allowed an average of six runs through 50 games. That figure is up to seven per game in Big 12 play.

What is keeping Oklahoma’s head above water — or, at least at water level — this season is a .290 team batting average, third best in the Big 12 and a run total (350) that also ranks third in the conference. Hardman leads the Sooners and the Big 12 with a .399 average through all games.

Five things fans should know about this series

  • Both teams come into the final weekend of the regular season with some momentum. Oklahoma has won two of its last three Big 12 series. Baylor has won four of its last five series against conference opponents.
  • Oklahoma has outscored opponents in the last seven innings of games this season by a total of 78 runs. When leading after six innings, the Sooners are 20-1 this season.
  • Junior first baseman Tyler Hardman and redshirt freshmen Peyton Graham and Jimmy Crooks have all hit 10 home runs for the Sooners this season. Oklahoma’s home runs this season is the most by an OU team since 2010.
  • Offensively, OU ranks 11th nationally in hits (504), 12th in doubles (103) and 12th in walks (253), but also 16th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.5).
  • In two of his last two appearances, OU senior reliever Jason Ruffcorn has pitched more than six innings in relief, winning both games. He made his first career start last weekend at home against seventh-ranked Texas Tech, going six innings and allowing seven runs on five hits while striking out nine. He was not the pitcher of record in that game, but the Sooners won 9-8 in 10 innings.
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