It is that most sacred and hallowed time of year again. The time of year where the sun is shining, gloves are snapping and aluminum bats are clinging.
Well… at least two of these were true this past weekend when the Oklahoma Sooners opened up their baseball season at home against Lehigh, where despite the 40 degree temperatures, the Sooners' offense caught fire and stayed blazing for the entire series, scoring a collective 36 runs, while the Sooners' pitching staff held the Lehigh bats to seven runs over 24 innings, with two of the three games ending in the seventh and eighth innings because of run-rules.
Let us take a walk out to the mound to take a closer look at how the Sooners' pitching staff faired against the Lehigh lineup.
Game 1
Oklahoma 11, Lehigh 3
Kyson Witherspoon took the mound for the Sooners to start the season and seemed to pick up right where he left off from a strong performance last season. Witherspoon pitched five innings, giving up two earned runs on two hits, while walking two and fanning nine, however his pitch count was a little elevated, needing 90 pitches to get through those five innings.
James Hitt took the ball after five and worked the next two innings, allowing just two hits and walking one while striking out a trio and clocking a batter with 38 pitches.
Michael Catalano came in to finish off Lehigh while facing six batters and allowing no hits, runs or walks, and struck out four with 29 pitches.
Collectively, the Sooners' pitching staff allowed two earned runs on four hits, while walking only three and striking out 16 in Game 1.
Witherspoon claimed the win for the Sooners, bringing his record to 1-0 to start the season.
Game 2
Oklahoma 13, Lehigh 3 (8 innings)
Cameron Johnson took the hill for the Sooners the second game of the Valentine's Day doubleheader. Johnson pitched five innings, allowing two runs on two hits, however he seemed to struggle with his control, walking five and fanning a trio with one wild pitch. He needed 71 pitches to get out of five innings.
Cade Crossland took the ball from Johnson and worked the next two innings. Crossland allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out two with 29 pitches.
Reid Hensley took the ball from Crossland, and was asked to pitch only one inning thanks to the run-rule coming into play in the eighth inning. Hensley allowed one run on two hits, with no walks and struck out two on just 11 pitches.
The Sooners' bats made sure it was a Valentine's Day of broken hearts for Lehigh, and the Sooners' pitching staff did their part by allowing only three runs on five hits, walking six and striking out seven, with Johnson earning the win in Game 2.
Game 3
Oklahoma 12, Lehigh 1 (7 innings)
Malachi Witherspoon, twin brother of Kyson Witherspoon, took the bump for the Sooners on Saturday for another game that, thanks to another run-rule, lasted only seven innings.
Witherspoon worked five of those seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits, walking two and fanning six with 76 pitches.
Gavyn Jones and Jason Bodin worked the last two innings, collectively allowing only one walk and striking out a trio between the two of them. Jones tossed 12 pitches, while Bodin threw 21.
The Sooners' pitching staff allowed only one run on three hits while giving a free pass to three Lehigh batters and striking out six through seven innings.
The Sooners' bats caught fire early and did not cool off for the three-game set, while the Sooners' starters and bullpen did such a good job holding Lehigh to such low scoring, that two out of the three games were called early due to run-rules.
What's next
The Sooners will play UT Arlington at Globe Life Field (home of the MLB's Texas Rangers) in a mid-week game on Wednesday before traveling to Round Rock, Texas for the Round Rock Classic, where they will face off against Minnesota on Friday, Oregon State on Saturday and Virginia on Sunday.