In its last two SEC series, Oklahoma has averaged nearly 12 runs per game. The Sooners are going to need to have another strong offensive series at No. 10 Georgia this weekend when they go up against one of the top run-producing teams in the SEC.
After averaging 15 runs a game in a series sweep over Missouri last weekend and moving up four spots to No. 14 in the D1Baseball Top 25, Oklahoma scored just three times in a Tuesday night loss at home to Oral Roberts.
The Sooners (29-11, 10-8) head back out on the road for the second straight weekend for a three-game SEC series against Georgia, a team that is 24-2 at home this season. The Bulldogs, who are tied with Oklahoma and Ole Miss for sixth place in the conference standings, are the fourth ranked team the Sooners have faced in seven SEC series.
Oklahoma takes on No. 10 Bulldogs in SEC baseball series
OU has won four of its last five games. Georgia, on the other hand, is looking to snap a four-game losing streak, including being swept at No. 19 Vanderbilt last weekend. Vanderbilt is the only common opponent thus far on Oklahoma and Georgia's schedules. The Sooners took two of three from the Commodores at L. Dale Mitchell Park earlier this month.
Interestingly, Oklahoma has a better road winning percentage this season at 8-4 than at home at 10-8.
Despite both teams having a College World Series history, Oklahoma and Georgia have never competed against each other on the baseball diamond. The Sooners have made 11 CWS appearances and captured two national titles. Georgia has been to the CWS six times and has one national championship. This weekend will mark a historical first for both programs and be OU's first trip to Foley Field in Athens, Georgia.
The series at Georgia will run Thursday through Saturday, starting a day earlier than normal.
The series opener on Thursday is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CT. Game 2 on Friday is at 5 p.m., and the series finale on Saturday is set for an early 11 a.m. start.
Thursday's game will be on ESPNU. The game on Friday will be available on SEC Network+, and Saturday's game can be viewed on SEC Network.
What fans need to know
Oklahoma
- The Sooners are averaging 7.5 runs a game and have outscored their opponents 299-179 this season.
- Junior outfielder Trey Gambill leads OU in hitting with a .336 batting average, with sophomore shortstop Jaxon Willits a close second at .333. Easton Carmichael is the team leader in home runs (10) and runs batted in (45).
- Oklahoma's plate discipline has been one of the best in the nation. The Sooners rank 35th in the country, averaging 5.6 walks drawn per game. Against SEC opponents only, OU is No. 1 in the SEC with 103 walks drawn. Redshirt sophomore Sam Christiansen is 17th in Division I baseball with 40 of the team's 103 walks drawn.
- OU pitching ace Kyson Witherspoon will draw the starting assignment for Thursday's series opener. The junior right-hander has a 7-2 record and 2.48 ERA. His seven wins in 10 starts are tied for first in the SEC and rank eighth nationally. His 84 strikeouts are third-best in the SEC.
Georgia
- Georgia has slugged 105 home runs as a team this season, which leads the nation. Four Bulldog hitters have at least 10 home runs this season, led by Ryland Zaborowski with 17 and Robbie Burnett with 16. Both players have also driven in 55 runs.
- The Bulldogs rank in the top five in the SEC in total bases (2nd, 827), runs (2nd, 8.9 per game), slugging percentage (3rd, .574) and at-bats (1st, 1,440).
- Georgia will honor its 1990 national championship team during the game. That was the school's only national title in baseball.
- Georgia sits at No. 10 in the D1Baseball Top 25, but the Bulldogs are No. 1 in the NCAA baseball RPI rankings, which is a prime measurement tool for determining seeding for NCAA postseason play. Oklahoma is No. 28 in RPI.
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