Oklahoma baseball's Skip Johnson named Big 12 Coach of Year
By Chip Rouse
Oklahoma baseball head coach Skip Johnson is the 2024 Big 12 Coach of the Year, and five Sooner players have been named to the All-Big 12 first and second teams.
Johnson, who is in his sixth season as the Sooners' head coach, led Oklahoma to its first regular-season Big 12 championship and its first conference title since 1995. OU enters the Big 12 Championship this week as the No. 1 seed, and on Monday the Sooners moved into the top 10 of the D1Baseball.com poll for the first time this season at No. 8
In addition to their head coach, three Sooners earned 2024 All-Big 12 First-Team honors and two others were named to the second team. Senior infielder Michael Snyder, sophomore designated hitter and catcher Easton Carmichael and sophomore starting pitcher Braden Davis were named to the All-Big 12 First Team.
Senior OU outfielder Bryce Madron and sophomore pitcher Kyson Witherspoon we, re second-team selections, and freshman shortstop Jaxon Willits was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team.
A transfer from Washington, Snyder led the Big 12 in conference play with a .408 batting average. For the year, he hit .354 with 10 home runs, a team-best 22 doubles and 53 RBI.
Carmichael played in all 52 regular-season games and started in 51 for the Sooners, led the conference in Big 12 play with 52 hits, 39 RBI and four triples.
Davis, a transfer from Sam Houston State, led the Big 12 with a 7-1 record in conference games and finished the season with six consecutive Friday wins. He was twice named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week this season.
Six additional Sooners were named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention: senior utility player Anthony Mackenzie, junior catcher Scott Mudler, junior infielder Jackson Nicklaus, junior outfielder John Spikerman,senior relief pitcher Carter Campbell and freshman infielder Willits
Oklahoma's three first-team selections led all Big 12 teams and the Sooners five selections on the all-conference first and second teams tied for the third most in program history.