Baseball comes out of the weekend still undefeated

Michelle Nehrenz

Number 39, Jake Fisher, throws a pitch to home plate against Hofstra Feb. 15.

The No. 18 Oklahoma baseball team used a similar script to remain perfect in this weekend’s Kleberg Bank College Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas, as it did against Hofstra last weekend.

In the Sooners’ wins (9-0) against Iowa, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and New Mexico — by the scores of 3-1, 4-2 and 10-8, respectively — they relied on solid starts from junior pitchers Dillon Overton and Jonathan Gray and late-inning heroics from the heart of the lineup.

Overton improved to 3-0 and lowered his ERA to 0.56 by tossing eight innings of shutout ball against Iowa. He allowed seven hits and struck out nine batters on 96 pitches, 70 of which for strikes.

Gray (2-0, 1.98 ERA) reached the seven-inning mark he failed to hit last weekend. Against Texas A&M Corpus Christi, he threw seven innings, allowed one run on four hits and struck out six batters.

If Gray struggled anywhere, it was with his accuracy at times. He walked four batters, and 61.8 percent of his 102 pitches were for strikes.

In the weekend finale against New Mexico in a game in which every OU pitcher allowed at least one run, the Sooners relied on their bats to stay out of the loss column. OU collected a season-high 14 hits, including two home runs, and scored five runs in the first inning and its final five runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

Junior designated hitter/first baseman Matt Oberste — who went 5-for-12 with five RBIs in the Classic — hit his third home run of the season, and senior shortstop Jack Mayfield hit his first home run of the year in Sunday’s victory.

Mayfield’s three-run homer came in the bottom of the eighth inning when the Sooners trailed, 8-7, and was the key hit in the comeback effort.

OU returns to Norman for a three-game set against Pepperdine starting Friday at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Jono Greco

Jono Greco, journalism graduate student, is the assistant sports editor for the Spring 2013 semester. This is his seventh semester on staff, previously working on the sports desk as the football and baseball beat reporter, as well as multiple other sports beats. He served as copy chief during the Fall 2012 semester.

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