ARLINGTON, Texas – For the first time in nine years, the Big 12 trophy is in Norman.
After beating Kansas State on Saturday to advance to the title game, Oklahoma was looking to finish the perfect week in Arlington against rival Texas in the Big 12 game on Sunday night.
The No. 3 Sooners would really do it and will definitely do so, beating the 5 Longhorns 8-1 at Globe Life Field to win their first crown of a conference since 2013.
Cade Horton received the ball for Oklahoma and was one of the most important stories of the day for the Sooners.
Making only the seventh start of his career, Horton blinded with 5.1 innings, allowing only two hits and one run, while destroying nine Longhorns.
“Since last week at Texas Tech, I felt out of control,” Horton said after the game. “So this week I told myself I would be myself. I will keep my emotions under control and I will just treat them like a visor. And I just hit the targets and whatever happens. there and do it. “
Horton’s only escape came on the first hit, with a Texas slagger Ivan Melendez made a home run in the center of the right to give UT a quick 1-0 lead.
But while in the Oklahoma attack the first six fighters will be withdrawn to start the game, the OU bats will explode in the third.
In one inning, Sooners fans may soon forget Skip JohnsonThe club’s snatched eight series without recording any.
The first came to a beautifully executed game of kick and run, with Kendall Pettis hit one across the left side to mark the run Jackson Nicklaus from second base.
Once OU grabbed the lead Brett Squires gets in the way of an obstacle at home, John Spikerman would add with smoky RBI double on the right field to make 3-1.
Glowing red Tanner Treadway then put two runs two batteries later, separating with charged bases to make the game 5-1.
“It takes a lot of pressure from everyone, especially when he (Treadway) is playing the way he is,” Graham said. “I think it gives everyone in the lineup and in the bullpen the initial application, it gives them a lot of confidence to go there and do what they do.”
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Then the biggest blow came the next striker with a catcher Jimmy Crooks spray the home run with three runs to the right field to make the score 8-1 Sooners.
“I think the biggest thing for us in every game is that you try to get the momentum as early as possible,” Johnson said.
“It goes on and on. We kept it on our side (tonight).”
Although the Sooners’ attack didn’t add more runs after their spectacular third inning – there was no need for that.
After Horton left in sixth, lefty Chaz Martinez entered the game with a ball, recording the next eight outs without allowing a single shot to send things to nine.
“I thought he (Martinez) was exceptional in the field for sure,” said Johnson. “There’s no doubt about that.”
Here, OU closer Trevin Michael finished work with zero nine inin to sign the deal for the victory.
“I love this team,” said Michael. “I’ll only be here this year, but it was a lot of fun. These guys definitely showed me how to play Sooner baseball.”
The victory moved Oklahoma to 37-20 and headed to the NCAA tournament next week, continuing its series as one of the hottest teams in college baseball
“That’s exactly what we’ve been doing all season,” Treadway said. “I think we came back from where we were at the beginning (of the season) and finished how we did, it just did everything for us. I’m so excited about these guys and we’re all so excited about each other. “
Sooners will now await their fate on Monday’s election show, where their regional designation and schedule will be revealed.
Although we still don’t know Oklahoma’s opponents, we do know that OU will not host a regional tournament and play away next week, as the 16 home teams were unveiled earlier Sunday night.
“I’m not upset that I’m not the host,” Johnson said. “We can’t control this. All we can do is go out and play good baseball.”
“Wherever we land, we land. We are proud to get the opportunity to go out and play with anyone, it doesn’t really matter. “
The NCAA Baseball Choice Show is scheduled for Monday at 11 a.m. CT and will air on ESPN2.