Oklahoma Baseball: Sooners Ready for Super Regionals Slugfest With Virginia Tech

OU and Virginia Tech will battle with a best-of-three series this weekend with the winner advancing to the College World Series in Omaha.

Two wins away from Omaha.

That’s where Oklahoma (40-21) stands heading into this weekend’s Super Regionals date with the No. 4 Virginia Tech Hokies (44-12) in Blacksburg, VA.

But, while this run has been certainly memorable, the Sooners are nowhere near satisfied just yet.

“I think everything is starting to click right now,” shortstop Peyton Graham said this week. “That’s why we’re hot, I guess you could say. But I mean, this team, it’s unbelievable what we’ve done so far and hopefully we can continue being good.”

Oklahoma, who was picked just sixth in the Big 12 preseason poll, is one of just 16 teams remaining in the chase for a national title.

Very few expected the Sooners to be standing two wins away from the College World Series, but that is more than fine for a club that has used doubt as fuel all season long.

“We’ve kind of been doubted the whole season,” left fielder Kendall Pettis said. “We were supposed to be picked behind Kansas State and a lot of teams in the Big 12. Nobody expected us to be here. So we’ve always had that chip on our shoulder.”

After several weeks of offensive play that would stack up right with any other team in the country, the OU pitching staff has found its stride at the right time as well.

David Sandlin :: Cyndi Chambers / USA TODAY NETWORK

Now, the two sides feed off of one another with an offense that knows it’s pitchers will throw zeroes on the scoreboard and a group of arms that know they will get run support - creating a lethal combination for the Sooners moving forward.

“Yeah I think that's (pitching success) the biggest thing,” head coach Skip Johnson said. “I think a lot of it is our offense, too. Because they (pitchers) don't have to go out and worry about being perfect. They can go out and just make pitches. We talk about taking it one pitch at a time, all the time. And they get better every week. That's been the biggest key is just trying to get better every week. Day in and day out because baseball can be a cruel game at times. What you want to do is try to get better at it and maintain your confidence.”

“Oh it’s unbelievable,” Graham said about the pitching as of late. “They get up a zero and we come back in the dugout and get a little momentum on our side. And then start free swinging.”

Right at the center of Oklahoma’s success have been three freshmen seemingly unbothered by the moment or pressure of postseason baseball.

Second baseman Jackson Nicklaus, third baseman Wallace Clark and right fielder John Spikerman have all become mainstays in the OU lineup despite still being in the midst of their first collegiate seasons.

“I think that's the thing where we talk about growing as a team and those guys growing up in a game where you look at (Jackson) Nicklaus, and you look at (Wallace) Clark, and you look at (John) Spikerman and what they've done ... it's really special,” Johnson said. “They're really sophomores now. They've played enough games now through the fall and in the spring. They understand what we are trying to go through. (Jackson) had a tough week. Then he gets a big hit that ends up being the game winner. Rolls over a ball in the four hole. He's had a great year. Wallace Clark is like maybe one of the unsung heroes. It really helped us getting Cade (Horton) putting him on the mound. Really getting him to focus on pitching and Cade has gotten better every week. I'm really proud of what he's done and the work he's put in.”

Despite working out of the bullpen closing out Monday night’s regional final against Florida, the expectation is for left-hander Jake Bennett to still take the mound in Friday’s opener against Virginia Tech.

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How to Watch:

• Oklahoma vs. Virginia Tech: Friday, 2:00 p.m., ESPN2
• Oklahoma vs Virginia Tech: Saturday, 11:00 a.m., ESPNU
• Oklahoma vs Virginia Tech: Sunday, TBA (If-Necessary)

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Bennett, who has been the OU ace from beginning to end in 2022, will be looking to build on another rock solid weekend in Gainesville.

“It's just like a bullpen for him,” Johnson said about Bennett pitching in Monday night’s game. “If we're having a short week like he did at (Texas) Tech his bullpen would be on Monday. In his bullpen we throw 35-40 pitches and he threw 28 (on Monday). It's a little more intensity probably so I ask him ... he's not sore (but) we'll see what happens. Right now we're sticking with it and if something changes it changes. We're not really naming a starting pitcher yet so I think that's the biggest thing.”

The Sooners will certainly need all hands on deck this week as they turn their attention to a Hokies team that has put together a special season of their own.

Virginia Tech has proven to be one of the truly elite offensive teams in the country, batting .313 as a whole - good enough for ninth-best in all of college baseball.

“They’re (Virginia Tech) really offensive,” Johnson said. “They've been in the top-10 the last month, month and a half but I know they are really good at what they do. Well coached and it'll be a good test for us.”

In addition to facing an obviously talented Hokies squad, the Sooners will also be stepping into yet another hostile environment in Blacksburg.

But, after a weekend in Gainesville with rowdy Gators fans, Oklahoma feels like they are ready for the challenge once again.

“That gives us a lot of confidence,” Pettis said about the Florida wins. “But we still have that chip on our shoulder. We always see stuff on social media that we’re still the underdog. But we want that. We don’t want anyone to bandwagon us. We’re trying to be the guys that people are doubting on. So, we like that. That’s what gives us confidence and energy.”

Kendall Pettis :: Cyndi Chambers / USA TODAY NETWORK

“We really enjoy going into these type of situations and hearing these fans talk crazy. We like that, that gives us energy. So being able to shut those guys up and go out and dominate is just what we live for.”

“I feed off of the trash talk,” Graham said. “It means you’re good when they’re (opposing fans) talking trash. I take it as a compliment and just roll with it.”

Johnson said that “everybody” is healthy going into the weekend for the Sooners, with the players knowing they’ll need to dig deep for another high-pressure weekend of baseball.

While the assumption is the weekend rotation will stay the same as it has been with Bennett on Friday followed by David Sandlin on Saturday and Cade Horton on Sunday, Johnson did not rule out using Horton earlier in the series if the situation called for it. 

“It just depends on what the game shows you and tells you what to do,” Johnson said. “He’s (Horton) thrown in the back end for us, he’s started for us. So, whatever we can do to try to win the baseball game, we’re going to do it.”

First pitch of Game 1 of the best-of-three Super Regionals series between Oklahoma and No. 4 Virginia Tech is set for 2 p.m. CT at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park in Blacksburg and will be broadcast on ESPN2.