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OU Baseball: Oklahoma Rides Heat-Throwing Ace to Open Weekend with a Victory

Kyson Witherspoon overpowers Minnesota as Sooners post 3-2 win at the Round Rock Classic.

Guerin Emig

Oklahoma pitcher Kyson Witherspoon
Oklahoma pitcher Kyson Witherspoon / Olivia Raymond/For the Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kyson Witherspoon was dominant for the second time in as many starts, and Oklahoma rode its ace pitcher to a 3-2 victory over Minnesota Friday to open the weekend’s Round Rock Classic just outside Austin. 

The right hander struck out a career-high 12 over seven innings, allowing one run and three hits with no walks, one week after he opened OU’s season with a 9-strikeout show against Lehigh. 

The 4-0 Sooners didn’t swing it as well as they did in their season-opening sweep, mustering five hits while stranding eight runners, but stayed in front after the one mistake Witherspoon made. 

Minnesota (1-3) jumped ahead when Josh Fitzgerald deposited a home run over the left-field wall leading off the bottom of the first. 

Witherspoon didn’t blink. He retired the next 13 Gophers he faced, six via strikeout, before Parker Knoll singled with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

Knoll reached third on a stolen base and wild pitch, but Witherspoon struck out Jameson Martin and Charlie Sutherland swinging to protect OU’s 2-1 lead. 

The Baseball America preseason All-American then struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth to tie his career high with 11 Ks. Number 12 came in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and the tying run at second base, as Knoll swung through a fastball to keep the score 2-1.

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Knoll was the final Minnesota starter who Witherspoon hadn’t fanned. That taken care of, Witherspoon gave way to his bullpen to hold a 3-1 lead.

OU relievers Jamie Hitt, Michael Catalano and Dylan Crooks labored in the bottom of the eighth as Minnesota pulled within 3-2, but second baseman Kyle Branch’s lunging two-on, two-out stab preserved the lead. 

Crooks gave up a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth, but then earned the save by retiring Knoll and pinch-hitter Kris Hokenson on back-to-back fly-outs to left fielder Brandon Cain. 

OU tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth when Branch dropped a two-out single into left field to plate Trey Gambill, who was in scoring position after being hit by Minnesota starter Cole Selvig to start the inning. 

The Sooners took the lead in the top of the fifth when Sam Christiansen’s two-out, two-strike single scored Jason Walk. Walk’s double led off the inning and helped chase Selvig. Christiansen’s go-ahead single greeted Gophers reliever Will Whelan. 

OU added what turned out to be the game-winning run in the eighth when Whelan balked in Jaxon Willits with the bases loaded. 

Branch’s clutch at-bat was magnified by OU’s missed opportunities up to that point.

Dawson Willis struck out looking with bases loaded to end the top of the first.

Dasan Harris’ first hit of the season was a two-out double in the top of the second. He would have scored OU’s first run of the game moments later, but Fitzgerald made a diving catch of Walk’s fly ball to right field to end the inning.

Easton Carmichael walked with one out in the top of the third, but was caught stealing to halt that threat. 

OU continues the event Saturday at 4 p.m. against No. 7 Oregon State. The Sooners are expected to face Beavers pitcher Dax Whitney, a freshman who OU coah Skip Johnson warns can hit 100 mph on the radar gun. The Sooners are planning to throw Malachi Witherspoon.

OU concludes the weekend Sunday at 4 p.m. against No. 2 Virginia.

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Guerin Emig
GUERIN EMIG

Guerin is a 25-year Oklahoma sports journalist. He spent the bulk of that time with the Tulsa World, where he partnered with Sooners On SI publisher John Hoover on the OU beat before eventually becoming a columnist. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Christy, his sweetheart from Booker T. Washington's Class of ‘86.

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