Sooners rolling after 46-run series at Kansas
NORMAN — The OU baseball team won all four of its games last week.
After a comeback win over Wichita State on Tuesday, the Sooners took a three-game road sweep against Kansas over the weekend. OU has won its last five contests by an average margin of 9.2 runs.
Here are three takeaways from last week's action.
Muniz sparks comeback against Wichita State
Diego Muniz wasn't fazed by the Shockers.
After watching Wichita State score three runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 5-2 lead on Tuesday, Muniz stepped up to the plate in the bottom half of the frame. OU had the bases loaded with no outs when the redshirt junior delivered a spark his team needed.
Muniz connected on a LJ McDonough pitch and sent a line drive through the heart of Wichita State's defense.
Shortstop Andrew Stewart laid out in an effort to snag the ball, but it narrowly eluded his glove and bled into the outfield. Two runners scored to trim the deficit to 5-4, and OU kept rolling.
The Sooners erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to help secure a 9-5 victory. Muniz finished with three RBI and a run on 1-for-4 hitting.
Don’t steal from Jimmy Crooks
Despite what his last name may suggest, Jimmy Crooks doesn't support thievery.
The redshirt sophomore catcher proved that during OU's 7-6 win over Kansas on Saturday. In a game that took 14 innings to decide a winner, Crooks
kept the Sooners on top by throwing out three would-be base stealers.
The final attempt came from Kansas' Maui Ahuna, who tried to steal second in the bottom of the 10th inning. Crooks rifled the ball over to Jackson Nicklaus, who made the tag before Ahuna could get a hand on the base.
OU won on Saturday thanks in part to a three-run burst in the top of the ninth inning to force extras. Tanner Tredaway then hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 14th frame to bring Peyton Graham home for the game-winning run.
But Crooks' efforts behind the plate didn't go unnoticed. The Euless, Texas, native has caught 10-of-24 attempted steals this season, and each base-saving play on Saturday was crucial.
OU holds hitting clinic in Kansas series finale
Wallace Clark found some open real estate. Kansas held a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on Sunday when Clark connected on a pitch from Ryan Vanderhei.
The shallow shot looked to be catchable, but it instead dropped between a pair of Jayhawk players in right field for an RBI single that brought in two runs. It was that kind of a day for Kansas. OU could do no wrong at the plate in its 24-4 victory. It marks the most runs the Sooners have scored in a game since their 27-7 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Feb. 22, 2011.
Blake Robertson racked up six RBIs and four runs on 2-for-3 hitting. Graham recorded four RBIs and four runs on 3for-4 hitting. Tredaway tallied four RBIs and two runs on 4-for-6 hitting.
OU now ranks third in the Big 12 in runs scored this season (279).