OU outfielder Kyler Murray is trying to regain his baseball form.

Kyler Murray isn’t used to struggle.

Growing up starring in both football and baseball, Murray was mostly dominant.

At Allen (Texas) High School, he became the first player ever to earn Under Armour All-American honors in both sports.

But the last few months have been a bit different from what he’s used to.

Murray, who will compete with Austin Kendall to become Baker Mayfield’s backup at quarterback for the Sooners football team, is making his return to baseball as well.

Murray and the Sooners begin the season at 4 p.m. Friday at home against Long Beach State.

“The first two weeks, when we were just inter squadding with the guys out here — no coaches — it was kind of a struggle,” Murray said. “It was hit here, hit there but not many at first. Not many hard-hit balls, but now I feel good at the plate.”

Murray didn’t play baseball at his first collegiate stop, Texas A&M, but he got in the batting cage as much as possible before transferring to OU a little more than a year ago.

Being away from competitive sports for any length of time was not something Murray was used to.

“I was used to playing and scoring touchdowns or (hitting) home runs or whatever,” Murray said. “And not being able to do that for a year was humbling. You just really get to sit back and work on your game, so not only does it hurt, but at the same time I understood what I was getting myself into when I transferred.”

Murray is adjusting to the outfield after playing in the middle infield as a high schooler.

“With the wind, it’s not easy,” Murray said. “A lot of people say that you go to the outfield and just run and go get a ball, but it’s still not that easy. But the more you practice it, the more you see it, that’s just the biggest thing.”

Early in OU’s five-inning scrimmage Wednesday, Murray tracked down a ball to the gap.

“He wouldn’t have got to that ball two weeks ago,” Sooners coach Pete Hughes said.

Hughes has experienced what it’s like to have a talented player return to baseball after some time away. Last season, Cody Thomas returned to baseball after a year off to focus on his football career.

Thomas started slowly, but by the end of the season, he was one of the best hitters in the Big 12.

“Great athletes keep making adjustments to get to the level of play, and Kyler’s done that,” Hughes said. “He’s a completely different player in three weeks’ time, and he’s got a game-changing tool, which makes up for a lot of things.”

That tool is Murray’s speed.

“He’s our fastest football guy, and we’ve got him running around here,” Hughes said. “It’s awesome to watch. We just can’t wait for it to translate, and every day he’s making a jump.”

Hughes said Murray’s speed is something he’d only seen once on a baseball field, when he coached against North Carolina State and Trea Turner.

Turner finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting last season and hit .342 with 33 steals last season for Washington.

“I’m not saying Kyler (is like Turner), but the speed is very similar,” Hughes said. “Now we’ve just got to get the game instincts similar, and that comes from playing time.”