Sooners' tourney hopes take blow in loss
As the long line drive landed in the Oklahoma bullpen, the hope of an NCAA Tournament bid faded for the Sooners.
OU's 15-3 seven-inning loss to TCU on Thursday in the Big 12 Baseball Tournament not only eliminated OU from the competition for the conference title, but it likely ruined the Sooners' chances of making the NCAA Tournament. Just don't try to tell them that.
“If we're truly the Big 12, then we'll get in because we're the No. 2 conference in the country,” Sooners coach Skip Johnson said. “… It's not about how you finish because this day and age is a reset age. It's just different.”
OU (33-23) will find out for sure during the selection show on Monday.
If the Sooners are not chosen, their season essentially ended in the fourth inning of Thursday's game
at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
TCU senior Josh Watson's grand slam to right field extended the Horned Frogs' lead to eight runs with no outs in the fourth. It also inspired a Sooners pitching change. Watson had already scored
TCU's first run of the game after leading off the fourth inning with a double.
But the Horned Frogs (3025) were far from finished. In the fourth inning alone, TCU scored 14 runs on 11 hits, including three home runs. TCU broke Big 12 Tournament records for runs, hits and RBI (14) in a single inning. It also tied the high mark for home runs and at-bats (15).
The Sooners made two pitching changes in the inning, but after starting pitcher Nathan Wiles stepped down from the mound, Levi Prater gave up two singles and a tworun home run. Wyatt Olds finally retired the side, but not before Adam Oviedo hit a tworun triple off him.
“I probably can't tell you what I said to the guys,” Sooners senior Blake Brewster said of the mood in the dugout. “At that point, it's about pride, it's about attitude, it's about playing for the jersey on your back. If you can play up 24 runs, you should be able to play down 24 runs.”
The Sooners were the first to score Thursday, with a little help from TCU's defense in the top of the second inning. Sooners sixhole hitter Brady Harlan crossed first base ahead of second baseman Austin Henry's throw, but Henry still tried to flip the ball to pitcher Charles King as he sprinted across the field to cover first.
Henry's errant throw bounced off King's glove. The Sooners' Tyler Hardman, who led off the inning with a single, took advantage of the error to advance to third. Conor McKenna stepped up to the plate next and poked a sacrifice fly out to right field to give OU a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the inning, Wiles retired the side in order. He threw three scoreless innings before allowing nine runs without an out in the fourth.
“He's going to make those mistakes,” Johnson said, referring to the 0-2 pitch that Watson hit for a double. “Then (he) didn't forgive himself.”
TCU's 12-run lead after the top of the seventh inning triggered the run rule and cut the game short.
“We've still got a decent shot of getting into a regional,” OU senior Brylie Ware said. “So, we've just got to go out and hopefully perform.”