What to watch as OU hits home stretch
NORMAN — Blake Robertson sees nothing but opportunities ahead for the Sooners.
The redshirt sophomore is a driving force at the plate for an OU baseball team that hopes to gain some ground as it enters the home stretch of its regular season.
After being picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 preseason poll, the Sooners are sitting in fifth place in the conference standings with 14 games remaining.
At 25-14 overall and 7-5 in the Big 12, the Sooners are projected to make the NCAA Tournament field as one of the last handful of at-large teams, according to Baseball America and D1Baseball.com.
“I think it’s still wide open,” Robertson said. “I think we have a good couple of weeks to end it on a good note. You never know. I think if we keep playing well and get into the Big 12 Tournament, anything can happen.”
Here is a look at five key things to watch in the next four weeks:
Pete Hughes’ return to Norman
OU is hosting a three-game series against Kansas State from Friday through Sunday.
The Wildcats are coached by Pete Hughes, who served as the Sooners’ head coach from 2014-17. He led OU to a 127-105-1 record and one NCAA Regional appearance before resigning in June 2017.
Hughes became Kansas State’s head coach in 2019.
This weekend’s series marks his first time back in Norman.
The Wildcats are 21-19 (3-9 Big 12) this season and a combined 90-82 during Hughes’ time at the helm.
OU will host Kansas State on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Robertson’s hot hitting
Robertson has emerged as OU’s best hitter in his first season with the team.
After making stops at Oklahoma State and Cowley College, the 6-foot-5 infielder has found a home in Norman. His hitting percentage of .388 ranks sixth in the Big 12, and his on-base percentage of .519% ranks second.
Robertson was electric during last week’s road series against Kansas.
He went 11-for-17 at the plate and finished with 11 RBIs and eight runs scored.
“I feel like I’m in a pretty good rhythm,” Robertson said. “I just try to do my job of getting on base whether that’s getting walked or hitting the ball hard in play.”
Robertson’s hot streak at the plate has helped turn OU into one of the better hitting teams in the conference. The Sooners have a .291 batting average, which ranks third in the Big 12.
Who will emerge as OU’s ace?
No pitcher in the Big 12 had a hotter start than Jake Bennett this season.
The redshirt sophomore entered Big 12 play with an 0.90 earned-run average. But he has since allowed 28 hits and 17 runs in 24 innings.
Bennett (3-2) now has an ERA of 3.68, which is still good for seventh in the conference.
OU is hoping Bennett can return to form down the stretch this season, but there are other candidates for the team’s top pitcher.
Chazz Martinez has established himself as a reliable option in his first year with the Sooners. In his last four appearances, the redshirt sophomore has only allowed five hits and one run in six innings.
Martinez (3-3) has a 4.34 ERA, which ranks 12th in the Big 12.
The Sooners are searching for a leader on the mound.
OU ranks sixth in the conference in team ERA (5.25).
OU’s fielding
Fielding issues have been a reoccurring theme for the Sooners this season.
OU has 46 errors, which is second to Kansas State in the Big 12. The Sooners also have the second-lowest fielding percentage (.968%) in the conference.
Despite leading OU in home runs (10) and slugging percentage (.643%) this season, Peyton Graham has struggled with his glove. The redshirt sophomore infielder is tied for a team-high nine errors. Redshirt freshman Cade Horton is in the same boat. He has also committed nine errors this season, which is tied for the fourth-highest total in the Big 12. More road tests for the Sooners The home stretch of OU’s regular season includes a tough road series against TCU from May 6-8.
The Horned Frogs (27-14, 12-6 Big 12) sit atop the conference standings, and they’ve won their last six matchups with the Sooners. OU’s last win against TCU came on April 5, 2018.
Tough road tests are nothing new for the Sooners this season. The three Big 12 teams that OU has or is scheduled to host this season (Baylor, Kansas State and West Virginia) have a combined record of 66-54.
Then there are the Sooners’ road/neutral games. Those five conference foes that OU has or is scheduled to face (Texas, OSU, Texas Tech, Kansas and TCU) have a combined record of 132-79.
“You’ve got to take it series by series,” OU head coach Skip Johnson said. “If you’re going to preach about a winning standard, we have to take it pitch by pitch.”