Sooners fall short in Frisco Classic championship game
The Sooners had the guy they wanted at the plate.
OU trailed Ohio State by three runs in the ninth inning of the Frisco College Baseball Classic's championship game Sunday when Dakota Harris walked up to the plate. The Sooners trailed by as many as six runs but made a late push thanks in part to Harris, who had two RBIs to his name.
OU had a runner on second base with two outs as Harris battled to a 2-2 count.
Ohio State pitcher Landon Beidelschies went into the motion and placed a fastball in the top-left corner of the strike zone. Harris made contact, but he watched as the fly ball fell into the glove of right fielder Mitchell Okuley for the final out.
That sealed a 12-9 loss for OU, which finished 2-1 in the tournament. And while the Sooners fell short in the title game, they held their heads high as they left Frisco, Texas.
“I think the biggest thing I got from this tournament is that we have fight," OU head coach Skip Johnson said after the loss. "Even when we were down six runs today, we fought back and gave ourselves a chance to win. When you have a team that fights back, that's all you can ask for.
"All you can ask them to do is give effort. I was really proud of our team, because they gave a good fight.”
Top player this week
Dakota Harris, SS: The Polk State transfer earned the Frisco College Baseball Classic's Most Valuable Player award. Harris posted a .588 batting averaging in OU's three tournament games and recorded six RBIs along the way.
Stat to know
4: The Sooners hit four home runs in their three Frisco College Baseball Classic games. OU only had four home runs to its name in its eight games prior
to the tournament.
Jackson Nicklaus finds his rhythm at the plate
Jackson Nicklaus confidently waved his bat back and forth as he got settled at the plate.
After hitting a two-run home run in the previous inning, Nicklaus looked to deliver once again in the fifth inning of OU's game against California on Friday. The Sooners trailed 4-3 with a runner on second base.
Cal pitcher Chris Stamos sent a fastball toward the plate, and Nicklaus sent it soaring over the fence in right field for another two-run homer. OU never looked back as it ultimately earned a 9-5 win.
Nicklaus caught fire in the Frisco College Baseball Classic. The sophomore second baseman batted .385 with four RBIs and six runs.
Easton Carmichael catches fire vs. Mississippi State
Freshman catcher Easton Carmichael hadn't hit a home run yet in his college baseball career.
But he knew it when he saw it. OU and Mississippi State were scoreless in the bottom of the second inning Saturday when Carmichael connected on a pitch and sent it into left field. Rather than sprinting to first base, he paused for a brief moment and watched the ball clear the fence with ease.
The three-run home run kicked off OU's 15-9 win over Mississippi State, and it highlighted a dominant outing by Carmichael. He went 3 for 4 at the plate to finish with five RBIs and two runs.