Oklahoma Sooners: Cody Reine
Triple option: OU bats must wake up again 
June, 11, 2012
6/11/12
8:00
AM CT
By
Jake Trotter | ESPN.com
Every weekday morning, a member of the SoonerNation gives his take on three things happening in the Sooner sports world.
1. The OU bats picked the worst time to completely disappear. Maybe the rain delay will give the Sooners time to refocus at the plate. The pitching, especially Jonathan Gray, has been terrific in Columbia. But with Gray, Dillon Overton and Jordan John having already thrown through 1 1/2 games, the Sooners will have to wake up at the plate to have a realistic chance of emerging out of South Carolina. The Sooners started slow offensively in the Charlottesville Regional last weekend, only to explode to carry OU through the loser's bracket. With sluggers like Matt Oberste, Max White and Cody Reine, the Sooners are capable of getting hot in a hurry, even against South Carolina. But they are running out of time.
2. During his caravan stops, Bob Stoops was noticeably forceful in answering questions about suspended receivers Jaz Reynolds and Trey Franks. "(They) have been removed from scholarship and we aren't counting on any of them," Stoops said. Anything is possible, but it doesn't sound promising we'll see either Reynolds or Franks in a Sooners uniform this season -- and maybe again.
1. The OU bats picked the worst time to completely disappear. Maybe the rain delay will give the Sooners time to refocus at the plate. The pitching, especially Jonathan Gray, has been terrific in Columbia. But with Gray, Dillon Overton and Jordan John having already thrown through 1 1/2 games, the Sooners will have to wake up at the plate to have a realistic chance of emerging out of South Carolina. The Sooners started slow offensively in the Charlottesville Regional last weekend, only to explode to carry OU through the loser's bracket. With sluggers like Matt Oberste, Max White and Cody Reine, the Sooners are capable of getting hot in a hurry, even against South Carolina. But they are running out of time.
2. During his caravan stops, Bob Stoops was noticeably forceful in answering questions about suspended receivers Jaz Reynolds and Trey Franks. "(They) have been removed from scholarship and we aren't counting on any of them," Stoops said. Anything is possible, but it doesn't sound promising we'll see either Reynolds or Franks in a Sooners uniform this season -- and maybe again.
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OU faces tough test in streaking Gamecocks
June, 8, 2012
6/08/12
4:15
PM CT
By
Jake Trotter | ESPN.com
The last time South Carolina lost a postseason baseball game?
Go back to the opener of the 2010 College World Series, when Oklahoma prevailed over South Carolina 4-3. The Gamecocks bounced back to eliminate OU in extra innings, and haven’t looked back. South Carolina went on to win back-to-back national championships, and last weekend ran its unprecedented NCAA tournament-winning streak to 19 games by sweeping the Columbia Regional.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, OU will get another crack at the Gamecocks in Game 1 of the Super Regional, which will be televised on ESPNU. Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. on Sunday on ESPNU, and the if-necessary game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday and would be televised by ESPN2.
“I think that streak is outstanding,” said OU coach Sunny Golloway. “It’s long and I think that we need to have something to say about it.”
The winner of the USC-Oklahoma super regional will earn a trip to Omaha for the College World Series, which get started June 15, and will face the winner of the Florida-N.C. State super regional.
First, OU will have to get past arguably the most dominant program of the last decade. The good news, however, is that the Sooners are red-hot after going through the loser’s bracket to capture the Charlottesville Regional. After dropping the opener to Appalachian State after a rain delay, OU came back to beat Army, host Virginia and Appalachian State twice.
To end the conference season, the Sooners also swept national seed Baylor and advanced to the Big 12 tournament championship game before losing by a run to Missouri.
“Oklahoma has been hot down the stretch,” South Carolina associate head coach Chad Holbrook told a local radio station this week. “They’ve always pitched extremely well. I don’t think they swing the ball from an offensive-numbers standpoint like Appalachian State, but that doesn’t mean they can’t hit. They have some guys that we played against in Omaha a couple of years ago still on the team. They’re going to have some experience.”
One of those guys is outfielder Cody Reine, who propelled the Sooners to Omaha in 2010 with four home runs in the super regional series victory at Virginia. He had six RBIs last weekend in the first win over Appalachian State. Reine, Max White and the still-surging Matt Oberste give OU some pop in the middle of the lineup. But if the Sooners are going to be the ones that finally take down South Carolina, it will be because of what they are capable of on the mound. Starters Jordan John (8-7, 2.29 ERA), Dillon Overton (6-3, 3.16 ERA) and Jonathan Gray (8-4, 3.32 ERA) were all stellar in Charlottesville, and left-handed closer Steven Okert (drafted in the fourth round by the Giants last week) has been virtually unhittable the last month of the season.
“Like coach says, somebody has to beat us twice in a weekend,” John said before the postseason. “With our pitching staff and how we’re going, I feel like that gives us a great chance.”
Go back to the opener of the 2010 College World Series, when Oklahoma prevailed over South Carolina 4-3. The Gamecocks bounced back to eliminate OU in extra innings, and haven’t looked back. South Carolina went on to win back-to-back national championships, and last weekend ran its unprecedented NCAA tournament-winning streak to 19 games by sweeping the Columbia Regional.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, OU will get another crack at the Gamecocks in Game 1 of the Super Regional, which will be televised on ESPNU. Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. on Sunday on ESPNU, and the if-necessary game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday and would be televised by ESPN2.
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Patrick Green/Icon SMIOU head coach Sunny Golloway and the Sooners were the last team to beat South Carolina in the postseason.
Patrick Green/Icon SMIOU head coach Sunny Golloway and the Sooners were the last team to beat South Carolina in the postseason.The winner of the USC-Oklahoma super regional will earn a trip to Omaha for the College World Series, which get started June 15, and will face the winner of the Florida-N.C. State super regional.
First, OU will have to get past arguably the most dominant program of the last decade. The good news, however, is that the Sooners are red-hot after going through the loser’s bracket to capture the Charlottesville Regional. After dropping the opener to Appalachian State after a rain delay, OU came back to beat Army, host Virginia and Appalachian State twice.
To end the conference season, the Sooners also swept national seed Baylor and advanced to the Big 12 tournament championship game before losing by a run to Missouri.
“Oklahoma has been hot down the stretch,” South Carolina associate head coach Chad Holbrook told a local radio station this week. “They’ve always pitched extremely well. I don’t think they swing the ball from an offensive-numbers standpoint like Appalachian State, but that doesn’t mean they can’t hit. They have some guys that we played against in Omaha a couple of years ago still on the team. They’re going to have some experience.”
One of those guys is outfielder Cody Reine, who propelled the Sooners to Omaha in 2010 with four home runs in the super regional series victory at Virginia. He had six RBIs last weekend in the first win over Appalachian State. Reine, Max White and the still-surging Matt Oberste give OU some pop in the middle of the lineup. But if the Sooners are going to be the ones that finally take down South Carolina, it will be because of what they are capable of on the mound. Starters Jordan John (8-7, 2.29 ERA), Dillon Overton (6-3, 3.16 ERA) and Jonathan Gray (8-4, 3.32 ERA) were all stellar in Charlottesville, and left-handed closer Steven Okert (drafted in the fourth round by the Giants last week) has been virtually unhittable the last month of the season.
“Like coach says, somebody has to beat us twice in a weekend,” John said before the postseason. “With our pitching staff and how we’re going, I feel like that gives us a great chance.”
The Sooners bats finally came alive as Oklahoma beat Appalachian State 14-6 Monday afternoon in the Charlottesville Regional to force the if-necessary game:
How the game was won: The Sooners broke the game open with four runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-3 lead. Matt Oberste delivered the big hit with an RBI-double. Cody Reine and Jack Mayfield also had RBIs in the inning.
Player of the game: Oberste continued his hot-hitting ways, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs.
Stat of the game: The Sooners banged out 13 hits, two more than they had the previous three games of the regional combined.
Unsung hero: Reine, whose three-run homer in the seventh inning effectively put the game away. Reine finished with a game-high six RBIs.
What it means: The Sooners are one game away from a Super Regional. They just need to beat the Mountaineers one more time tonight.
How the game was won: The Sooners broke the game open with four runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-3 lead. Matt Oberste delivered the big hit with an RBI-double. Cody Reine and Jack Mayfield also had RBIs in the inning.
Player of the game: Oberste continued his hot-hitting ways, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs.
Stat of the game: The Sooners banged out 13 hits, two more than they had the previous three games of the regional combined.
Unsung hero: Reine, whose three-run homer in the seventh inning effectively put the game away. Reine finished with a game-high six RBIs.
What it means: The Sooners are one game away from a Super Regional. They just need to beat the Mountaineers one more time tonight.
In 2010, outfielder Cody Reine caught fire at the right time, slugging Oklahoma past Virginia and all the way to Omaha. This time around, the Sooners are hoping another hot bat can do similar damage in Charlottesville.
OU will open up the Charlottesville Regional with Appalachian State at 1:30 p.m. CT Friday.
Two years ago in the three-game Super Regional there, Reine came virtually out of nowhere to blast four home runs and collect 11 RBIs while propelling the Sooners to Omaha.
Two years later, just like Reine, Matt Oberste has emerged with a white-hot bat just in time for the postseason. Last week in the Big 12 Tournament, Oberste belted three home runs, including two in the semifinal win over national seed Baylor. Oberste has raised his average all the way to .311 and is now tied with Reine for second on team in homers.
“There's another guy named Oberste, that they are saying, ‘Wow, there might be a pretty good punch right there,'” head coach Sunny Golloway said of Oberste, who’s been hitting eighth in the lineup. “It's like a second cleanup hitter coming up next time around. I kind of like the way he's coming around.”
Three reasons the Sooners could win the Charlottesville Regional:
• Starting pitching. The Sooners closed out the Big 12 season pitching as well as anyone in the league. Left-handers Jordan John and Dillon Overton were dominant down the stretch, and right-hander Jonathan Gray also tossed a gem in the second win over Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament. With those three starters pitching like that, the Sooners figure to be a tough out.
• Clutch hitting. This isn’t the best hitting team Golloway has fielded as OU. Far from it in fact. But the last three weeks of the season, OU has gotten timely hit after timely hit up and down the lineup. The Sooners won’t outscore anyone, but if the game is close in the latter innings, this can be a dangers offense. Just ask Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Andrew Heaney.
• Reliable closer. When OU made its run to the 1994 national championship, it had a stifling closer in Bucky Buckles. These Sooners also have a stifling closer in left-hander Steven Okert, who has been nails during OU’s late-season surge, picking up two wins in the Big 12 Tournament. The blueprint for a regional title will be getting the ball to Okert in the final three innings with a lead.
Three reasons the Sooners could lose:
• Virginia. These Cavaliers aren’t quite as prolific as the team the Sooners defeated in a Super Regional in 2010. But they’re still one of the better teams in the country. Cavs slugger Stephen Bruno will be as a tough an out as the OU pitching staff has seen all season.
• Defense. Golloway has had to concede something on defense to get his best lineup at the plate. Jack Mayfield is a tremendous defensive second baseman, but there are holes elsewhere. An error here or there could be the difference in advancing and being eliminated.
• Scoring. This team is not equipped to outscore opponents. Oberste has shown tremendous power the last week with three home runs in the Big 12 Tournament, and Reine has some pop, too. But with only two regular batters hitting above .300 in Max White and now Oberste, the Sooners can’t afford for their starting pitching to struggle early in games.
Quotable:
“This is the most balance we’ve ever had. Jordan John is really good, and he gives our team a tremendous amount of confidence. I don’t think our confidence drops off while Gray or Overton are on the mound. It clearly doesn’t drop off when we have Okert in the game.” -- Golloway
OU will open up the Charlottesville Regional with Appalachian State at 1:30 p.m. CT Friday.
Two years ago in the three-game Super Regional there, Reine came virtually out of nowhere to blast four home runs and collect 11 RBIs while propelling the Sooners to Omaha.
Two years later, just like Reine, Matt Oberste has emerged with a white-hot bat just in time for the postseason. Last week in the Big 12 Tournament, Oberste belted three home runs, including two in the semifinal win over national seed Baylor. Oberste has raised his average all the way to .311 and is now tied with Reine for second on team in homers.
“There's another guy named Oberste, that they are saying, ‘Wow, there might be a pretty good punch right there,'” head coach Sunny Golloway said of Oberste, who’s been hitting eighth in the lineup. “It's like a second cleanup hitter coming up next time around. I kind of like the way he's coming around.”
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AP Photo/Sue OgrockiThe Sooners will need Garrett Carey to play well to advance to the College World Series.
AP Photo/Sue OgrockiThe Sooners will need Garrett Carey to play well to advance to the College World Series.• Starting pitching. The Sooners closed out the Big 12 season pitching as well as anyone in the league. Left-handers Jordan John and Dillon Overton were dominant down the stretch, and right-hander Jonathan Gray also tossed a gem in the second win over Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament. With those three starters pitching like that, the Sooners figure to be a tough out.
• Clutch hitting. This isn’t the best hitting team Golloway has fielded as OU. Far from it in fact. But the last three weeks of the season, OU has gotten timely hit after timely hit up and down the lineup. The Sooners won’t outscore anyone, but if the game is close in the latter innings, this can be a dangers offense. Just ask Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Andrew Heaney.
• Reliable closer. When OU made its run to the 1994 national championship, it had a stifling closer in Bucky Buckles. These Sooners also have a stifling closer in left-hander Steven Okert, who has been nails during OU’s late-season surge, picking up two wins in the Big 12 Tournament. The blueprint for a regional title will be getting the ball to Okert in the final three innings with a lead.
Three reasons the Sooners could lose:
• Virginia. These Cavaliers aren’t quite as prolific as the team the Sooners defeated in a Super Regional in 2010. But they’re still one of the better teams in the country. Cavs slugger Stephen Bruno will be as a tough an out as the OU pitching staff has seen all season.
• Defense. Golloway has had to concede something on defense to get his best lineup at the plate. Jack Mayfield is a tremendous defensive second baseman, but there are holes elsewhere. An error here or there could be the difference in advancing and being eliminated.
• Scoring. This team is not equipped to outscore opponents. Oberste has shown tremendous power the last week with three home runs in the Big 12 Tournament, and Reine has some pop, too. But with only two regular batters hitting above .300 in Max White and now Oberste, the Sooners can’t afford for their starting pitching to struggle early in games.
Quotable:
“This is the most balance we’ve ever had. Jordan John is really good, and he gives our team a tremendous amount of confidence. I don’t think our confidence drops off while Gray or Overton are on the mound. It clearly doesn’t drop off when we have Okert in the game.” -- Golloway
Call these Sooners clutch. One day after taking out Oklahoma State with a walk-off home run, Oklahoma knocked off top-seeded Baylor 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City:
How the game was won: On a bang-bang play, Evan Mistich beat out Jake Miller’s throw from shortstop allowing Erik Ross to score the game-winning run from third. Ross doubled to left field to get the inning going. The Sooners have won both games of the Big 12 tournament in their final at-bats. Wednesday, Garrett Carey beat OSU with a home run to left field in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Stat of the game: Baylor has lost only five games to Big 12 teams this season. Four of those losses have come against the Sooners.
Player of the game: Cody Reine, whose solo blast over the right-field wall in the seventh inning tied the game. Reine battled back from an 0-2 count for his fifth homer of the season.
Unsung hero of the game: For the second straight day, Steven Okert entered the game and shut down the opponent. Okert threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts to keep the game tied until Mistich’s game-winner.
What it means: The Sooners now are in great shape to make Sunday’s Big 12 championship game. The winner of Baylor-Kansas State will have to beat OU twice on Saturday.
How the game was won: On a bang-bang play, Evan Mistich beat out Jake Miller’s throw from shortstop allowing Erik Ross to score the game-winning run from third. Ross doubled to left field to get the inning going. The Sooners have won both games of the Big 12 tournament in their final at-bats. Wednesday, Garrett Carey beat OSU with a home run to left field in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Stat of the game: Baylor has lost only five games to Big 12 teams this season. Four of those losses have come against the Sooners.
Player of the game: Cody Reine, whose solo blast over the right-field wall in the seventh inning tied the game. Reine battled back from an 0-2 count for his fifth homer of the season.
Unsung hero of the game: For the second straight day, Steven Okert entered the game and shut down the opponent. Okert threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts to keep the game tied until Mistich’s game-winner.
What it means: The Sooners now are in great shape to make Sunday’s Big 12 championship game. The winner of Baylor-Kansas State will have to beat OU twice on Saturday.
ABOUT SOONER NATION
Jake Trotter
Jake Trotter joined ESPN.com in 2011 after four years with The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman, covering OU and Big 12 football. He's a graduate of Washington and Lee (Va.) University and lives in Oklahoma City with his wife. Email him at trotterjake@gmail.com.
Brandon Chatmon
Brandon Chatmon joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending eight years with The Oklahoman, covering Oklahoma State University, high schools and recruiting. Chatmon lives in Norman, Okla. Email him at bchatmonespn@gmail.com.
Bob Przybylo
Bob Przybylo joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending four years with The Oklahoman, covering high schools and recruiting. Przybylo lives in Oklahoma City. Email him at bprzybyloespn@gmail.com.