We talked with Oklahoma baseball's radio play-by-play announcer Chuck Kelly this morning for an inside perspective on Carolina's first opponent in the College World Series. We'll have another look at the Sooners with stats later today.
How would you describe the Sooners to someone who's never seen them play?
Very determined - very gritty and level-headed. They're a team that if they get behind, they just kind of shrug their shoulders and say, "Ok." They don't panic when they get behind. That's been their trademark all year. They have 27 come-from-behind wins this year. They're a young team that plays like veterans. Part of that is due to leadership from guys like Garrett Buechele and Jeremy Erben.
Who are some players that Gamecock fans need to know?
Buechele (son of former major league Steve Buechele) carries himself so much like his dad it's scary. He was Freshman of the Year in the Big 12 last year and he's pretty slick in the field. He's a guy that's been the linchpin. He's in a bit of a deep freeze right now (4-for-24 in NCAA play) but he could turn it on at any moment.
Cody Reine wasn't even a starter earlier in the year, but was put in the starting lineup after the team's third conference series and he has just been nuts since. He's someone who has caught a lot of attention lately. He hit four homers against Virginia in the Super Regional.
Catcher Tyler Ogle has made a huge difference behind the plate and puts a charge in the middle of the lineup. He was 2-for-2 in the last game against UVA but before that he was 1-for-19. He's one of those guys that if he can get on track, can he be stopped?
Cameron Seitzer is someone who is a great spray hitter. The rest of the team are really solid .300+ hitters. You can't take a breather at the bottom of the lineup with OU.
The pitching has been the big story lately and people are asking if it's been underrated. Zach Neal and Bobby Shore have been good all year, but the Sooners couldn't find a solid No. 3 all year. They haven't had to go deep into their bullpen in the postseason and have used five pitchers in the last two weeks. I compare them to the Yankees in that they need about six good innings from their starter, then they get two innings from Erben as a set-up guy and then give it to Ryan Duke in the ninth.
How do you think Oklahoma matches up with South Carolina?
It's really even. I think Carolina has the better top-end pitchers. I think as far as swinging the bats, the two are really comparable.
How would you describe head coach Sonny Golloway's style?
The thing he always talks about is not being too high and not being too low. That might sound like a coach's cliche, but he really means that. He can play small ball and he's not afraid to have the cleanup hitter bunt. He's been really aggressive lately. You'll see a lot of hit and run and things to put pressure on the opponent's defense.
How would you describe the Sooners to someone who's never seen them play?
Very determined - very gritty and level-headed. They're a team that if they get behind, they just kind of shrug their shoulders and say, "Ok." They don't panic when they get behind. That's been their trademark all year. They have 27 come-from-behind wins this year. They're a young team that plays like veterans. Part of that is due to leadership from guys like Garrett Buechele and Jeremy Erben.
Who are some players that Gamecock fans need to know?
Buechele (son of former major league Steve Buechele) carries himself so much like his dad it's scary. He was Freshman of the Year in the Big 12 last year and he's pretty slick in the field. He's a guy that's been the linchpin. He's in a bit of a deep freeze right now (4-for-24 in NCAA play) but he could turn it on at any moment.
Cody Reine wasn't even a starter earlier in the year, but was put in the starting lineup after the team's third conference series and he has just been nuts since. He's someone who has caught a lot of attention lately. He hit four homers against Virginia in the Super Regional.
Catcher Tyler Ogle has made a huge difference behind the plate and puts a charge in the middle of the lineup. He was 2-for-2 in the last game against UVA but before that he was 1-for-19. He's one of those guys that if he can get on track, can he be stopped?
Cameron Seitzer is someone who is a great spray hitter. The rest of the team are really solid .300+ hitters. You can't take a breather at the bottom of the lineup with OU.
The pitching has been the big story lately and people are asking if it's been underrated. Zach Neal and Bobby Shore have been good all year, but the Sooners couldn't find a solid No. 3 all year. They haven't had to go deep into their bullpen in the postseason and have used five pitchers in the last two weeks. I compare them to the Yankees in that they need about six good innings from their starter, then they get two innings from Erben as a set-up guy and then give it to Ryan Duke in the ninth.
How do you think Oklahoma matches up with South Carolina?
It's really even. I think Carolina has the better top-end pitchers. I think as far as swinging the bats, the two are really comparable.
How would you describe head coach Sonny Golloway's style?
The thing he always talks about is not being too high and not being too low. That might sound like a coach's cliche, but he really means that. He can play small ball and he's not afraid to have the cleanup hitter bunt. He's been really aggressive lately. You'll see a lot of hit and run and things to put pressure on the opponent's defense.
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