Oklahoma Set to Begin Pivotal 2022 Season at State Farm College Baseball Showdown

After a disappointing 2021 campaign and a long offseason, Oklahoma baseball is ready to begin anew on Friday against the Auburn Tigers on the first day of the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.

The Sooners enter 2022 with optimism that this season will be different after last year ended with the team failing to receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Skip Johnson has done a seemingly impressive job of retooling the roster in areas of need in a short timeframe - most notably in the starting rotation where Oklahoma will introduce two new hurlers to the weekend.

Junior college transfers David Sandlin and Chazz Martinez will be heavily leaned on this season with Sandlin getting the ball Saturday followed by Martinez on Sunday.

Leading the staff will be returning left-handed starter Jake Bennett, who gets the nod on the first Friday of the season against Auburn hoping to launch a breakout season.

“He has gotten better every year that he has been here,” Johnson said of Bennett. “I’m so excited to see that growth in him. Who knows what the numbers are going to play out to be, but how much better that young man has gotten in our program shows you what we’ve done since we’ve been here.”

Offensively, the Sooners return several key bats from the 2021 squad - headlined by preseason All-American Peyton Graham who makes the move from third base to shortstop this season.

“There’s going to be a little bit of growing pains,” Johnson said about Graham’s move to shortstop. “It’s the length of his body that makes him so spectacular to watch on the infield.

“I think if Peyton goes out and focuses on his team, and what he can do to help his team win the baseball game, then all of those individual accolades will take care of themselves.”

For Graham, the move is more than welcomed as a return back to his original position he played prior to coming to Oklahoma.

So while the objective of taking over the spot from longtime OU shortstop Brandon Zaragoza would seem daunting to most, Graham is ready to take the job and make it his.

“Third base was a harder transition than going back to shortstop, I think,” Graham said. “Following up Z (Zaragoza) is pretty tough, but I think I’m up for the challenge.”

Other key bats in the lineup to watch include catcher Jimmy Crooks, infielder/outfielder Brett Squires and infielder Cade Horton - who returns to the team after missing the entire 2021 campaign due to injury.

“I think having Horton back in the lineup is going to be huge,” Graham said. “He is going to be a big bat for us.”

The bullpen will be an undoubted question mark for the Sooners heading into the new year as they look to replace several big arms headlined by closer Jason Ruffcorn.

Filling that role will be Jaret Godman, who has been a productive reliever in recent years but will certainly need to take a step up to fill the void left by Ruffcorn.

As for the opening weekend, Oklahoma starts off with a hefty test battling Auburn, No. 13 Arizona and Michigan in successive days.

An event like this can provide a great start for a team looking to build early momentum and confidence…or expose flaws that need to be corrected.

Either way, Johnson and company are more than welcoming the challenge and are excited to know how the team will handle the pressure of the spotlight.

“That environment is where we’re going to really tell,” Johnson said. “If it speeds them up, are they comfortable in that environment…We try to practice game-like. But you know as well as I know that with anything you do, you can’t ever exactly get it right.

“We’ll see if the things we talk about, that we practice day in and day out, the fundamentals are there and they stick by them. That’s going to be the key.”

Here is how to watch and listen to Oklahoma this weekend at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX:

Friday - Auburn

WHEN: 11 a.m.
HOW TO WATCH: FloBaseball.tv
HOW TO LISTEN: Sportstalk 99.3 FM/1400 AM KREF

Saturday - No. 13 Arizona

WHEN: 7 p.m.
HOW TO WATCH: FloBaseball.tv
HOW TO LISTEN: Sportstalk 99.3 FM/1400 AM KREF

Sunday - Michigan

WHEN: 6:30 p.m.
HOW TO WATCH: FloBaseball.tv
HOW TO LISTEN: Sportstalk 99.3 FM/1400 AM KREF