College Preview Capsules: No. 21 Oklahoma

No. 21 Oklahoma

2015 Record (Ranking): 34-27 (NR). RPI: 87.

Coach (Record at school): Pete Hughes (63-56, 2 years).

Postseason History: 35 regionals (last in 2013), 10 CWS trips (last in 2010), 2 national titles (last in 1994).

Pete Hughes has had enough of these long offseasons. The third-year Oklahoma coach and his team have had to sit out regional weekend in each of his two years at the helm, missing out last season despite a third-place finish in the Big 12 and a draft-best 11 players selected in June.

“We’ve got to get back to those regionals,” Hughes said. “That’s all we think about—everyone from the 35th player to everyone on our coaching staff and support staff. We’ve got to get back there. That’s what Oklahoma baseball is.”

2016 Lineup
Pos.	Name, Year	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	SB
C	Domenic DeRenzo, Fr.	HS—Pittsburgh
1B	Austin O’Brien, Jr.	.211	.280	.324	3	11	1
2B	Kyle Mendenhall, So.	.230	.306	.264	0	2	4
3B	Quin Walbergh, So.	.200	.375	.200	0	3	4
SS	Sheldon Neuse, Jr.	.275	.342	.424	6	43	10
LF	Alex Wise, Sr.	.259	.310	.389	1	10	1
CF	Ben Hollas, Jr.	Tr.—Hill (Texas) JC
RF	Steele Walker, Fr.	HS—Prosper, Texas
DH	Chris Andritsos, Fr.	HS—The Woodlands, Texas
Pos.	Name, Year	W	L	ERA	IP	SO	SV
RHP	Alec Hansen, Jr.	5	6	3.95	82	94	0
RHP	Jake Elliott, Jr.	4	6	3.06	88	80	0
LHP	Austin Kerns, Jr.	Tr.—Eastern Oklahoma State JC
RP	Sheldon Neuse, Jr.	1	1	1.12	8	6	1

The Sooners certainly have the top-end talent to make it, beginning with their rotation. With junior righthanders Alec Hansen and Jake Elliott, OU has one of, if not the best one-two punch in the Big 12. Hansen should be one of the top picks in June’s draft thanks to an electric upper-90s fastball and dominant cutter/slider, while Elliott throws in the low 90s himself and pairs the heat with a devastating changeup.

The Sunday and midweek starting slots are more up in the air, with junior college transfer Austin Kerns and freshmen Jake Irvin and Connor Berry all competing for roles. Those three are part of OU’s massive 22-man recruiting class that ranked 13th in the country and which Hughes calls “our signature class.”

The Sooners lost their four leading hitters from 2015, so a makeover was inevitable. Freshmen Chris Andritsos and Steele Walker both bring potential middle-of-the-order bats, while super toolsy catcher Dominic DeRenzo should share time behind the plate with transfer Renae Martinez, a reliable defender who was part of UC Irvine’s 2014 Omaha team before transferring to El Camino-Compton (Calif.) JC.

“I think we’re as athletic as we’ve been in a long time,” Hughes said. “I think we’ll be able to run a lot more than we have in the past. I think our power numbers will be down a little bit, but we certainly have guys that can hit for power. But I think it’s going to be more of a contact and force the running game type of an offense.”

The newcomers and a return to health of senior outfielder Alex Wise, whom Hughes calls one of the team’s most dynamic athletes, should form a solid supporting cast for junior shortstop Sheldon Neuse. The Big 12 freshman of the year in 2014 after hitting .304/.369/.521, Neuse had a relatively underwhelming sophomore campaign, but he remains the focal point of the Sooners’ team, both in the lineup and in the field.

“Super competitive,” Hughes said. “It all starts there with Sheldon. He loves to compete. . . . It’ll be a big year for him. We like to have his leadership skills in the middle of the field for us. But, arm strength and ability to hit the ball with power all over the field are two traits, I think, that really stick out.”

Neuse—who’s also slated to take on a larger role on the mound thanks to his big arm—Hansen and Elliott can’t do it by themselves if they’re going to get to play in regionals for the first time in their OU careers, but Hughes is confident the Sooners’ 22-man wave of reinforcements should get them back to the postseason.

“It’s a long offseason when you’re the third-place team in the Big 12 and you don’t get a regional bid,” the coach said. “It’s a motivating offseason, I’ll tell you that. I speak for our players, too. But, I’m so excited about the 22 new guys and what they’ve brought to our program. That’s a complete personality change with your program in one recruiting class. We brought in a bunch of kids who we think are winners.”