Sooners own diamond after two games
As a teller of diamond fortunes, I spend too much time on the polls.
Perhaps you’ve noticed, but there are so many and being in the habit of referencing them when football or basketball’s the topic — which have only two polls — the habit is to include them in the spring sports, too, and for today’s purposes, that means baseball.
About that, the big diamond comes with the NCBWA writers’ poll, the USA Today coaches’ poll, as well as the D1Baseball and Baseball America top 25s.
The worst of them, or the should-be-worst-of-them, is Baseball America’s, because for all we know it’s the invention of one person.
There are no No. 1 votes, no points system determining the poll, not even an “others receiving votes” list, leaving one to wonder if anybody’s being polled at all.
Yet, wouldn’t you know it, that one person, if it’s one person, may have authored the only “poll” to get Oklahoma right entering the season, which began Friday at Globe Life Field, home of the Rangers.
Though the Sooners managed a few votes in the other lists, no other poll had OU in its top 25 after it went 38-22 last season, 14-16 in the SEC, reaching the Chapel Hill Regional.
Baseball America, though, spotted the Sooners 19th and all indications say, if anything, the Sooners ought to be higher.
On Friday, after trailing Texas Tech 1-0 after four innings, OU led the Red Raiders 10-3 after nine.
Saturday, a Bedlam game if you can believe it, the Sooners prevailed from the start, putting two across in the first inning on the way to a 10-1 triumph over Oklahoma State.
Sunday, though they’ll be down to their No. 3 starting pitcher, whoever that is, they can really make a statement, taking on TCU, which is ranked no worse than 10th in each of the four aforementioned polls.
To date, OU has done it in every way, getting terrific pitching, starting and relief; and terrific hitting, generally and with a wallop (or several).
Don’t consider this a “things we’ve learned,” “things to watch” or “takeaways” column.
Instead, just think of it as an informal bullet point list that puts the first 18 innings of the season in perspective, because thus far OU’s been fabulous.
Batter up:
