What can coach Skip Johnson do about Sooners' pitching problems right now?
Against Vols, in Bricktown, Oklahoma can begin reclaiming its baseball season
This will be interesting.
Tennessee’s on its way to meet coach Skip Johnson’s Oklahoma baseball team and yet the Volunteers will not require a ride to the stadium formerly known as L. Dale Mitchell Park.
Nope, if the Vols stay downtown in the city their flight lands, they can walk to the diamond tonight, Friday night and Saturday afternoon, for it’s all happening at Bricktown Ballpark, where once upon a time a couple Bedlam games would draw 15,000 each.
So, attendance will be interesting, atmosphere will be interesting and what the Sooners do with it will be, too.
But for repeating its 2022 College World Series entry, when it didn’t have much happening before sweeping the Big 12 tournament on the back of sudden and tremendous starting pitching, OU’s time to move is now.
The Sooners are 31-18 overall and 13-14 against SEC foes. The Vols are 35-18 and 13-14. The challenge is clear.
Though OU could knock the cover off the ball, as it did last Sunday to salvage a single 15-10 victory at Arkansas after allowing a dozen runs back-to-back in preceding losses, the onus will be on Sooner starting pitching first and relief pitching second to make the most of the opportunity.
Heck, sweep and OU can start dreaming about hosting a regional again, an honor requiring top-16 status from the NCAA selection committee.
The Sooners’ Fayetteville fortunes have them out of the two most heralded top 25s, the USA Today coaches’ poll and the NCBWA writers’ poll, yet they remain No. 20 on Baseball America’s list and No. 19 in the NCAA’s RPI.
Three takedowns of Tennessee and a couple victories at the SEC tourney and who knows?
OU has only swept one SEC series to date, at home against lowly Missouri, yet a reclamation project for a once top-10 squad must begin somewhere.
I once read — wait, I may have written it — among collegiate skippers, Johnson’s a legit pitcher whisperer.
Well, it’s time to start whispering again, because the Sooners’ collective earned run average is a 13th-in-the-conference 5.23 and, limited to league play, it’s a far worse 6.88, 15th of 16 teams.
Yuck.
On the one hand, it would seem Sooner pitching can only get better. On the other, how much maneuverability does Johnson even have?
Johnson’s gone with L.J. Mercurius, Cam Johnson and Cord Rager as his three-man rotation most of the conference season and for most of it they’ve either been quite good or horrendous.
At Arkansas, it was primarily the latter, Mercurius going 1 1/3 innings and yielding five runs, Johnson going 2 1/3 and allowing four and Rager going five and allowing four, each outing raising their respective earned run averages to 5.62, 3.53 and 5.32.
In a world with better options, the Sooners might lean on their bullpen more or, egads, find somebody in it to become the No. 3 while moving Johnson and Rager to Nos. 1 and 2.
The problem?
The bullpen’s been worse than the rotation and there’s no starter in waiting.
Perhaps that’s on Johnson, who mostly slotted bullpen games in the midweek rather than establishing a fourth or fifth starter. And, given the bullpen’s struggles, found himself trapped into trying to develop additional relievers. One crisis at a time and all that.
Check this out.
A year ago, Dylan Crooks tossed 32 innings, saved 16 games and pitched to a 1.69 ERA. Reid Hensley tossed 32 2/3 innings to a 2.94 ERA. James Hitt 35 1/3 to a 3.82. And ,though I never understood it, Jason Bodin 41 to a 5.93.
This season, Jackson Cleveland’s saved seven games, but with an ERA of 5.67 appears to have lost his job to Kadyn Leon, who’s saved two and carries a 3.76.
So much for a lights-out closer.
Meanwhile, spot starting and relieving, Michael Catalano’s tossed 30 1/3 innings, but his ERA’s 7.12. Xander Mercurius is often Johnson’s first choice in relief, yet his ERA sits at 5.65 over 28 2/3 innings. And Bodin, busy again, has thrown 27 2/3 to a 4.88.
Good for Bodin making himself a better pitcher, but where are the guys like Hensley and Hitt a year ago, who could log innings and settle down a game?
Johnson’s failed to find them.
Except, just maybe, now?
What the Sooners do have are guys Johnson appears to have misjudged, yet have come on lately, finally getting conference chances.
There’s Leon, who’s closed.
Nick Wesloski, who’s netted just 17 1/3 innings, but who’s allowed two runs over his last three appearances spanning seven combined innings against Auburn, Florida and Arkansas.
Nate Smithburg, who’s netted just 12 2/3, but who’s allowed one run over his last five appearances, spanning six combined innings against Oral Roberts, Auburn, Florida and Arkansas twice.
Can Johnson make himself lead with those guys rather than Catalano and Mercurius? Can he believe what he’s seen in actual ballgames rather than day-off bullpen sessions?
If his starter, whoever it is, can keep the Sooners in the game, can he get to the end with those three and Bodin? Game after game after game?
Maybe.
He’s the whisperer after all.
I wrote it, it must be true.