Wichita State (18-13, 3-3Â American) vs. Oklahoma (17-16, 3-6 Big 12)
Tuesday, April 11Â | 6:30Â pm CT | Norman, Oklahoma (L. Dale Mitchell Park)
TV: Big 12 Now/ESPN+Â | Radio:Â KFH 97.5Â FM/1240Â AM
RHP Nate Snead (0-1, 4.19) vs. RHP Gray Harrison (0-1, 8.22)
SCENE SETTER: Wichita State hits the road for the first of five consecutive games away from Eck Stadium, making the short trip south to Norman on Tuesday for a midweek matchup against defending College World Series runner-up Oklahoma. Having already defeated the Sooners twice this season (6-2 at Eck Stadium on March 14, 8-7 at Riverfront Stadium on March 28), Wichita State has a chance to win three games against Oklahoma in the same season for the first time in program history. The Shockers are coming off a 2-2 week that featured a road win over #16 Oklahoma State last Tuesday, but a series loss over the weekend against Houston.
SHOCKER BASEBALL ON THE RADIO AND ESPN PLUS: KFH 97.5 FM/1240 AM will once again serve as the radio home for Wichita State baseball broadcasts in 2023. "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy will handle the play-by-play duties against the Sooners, with Denning Gerig joining the broadcast as color commentator. The game will also be streamed live on Big 12 Now/ESPN+ ($). Live audio, in addition to live statistics, will be available for all games at GoShockers.com/listen and ShockerStats.com.Â
SERIES HISTORY: The Shockers and Sooners have met 35 times, with Oklahoma holding a 19-16 lead in the all-time series. Wichita State has bested the Sooners in both 2023 meetings; on March 28 at Riverfront Stadium in Wichita, Brock Rodden blasted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth for an 8-7 WSU victory, and earlier this season the Shockers downed the Sooners 6-2 on March 14, riding five shutout innings from Caden Favors and a late two-run homer from Chuck Ingram to the victory at Eck Stadium. Combined with the Shockers 18-0 win in the home finale last season, WSU has an opportunity to win four consecutive games in the series for the first time. The last time Wichita State beat Oklahoma twice in the same season was in 2006, a year that ultimately ended with two losses to the host Sooners at the Norman regional. The two teams also met once in the College World Series, an 8-4 Oklahoma win in 1992 that eliminated the Shockers.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma enters play on Tuesday with a record of 17-16 following a series loss on the road at Baylor over the weekend. After an 11-5 start to non-conference play the Sooners have gone 6-11, though that stretch did include a series win against TCU and a pair of victories over nationally ranked Stanford. Oklahoma possesses one of the most patient offenses in the country, ranking seventh nationally with 197 walks. That number is bolstered by national leader Bryce Madron, who has already drawn 41 bases on balls this season. The Sooners are also top-20 in the country with 69 stolen bases, paced by Anthony Mackenzie's 19 swipes. The pitching staff enters play on Tuesday with a team ERA of 5.52. Expected starter Gray Harrison worked one scoreless inning against the Shockers in the previous meeting. Oklahoma is led sixth-year head coach Skip Johnson. Johnson has guided the Sooners to a 174-120 record since taking over as head coach prior to the 2018 season, highlighted by a trip to the CWS finals last season in which the Sooners were bested by Ole Miss. The Sooners play at L. Dale Mitchell Park, named after the program's career batting leader. The facility is set to undergo a massive expansion and renovation as part of a $30 million project to upgrade the university's baseball and softball complexes.
INNING TO FORGET: Saturday's series finale against Houston included one of the most bizarre half-innings in the history of Shocker baseball. Wichita State entered the top of the seventh trailing 4-3, and recorded two outs with runners at the corners for Houston. What followed was a stretch of 12 consecutive batters reaching base safely, as Houston ultimately plated 13 runs in the inning with two outs. Three different Shocker relievers were unable to record an out in the inning, which yielded the most runs in one frame in program history.Â
GRABBING THE OPPORTUNITY: Freshman outfielder Jaden Gustafson entered the weekend series against Houston without a hit since March 19 against Creighton. Given a chance to start in the second game of the doubleheader on Friday, Gustafson with his first career multi-hit game, highlighted by a go-ahead, two-run triple. He later added his first career stolen base, then added a base hit on Saturday after earning the start in left field.
THE CANDY MAN: Wichita State Friday starter Clark Candiotti is in the midst of a dominant stretch headlining the Shocker weekend rotation. Over his last five starts, Candiotti has allowed just five earned runs in 30.2 total innings, good for a 1.47 ERA. The right-hander has struck out at least seven in all five of those appearances, including a career-best 11 this past week against Houston, and has not issued more than two walks in any start this year. The impressive run has earned Candiotti three consecutive selections to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll.
MIDDLE OF THE ORDER: It was a quiet series for Wichita State's dynamic duo of Garrett Pennington and Payton Tolle, who typically hit in the numbers three and four spots in the batting order, respectively. The pair combined for just two hits in 22 at-bats against Houston with one total RBI.
OFF AND RUNNING: Wichita State stole just 36 bases in 57 attempts last season, an average of 0.6 swipes per contest. First-year head coach Loren Hibbs made it a point of emphasis for the Shockers to be more aggressive on the bases, and the numbers bear out that focus. In 2023, WSU is 48-for-63 in stolen base attempts through 31 games (1.6 per game), and have improved their success rate from 63.1% to 76.1%. The Shockers have stolen 29 bases over the last 11 games, highlighted by a season-high six against Cincinnati on April 2.
MOTIVATED MAN: In his two seasons at Wichita State, Oklahoma native Brock Rodden has tortured opponents from the Sooner State. In 13 total games against Oral Roberts, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, Rodden is hitting .357 (20-for-56) with five home runs, 17 RBI and 16 runs scored. The switch-hitter has at least one hit in all 13 games played.
CLOSER COMMITTEE: By slamming the door with three scoreless innings in the series opener against Cincinnati, Wichita State reliever Caden Favors joined the growing list of Shocker bullpen arms with a save in 2023. The Shockers now have five saves as a team this season from five different players, all five of which entered the season with no prior saves in their career (Cameron Bye, Robert Cranz, Jace Miner and Nate Snead).
