OU baseball rewind: Jake Bennett, Jackson Nicklaus on a roll for Sooners as they eye NCAA Tournament bid

Justin Martinez, Oklahoman

May 3, 2022 at 4:59 PM·3 min read

NORMAN — The OU baseball team picked up steam after a slow start to last week's games.

Following a 5-1 loss to Oral Roberts on Tuesday, OU won two of its three weekend home games against Kansas State. The Sooners averaged 14.3 runs per contest against the Wildcats.

Here are three takeaways from last week's action:

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Oklahoma's Jackson Nicklaus (15) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Kansas State on Friday at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

OU experiences rare slump at the plate

Only one out stood between OU and defeat in a game against Oral Roberts on Tuesday. The Sooners trailed 5-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs when Sebastian Orduno stepped up to the plate.

Now at a 1-2 count, the redshirt sophomore pulled the trigger on a pitch from Oral Roberts' Cade Denton and made contact. He popped up for the final out of the game.

OU struggled to get anything going at the plate all night. The Sooners recorded four hits to the Golden Eagles' 12.

Tuesday's performance is an anomaly for OU. The Sooners rank third in the Big 12 in runs (323), and they've only been held to one or fewer runs in three games this season.

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Oklahoma's John Spikerman (8) celebrates a score in the third inning against Kansas State on Saturday in Norman. Spikerman had four hits in OU's 22-10 win.

Saint Nicklaus delivers for the Sooners

Jackson Nicklaus got the Sooners back on track.

After only tallying one run in a loss to Oral Roberts, OU found its groove at the plate during Friday's series opener against Kansas State. The Sooners erupted for 14 runs, and Nicklaus sparked the scoring spree in the bottom of the second inning.

Kansas State pitcher Connor McCullough hurled a breaking ball toward Nicklaus, who got his bat underneath it for a solo home run.

Nicklaus stayed hot all weekend. The freshman homered in all three of OU's games against Kansas State to finish with six RBIs on .538 hitting.

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Jake Bennett strikes again

Redshirt sophomore Jake Bennett got the start on the mound for OU's series opener against Kansas State on Friday, and he wasted no time going to work.

After forcing leadoff hitter Dominic Johnson to ground out in the top of the first inning, Bennett faced Cole Johnson in the following at-bat. The two Wildcat players have no relation, but they met the same fate.

Cole Johnson struck out swinging on a slider. OU's ace then used that same slider to strike out Dylan Phillips on the following at-bat and complete the 1-2-3 inning.

Bennett struck out 11 for the game and allowed no runs in a masterful performance. He only surrendered two hits in seven innings to help OU secure a 14-2 win.

The strong outing is an encouraging sight for Bennett (4-2). He had allowed 21 runs and 31 hits in just over 21 innings throughout his previous four appearances.

Bennett remains OU's best option on the mound. His 3,29 ERA ranks sixth in the Big 12.

Justin Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to The Oklahoman to stay up to date with all local sports.

OU

Overall record: 27-15

Last week: 2-2. Lost to Oral Roberts 5-1, beat Kansas State 14-2, beat Kansas State 22-10 and lost to Kansas State 8-7.

This week: at Dallas Baptist, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday; Three-game road series vs. TCU (6 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU baseball: Jake Bennett, Jackson Nicklaus on a roll for Sooners

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OU experiences rare slump at the plate

Saint Nicklaus delivers for the Sooners

Jake Bennett strikes again

OU

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