SHAWNEE – After a couple of delays, the 2022 Oklahoma Baptist baseball season is about to commence.
Under the leadership of
Chris Cox, who enters his third season with a 42-21 record, this OBU squad brings talent around the diamond into this campaign.
Coaches are extremely excited about this year's infield.
Dan Pruitt, a 38
th-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2019 and transfer from Dallas Baptist in one of the options at first base. At DBU, he hit three home runs in 16 games during the 2020 season.
Chris Cook will have plenty of opportunities as well. A season ago, he batted .357 with a homer and nine RBI.
Trey Furrey, who has occupied third base in the months leading up to the season, transferred in from Folsom Lake College. He averaged .380 in the batter's box, posted a .455 on-base percentage, and collected 46 hits and 14 stolen bases in two seasons with the Falcons.
Along the middle infield are
Isiah Lissade,
Ramon Gomez,
Jonah Mahen and
Brandon Brewer.
Another transfer from Folsom Lake, Lissade played in 14 games last spring, drove in 12 and produced a .361 batting average. For Gomez, who was injured last year
, he recorded six homers during the 2020 season for OBU and produced a slugging percentage of .651 which was fifth-best.
Mahen was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection at Crossings Community Christian School. Brewer, a transfer from Schoolcraft College in Michigan, batted a marvelous .432 with 48 hits and 16 RBI last spring.
On the mound and behind home plate, the Bison have good options.
Jake Hamilton, a 21
st-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2019 will be counted on heavily. He previously played at DI Wichita State and during the 2020 season, he posted a staff-best 33 strikeouts and limited batters to a .222 average.
The Bison also have another former MLB draft pick on their staff:
Will Duncan. A 29
th-round draft pick to the San Diego Padres in 2018, the 6-foot-5 righty arrives from Grayson College where he spent two seasons.
Junior
Tyler Frank will see the mound extensively this year as well. Last spring, he pitched 28.2 innings, notched four wins, and struck out 34 batters.
Additionally,
Bo Dallas and
Brek Galbreath, who combined for six wins and 64 strikeouts last season, will be in the rotation. The Bison staff also possess a couple of closers and bullpen arms.
Garrett Kellogg-Clarke and
Devin Crawford are the closers while
Sam Gamboa and
Nolan Feazle can provide relief.
Rounding out the infield area are catchers
Troy Shields and
Alex Schroeder, another pair of transfers from Folsom Lake. Last season, Shields hit four homers, drove in 24 and scored 12 runs. As for Schroeder, he played in 12 games and notched one home run and a double.
In the outfield, all-conference performer
Walker Keller returns as does
Cade Kissel who played in 34 games last year. Keller was an All-GAC Second Team selection after posting a .354 average with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 40 runs batted in. Kissel had five home runs, was 4-for-5 in stolen base attempts and drove in 22. Additionally,
Jose Parga,
Kade Self and
Daylan Whitley will see playing time in the outfield for OBU.
First pitch comes against Central Oklahoma at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 6.
