The Oklahoma Sooners head to Louisville for Regional play in the NCAA Tournament. While the Road to Omaha remains difficult to navigate, Coach Pete Hughes and the rest of the ballclub are focused on Xavier. Squaring off in the double elimination tournament, OU hopes to remain on the winner’s side of the bracket. Here’s what you need to know about Xavier.
At the plate, the Musketeers bat a combined .272 average — a number that ranks 150th when stacked against the rest of the nation. However, the roster hides a bit of power in the likes of Rylan Bannon. On the season, Bannon knocked a team leading 14 homeruns while appearing in all 57 games. A dangerous base runner, the junior scored 41 times helping the Musketeers to a 35-25 overall record.
Connor Grammes proved to be the hottest player heading into the post season. Leading the team with a .366 average, the freshman DH helped grab the Big East Tournament Championship. En route to the title, Grammes earned the label of the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
On the mound, Zac Lowther owns a 5-4 record. Tossing 77 innings over the course of 14 starts this year, the lefty sported a 2.81 ERA. Yet, the starting pitcher held opponents to .164 batting averages over the same period of time. Clearly the best pitcher on the roster boasting 115 strikeouts, expect Lowther to throw out the first game for Xavier.