New to Bedlam

John Shinn
The Norman Transcript

May 15, 2008 11:39 pm

— Ask most players in Oklahoma’s clubhouse what they expect from the Bedlam Series and it’s similar to talking to a 6-year-old about Christmas morning.
The level of excitement is comparable.
“I’m sure it’s going to be pretty crazy,” OU third baseman Trey Sperring said. “Can’t wait for it to get here.”
There’s a lot of Sooner players who will be experiencing similar emotions when OU (31-21-1, 8-15-1 Big 12) faces Oklahoma State (38-14, 16-8) at 7:30 tonight at Drillers Stadium in Tulsa and continue the series Saturday and Sunday at Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.
“We keep hearing the older guys say that there’s nothing else like it,” Sooner right fielder Jamie Johnson said.
There really isn’t. Three neutral-site games at packed ballparks. A three-game college baseball series that takes center stage throughout an entire state.
It’s a big deal that’s hard to put into words.
But first-hand accounts about playing in the Bedlam Series are hard to dig up from OU’s side. Of its consistent everyday starters and expected starting-pitching rotation only four — first baseman Aaron Baker, center fielder Aljay Davis, designated hitter Mike Gosse and pitcher Andrew Doyle — have played an inning of Bedlam baseball.
That might not be a bad thing for the Sooners.
For whatever reasons (pitching, hitting and defense, have all played equal parts) Bedlam hasn’t been kind in recent years.
The Cowboys have swept the last two regular-season series, winning in just about every way imaginable.
The biggest reason why is they’ve handled the emotions of the series the best.
Sooner coach Sunny Golloway, who has been in the dugout for nearly 40 Bedlam games as a head coach or an assistant, believes handling the emotions always has, and always will be, the key to unlocking Bedlam success.
“You have to play as well as you can every pitch and every inning,” he said. “The other stuff you can’t really control. The only way you can play to the best of your ability is keep your emotions in check.”
There will be a lot for college players to digest when they take the field tonight. Players used to playing in front of 1,000-2,000 fans will be greeted by close to 10,000 in each Bedlam game.
Every ball or strike, hit or out elicits emotions from the crowd that are uncommon.
“The emotional ups and downs of it are tough to prepare for,” Gosse said. “Last year as a junior, I didn’t really know what to expect at all. It can be tough to deal with it.”
Knowing which team handles it the best is tough to predict. Over the years, young teams have thrived and veteran clubs have struggled on both sides.
The best indication of whether the tide has turned for the Sooners should come tonight. They haven’t won the series opener since 2000, which happens to coincide with the last year they swept the Cowboys.
A repeat of eight years ago would do OU well.
The stakes have never been so high for the Sooners as they prepare to enter the regular season’s final series. OU currently holds a half-game lead over Kansas State for eighth place in the Big 12 Conference. Eighth place secures the final spot in next week’s conference tournament.
Holding onto to that spot will be difficult without some level of success against the Cowboys. OU’s only chance of reaching the tournament would hinge on Kansas State being swept by Kansas this weekend and Baylor taking at least one game from Texas Tech.
The entire hopes of the season pretty much rest on what transpires over the next three days.
“All we can do is go in there and fight and get the victories,” Johnson said. “That’s what we’re hoping for.”
Just like kids on Christmas morning, the Sooners are about to find out if their wishes come true.
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com

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