Norman — It’s typically one of the biggest momentum killers in a baseball. When a coach starts that slow walk out to the mound for a pitching change, there’s sense that nothing is going right.
It’s a natural. But for Oklahoma, when pitching coach Mike Bell has signaled to the bullpen this season, there’s been an opposite effect.
“We have veterans who know how to shut a game down when they get in there,” Sooner outfielder Casey Johnson said. “It’s like a sense of relief whenever they do get in there.”
The Sooners’ hot start has been instigated by the bullpen. Over the last 12 games their relievers have combined to throw 412⁄3 innings with a 0.86 ERA. In that span, the relievers have allowed four earned runs off 26 hits and 16 walks, while striking out 55.
It’s easy to see where the sense of relief comes from.
The last stop on those bullpen trips has been closer Ryan Duke. He’s 7-for-7 in save opportunities this season and the one-inning, three-outs specialist keeps moving closer and closer to the program’s all-time saves record.
But it’s what OU has done before the ball gets to Duke that has been the difference this season.
In its two-game series against Massachusetts, OU’s setup men didn’t allow a single run.
“We have a lot of guys that are competing for innings,” OU coach Sunny Golloway said. “They know they’re getting judged and graded for more innings by how they perform. That competition has been really good for us.”
The fact that going to the bullpen has been so effective this season is a reason OU believes it will contend for a Big 12 Conference title this year.
That race starts at 2 p.m. today when OU (17-2) faces Baylor (11-6) in the first game of a three-game series.
It’s a race OU is better equipped to handle because of the pitching options it has. There haven’t been many seasons over the last decade where OU’s pitching depth went much deeper than some starters and, perhaps, a closer.
The increased depth is shown best in what Jeremy Erben has done this season. The senior right-hander was a starter throughout his first three seasons. He was good enough to be part of the weekend rotation the past two seasons.
He moved to the bullpen this year and has been spectacular. Erben led the Sooners in wins (5) in just eight appearances. He’s pitched 20 innings, but has a 0.45 ERA.
“Erben has kind of set the tone for everything,” said Jason Chowning, who threw 22⁄3 innings of hitless relief in Tuesday’s victory over Massachusetts.
“We know our job is to go out there, throw strikes, get outs and let our defense work,” Erben said. “It’s a different mindset than our starting pitcher. We’re not thinking about the long haul. We’re coming out and throwing our best stuff right away to get guys out and get it to the closer. We know what the coaches expect from us.”
More often than not, pitching decides the Big 12 Conference race. It’s an arms race. OU hasn’t had quite enough to get to the top spot. This year, however, there’s a different feeling.
“The toughest part has been the decision factor,” Golloway said. “We have a lot of options.”
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
