Thursday, June 15th 2023, 6:35 pm
Excitement filled the air inside Charles Schwab Stadium as the Golden Eagles stepped onto the field. With just a few hours remaining until ORU's first game against TCU, everyone was buzzing with anticipation.
"I think there is an initial shock when you walk into a place like this, and today you obviously get the chance to go out onto the field and work, so hopefully that kind of settles us in and gives a little bit of confidence going into tomorrow," expressed ORU Head Coach Ryan Folmar.
But ORU's journey is more than just a fairytale. They have proven themselves as a resilient team, winning an impressive 52 games and demonstrating their strength on the road with a 21-7 record away from Tulsa.
Additionally, they have been nearly unbeatable in neutral site games, boasting a 7-1 record. This winning mindset has been instilled in the ORU players.
"Towards the end of the year, we started winning a bunch of games in a row and playing really well. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon. 'Why not us?'" said ORU Infielder Jake McMurray, reflecting on the team's success.
The ORU offense has been outstanding, led by Jonah Cox, who currently holds an amazing 47-game hit streak. However, Cox recognizes that winning Friday's game depends on the entire team working together.
"I think that's something special about this team in particular as well. You look up and down the lineup, and we have a long memory for the good and a short one for the bad," ORU Outfielder Jonah Cox shared.
ORU will be facing TCU, a team they have played against 13 times in the past, winning six of those matchups.
Sam Thompson, an outfielder for the Golden Eagles, used to play for the Horned Frogs and knows the strengths of his former club. However, once the game starts, Thompson remains focused on doing his job.
"Just to see all of them and give them some hugs because they had the practice before we did. They are good one through nine, they have a good pitching staff, they play good defense, and they don't give in. They gut it out till the end, but that's what we are prepared to do as well," ORU Outfielder Sam Thompson commented.
The opening round game between ORU and TCU in the College World Series will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 16. Baseball fans can expect an exciting showdown on the field as these two formidable teams battle it out.
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