Oklahoma Baseball is focusing on mastering the basics during their opening weekend, aiming for a solid foundation this season.

As the 2025 season gets underway, Oklahoma Sooners Baseball is focused on one key goal: mastering the basics. The opening weekend of any season is critical for setting the tone and establishing a foundation for the months to come, and for the Sooners, this approach is even more important as they work to build on past successes while refining their skills. While many college baseball teams will be focused on making a big splash in the opening games, Oklahoma is taking a more methodical approach, emphasizing the fundamentals of the game—batting, pitching, fielding, and base-running—as they begin their journey toward postseason play.

In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at why the Sooners are so focused on the basics, how the team has approached the opening weekend, and what it means for the rest of the season.

Setting the Stage for Success

Oklahoma Baseball enters the 2025 season with high expectations. Last year, they had a strong showing, and while they ultimately fell short of their ultimate goal of a College World Series appearance, the team showed promise and made significant strides in various areas. However, 2025 presents a new challenge—an opportunity to grow as a team, refine their skills, and build upon that success. This process starts by getting back to the basics, which is the foundation for long-term success.

While many teams may start the season with the goal of showcasing their power at the plate or dominating opponents with flashy pitching performances, Oklahoma is taking a more grounded approach. By focusing on the fundamentals, the Sooners aim to establish a solid foundation that can carry them through the season, and into a successful postseason run.

The Importance of Fundamentals

Mastering the basics of baseball is a concept that sounds simple, yet it’s often overlooked in favor of more flashy strategies or the pursuit of highlight-reel plays. However, for a team like Oklahoma, which has the talent to compete at the highest levels, focusing on fundamentals provides a stable base from which everything else can grow.

The team’s coaching staff, led by Skip Johnson, has consistently emphasized that consistency is the key to success in baseball. By refining the fundamentals, the Sooners can stay sharp throughout the season, making fewer errors and creating more opportunities. There are many facets of the game that need attention, and Oklahoma is working hard to fine-tune each aspect of their performance.

Offensive Fundamentals

One of the areas that Oklahoma is focusing on is hitting. The Sooners’ offense is a strength, but they know that if they want to compete at a high level, they need to be more consistent at the plate. This starts with plate discipline, a crucial skill that can help hitters avoid swinging at pitches outside of their comfort zone. By focusing on pitch selection and learning to identify the right pitches to hit, the Sooners will set themselves up for success as the season progresses.

Additionally, situational hitting is a big part of Oklahoma’s focus. While power hitting often steals the spotlight in college baseball, the ability to execute the small things—like moving runners over, executing a sacrifice bunt, or hitting behind the runner—will ultimately make the difference in close games. Oklahoma is focusing on situational awareness—knowing when to be aggressive and when to take a more conservative approach.

In terms of batting fundamentals, the Sooners are working on getting the ball in play, making contact, and avoiding strikeouts. They have players capable of hitting for power, but getting on base consistently through walks or by making solid contact is the foundation of a productive offense. If they can focus on making quality at-bats, then the power will naturally come.

Pitching Fundamentals

On the mound, the Sooners are aiming to create a strong foundation that will carry them through the season. Pitching is arguably the most important element in any baseball team’s success, and it is an area where Oklahoma is focusing heavily on the basics during the opening weekend.

The Oklahoma pitching staff is led by experienced arms like David Sandlin, but even the best pitchers need to focus on their fundamentals. This means commanding the strike zone, maintaining control of their pitches, and avoiding walks that could lead to big innings. The pitching staff has been working on improving their location and movement, and their focus has been on getting hitters to chase pitches outside of the strike zone and inducing weak contact.

The Sooners are also putting emphasis on pitching depth. Building a strong bullpen is essential for a successful season, and having multiple pitchers who can step in and perform when needed is key to maintaining a competitive edge. The opening weekend is a critical opportunity for pitchers to work on their velocity, secondary pitches, and their ability to work under pressure, particularly with runners on base.

Defensive Fundamentals

While much of the attention will be on the offense and pitching, defense is another crucial area for Oklahoma. Even though their offense and pitching staff are impressive, it’s often the fundamentals of defense that can be the difference between a win and a loss. Defensively, the Sooners are focusing on clean fielding and making accurate throws across the diamond.

The Sooners are also looking to improve their turning double plays and cutting off base runners. With the speed and aggressiveness of many teams in college baseball, making accurate throws to cut down potential scoring opportunities is vital. Fielding consistency—especially in critical moments—is a key factor in creating a successful defense.

The infield will be a focal point for the Sooners, as they have multiple players vying for positions in the middle infield. Jackson Nicklaus at shortstop and Blaine Jones at second base are expected to provide stability, but their ability to execute double plays, make routine plays, and turn sharp outs will be critical for setting the tone for the rest of the season.

Base-Running Fundamentals

Base-running is another area where Oklahoma is looking to refine its approach. The Sooners are known for their speed, and they have players who can take advantage of any opportunity on the base paths. Whether it’s stealing bases or taking the extra base, aggressive base-running is something the Sooners have historically excelled at, and this season will be no different.

However, even when playing aggressively, base-running decisions need to be calculated. Oklahoma will continue to work on taking calculated risks and avoiding mistakes that can hurt their chances in a close game. Making sure players know when to take the extra base and when to hold up will be crucial in creating scoring opportunities and avoiding unnecessary outs.

The Opening Weekend: A Time for Testing and Refining

The opening weekend of the season is always a critical time for teams to test out their systems, evaluate their weaknesses, and begin their journey toward improving in the areas that need work. For Oklahoma, the opening weekend offers the perfect opportunity to implement the basic principles they’ve been working on all offseason.

While the Sooners are expected to be competitive against their opponents, it is also important to use this weekend to continue building chemistry and evaluating what areas of the game require further attention. The team will have the chance to work through the kinks, identify problem areas, and build confidence before the pressure of Big 12 play begins.

Looking Ahead: Building Momentum for the Season

While the opening weekend is important, it is only one piece of the puzzle. For Oklahoma, the real focus is on sustaining this commitment to the basics throughout the season. This approach will not only help the Sooners become a more well-rounded team but will also set the foundation for a successful postseason run.

Oklahoma has the talent and coaching to contend with the best teams in the nation, and their focus on mastering the basics during the opening weekend could be the key to long-term success. If they can execute well in all facets of the game—offense, pitching, defense, and base-running—they will position themselves for another strong season and a potential run to the College World Series.

As the 2025 season unfolds, the Oklahoma Sooners’ commitment to mastering the basics will be a major factor in their pursuit of success. Whether they are taking the extra base, making a key pitch in a clutch situation, or turning a crucial double play, the fundamentals of the game will continue to be the foundation upon which this team builds its success. And with that solid base, they’ll be ready to compete with the best.