Texas
Oklahoma State set to battle Texas in top-10 showdown – Daily Ardmoreite
Oklahoma State Athletics
The Oklahoma State College baseball staff, which is No. 7 within the nation, travels to Austin this weekend for a three-game collection in opposition to No. 6 Texas.
The Cowboys (28-13 total, 10-5 Large 12) are coming off a 12-6 victory over Wichita State on Tuesday in Kansas. OSU dropped two of three to TCU at residence this previous weekend.
In the meantime, the Longhorns (31-13, 9-6 Large 12) enter the competition on a five-game successful streak. Texas cruised to a 7-2 victory over College of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday and swept a house collection with Baylor.
The Large 12 rivals kick off motion at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 29 with OSU’s Justin Campbell (6-1, 2.89) dealing with off in opposition to Texas’ Pete Hansen (7-1, 2.70).
The Cowboys are 48-64 within the alltime collection in opposition to the Longhorns, together with a 20-11 mark beneath Josh Holliday. In 2021, the Pokes went 2-2 in opposition to the Horns, dropping the common season collection however successful a recreation within the Large 12 Championship.
‘Okay’onsistency
Justin Campbell leads the Large 12 and ranks sixth nationally with 95 strikeouts this season. He has posted double digit strikeout totals 4 occasions and has struck out not less than eight in 9 of his 10 begins. He racked up a career-high 14 punchouts within the collection opener in opposition to TCU.
Jake rakes
With a team-leading .333 batting common and 41 RBIs, Jake Thompson has established himself as one of many Large 12’s high hitters.
Thompson, who Josh Holliday calls among the best two-strike hitters he’s ever coached, has reached base safely in 52 of OSU’s final 57 video games, together with a streak of 25 consecutive video games throughout that stretch, and he leads the Cowboys with 15 multi-hit and 11 multi-RBI video games.
Small city, huge time
What’s it about OSU closers and small cities?! We don’t know, however Trevor Martin is constant a pattern.
Martin hails from Asher, Oklahoma, inhabitants 412, and the right-hander is 1-2 with a 3.34 ERA in a team-high 22 appearances (20 in reduction). He’s second within the Large 12 with 9 saves and has 46 strikeouts in 29.2 innings of labor. He’s already tied for fifth on OSU’s single-season saves checklist – and one away from shifting right into a tie for second – and he ranks tenth nationally in saves.
Martin is one among 62 reduction pitchers on the NCBWA Stopper of the 12 months Award Midseason Watch Checklist.
In 2014, Brendan McCurry set OSU’s single-season saves document with 19 to earn first-team All-America honors. A local of Tupelo, Oklahoma, inhabitants 330, McCurry can also be the Cowboys’ chief in profession saves with 27. His brother, Randy, had 10 saves in 2009 and completed his profession with a dozen.
One other small-town Oklahoma child, Jordy Mercer, from Taloga, Oklahoma, inhabitants 300, served as OSU’s nearer from 2006-08 and ranks second on OSU’s all-time checklist with 17 saves.
Two-way expertise
Nolan McLean’s highly effective bat has been a fixture in the course of the Cowboys’ order all through the season, and he has additionally seen elevated work on the mound of late. The sophomore leads the Cowboys with 9 residence runs and is second with 11 doubles. He has hit safely in 19 of OSU’s final 22 contests.
McLean, a hard-throwing right-hander, has additionally made 13 reduction appearances on the season and is 1-0 with two saves; he has racked up 28 strikeouts in 16.0 innings. He recorded his first-career save at Wichita State on April 5 and notched his first win vs. Oklahoma on April 9.
Texas
Tips on protecting plants and property as North Texas homeowners prepare for freeze
NORTH TEXAS — In a couple of days, temperatures are expected to drastically drop. This weekend is a good time to get prepared.
Richardson homeowner Stephanie Brownell is now preparing her home for freezing temperatures while it’s still pleasant outside.
“I don’t like cold weather, so I’ve come out and I wrapped all my faucets and then put covers on them,” she said.
She’s also moved all her potted tropical plants inside.
“So for this freeze you’re going to want to bring in anything that’s tropical, tender vegetation such as house plants, and things like that,” Fort Worth Botanic Garden Senior Director of Horticulture Keith Brock said. “Most of your annuals will be fine.”
He said based on the forecast, water your plants now if you can.
“Water has insulating quality,” he said. “It also makes sure that plants are not under stress because like water, you want your plants in good shape when we get these kinds of temperatures. I would start no later than tomorrow.”
He said for the most part, outdoor plants don’t need to be covered. However, if there’s any concern based on the type of plant you have, you can always throw a frost cloth or an old sheet on it.
Brownell said her gardenias are vulnerable to the cold. She’s making the preparations now, hoping they pay off in the coming days.
Texas
Texas expected to host Florida State transfer edge Marvin Jones on Friday
After a quiet period in the NCAA transfer portal around the holidays, the Texas Longhorns are active again with a report from 247Sports that head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff are expected to host Florida State Seminoles transfer edge Marvin Jones on Friday.
Florida State EDGE transfer Marvin Jones Jr. is expected to visit Texas today, a source tells @CBSSports/@247Sports.
The former five-star recruit, who is coming off a visit to Oklahoma, ranks as the third-best uncommitted defensive player in the portal. Had four sacks this year.… pic.twitter.com/pE8FUnd99M
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 3, 2025
The son of 10-year NFL veteran and former Florida State standout Marvin Jones, the younger Jones has one season of eligibility remaining. Jones previously took a visit to Oklahoma.
A 6’5, 255-pounder out of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage in the 2022 recruiting class, Jones was ranked as the No. 24 player nationally and the No. 3 edge, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He chose Georgia over 32 other offers, taking official visits to Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma, and USC.
In Athens, Jones tallied 16 tackles, including 5.5 for loss with 2.0 sacks, playing in 12 games in 2023, including a start in the SEC Championship Game, recording 12 tackles, 4.5 for loss with 1.0 sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry as a sophomore.
Jones transferred back to his home state to play for his father’s alma mater as a junior, but departed Tallahassee after the Seminoles finished last in the ACC with a 2-10 record overall and 1-7 mark in conference play. At Florida State, Jones started in nine of his 11 appearances despite some injury issues, totaling a career-high 25 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble. Jones totaled 16 pressures and 17 defensive stops, including two sacks among four total pressures against Cal.
Texas has a need for edge at the edge position with the departure of Barryn Sorrell following the 2024 season and the entrance of junior Justice Finkley into the NCAA transfer portal. 247Sports ranks Jones as the third-best available defender in the portal.
Texas
Memphis basketball vs North Texas: Prediction, picks, injury updates and odds
The Memphis basketball team’s early season schedule has been one of the strongest in the country.
It has also featured an array of contrasting styles and looks. Coming off a commanding road victory over an FAU team that is more offensive-oriented, now the Tigers (11-3, 1-0 AAC) turn their attention to North Texas (11-3, 1-0), which prefers to focus more on defense.
The Mean Green travel to Memphis for a game Sunday (4 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2). It will be the only regular-season meeting between the two.
North Texas is coming off a come-from-behind win at home over UAB on Tuesday. The Blazers were the preseason favorite according to a poll of the AAC’s coaches to win the league. The Tigers earned a win over FAU on Thursday.
Here are three things to keep an eye on ahead of Sunday’s game.
The ‘blessing’ of having Dain Dainja
Memphis big man Dain Dainja feasted on FAU in the second half, scoring all 16 of his points during a 6:54 span.
The former Illinois and Baylor player is averaging 11.4 points per game (fourth on the team), and he’s doing it off the bench.
Coach Penny Hardaway has called it a “luxury” to have a player of Dainja’s caliber playing a reserve role. On Thursday, he went with a new word.
“What a blessing to have Dain Dainja coming off your bench,” he said. “At any time, he can get going. When he got his fourth foul, I left him out there and went with the two bigs (Dainja and Moussa Cisse). They did really well. Dain adds a different layer, because he can score the ball in bunches.”
How to capitalize on momentum
Memphis’ Tyrese Hunter said there was plenty of room for improvement after the FAU win.
The senior guard, who scored 20 points, rattled off a list of things: Keep the confidence level high, pay attention to the scouting report, and maintain the same energy level for a full 40 minutes.
But there was one item very clearly at the top of the list.
“Learn from your mistakes,” he said.
The Tigers committed 19 turnovers and gave up 25 points off those miscues. They also gave up 19 offensive rebounds, which led to 18 second-chance points for FAU.
North Texas basketball scouting report
It’s all about the defense for North Texas.
The Mean Green are second in the nation in steal percentage (15.1%). Eight different members of the roster have registered 10 or more steals through 14 games, led by Latrell Jossell’s 23.
But the Mean Green can create turnovers in other ways. North Texas is fourth in the country in turnover percentage defense (24.4%), and its opponents are averaging 15.1 turnovers per game.
The latter is a top-50 mark in Division I. But Memphis has overcome turnover-minded teams. The Tigers committed 13 turnovers versus Ole Miss and 16 against Missouri but won both of those home games comfortably.
Scoring points is not something North Texas emphasizes. The Mean Green has put up more than 73 points just twice since early November and has only topped 80 points once this season against Mississippi Valley State. That’s partially because of personnel. But it’s also a result of coach Ross Hodge’s philosophy. North Texas plays at one of the five slowest paces in the country, which was also the case last season.
Memphis basketball score prediction vs. North Texas
Memphis 77, North Texas 68: The Mean Green can be a feisty bunch. But the Tigers at home will be more than they can handle.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
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