The Basics
Game 64
Oral Roberts (51-12) vs TCU (42-22)
Dates: June 16
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Omaha, Neb. (Charles Schwab Field)
Watch: ESPN | Behind the Mic: ORU Sports Network | Live Stats: StatBroadcast

OMAHA, Neb. – The Oral Roberts baseball team is set to make its first appearance in 45 years at the NCAA College World Series as they square off against TCU in the opening game Friday at 1 p.m. from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Friday's contest will be broadcast on ESPN, while an audio broadcast of the game will be available on the ORU Sports Network. Fans can also follow along with the games on ORU's Twitter, @ORUBaseball. 

Important Links
ORU Notes
Summit League Notes

Inside the Series
• Friday's contest marks the 46th meeting all-time and seventh in the postseason between the two squads.

• ORU leads the all-time series, 26-19, and owns a 3-3 mark in the postseason against the Horned Frogs. 

• The two teams last met a season ago in the College Station Regional, with TCU claiming a 3-1 victory.

Quick Hits  
• The Golden Eagles are making their first College World Series appearance since 1978 after rallying to take two of the final three games in the Eugene Super Regional.

• ORU, who is the third No. 4 seed in NCAA history to advance to the College World Series, has won 23 of its last 24 contests, including six straight neutral site games. In its last 45 contests, the Golden Eagles are 41-4.

• The Golden Eagles will send sophomore right-hander Jakob Hall to the mound on Friday. In 16 starts this season, Hall has registered an 8-3 record to go along with a 3.56 ERA. In 93.2 innings of work, the sophomore has punched out 91 batters. At the national level, Hall ranks 12th in walks allowed per nine innings (1.44).

• After dropping game one of the Eugene Super Regional on a walk-off, ORU returned the favor on Saturday with a walk-off victory of its own. On Sunday, the Golden Eagles overcame a 3-1 deficit to clinch their first super regional in program history. Dating back to the regular season, ORU has won 11 consecutive series. 

• Closer Cade Denton (first team), center fielder Jonah Cox (second team) and right-fielder Matt Hogan (third team) were named NCBWA All-Americans on Wednesday. This marks the first time since 1999 that a trio of Golden Eagles have earned All-America honors in a single season.

• Cox (first team) and Denton (second team) were also named Collegiate Baseball All-Americans. The duo is the first group of ORU players to earn multiple All-America honors in the same season since Mark Serrano in 2009. Cox's and Denton's first team selections were the first by a Golden Eagle since Brian Van Kirk in 2008.

• Denton is the third player in program history to earn an All-America selection in back-to-back seasons. (David Castillo - 2003-04/Dennis Bigley - 2004-05)

• Cox continues to be one of the nation's premier hitters as the junior leads the country in hits (110), ranks third in triples (8), fourth in hits per game (1.8), seventh in batting average (.424), 14th in total bases (175) and 35th in stolen bases (28).  The junior, who was named the Summit League Player and Newcomer of the Year, extended his hit streak to 44 games in the Stillwater Regional, which is the sixth-longest in NCAA history. Cox, who has hit safely in 62 of the 63 contests this season, became the program's all-time record holder for hits in a season in ORU's win over Washington.

• The Thornton, Colo., native was also named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and a midseason addition to the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List. 

• Through 33 appearances this season, Denton has recorded a 1.85 ERA and 15 saves, which is tied for the most in the country. Denton is only the fourth player in program history with 20-plus career saves (22). Among active players, Denton ranks third in career ERA (1.87).

• The junior, who was named a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award, is coming off a stellar 2022 campaign that saw him register an 0.41 ERA, an 0.78 WHIP and a team-best six saves. The Rowlett, Texas, native was named a Preseason First Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association. With the selection, Denton became the first Golden Eagle to earn Preseason First Team All-America honors since Dennis Bigley in 2004.

• The Golden Eagles advanced to their first super regional since 2006 after sweeping through the Stillwater Regional. The undefeated performance marked the third time in program history ORU has accomplished that feat in a regional (1978 & 2006).

• Denton, the Stillwater Regional Most Outstanding Player, registered three saves in three days and tied the single-season program record with his 15th in the title game.

• Jacob Godman, Jake McMurray, Mac McCroskey, Cox and Dalton Patten were named to the Stillwater Regional All-Tournament team. 

• The Golden Eagles secured their 30th NCAA Regional appearance and second straight after capturing their 21st Summit League Championship title with a 12-4 victory over South Dakota State.

• The win improved ORU to 72-7 all-time in the Summit League Championship and marked the 19th time in program history it has claimed both the regular season and tournament titles in the same season.

• ORU's 51 wins are tied for the program record (D1-era) and rank second nationally behind No. 1 Wake Forest.

• In the latest Collegiate Baseball poll, the Golden Eagles moved up to No. 6 and have been ranked in the poll for nine straight weeks. The No. 6 ranking is the Golden Eagles' highest since 1983. In the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll, ORU jumped to No. 14. 

• The Golden Eagle offense led the Summit League in batting average, runs, hits, RBI, on-base percentage, stolen bases, slugging percentage, triples, total bases and walks. On the mound, ORU topped the conference in ERA, batting average against, WHIP, saves, innings pitched, hits allowed per nine innings, strikeouts-to-walk ratio, walks allowed per nine innings and strikeouts. Defensively, the Golden Eagles led the League in putouts, assists, double plays and fielding percentage.

• Nationally, ORU ranks first in fielding percentage (.984), second in win/loss percentage (.810), fourth in batting average (.323), fourth in hits (721), sixth in WHIP (1.28), seventh in ERA (3.97), ninth in runs (533), 13th in scoring (8.5), 16th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.73), 17th in on-base percentage (.416), 19th in walks allowed per nine innings (3.47), 19th in slugging percentage (.524), 19th in shutouts (5), 20th in triples (19), 23rd in sac flies (34) and 28th in walks (316).

• On the mound, LHP Harley Gollert ranks 11th nationally in wins with 10. The 10 wins are the most by a Golden Eagle since 2017.

• ORU returned 15 players from last year's NCAA Regional squad and welcomed 17 newcomers in the offseason.

• In the 2023 Summit League Preseason Coaches Poll, ORU was selected as the unanimous favorite to claim the regular season crown. The Golden Eagles received 42 points and earned all six first-place votes they could. McCroskey and Denton were named the Preseason Player and Pitcher to Watch for ORU as voted on by the league's seven head coaches. McMurray and Denton garnered Preseason All-Summit League honors from Perfect Game USA.

• Entering the 2023 season, ORU ranks sixth all-time in NCAA history with a .652 winning percentage. 

• Since 2001, ORU has made 18 NCAA Regional appearances, which rank as the most among Oklahoma schools.

• Head Coach Ryan Folmar is in his 11th season at the helm of the Golden Eagles and has compiled a 370-222 (.625) overall record. The Golden Eagle skipper currently ranks second all-time in program history in wins (370) after passing Rob Walton, the Oklahoma State pitching coach, in the Stillwater Regional. 

Scouting the Opponent
• TCU enters the College World Series riding a nation's best 11-game win streak after sweeping the Fort Worth Super Regional.

• Brayden Taylor powers the Horned Frogs offense as the junior has launched 23 homers and driven in 69 RBI. 

• RHP Kole Klecker will take the mound for TCU on Friday.

For the latest information on ORU Baseball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.

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