Oklahoma baseball's sophomore class hopes to put program 'on the map' in 2023 season
NORMAN — When OU's 2021 freshman class arrived on campus in Norman, it wanted to make a change.
And the Sooners needed one. They went 27-28 (11-13 Big 12) the previous season, which marked their first losing campaign since 2003.
But the down year didn't discourage OU's incoming freshman class, which included Jackson Nicklaus, John Spikerman and Wallace Clark. It fueled the young group.
"It was definitely something we looked forward to," Nicklaus said. "We wanted to be part of a group of men that were going to put this program on the map and put us with the elite group of college baseball teams."
OU reached that upper echelon last season when it got to the championship round of the College World Series, and its true freshmen played a large role in the unlikely run.
More: Get to know the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners baseball team and schedule
Nicklaus and Clark made the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, while Spikerman made the Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team.
OU will lean on its now-sophomore group of players even more this upcoming season, which begins at 3 p.m. Friday with the start of a three-game home series against Cal Baptist.
Eleven players from last season's OU team got selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, leaving the sophomore Sooners as the undisputed leaders.
"It's exciting to know that it's our team," Nicklaus said. "Last year we felt like we were role players, but now we've had to take on a leadership role with this club. We're excited to see what we can do as leaders."
Expectations are high for Nicklaus, who was recently named to the preseason All-Big 12 Team.
The Overland Park, Kansas, native showed his power at the plate last season. He batted .288 and racked up 11 home runs, which marked the second-highest total on the team.
Nicklaus is expected to hold it down at second base, while Clark is slotted at third base. A Tulsa native, Clark batted .257 last season and tallied 39 hits to go along with 27 RBIs.
Clark might even see some time at catcher following the departure of two-year starter Jimmy Crooks. It's a position Clark hasn't played since the eighth grade, but he understands that being a leader includes making sacrifices for the team.
"I feel like catching is something I can do, and I think I can do it pretty well," Clark said. "It's an interesting transition going from being really comfortable at third base or anywhere else in the infield to having to be a rookie, in a sense, at (catcher). ... Whatever the team wants me to do."
Meanwhile, Spikerman experienced a transition of his own last season.
He had to learn from the dugout at the start of the campaign. Spikerman didn't make his debut until OU's game against OSU on April 8 due to injury.
Spikerman finished his freshman year with 15 RBIs on .317 hitting, and he earned a preseason All-Big 12 Team selection for the upcoming campaign.
"It was a different perspective, sitting out in the dugout," Spikerman said. "You get to learn a lot about what's going on in the game from a viewer's perspective, so I think that helped me a lot."
OU played above expectations last season, and it's tasked with defying the odds again this time around.
The reigning Big 12 Tournament champions are picked to finish fifth in the conference's preseason poll. But the underdog role is nothing new to OU's sophomore class, which is ready to lead its team this season.
"They understood the work," OU head coach Skip Johnson said. "What mark do you want to leave on a program? We talk about that a lot. ... The leadership that they've shown has been incredible."
OU vs. California Baptist
WHEN: 3 p.m. Friday at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman (ESPN+)
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma baseball sophomore class hopes to lead Sooners in 2023 season
