Golloway returns to ORU with Sooners
BY JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
4/17/12 at 6:08 AM
Oklahoma's Sunny Golloway returns on Tuesday to Oral Roberts University, the place where he got his head coaching start.
"A lot of great memories," Golloway said. "A lot of fun times."
The Sooners and Golden Eagles meet at 6:30 p.m. at J.L. Johnson Stadium. OU prevailed 5-2 when the teams played in Norman on March 27, but the Sooners haven't played at ORU since 2004, when Golloway had begun his second stint as an OU assistant under former ORU coach Larry Cochell.
Cochell resigned in 2005 and Golloway was eventually promoted to head coach.
The series took a seven-year hiatus after the 2004 game at ORU, when a handful of ORU fans launched a verbal assault on Golloway and Cochell.
"I'm sure all that's gone," Golloway said. "It'll be good to go back there."
Golloway said he's indebted to ORU and athletic director Mike Carter for taking a chance on an unproven assistant coach. Golloway went 335-156 at ORU from 1996-2003, including six straight NCAA regional appearances.
Golloway also said he's thankful for ORU coach Rob Walton, who was Golloway's pitching coach and primary recruiter from 1999-2003. Walton is 346-159 at ORU with eight regional trips and the program's only super regional.
Both teams are hungry for something good to happen.
ORU (17-17 overall) is just 4-3 in Summit League play. The Sooners (22-14) have won four in a row including a weekend sweep of Missouri in Norman, but stand just 7-8 in Big 12 Conference play.
OU is 34-29 all-time in the series (Golloway is 4-3 against Walton), but last year's showdown in the Fort Worth Regional - a 7-0 ORU victory - shows how this series can go.
"There's not an underdog," Golloway said. "We've got great respect for their program."
College baseball up next
Oklahoma (22-14) at ORU (17-17)
J.L. Johnson Stadium
6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Oklahoma State (18-16) at Wichita State (22-17)
Wichita, Kan.
6:30 p.m. Tuesday
John E. Hoover 918-581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com
