NCAA DIVISION I TOURNAMENT STILLWATER (OKLA.) REGIONAL

Eagles can hang with bigger boys

Oral Roberts pitcher Guillermo Trujillo throws during a game against SIU-Edwardsville on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Okla.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Oral Roberts University's baseball team dominated its Summit League competition this season with a 25-5 record, but the Golden Eagles cleaned up against the Big 12 Conference, too.

ORU (41-18), which plays Arkansas (35-22) at noon Friday in the Stillwater (Okla.) NCAA regional, went 5-1 against Big 12 teams. The Golden Eagles beat regional host and No. 1 seed Oklahoma State 4-2 at home and 15-5 on the road, won at Oklahoma 5-1 and took two of three games from Texas Tech, winning 9-7 and losing 7-4 on the road and winning 5-4 at home.

Oral Roberts glance

NICKNAME Golden Eagles

LOCATION Tulsa

COACH Ryan Folmar (96-76 in three seasons)

RECORD 41-18

CONFERENCE Summit League (regular-season and tournament champions)

BATTING AVERAGE .321

HOME RUNS 37

ERA 3.10

FIELDING PERCENTAGE .966 (70 errors)

KEY PLAYERS DH/RP Anthony Sequiera (.343 batting average, 10 home runs, 54 RBI, 11 saves, 1.50 ERA); C Matt Whatley (.343, 44 RBI, 15 SB); CF Derrian James (.342, 44 RBI); RHP Guillermo Trujillo (10-3, 4.03 ERA).

NOTABLE VICTORIES 2-0 vs. Oklahoma State, 1-0 vs. Oklahoma, 2-1 vs. Texas Tech, 2-1 vs. Memphis.

NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES 25 (first since 2012)

NCAA TOURNAMENT RECORD 34-48

VS. ARKANSAS 35-65

ORU Coach Ryan Folmar, who played at Oklahoma State from 1994-1997, said while those Big 12 victories don't count in the NCAA regional, they give the Golden Eagles confidence.

"Playing those kind of people in those kind of environments are crucial to preparing you for these kind of moments and this kind of atmosphere," Folmar said Tuesday. "The experience only makes you better at the end of the year if you're in a regional.

"Our guys understand that if we go in and play well this weekend, we're going to have an opportunity to win."

ORU's lineup features six seniors, led by designated hitter Anthony Sequiera, who is hitting .434 with 10 home runs, 20 doubles and 51 RBI; center fielder Darrian James (.342, 5 home runs, 44 RBI), first baseman Audie Afenir (.340, 42 RBI) and second baseman Matt Brandy (.316, 6 home runs, 44 RBI).

"Those guys have carried us throughout the year," Folmar said. "We know there are going to be a lot of Razorback fans in the crowd, but our seniors have been through some of those fires and understand how to play with composure."

Folmar, in his third season as ORU's coach after being an assistant for nine years, has led the Golden Eagles to their 25th NCAA Tournament bid and first since 2012. They were 25-32 and 30-26 the previous two seasons as members of the Southland Conference before returning to the Summit League, where they have won 16 titles the past 18 years

"It's been a satisfying year to this point," Folmar said. "I'm very proud of the way our guys have competed and gone out and played with urgency and effort.

"It's a good feeling getting back where you feel like you need to be, but we feel like we've got a lot of baseball left, too."

Sequiera not only is the Golden Eagles' top hitter but has become their closer this season because of injuries to other pitchers. He has 11 saves and a 1.50 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 30 innings.

"Sometimes you can look at numbers and they're deceiving, but I promise you his aren't," Folmar said. "He's a guy that's just done it all for us, and done it pretty well.

"He's a really good first baseman, but with him pitching, we try to limit his innings defensively as much as we can to kind of protect his arm."

ORU junior right-hander Guillermo Trujillo (10-3, 4.03 ERA) will start Friday's game. He has 68 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings and has been the Golden Eagles' No. 1 starter all season.

"At times he's had overpowering stuff and at times he's pitched with not his best stuff," Folmar said. "I think he's gone out every time we've handed him the ball and he's competed really well."

Folmar said Trujillo throws a fastball, curveball, slider and change-up.

"When he's got it dialed in, he can throw all of them for strikes in any count," Folmar said.

ORU has a .321 team batting average and 3.10 ERA.

"We've had times where the offense has carried us and we've had times where we've really had to pitch and dominate on the mound," Folmar said. "I think it's a balanced ballclub."

ORU is 13-1 in its past 14 games, with the only loss in that span at Wichita State, 7-6, on May 12.

"I think we're playing well," Folmar said. "I think we're playing with a lot of confidence. I think we're playing with a lot of toughness.

"Hopefully that carries into the weekend. We're ready. We're ready to play. Friday just can't get here soon enough."

Sports on 05/27/2015