Skip Johnson assesses pitching of Cade Horton, reveals message he sent to Oklahoma facing elimination

On3 imageby:Chandler Vessels06/26/22

ChandlerVessels

With the Oklahoma Sooners facing elimination Sunday against Ole Miss in the College World Series, coach Skip Johnson opted to start Cade Horton at pitcher. So far it has proved to be a good decision as Horton has allowed just two hits while striking out seven so far through four innings.

With the game still scoreless, Johnson joined the ESPN broadcast in the bottom of the third inning to offer his thoughts on Horton’s performance thus far.

“He looks like he’s really comfortable right now,” the coach said. “He’s got to continue to execute the two-strike pitch. That’s the biggest one.”

A redshirt freshman, Horton missed all of 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He worked his way back this offseason and has really begun to come alive down the stretch of the NCAA Tournament. During his first appearance in the College World Series, the pitcher helped Oklahoma to a win against Notre Dame while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Skip Johnson said he knew Cade Horton was special from the start, and it’s rewarding to see his hard work pay off on the biggest stage in college baseball.

“When he was a freshman he was really good,” Johnson said. “You never know when adversity hits. He bounced back really good which is incredible. It’s really a testament to our training staff and our strength coach.”

With the game still scoreless in the top of the sixth, Horton will need some help from his hitters if the Sooners are ultimately able to force a third game. So far Oklahoma has recorded just one hit, as there at a total of three between the two teams. Despite this, Johnson said his message to the Sooners was simple ahead of Sunday’s elimination contest.

“We had to win two yesterday morning and we’ve got to win two again today,” he said.