Oklahoma's Braden Carmichael named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week
Braden Carmichael saved his best for last. The Oklahoma senior lefthander was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week for his Bedlam efforts on Monday.
Throwing the first complete game shutout for OU since Dane Aker no-hit LSU in Houston at the Shriner’s College Baseball Classic in 2020, Carmichael needed just 96 pitches to dispatch of in-state rival Oklahoma State Friday night in a 5-0 win.
“I thought he was really outstanding. I thought his presence was really good from the first pitch on,” said Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson. “He established the strikezone (early). Made some really good pitches when he had to.
“He’s a strike thrower. That’s one thing he’s going to do is he’s going to keep you in games. I think that’s the biggest thing for him. Him being an older guy and a captain understanding the role that he had to do and taking it one pitch at a time. I thought he did that probably as best as he’s done all year.
“I think that’s the biggest thing for him is trying to establish the strikezone and keep those guys off balance. Really about pitching it’s all about timing. It’s disrupting timing. Those guys in the big leagues can put wood on a bullet. So it’s all about disrupting timing and I really thought he kept those guys off-balance all night long with the different pitches he’s made as he changed all the way through.”
The senior lefty allowed just four hits, struck out five and did not walk a batter improving to 7-0, winning his seventh consecutive start since jumping into the Sooners rotation midway through conference play.
It was a pivotal performance in a game that was important to Oklahoma’s postseason chances. Such is the life of a bubble team this time of the year.
“Relief,” said Carmichael following his final home game as a Sooner. “I knew how big the game was. Obviously I knew it was my last time pitching here. Just big relief.”
Carmichael joins Oklahoma left-hander Carter Campbell earning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors this season. Campbell earned the honor after throwing 8.2 innings of relief during a three-game sweep of Texas, allowing just five hits and one earned run while picking up a win and a save.
The No. 7-seed Sooners head to Arlington as the defending champion of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship, opening this year’s tournament versus No. 2 seed Oklahoma State Wednesday at 4 p.m. (ESPN+).
It will be the fifth installment of Bedlam on the baseball diamond this season. Oklahoma State has won three of the four meetings, outscoring Oklahoma 48-11.
The Big 12 Championship features seven squads with a top-50 RPI, and all nine Big 12 members have a strength of schedule in the top 75.
