ORU, Jarrett need perfection (TW)

[praetorfenix86]

By JOHN E. HOOVER AND GREG TEPPER World Sports Writers

6/9/2006

The Golden Eagles are underdogs in the Clemson Super Regional

For eight innings or so, ORU catchers Andy Bouchie and Brian Aguailar are like any other catchers, capturing pitches in unexpected locations, saving balls in the dirt, blocking the wild stuff with any part of their bodies.

Then, along about the ninth inning, Sean Jarrett comes in and their work day is done.

"As soon as (coach Rob Walton) brings him in," said Bouchie, "I'm like, 'Sweeet.' All I do is sit there."

That's the pinpoint control Jarrett has used to dominate hitters this season. Bouchie calls for a pitch in one spot, sets his glove, doesn't move a muscle, and the batter is out.

"It's primarily location," Jarrett said, "and keeping hitters off balance."

Jarrett hopes to keep No. 3-ranked and No. 1 national seed Clemson off balance when the Golden Eagles (41-14) open play Friday at the Clemson (S.C.) Super Regional against the Tigers (50-14). The odds are long against No. 19-ranked ORU beating Clemson in a best-of-three series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium and advancing to the program's second College World Series appearance -- but not much longer than they were against ORU going 3-0 versus Oklahoma State and Arkansas in last week's Fayetteville Regional.

"They believe they can go to Omaha and win in Omaha," Walton said. "They believe in themselves. They just have to stay the course."

Both ORU and Clemson have won 22 of their last 23 games. ORU has won 11 in a row and 31 of its last 34. The opener on the Clemson campus is set for 2 p.m. Friday. Saturday's game starts at 3 p.m.

If Jarrett is in the game, that will probably mean ORU has a lead and Walton wants to protect it, and few collegiate closers this season have been more effective at protecting a lead than Jarrett.

Jarrett is 7-1 with a 1.98 earned run average (18th nationally). His strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio (10.7) ranks 23rd. A total of 33 Division I pitchers have recorded at least 11 saves, while Jarrett has seven.

But since moving into the bullpen in late March, Jarrett is 5-0 with seven saves and has allowed just one earned run in 34-2/3 innings -- an ERA of 0.27.

His performance at the Fayetteville Regional was the stuff of legend. He pitched the final five innings -- scoreless, as usual -- in relief of an 11-inning, 4-3 win over the host Razorbacks. He threw 46 pitches, then came back the next night against top-seeded OSU and saved a 5-4 victory with a scoreless ninth inning.

"If we were to pick MVPs," Walton said, "his name would come up."

On Wednesday, Jarrett was picked by the Colorado Rockies in the 20th round of the Major League Baseball draft.

Jarrett is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound senior from Limon, Colo. After a year at Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colo., Jarrett was a relief pitcher for two seasons at the University of Arizona. He wanted a shot at starting, so he left Arizona and transferred to ORU.

He made five starts at the beginning of the season and had decent results, going 2-1 with a 4.44 ERA. Since stepping into the bullpen, Jarrett's opponents are hitting just .126, and he's striking out 41 percent of the hitters he faces. That average of 13.2 per nine innings would rank second nationally.

Walton said if ORU makes its first CWS trip in 28 years, Jarrett will need to have another performance like he did in Fayetteville.

"He's going to have to play good," Walton said. "I don't think there's any question he'll have to do it again."

The reason, Walton said, is the talent throughout the Clemson lineup. Last year's team -- which beat ORU 8-3 in the Clemson Regional -- returns almost intact, and their experience has bolstered their skills.

"Their numbers are gaudy," Walton said. "They're ranked No. 1 for a reason. You look at their numbers, guys got 22 homers, 12 homers, 10 homers. They've hit 75 or so, and a bunch of doubles (136). Their whole team's returning. And I think they have 10 guys on their (pitching) staff that throw 90 (miles per hour) or better."

If it comes down to Jarrett, the Golden Eagles like their chances.

"I think his command is unbelievable right now," Bouchie said. "Since he's been coming out of the pen, I think he's throwing 5-6 mph harder. I don't know why. But that power curveball he's got and that slider, man, he's just unhittable right now."

[Guest Rob Marshall]

The Tulsa World curse ... it's almost as though Sean Jarrett was set up for a tough outing today; it's like mentioning how many FT's a player has made in a row before he steps to the line for a 1-and-1 with under a minute to play only to miss and cost his team the game.