Owasso: No. 2 in 2014 Xcellent 25 Preseason National Baseball Rankings

How does a team top the greatest season in school history? The Owasso Rams are going to find out.

Coming off a season in which they finished undefeated with a school-record 36 wins and a Class 6A state championship, the Rams have all the pieces in place necessary to make a similar run this year. With eight returning starters from a team that finished the 2013 season ranked No. 2 in the Xcellent 25, Owasso begins the 2014 season as the No. 2 team in the Xcellent 25 preseason national baseball rankings.

The preseason baseball countdown will conclude tomorrow with the naming of the No. 1 team and the Top 100. See the Top 10 teams landing page here

"Our experienced players returning will be huge for us coming off a championship season," said Owasso assistant coach Steve Holleman. "We should be very good offensively and defensively and we return our top two pitchers."



Few teams can match the in-state success of Owasso. The Rams have reached the state finals 15 of the past 17 years and have won nine state titles during that stretch. Coach Larry Turner, meanwhile, needs just 31 wins to join the 1,000 win club.

Making a run at another state title and an undefeated season won't be easy, but the Rams have all the pieces in place. Owasso's top two pitchers from last year return in Jeb Bargfeldt and Braden Webb. Bargfeldt was 9-0 with 91 strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA last year while Webb was 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 53 strikeouts.

Mason O'Brien and Jonah Bride are two of six returning starters in the field. O'Brien is the top returning hitter after batting .357 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs. Bride, meanwhile, moves from second base to shortstop. He batted .344 last year with 32 runs scored.

The Rams are also solid behind the plate and in the outfield. Garrett Hall is back to play catcher while Bargfeldt, Bryce Colt and Blake Enzbrenner return in the outfield.

"We have players that understand our tradition and buy into our philosophy," said Holleman. "They expect to win and that attitude is passed down from one year to the next."{PAGEBREAK}

School size: Oklahoma Class 6A


Enrollment: 1,245 (grades 11-12)




2013 finish: 36-0, Oklahoma Class 6A state champion


Head coach: Larry Turner


Career record: 969-221


Years at school: 32


Notable MLB players:

Dylan Bundy (2012)

Brian Flynn (2009-2013)



Pete Kozma (2007-2013)

Jaime Bluma (1991-2000)


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No. of starters returning: 8

Top losses:

Austin O'Brien, IF, Gatorade State Player of the Year

Trae Bobo, IF, .384, 15 HRs



Austin Kerns, P


Key returners:

Jeb Bargfeldt, P, Senior

Jonah Bride, SS, Senior

Mason O'Brien, 1B, Senior

Garrett Hall, C, Senior



Blake Enzbrenner, OF, Senior

Braden Webb, P, Senior



Key newcomers:

Kolton Gariss, OF, Junior

Gabe Neph, IF, Junior



Blake Vandegrift, IF, Senior

Bo Winters, IF, Junior

Tyler Pittman, IF, Junior


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Toughest game: Owasso travels to Florida every spring for the Blue Devil Classic, so look for one of those tournament games to give the Rams their toughest test.

Local outlook: The Rams have some of their toughest competition on the schedule right in their own backyard. Owasso meets Broken Arrow, the 2012 state champion, on April 25 and then meets perennial state title contender Union (Tulsa) on April 29.

Overall outlook: The Rams have one of the longest winning streaks in the nation at 36 in a row and it's the longest streak in school history as well. The Rams will no doubt make a push to get coach Turner his 1,000th career win, which could happen some time in early April. Another state title and the Rams could be in line for a national championship.

Coach quote: "Although we are returning solid players, we did graduate a lot of power stats and others will have to step up and replace those numbers. We are confident with the players we have that we will be in the mix when it's all said and done."
- Assistant coach Steve Holleman