Prep Baseball Report

OK Preseason Preview: Owasso


Oklahoma Staff

The Oklahoma high school baseball season kicks off on Feb. 21 for A-B, and March 1 for 2A-6A. Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2022 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, leading into a countdown through the official PBR Oklahoma Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

We’ve submitted a Preseason Questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2022 preseason coverage continues today. 

Team: Owasso
2021 Record: 33-5 (State Semi-Finals)
Classification: 6A
Head Coach: Larry Turner

OUTLOOK

There have been very few programs in the Country that have been able to reload year in and year out quite like the Owasso Rams.  Coach Larry Turner always finds a way to get his teams to compete for State Titles and has collected quite a few along the way.  The 2021 campaign saw elite pitching performances all throughout the year that carried them to the State Semi-Finals.  The good news for the Rams is the return of almost their entire staff from a year ago as well as adding a top-tier arm to the mix that will make scoring runs against the Rams very difficult for opposing offenses.  Offensively they will have to replace a few big contributors such as Brody Greene, Jett Tucker, and Braden Blundell who have all moved on to college baseball.  The Rams have enough pieces in the lineup with guys that have shown the ability to compete on the 6A stage that should make them one of the better offenses in the State.  What makes the Rams scary heading in to the 2022 campaign is their incredible depth of impact arms.  The Rams have multiple guys that will be pitching out of the bullpen or in non-district games that would be most program's Monday or Tuesday night starter and their established starters have shown the ability to hold their stuff deep into games.  There's no question that Owasso has the pieces to make a deep run into the Postseason with the experience returning as well as big time arms on the mound to add to their already impressive program history.

Impact PLAYERS

Brennan Phillips, 2022, LHP, Oklahoma State commit

Phillips is coming off one of the best seasons on the mound the State of Oklahoma has ever seen in 2021 where he went 9-1 with 144 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched with only 20 walks and a .89 ERA.  The OSU commit had multiple memorable performances in 2021 and showed his dominance all season long from his first start of the year where he struck out 20 in a complete game effort against the eventual State Champions to his last start where he out-dueled Yukon in the opening round of the State Tournament working a complete game shutout.  Phillips usually sits in the upper 80's and has worked in the low 90's with the fastball in the past but it is his full arsenal that makes him truly special.  He has arguably the top curveball in the State and also will show a slider as well that has tight spin and a slightly different look.  He also mixes in a changeup in the zone to continue to puzzle hitters night in and night out.  Phillips also will provide some offense where he has shown the ability to drive the ball over the fence and plays solid defense in center field.  Look for Phillips to continue to lead the charge of arguably the best staff in the State and play a big role in the Rams' chase for another Title.

 

Brennan Phillips (2021)

 

Jackson Smith, 2022, 1B/OF, Eastern Oklahoma State JC

Smith is coming off a huge year for the Rams where he hit 415 to go along with 5 home runs usually out of the leadoff spot.  What makes the EOSC commit so special at the plate is his discipline and ability to handle the barrel in the zone.  Smith worked 24 walks to only 5 strikeouts on the year and shows advanced balance at the plate with good bat speed.  His ability to drive the ball from line to line and not chase pitches out of the zone makes him one of the toughest outs in the State.  Look for Smith to continue to provide a steady presence in a deep lineup and setting the table as well as be a run producer.

 

Jackson Smith (5/22/21)

 

Solomon Skalnik, 2022, OF/3B, Eastern Oklahoma State JC

Skalnik has the physical size and tools that coaches are always looking for and he backed that up on the field in the 2021 with a .418 average and 4 home runs.  The EOSC commit hits with good leverage and quick hands through the zone and shows potential pull side power for the future.  Skalnik also provides good defense from the corners in the outfield where he takes good routes and shows solid arm strength.  Look for Skalnik to continue to be a key cog in the lineup and become one of the top run producers in the State.  

 

Solomon Skalnik (5/22/21)

 

Jackson Farrell, 2024, LHP/1B

Farrell arguably put up the best Freshman campaign on the mound the State has ever seen in 2021 where he went 9-2 with 86 strikeouts in 67 innings to only 16 walks and an incredible .31 ERA.  Farrell took the ball on Tuesday nights after teams had to deal with Phillips and provided a slightly different look from the left side that stifled hitters all the same.  Farrell will sit in the low 80's with the fastball and has shown over the Summer that he is taking a bit of jump in velo.  What makes him special is his ability to throw all three pitches in the zone in any count.  He uses his big curveball and fading changeup in hitter's counts that get off the barrel as well as shown the ability to miss bats with hitters getting off rhythm repeatedly.  Look for Farrell to continue to make strides as he gains more strength which could make him one of the more dangerous arms in the State as he already has incredible pitchability.

 

 

 

Kyndon Lovell, 2022, LHP/OF, Arkansas

The Rams deep pitching staff got a big jolt in the addition of Kyndon Lovell moving over to create a three-headed monster of left-handers that opposing teams will have nightmares dealing with.  The Arkansas commit has one of the more electric left-handed arms in the State where he has shown the ability to pound the zone with a low 90's fastball to go along with a very sharp slider with good late depth.  Lovell has an athletic build with elite hand speed that should correlate to even more velocity in the future and better overall stuff as the delivery continues to smooth out.  The addition of Lovell gives the Rams the type of pitching depth it requires to make a deep run in May.

 

Kyndon Lovell (5/29/19)

PLAYERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

Braydon Sanford, 2023, RHP/INF

Noah Smallwood, 2022, INF

Zachary Burnes, 2022, INF, Carl Albert State commit

Cole Deason, 2022, INF, Carl Albert State commit

Bennett Flannery, 2022, RHP, NEO CC commit

Jacob Morrow, 2022, RHP, NEO CC commit

 

Make sure to follow @PBR_Oklahoma on Twitter for the most up-to-date coverage throughout the 2022 season.

RELATED CONTENT