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By Travis M. Smith | KBEC Sports
Peyton Graham departed from Waxahachie in May intending to find a role as a true freshman on the diamond with the University of Oklahoma.
He found it, and is now a middle of the order bat and starting third baseman for one of the premier collegiate baseball organizations in the country.
Following the first pitch of this Friday’s tilt against San Diego State University, Graham had started — not just appeared — in all 15 games for the Sooners and collected at least one hit in 11 of those contests.
Graham was held hitless in the season opener at home against Virginia on Feb. 14, only to bounce-back with a 3-for-5 day with a pair of doubles in game two of the series on Feb. 15. He collected four base-on-balls and scored two runs with one RBI during the weekend.
Graham proceeded to knock eight hits over seven games against Texas Southern (3 hits, 2 games) and Illinois State (5 hits, 4 games).
But his biggest — and certainly the longest — hit came the day the Sooners played the University of Missouri on Saturday, Feb. 29.
Graham stepped to the plate to lead off the top of the fifth inning at Minute Maid Park in Houston with the Sooners leading the Tigers, 3-0. The third baseman then took the first-pitch ball and launched the 1-0 fastball over the 16-foot wall in the deepest portion of left-center field.
An ???????? ? by Graham.
Memorable first career homer for the freshman, coming at Minute Maid Park.#Sooners pic.twitter.com/IrgGMgCFGh
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) February 29, 2020
Minute Maid Park measures 362 feet to the left-center field fence, which is only two feet further than the wall in the power alley at Paul Richards Park.
Yet, Graham’s blast in Houston looked much, much more impressive after ricocheting off of the facing than when striking a tree in Waxahachie.
Missouri ultimately went on to win the game 8-7 in 10 innings.
Graham has since collected a pair of hits in games against Dallas Baptist, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and San Diego State. He was held hitless on Monday in a win against LSU.
Graham currently boasts eight doubles, seven RBIs, 11 runs scored, six stolen bases and a .339 batting average over 56 at-bats.
UP NEXT
Graham and the Sooners will continue their three-game series against San Diego State in Norman, Okla. on Saturday and Sunday.
OU is currently 11-3 overall on the season and has yet to compete in Big 12 play. Most Sooner baseball games can be streamed live at https://soonersports.com/watch.
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Travis M. Smith, @Travis5mith
tsmith@kbec.com
