With Mizzou baseball’s season officially in the books — for all the wrong reasons — I figured it was the perfect time to look back at the worst conference records in each SEC team’s history. Just a little something to lift everyone’s spirits.
Disclaimer: Due to rule changes over the years and teams shifting conferences, not all have played a full 30-game SEC schedule. These records reflect each team’s worst conference finish in a season with at least 24 games.
Oklahoma: 8-16 (2014)
Just one year earlier, in 2013, Oklahoma was the top team in the Big 12 and advanced to the Super Regionals. But following the unexpected departure of head coach Sunny Golloway and the hiring of Pete Hughes, the Sooners found themselves in a transitional phase. They finished the regular season with a 29-29 overall record and struggled in conference play. While they didn’t finish last — edging out 5-19 Kansas State — their minus-42 run differential and No. 82 RPI ranking were among the worst in program history.
Oklahoma’s hitting wasn’t the problem — the Sooners actually led the Big 12 with a .287 team batting average. That success was due in large part to lineup consistency, as six players appeared in at least 50 games and all six hit above .270, including three who batted over .300. The team’s OPS leader, freshman Sheldon Neuse, was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year after leading the Sooners in RBIs and extra-base hits. Beyond their core six, the rest of the lineup contributed as well, with only three hitters on the entire roster finishing the season below a .250 average.
For what it’s worth, Oklahoma’s pitching wasn’t awful — just subpar compared to the rest of the Big 12. The Sooners posted a 4.20 team ERA, the second-worst mark in the conference that season. No one on the staff had an excessively high ERA, aside from two pitchers who each finished above 6.50. Outside of those two, the highest ERA belonged to the team’s No. 1 starter, Adam Choplick, who posted a 5.35. The staff struggled against small ball, allowing an average of 9.47 hits per nine innings. While they didn’t give up many home runs or extra-base hits, a steady stream of singles and doubles often did the damage — piling up as innings wore on.