Happy Friday, friends and fans! Yesterday was Opening Day for the MLB, and the Oklahoma Sooners were well represented. In fact, the Sooners made major league history with three pitchers from the same college all starting on Opening Day for the first time ever. Jon Gray started for the Colorado Rockies, Chase Anderson for the Milwaukee Brewers and Garrett Richards for the L.A. Angels. Congratulations, guys! What an accomplishment. There truly is only one Oklahoma.

Gray played four innings vs. the Diamondbacks, giving up six hits and three runs. Richards played five innings against the Oakland A’s, giving up four runs on seven hits and had four strikeouts. Meanwhile, Anderson flourished in six innings vs. the Padres, recording six strikeouts and allowing only one hit, and this very awkward — yet amusing — attempt at a slide.

Now onto some warm and toasty Hot Links to prep you for the weekend. Mike Stoops has noticed a big improvement along the D-line, Oklahoma baseball and softball are off to scintillating starts in conference play, an accountant is called upon to play goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks and more!

OU Links

• Remember folks, if you come to the Oklahoma Spring Game on April 14th, you can have your picture taken with Baker Mayfield’s Heisman Trophy. It’ll surely be a great way to make some memories for you, your family and friends, so if you can make it to Norman, please do so!

• Staying on the subject of Baker Mayfield, some folks who like to hear themselves talk think Mayfield is too petty. While there may be some truth to that, it shouldn’t be seen as an inherent negative. His pettiness gave him the massive chip on his shoulder. That chip has taken him to elite QB status. If that’s what being petty will do for you, maybe I need be more like Baker.
• Mike Stoops says out of all the units on the team, he has seen the most improvement from the players on the defensive line. Guys like Amani Bledsoe, Neville Gallimore and Marquise Overton are stepping up after a subpar season for the unit in 2017.
• Defensive ends coach Calvin Thibodeaux is undoubtedly one of the Sooner coaching staff’s top recruiters, and his latest haul may have been his best yet. So how has Coach ‘Thibs’ developed into such a closer when it comes to recruiting?
• Speaking of recruiting, who are the top targets that will be attending Oklahoma’s Spring Game? And out of those players, which ones does Oklahoma have a legitimate shot at securing? John Shinn from Diehards tackles each of those questions.
• Oklahoma Baseball has gotten off to a heck of a start in Big 12 play. After taking down the Baylor Bears yesterday, the Sooners are now 4-0 in conference (the midweek Bedlam contest was a non-con game), and look to improve that to 5-0 tonight in game 2 of this three-game series.

• On the other diamond, Oklahoma Softball is still streaking, now having won 20 in a row! These Sooners also played Baylor, who is currently ranked 15th in the nation, and shut them out. Excellent work, ladies! Head coach Patty Gasso has this thing rolling once again.

• What if the NFL Draft was based solely on college production? If that was the case, it looks like Oklahoma would definitely have at least four players taken in the first round, including the No. 1 overall pick. You can probably guess who that is.
• Don’t forget to check out RJ Young’s latest thoughts on the greatness of Patty Gasso, some advice for Trace Adkins, and a snippet of his Q&A with 2019 tight end commit Austin Stogner.

Around the Sports World

• Loyola-Chicago’s Sister Jean is the gift that none of us deserves, but all she does is continue to deliver. Check out her latest fiery hot take about the NCAA vs. NBA debate.

• So the 2018 MLB season opened with a plethora of bombs on Opening Day. If you missed any of them, don’t worry, just check out this list of the top homers from yesterday’s festivities.
• Joel Embiid suffered an orbital fracture and a concussion after a hard but inadvertent collision with 76ers teammate Markelle Fultz. Embiid is used to dealing with injuries, unfortunately, but he should be able to return in time for the playoffs. You gotta trust that process!
• Kevin Durant could just be having one of those seasons. The Slim Reaper was ejected in last night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks for cursing out a ref. The ejection is Durant’s fifth of the season, when he was only ever tossed from a game twice in his previous ten seasons. Warning: there is some colorful language in the video.
• Scott Foster is just an ordinary man with an ordinary career as a local accountant. But when the Chicago Blackhawks needed an emergency goalie, it was Foster who came to the rescue. He lived out his dream and saved the game in a matter of hours. Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear goalie masks.

Stick to Sports!

• A Los Angeles judge has ruled that Starbucks, along with several other coffee makers in the state of California, are required to include warning labels on their coffee for containing cancer causing chemicals.

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