June 13-19, 2018

J U N E 13 -19, 2 0 18 | W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M

OU DAILY

CLIMATE OF SILENCE 2 NOOR EEMAAN/THE DAILY

Former OU drama students recall troubling interactions with John Scamehorn years before investigations began OU DAILY VOL. 103, NO. 35 © 2018 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢

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SOONERS’ RECRUIT CLASS GROWS

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NEWS

• June 13-19, 2018

New Scamehorn details arise

Drama graduates recall play written by former professor JANA ALLEN

@janaabananaax Trigger warning: this story contains descriptions of sexual harassment and violence.

As allegations continue to pile up, former school of drama students recall when concerns about John Scamehorn began as well as environment that allowed him to flourish.

When John Scamehorn retired from teaching chemical engineering in 2007, he took an interest in the arts, becoming a major donor for OU’s school of drama. Scamehorn attended every event and show, camera in hand.

“You know, after shows we would have photos of us on Facebook and that was actually sort of a fun little thing that was going on,” said Kelly Tenner, 2012 school of drama graduate. “It wasn’t until around 2011 or 2012 when we did a production called “Spring’s Awakening” ... that things started to feel kind of uncomfortable.”

Tenner said that it was after this production that Scamehorn made “some pretty inappropriate comments” to a girl on the production involving the rape theme, telling her she played the “perfect rape victim.”

“And then (Scamehorn) also posted a public Facebook status that basically said that ‘You know, some people might think that the nudity in ‘Spring’s Awakening’ was a bit gratuitous. But who’s complaining? Not this school of drama patron,’” Tenner said.

Tenner said that these incidents put concerns about Scamehorn on the student body’s radar, but she’s not sure if anyone took their concerns to the faculty.

“There was an awkwardness to his interactions with people and an uncomfortableness,” said Christopher Fitzer, former school of drama student. “But I think many people put that off to be ... some sort of social anxiety or inability to properly talk to people.”

Tenner said she remembers Scamehorn telling her of a conversation he’d had with Tom Orr, school of drama director. According to what Scamehorn told her, they discussed the “models” of “Spring’s Awakening” — Tenner said she assumes he was referring to the actresses — and Orr said that Tenner “wasn’t pretty, just cute” and was best at playing the “chunky best friend.” Though Tenner said she never brought it to the attention of Orr, she now wishes she had.

“I could not understand why John (Scamehorn)would be having any kind of conversation involving the body type of a student,” Tenner said.

“That was sort of the first time that something felt really, really off about about John and my interactions with him.”

Kevin Percival, a former school of drama student, said he and some friends started a student group called “No Shame” at the end of 2009. The group met once a week, and the concept was an open-mic, first-come, first-serve set up where students could show up and read writing that they were working on without the editing of professors, in order to get peer feedback, said Fitzer, who also attended the group.

Percival was the leader of

the group and said Scamehorn began coming after the first few meetings. The students didn’t think much of it until Scamehorn decided to read some of his own material, Percival said.

“He told this Thailand escapade to a bunch of students and the story ... was very sexual in content,” Percival said. “It made everyone uncomfortable, especially because towards the end of the story, he actually brought out alcohol and offered it to one of the students in attendance.”

“I understand that that it’s really difficult combating such a burden of proof when it comes to any kind of harassment, but I feel like I shouldn’t have let my doubts in the faculty at SOD, I shouldn’t have let my doubts in whether or not they would do anything, keep me from voicing my concerns.”

KELLY TENNER, 2012 SCHOOL OF DRAMA GRADUATE

Percival said he talked with Scamehorn after, informing him that his material and the offering of alcohol were both inappropriate. Percival then reported it to the school of drama but said he received a disappointing response.

“Their advice was to kind of just handle it,” Percival said.

“It was either just stop doing the open mics or just make sure he didn’t share anything.

Every week he would send

me a new draft of whatever he was working on ... which was inappropriate ... and I would respond, ‘No.’ I informed the school of drama this again, and they kind of suggested that we just don’t have the events anymore.”

When Tenner graduated in 2012, she received a lengthy email in the following June from Scamehorn stating that he was working on a play that was the product of the essays he had read at “No Shame.”

Fitzer, Brett Marley and Emily Ferren, all former school of drama students, also received the email and were asked by Scamehorn to consult on the script, offering $50 an hour or more.

The play, “Inside The Mind,” was a one-act play about a sociopathic rapist, Jimmie, and a psychiatrist, Dr. Williams, who is trying to understand Jimmie’s mind. Scamehorn described Jimmie in his email as “charismatic, witty, funny, cheerful (except when he goes on diatribes about why he hates women), very smart, insightful, and manipulative,” and also gave a list of school of drama actresses who would be perfect to play the rape victim, Tenner being the first on the list.

“I think the most uncomfortable thing for me was when he sent me the email describing the play, and he talked so in depth about the rapist and about how he wanted to portray the rapist in a certain light,” Fitzer said.

In Scamehorn’s email to Fitzer, he said he wanted to write the rapist as someone the audience couldn’t help but like for his personality, despite his actions.

“And then he goes on to describe the victim and the wording he used to describe the

victim ... he compared the victim to my friends, like that was the biggest red flag,” Fitzer said.

I n e m a i l s t o Te n n e r, Scamehorn mentioned that Orr thought the play wasn’t appropriate to produce at OU, but Scamehorn hoped to have OU students working on the play.

In an email to Marley, however, Scamehorn said that he was “treading on shaky ground with Tom Orr.” Scamehorn also said in the same email he “didn’t have official permission to approach SOD students yet” and added after: “Actually, the school has no business telling me who I can talk to but I can’t afford to ruin relations,” and that he also sent a student a script “on a non-disclosure basis.”

Tenner said she found the play disturbing and had to tell Scamehorn multiple times over the span of nearly two years that she did not want any part of it. Ferren and Marley ended up working with Scamehorn on the play despite being as disturbed as Tenner, they told The Daily in separate emails. The play ended up being performed in the spring of 2014, Ferren said in the email.

Fitzer said he believes the people that did help Scamehorn produce the play either did it hoping they could make it better, less misogynistic and disturbing, or they helped because they were young and excited to be actually getting paid to work on something. He also said he knows some of them regret it, as the experience of working with Scamehorn was less than desirable.

“I think that there was definitely an abuse of people’s eagerness and passion,” Fitzer said. “And it’s all just part of

an escalation that I think that once he was able to get this play produced and realized he had the money and power to do that, just led to this film ... this discovery of things that have been going on since the early 2000s, apparently.”

Fitzer was referring to S ca m e h o r n ’s f i l m “ Pa x Masculina,” a story about a world where women never got the right to vote, self-described

by Scamehorn as “a universe on video in which men create a paradise on earth with their wise rule, and insolent women causing trouble are given their just reward.”

While working with Scamehorn on this film, a former school of drama student found a hard drive full of thousands of altered images — the faces of school of drama students from all the years he’d been photographing them photoshopped onto torture porn scenes.

Looking back, Fitzer and Tenner both said they wish that they had spoken out about concerns earlier. Tenner said that the school of drama’s environment “provided a place for John to act out with impunity” rather than one where she felt her voice would be heard.

“I’m grateful that that this is finally being addressed. I do feel as though I could have done something sooner,” Tenner said. “And I understand that that it’s really difficult combating such a burden of proof when it comes to any kind of harassment, but I feel like I shouldn’t have let my doubts in the faculty at SOD — I shouldn’t have let my doubts in whether or not they would do anything — keep me from voicing my concerns.”

Jana Allen

jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu

NEWS

June 13-19, 2018 •

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Title IX responds to allegations

Office admits possible failure in 2016 reporting JANA ALLEN

@janaabananaax

In a statement to The Daily regarding John Scamehorn, OU Title IX Coordinator Bobby Mason acknowledged there may have been a failure to report actions earlier and said Scamehorn was not given an offer to avoid an investigation.

Mason’s statement said that after preliminary investigations by the university, Scamehorn was informed in a February 2016 meeting that as a university employee, he had to participate in a formal investigation. Scamehorn decided to resign his employment status, which effectively took him out of OU’s jurisdiction under state law, according to the statement.

The statement also reports that an investigation is currently underway to look into the possible gaps in the previous reporting and investigating.

The full statement from Mason follows: “The integrity of our processes is crucial to the university’s efforts to meet the Title IX mandate of ending inappropriate conduct and preventing its recurrence within the learning environment. To protect reporters, complainants, and respondents’ rights and provide appropriate due process, our inquiries must generally be held in confidence.

As this complaint has been made public by the parties, we believe it is important

to provide accurate context to the University’s actions.

As stated in prior University statements, the inquiry into the allegations surrounding Dr. Scamehorn began in late January 2016.

The Office of Institutional Equity (“OIE”) began that initial inquiry after a Dean received and subsequently reported allegations regarding Dr. Scamehorn to the OIE. In the early stage of information gathering, the OIE learned of prior reports to law enforcement involving Dr. Scamehorn’s behavior at sporting events. Coupled with information gathered from preliminary interviews of students and members of the University community, the next steps were to implement interim separation measures and initiate a formal investigation. Per OIE standard procedure in these cases, a meeting was set for February 2016 to notify Dr. Scamehorn of the allegations, inform him of his rights and resources, and to set up an interview to begin the formal investigative process.

Du r i ng t h i s m e e t i ng, Dr. Scamehorn confirmed that while he was retired, he still maintained parttime employment with the University. When informed that his employment would require him to cooperate in an investigation, he reported his intent to resign effective immediately. Once an individual voluntarily separates or resigns from OU, the University lacks jurisdiction over the individual, as the maximum sanction that the OIE can impose on anyone is disassociation with the University (e.g., expulsion of a student, termination of an employee, or disassociation

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

The OU Sexual Misconduct Office and Institutional Equity and Title IX Office pictured at Four Partners Place Jan. 30.

with donors). This action – resignation – has the corollary effect of also ensuring that behaviors are stopped, and future occurrences are prevented to the best of the University’s ability, in compliance with Title IX requirements. Additionally, as the OIE now lacks jurisdiction over a party, the voluntary separation typically ends the investigation.

His resignation, his dissociation from the College of Fine Arts, the Theater Guild, and the Administration’s decision to bar him from future paid or unpaid work with the University, effectively

removed Dr. Scamehorn from the campus and away from our students.

To provide accurate context, at no time is or was resignation “offered” as an outcome to prevent additional investigation; but all parties are always informed about jurisdictional limitations, per their rights under Title IX, VAWA, and The Clery Act. New reports have recently arisen regarding potential administrative failures to appropriately report Dr. Scamehorn’s conduct at an earlier time. Those reports are currently under investigation, and the university

encourages anyone with information to contact our OIE at smo@ou.edu.”

The statement comes after a former assistant of Scamehorn’s recently spoke to The Daily about her experiences during Scamehorn’s meeting with the Title IX office. The former assistant, LaWanda Huff, said she felt that Scamehorn was being “let off the hook,” though according to the statement, Scamehorn’s resignation was equivalent to the harshest punishment the Title IX office is able to give.

Sarah Jensen, Norman Police Department Public

Information Officer, told The Daily that the NPD is also conducting an investigation into allegations against John Scamehorn and the department is asking anyone with information to contact NPD Detective Ron Collett at 405-366-5219.

“Based on the information that has been made available to our agency, primarily third party, no indication of a criminal violation exists,” Jensen said in an email.

“However, the review of information is ongoing.”

Jana Allen

jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu

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NEWS

• June 13-19, 2018

Summer fun for OU students Movie screening, free food, other activities available to Sooners in Norman

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DREW HUTCHINSON • @DRETHEGIRL

‘Ocean’s 8’ screening

The Warren Theatre will screen “Ocean’s 8” at 7 p.m. June 13.

Tickets are $5 — cash only — and will be on sale in the office above New York Pizza until Wednesday.

They will also be sold at the June 12 snow cone event.

World Cup screening

There will also be a Fifa World Cup watch party from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 15 at Crossroads.

Snacks will be provided, according to the event ’s description.

PHOTO VIA REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT’S WEBSITE

Poster for the movie “Ocean’s 8.”

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LOGO VIA FIFA TWITTER PAGE

Logo for 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia beginning June 14.

Free food!

Free ice cream sundaes at 1 p.m. every Monday at the Oklahoma Memorial Union, free snow cones at 11 a.m. every Tuesday on the South Oval and free Chick-Fil-A sandwiches at 11 a.m. every Thursday in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Will Rogers Room. These recurrent events begin this week and will last through the summer session.

TONY RAGLE/THE DAILY

OU students and faculty line up on the South Oval outside the Eskimo Sno vehicle to get a free snow cone from OU Summer Session.

Drew Hutchinson

Drew.Hutchinson@ou.edu

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VIA UNION PROGRAMMING BOARD WEBSITE

Flyer for on-campus escape room hosted by OU Summer Session.

Escape room in the Union

The Union Programming Board is hosting an escape room every Wednesday from 2–4 p.m. for June and July.

T h o s e i n t e re s t e d m u s t re s e r v e a s p o t o n U P B’s website.

June’s theme is “Series of Unfortunate Events.”

NEWS

June 13 - 19, 2018 •

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Sergeant fights army’s HIV policy

Former OU law student attempts to create change NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg

D e s p i t e s e r v i n g f o r 18 years in the Army and National Guard and being deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait, Army Sgt. and OU Law graduate Nick Harrison was denied a promotion because he’s HIV positive, but he’s ready for his day in court.

Harrison was seeking a promotion to captain so that he could serve in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps using the skills the military paid for him to acquire at OU’s Law School. However, due to what Harrison says are outdated policies regarding HIV, he was denied his promotion.

“I went through the process and said I understand this is a policy, but there’s

really no rational basis for it,” Harrison said. “There’s no reason you should be preventing me from using my skills in a courtroom because the Army policy is that they won’t kick you out of the military, they’re still going to keep you in.”

The current policy does not allow anyone who has HIV to join the armed forces, but allows anyone who contracted the virus after they enlisted to remain in the service so long as they maintain otherwise good health.

Harrison said that modern medical advancements allow someone with HIV to experience less medical issues than someone who has to take medication for diabetes or high cholesterol.

Harrison’s legal complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against the Department of Defense and he said he hopes the result will be an end to the

outdated policies and prevent others who find themselves in his situation from experiencing his difficulties.

“Ideally, I’d like to see the military completely revamp their HIV policy,” Harrison said. “There are a number of problems with current policy that are kind of 1980s, and with modern medical research, a lot of those things no longer apply and don’t need to be in regulation anymore. All that needs to be changed — if you look across the entire federal government, other offices and agencies, none of them have the same HIV restrictions that the military currently does.”

Harrison said as medical science advances, so should the armed forces’ HIV policies. Most of all, he believes these policies violate the fundamental ideals of the military.

“Really my experience in the military is that their

VIA LAMBDA LEGAL GROUP

Army Sgt. and OU Graduate Nick Harrison is suing the Department of Defense over HIV policy.

sort of core philosophy is of one army — one team — and that we’re all in this together regardless of what differences we might have as long as it doesn’t affect

the mission,” Harrison said. fundamentally opposed to “The military doesn’t care that, and that’s why it needs about someone’s age, race, to change.” gender, socioeconomic background or anything like Nick Hazelrigg that. So this policy is really hazelriggn@gmail.com

University North Park sparks legal action

VIA NORMAN CITY COUNCIL The proposed new area for the University North Park entertainment district. Former OU lawyer will file a lawsuit against the OU Foundation for denial of open records request.

Incoming council members join OU Foundation lawsuit DREW HUTCHINSON @drethegirl

Incoming city council members Alex Scott and Joe Carter Jr. have joined a former OU lawyer in taking legal action against the OU Foundation, which denied a group of residents’ open information request regarding the University North Park project.

Late last week, Fred Gipson filed a suit against the foundation and added Scott and Carter as plaintiffs on Monday. Gipson said

he is waiting to hear back from the foundation after filing the suit.

Gipson said the foundation refused the initial open records request because it’s a private entity. Despite this, Gipson said he thinks the line between the university and the foundation is blurry.

“When you read our petition and see the attachments, you’ll see that (the foundation) freely (takes) assets — use both university employees and university property — to further the university foundation,“ Gipson said.

“They are really, for most purposes, one and the same.”

Gipson said he expects the

matter to go to court and is optimistic about his chances of winning, using a recent court case in New Mexico as an example. In May, a judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff in another open records case involving the University of New Mexico and its foundation, the Albuquerque Journal reports.

The New Mexico judge ruled that the UNM Foundation was part of UNM and, therefore, a public entity. Gipson said he believes the OU Foundation and the UNM Foundation are structured similarly.

Drew Hutchinson

drew.hutchinson@ou.edu

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CLASSIFIEDS

• June 13-19, 2018

we’re hiring

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Previous Solution

Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

6/13

46 Exclusively 47 Delicacy fish 49 Baby in a barnyard 50 Sweet, long-lasting treat 58 De-weaponize 59 Yours and mine 60 Hoarfrost kin 61 Skits showcase 62 A of geometry 63 Dashing style, fancy 64 Vacuumed?

No, less 65 Catered 66 Bad impression result?

DOWN 1 Big-time gambler’s perk 2 Nabisco cookie 3 Filing tool 4 Womb nourishment 5 Human barker 6 Old Roman egg 7 2018 college football champs, briefly 8 Mutual of ___ 9 Forest creature

10 Activist Brockovich 11 Three square 12 Is droopy 14 Cocoon inhabitant 20 “Green� crop, sometimes 21 Honeycomb divisions 24 Virile dude 25 Irregularly notched 26 Interstate attachments 27 Hot shot point 28 Clean, as windows 30 Chutzpah 31 Bit of fishing gear 32 Too quick to act 34 On ___ diem basis 35 Park activity

Visual Editor

38 Involving two parts 39 Like some furnaces 44 Convert to confetti 46 Chip condiment 48 Ant, old-school 49 Like cooking apples 50 Dogs needing a home 51 Fresh 52 Rant partner 53 Bread unit 54 Fake fly 55 Stack 56 Arabian Sea country 57 Front of a “house�

PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER PREVIOUS

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HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

FOR RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last

consequences before you decide to get involved. Joint ventures aren’t in your best interest.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Listen carefully to what’s being asked of you before you agree. Don’t let someone from your past disrupt your personal or financial interests.

Joint ventures are best avoided.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Sink your teeth into something you find mentally stimulating. What you discover will help you broaden your horizons and encourage you to make serious plans.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- If you get creative and do things differently, you’ll be surprised at the response you get. An open mind will help you bypass negativity.

Bring joy into your life. Romance is encouraged.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- D on’t feel you must do things in a big way to get noticed. Your ability to innovate and stick to a budget will make a difference.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Listen and respond from the heart. Being true to yourself and your beliefs will make your life easier. Don’t let clutter and past problems hold you back.

6/12 6/6

Faculty Adviser

Print Editor

Edited by Timothy Parker June 13, 2018

ACROSS 1 Business abbr.

5 It gets corny 8 Terrell with the good hands 13 Like dental exams 14 Hot spew 15 Journalist Shriver 16 Twisted “same� place 17 Red berry producer 18 Imitating 19 Movie theater staples 22 Green sin?

23 “All you can ___�

24 Too-heavy lifting hazard 27 Hole poker 29 Go way slow 33 Love poetry Muse 34 Blue dyes 36 “Disco� time, historically 37 Spousal enterprises 40 Striker on its belly 41 Soft leather 42 Metal fastener 43 Cheep accommodation?

45 “Mature� prefix

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Š 2018 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com Š 2018 Universal Uclick www.upuzzles.com

BURST YOUR BUBBLE By Timothy E. Parker

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Look at what you can accomplish, not at what you cannot. If you focus on friends, family and finding out all you can about your heritage, it will change how you move forward.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- You know what you must do, so stop procrastinating and start tying up loose ends. The less you leave undone, the fewer complaints you will face.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Wear your heart on your sleeve and let your feelings be known. Don’t fear being different or trying something new. Interact with people who can offer a unique perspective.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Someone will present something that sounds good, but get the lowdown and consider the

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Confusion will set in when it comes to emotional matters. Set the record straight if someone gets the wrong impression. Personal improvements should be considered. Love is on the rise.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Learn all you can about someone before you open up about your personal life or intentions. Don’t let anyone put demands or pressure on you.

Implement a healthier lifestyle.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Don’t make an unnecessary change. The cost will turn out to be far greater than what your budget can handle.

Avoid unpredictable or argumentative individuals. Let experience be your guide.

SPORTS

June 13-19, 2018 •

7

Assistant athletic director retires OU football loses long -time administrator

CHARLENE AINSWORTH @charleneyvette1

Matt McMillen, the assistant athletic director for football operations, announced his retirement after nearly two decades on Wednesday.

McMillen, who joined the Sooners the same year as former coach Bob Stoops, was in charge of coordinating the team’s travel arrangements for away games and acted as the football program’s liaison with athletics administration and the communications, marketing, development, academic student life, game day operations and business offices.

McMillen worked closely alongside Stoops, with Stoops telling Sooners’

assistant athletics director of strategic communication Mike Houck, “He was my best friend through these last 19 years at OU — a confidant, a guy I knew I could rely on. He brought so much to me and to my family in that regard. Matt’s incredibly bright, has a terrific sense of humor and helped keep things light and fresh in our office through a lot of ups and downs. Carol and I thank Matt and his wife, Gina, for their commitment and dedication to the OU program and all they have contributed.”

McMillen currently serves as president of the HBC Champions Foundation, which helps disadvantaged and ill students in Norman and Oklahoma City, and feels it is time for him to explore new opportunities.

Charlene Ainsworth

charleneainsworth18@gmail.com

TY RUSSELL/SOONERSPORTS.COM

Assistant athletic director of football operations Matt McMillen during a football game. McMillen will be retiring this summer after 19 seasons.

Sooners land multiple recruits to grow class OU football battles for No. 1 recruiting spot in 2019 ranks KEGAN RENEAU @keganreneau

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

An OU player lifts his helmet before the Big 12 Championship game Dec. 2.

Friday morning, Class of 2019 defensive end Marcus Hicks announced his commitment to Oklahoma. He visited Norman multiple times and is now Lincoln Riley’s 13th commitment for the 2019 recruiting class, picking Oklahoma over offers from Notre Dame,

Michigan, Ohio State and others.

Hicks, a Wichita, Kansas, native, is the Sooners’ fourth defensive line recruit — with Hicks joining Joseph Wete, Kori Roberson and Derek Green — and the third recruit to commit in the last week.

Offensive lineman Marcus Alexander announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Tuesday morning, fresh off a visit to Norman last weekend as Lincoln Riley’s 12th commitment for the 2019 recruiting class.

Alexander is the Sooners’ second offensive line commitment for the 2019 class, w i t h E . J. N d o m a O g a r committing on April 25.

Alexander is the eighth commitment from the state of Texas for Riley.

The 2019 recruiting class is currently in the No. 2 spot on Rivals,behind Alabama in the top spot. Oklahoma has never landed the No. 1 recruiting class before.

Kegan Reneau

keganreneau@ou.edu

8

SPORTS

• June 13-19, 2018

Riley eager for Murray’s future Sooners’ coach releases statement on quarterback

CHARLENE AINSWORTH @charleneyvette1

Junior quarterback Kyler Murray throwing during the spring game April 14.

JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY

Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley released a statement June 5 concerning junior quarterback Kyler Murray’s status with the team after Murray was drafted by the Oakland Athletics June 4.

“As Kyler and I discussed prior to the Major League Baseball Draft, we’re excited to have him here with us for this upcoming football season,” Riley said. “We’re looking forward to getting him back around our team this summer, and he’s excited to get into workouts and

help us continue to pursue another championship.”

Riley, beginning his second year as head coach, added: “It’s a great honor for (Murray), and he’s going to have some great options going forward.”

Murray, the ninth overall pick in the draft, is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Sooners this fall, electing to return to the team despite signing a multi-million dollar contract for professional baseball.

Oklahoma opens the season with a game against Florida Atlantic at 11 a.m. o n S e p t . 1 i n No r m a n , Oklahoma.

Charlene Ainsworth

charleneainsworth18@gmail.com

Nine Sooners selected in 2018 MLB Draft OU baseball players to head to Major Leagues KEGAN RENEAU @keganreneau

The MLB First-Year Player Draft has treated Oklahoma well in the past, and it did again in 2018.

It was just three years ago when the Sooners led all of college baseball in players drafted with 11. Heading into this year’s draft, they had plenty of prospects who had the chance of hearing their name called, but Oklahoma made waves with nine players being selected.

On day one, outfielder Steele Walker was joined by a surprise when outfielder Kyler Murray was selected No. 9 overall by the Oakland Athletics. Murray was unexpectedly taken that high, where the value of the signing bonus for that pick ranged just under $5 million. Walker followed Murray in the second round with his selection by the Chicago White Sox as the 46th pick.

Right-handed pitcher Jake Irvin was the first name called for Oklahoma on day two as the Washington Nationals picked him in the fourth round (131st pick). Pitcher Austin Hansen (eighth round, 252nd pick) and outfielder Cade Harris (10th round,

306th pick) joined Irvin on the second day.

Day three started off slow, but right-handed pitcher Kyle Tyler was the first Sooner off the board in the 20th round (601st pick). Pitchers Lane Ramsey (23rd round, 678th pick), Devon Perez (26th round, 768th pick) and Connor Berry (31st round, 940th pick) rounded out the MLB First-Year Player Draft for Oklahoma.

The Sooners’ nine 2018 draft picks were the most they’ve had since they led college baseball in 2015 with 11. The Sooners were seventh in players drafted this season.

Kegan Reneau

keganreneau@ou.edu

Sooners tap their helmets together at home plate April 10.

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY