Remove ads
The Oklahoma City Stars are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma City University, located in Oklahoma City, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) for most of its sports since the 1986–87 academic year. The Stars previously competed at the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the Midwestern City Conference (MCC; now known as the Horizon League) from 1979–80 to 1984–85; in the D-I Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC; now known as the Atlantic Sun Conference) during the 1978–79 school year, and as a Division I independent prior to that. Its women's wrestling team competed in the Women's College Wrestling Association (WCWA).
| Oklahoma City Stars | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Oklahoma City University |
| Association | NAIA |
| Conference | Sooner Athletic Conference |
| Athletic director | Corey Bray |
| Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Varsity teams | 19 (7 men's, 9 women's, 3 co-ed) |
| Basketball arena | Abe Lemons Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Jim Wade Stadium |
| Softball stadium | Ann Lacy Stadium |
| Soccer stadium | Brian Harvey Field |
| Nickname | Stars |
| Colors | Blue and white[1] |
| Website | www |
Remove ads
NCAA
- Trans America Athletic Conference (1978–1979)
- Horizon League (1979–1986)
NAIA
- Sooner Athletic Conference (1986–present)
OCU competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, stunt, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include competitive cheer, competitive dance and rowing. Former sports included women's wrestling.
Men's basketball
Oklahoma City University has won 6 NAIA National Championships: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007, and 2008.
Oklahoma City University has made 18 NAIA tournament appearances: 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010.
As a member of the NCAA, Oklahoma City University went to the NCAA tournament 11 times, the most of any school no longer a member of the NCAA (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1973.)
Oklahoma City University appeared in the NIT twice, in 1959 and 1968.
Baseball
Oklahoma City has had 71 Major League Baseball Draft selections since the draft began in 1965.[2]
| Stars in the Major League Baseball Draft | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Round | Team |
| 1978 | Bob Fiala | 18 | Royals |
| 1979 | William Ray | 8 | Astros |
| 1982 | Bob Gergen | 10 | Rangers |
| 1983 | John Cortez | 32 | Pirates |
| 1983 | Kerry Burns | 13 | Rangers |
| 1984 | Rodney Rush | 3 | Giants |
| 1986 | John Barfield | 11 | Rangers |
| 1989 | John Graves | 39 | Rangers |
| 1989 | Steve Avent | 15 | Phillies |
| 1990 | Joseph Frias | 41 | Indians |
| 1990 | Tony Scharff | 36 | Athletics |
| 1990 | Shawn Bryant | 8 | Indians |
| 1991 | Joseph Frias | 40 | Padres |
| 1991 | James Wynne | 27 | Expos |
| 1991 | John Coletti | 18 | Reds |
| 1991 | Chance Gledhill | 18 | Angels |
| 1992 | Clinton Whitworth | 32 | Phillies |
| 1993 | Adam Rodriguez | 41 | Tigers |
| 1993 | Pete Hartmann | 9 | Rangers |
| 1993 | Clinton Whitworth | 9 | Yankees |
| 1994 | Jeff Twist | 23 | Rockies |
| 1994 | Jon Valenti | 15 | Athletics |
| 1995 | Darren Loudermilk | 15 | Indians |
| 1995 | Rick Garcia | 15 | Marlins |
| 1996 | Jason Bohannon | 55 | Mets |
| 1996 | David Bleazard | 22 | Blue Jays |
| 1999 | Chris Baker | 29 | Blue Jays |
| 1999 | Matt Dehner | 18 | Reds |
| 1999 | Curt Gay | 5 | Indians |
| 2000 | Chris Schroder | 46 | Reds |
| 2000 | Freddy Sanchez | 11 | Red Sox |
| 2001 | Chris Schroder | 19 | Expos |
| 2001 | Mario Delgado | 14 | Phillies |
| 2002 | David Parker | 43 | Dodgers |
| 2002 | Keith Bohanan | 23 | Brewers |
| 2002 | Kennard Bibbs | 14 | Brewers |
| 2003 | Brandon Kaye | 22 | Padres |
| 2003 | Blake Hendley | 11 | Reds |
| 2003 | Matt Houston | 11 | Orioles |
| 2003 | Ben Himes | 9 | Reds |
| 2004 | E.J. Shanks | 29 | Padres |
| 2004 | Ted Ledbetter | 23 | Marlins |
| 2004 | Joey McLaughlin | 18 | Blue Jays |
| 2004 | Denver Kitch | 13 | Orioles |
| 2004 | Joe Bisenius | 12 | Phillies |
| 2004 | Grant Hansen | 3 | White Sox |
| 2005 | Tag Horner | 41 | Orioles |
| 2005 | Michael Mlotkowski | 33 | Yankees |
| 2005 | Colby Overstreet | 27 | Angels |
| 2007 | Brian Joynt | 29 | Padres |
| 2007 | Brandon Harrigan | 23 | Tigers |
| 2007 | Bobby Spain | 19 | Pirates |
| 2007 | Patrick Norris | 16 | Royals |
| 2007 | Kody Kaiser | 15 | Tigers |
| 2008 | Mike Lee | 8 | Red Sox |
| 2009 | Brent Weaver | 26 | Marlins |
| 2009 | Justin Harper | 17 | Astros |
| 2009 | Ashur Tolliver | 5 | Orioles |
| 2010 | Terrence Jackson | 45 | Mets |
| 2011 | Kirk Walker | 26 | Braves |
| 2011 | Ruben Sosa | 23 | Astros |
| 2011 | Ryan O'Sullivan | 4 | Dodgers |
| 2012 | Chad Carman | 24 | Phillies |
| 2012 | Miguel Beltran | 19 | Rays |
| 2012 | Blake Schwartz | 17 | Nationals |
| 2012 | Dane Phillips | 2 | Padres |
| 2013 | Cody Crabaugh | 32 | Marlins |
| 2013 | Chase Jensen | 22 | Padres |
| 2014 | Michael Nolan | 18 | Athletics |
| 2014 | Chris Pike | 9 | Rays |
| 2014 | Brad Wieck | 7 | Mets |
Spirit squads
OCU fields a pom squad, a cheerleading squad, and a STUNT (sport) team
OCU has won the NCA/NAIA National Invitational/Championships in the following years:
NCA: All-Girl NAIA: 2012, 2013 Small Coed NAIA: 2014, 2015, 2016 Large Coed NAIA: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
NAIA: Competitive Cheer Invitational: 2014 NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship: 2017, 2021
OCU has won the National Dance Alliance Championships in the following divisions:
NDA NAIA Large: 2011, 2013
NDA NAIA Small: 2016
NDA Division III Hip Hop: 2016
OCU Dance won the NAIA Invitational in 2014
Remove ads
In 2012, Kevin Patrick Hardy (class of 2013) became OCU's first national champion in wrestling, taking the national title at 165 pounds. Hardy was a Division 1 three time state champion at Solon High School in Ohio.
Through the Spring 2012 sports season, Oklahoma City has won 49 national championships. Of these, 45 are NAIA championships, and four are WCWA championships.
Oklahoma City won the NACDA Director's Cup for the NAIA in 2002 and 2017, awarded annually to the college or university with the most success in collegiate athletics.[3]
OCU has won national championships in the following sports (number of championships in parentheses, NAIA titles unless otherwise specified):[4]
- Men's
- Baseball (1) – 2005
- Basketball (6) – 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007, 2008
- Golf (10) – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016
- Tennis (4) – 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
Total men's Championships: 21 (in 4 different men's team sports)
- Women's
- Basketball (8) – 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001,[5] 2002, 2012, 2014, 2015
- Golf (7) – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014
- Softball (11) – 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2022
- Wrestling (4-WCWA) – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Total women's championships: 27 (in 4 different women's team sports)
- Co-ed
- Cheerleading (2) – 2017, 2021 [6]
Total coed championships: 1 (in 1 coed team sport)
Remove ads
Oklahoma City's football program and head coach Os Doenges made multiple innovative attempts to improving the game.[7]
The first and most successful innovation was credited to opposing coach Dike Beede when the football team played in the 1941 Oklahoma City vs. Youngstown football game. This game marks the first American football game to use a penalty flag.[8]
The second innovation was an unsuccessful venture to allow a coach to be on the field with the offense to help call plays and provide additional coaching as time allows.[9] Doenges proposed tests with opposing coaches and at least two agreed to test the idea.[10] However, the concept itself was considered a success and rules changes eventually allowed coaches on the sidelines to call plays and send plays in with a substitute.[7]
Also, Doenges is credited with inventing the offensive V formation while at Oklahoma City. Nicknamed "Three dots and a dash" (Morse code for the letter "v"), the program presented the new offensive formation to great fanfare before losing to the Southwestern Moundbuilders by a score of 7–0.[11]
The team played Toledo in the 1948 Glass Bowl, losing 27–14.[12]
Remove ads
The school is currently known as the Stars, but was known as the Goldbugs or Gold Bugs in the 1920s, 30s and early 40s.[13][14] From 1944, the university was known as the Chiefs[15] a nickname changed in 1998 in reaction to the mounting pressure on schools to adopt names more sensitive to and respectful of Native American culture.[16]
Remove ads
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
Remove ads