Former Major League pitcher and All-American from Oral Roberts University, Mike Moore, has been selected for induction into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2019.

Moore, a unanimous selection, is a native of Eakly, Oklahoma, and will be joined by six others entering the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame; Kendall Cross, Patti Gasso, Lou Henson, Will Shields, Bob Stoops and Mickey Tettleton.

A World Series Champion and All-Star, Moore spent fourteen seasons in Major League Baseball, and helped the Oakland Athletics in beating the San Francisco Giants for the World Series title in 1989. Moore was the winning pitcher in games two and four as the A’s swept the series in four games. The World Series was interrupted that year by a devastating Bay Area Earthquake.

Moore was the first American League pitcher to hit safely in a World Series, within a 10-year span, from 1979 to 1989. Previous to Moore’s two-run double against the Giants in the 1989 World Series, American League pitchers had gone 0-70 at the plate.

While pitching for ORU, Moore earned All-American honors and became the first and only Oklahoman ever selected No. 1 overall in the fifty-four-year history of the MLB Draft. The Seattle Mariners selected Moore as the first right-handed pitcher ever to be chosen as a No. 1 MLB Draft Pick, in 1981.

While completing an impressively successful MLB career with the Detroit Tigers, Moore moved to the top of the list in regard to most career strikeouts (1,667) by a pitcher born and raised in Oklahoma. Moore’s 161 career MLB victories are second only to Allie Reynolds. Comparing Moore’s career average strikeouts per season of 119, he is tops as an Oklahoma born and raised pitcher and only four shy of the great Warren Spahn.

Returning to his Caddo County roots and giving back to his community, Moore currently serves as a volunteer coach for the Class B Lookeba-Sickles High School baseball team.

The Oklahoma Sports Hall Of Fame will officially introduce this year’s inductees at a media luncheon February 19.

MORE ORU BASEBALL

The ORU Golden Eagles will open the 2019 baseball season this weekend at J.L. Johnson Stadium, on the ORU campus. They will host Murray State in a three-game series, Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon.

ORU has been predicted to finish first in The Summit League Preseason Poll, as voted by the conference’s head coaches. The Golden Eagles’ Spencer Henson (junior first baseman) and Josh McMinn (senior right-handed pitcher) were chosen as “Players to Watch” by the league as the team begins their quest for a 19th-consecutive regular season title as members of The Summit League.

South Dakota State placed second in the poll, followed by North Dakota State, Western Illinois, Omaha and Fort Wayne.

ORU fans will have an opportunity to see some favorite opponents come to town this season, including; Missouri State (No. 24 in the Collegiate Baseball Pre-Season Poll) on February 19, Oklahoma (unranked) on April 16, Oklahoma State (No. 16) on April 30 and Wichita State, May 14. ORU will play at No. 25 Arkansas on April 9.

ORU will host the Summit League Baseball Tournament, May 22-25.