'It makes up for it': Why the heart of OU baseball's Peyton Graham outweighs his thin frame

NORMAN — Peyton Graham got the last laugh. 

OU's redshirt sophomore faced a 3-1 count in the fifth inning of a road game against Texas Tech on May 19 when he briefly stepped out of the batter's box.

Immediately, he heard a ruckus from the Red Raiders' dugout.

"Go to the pantry and get some snacks," the players hollered.

Comments like that are old news to Graham.

Weighing just 171 pounds and standing 6-foot-4, Graham doesn't fit the mold of a traditional power hitter. But he's just that, and he made Texas Tech eat its words on the next pitch.

Graham connected with the ball and sent it flying over the left-field wall for a two-run homer that gave OU a 5-4 lead. After chirping all game, the Red Raiders were silent as they watched Graham casually round the bases.

"That was pretty funny," Graham said. "It's always nice to hit a home run, obviously. But it's always nice to hit one against a team that has a bunch of guys trash talking."

More: Examining Oklahoma Sooners' foes in the NCAA baseball Gainesville Regional

Graham's homer against Texas Tech is just one example of how he has shown that heart outweighs everything.

The slim slugger has emerged as the heaviest hitter on an OU team that begins its NCAA Gainesville Regional run on Friday with a noon game against Liberty.

There are 113 players in the nation who have hit at least 15 home runs this season, and only four of them weigh less than 175 pounds. Graham is in that exclusive club with 16 homers.

"I've always been on the slim side," Graham said. "Especially being tall too, so that doesn't really help. But I've always been able to hit the ball pretty well, so it makes up for it."

Graham grew up with big-league dreams in the town of Waxahachie, Texas.

He took an interest in baseball at age 7 and admired players such as Michael Young and Josh Hamilton, who both played for the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers' new stadium, Globe Life Field, sits right next to the old one in Arlington, Texas. Graham remembers envisioning himself playing at the home of the Rangers.

He's had the chance to live out that dream with OU.

The Sooners have played 13 games at Globe Life Field this season, the most recent visit coming at the Big 12 Tournament. About 20 family members and friends of Graham made the short trip from Waxahachie, which is only 40 minutes south of Arlington.

"They were cheering me on," Graham said. "It's always nice to have a little fan club back there."

Graham showed out for his supporters.

'It's pretty nice here': OU's Peyton Graham loves Globe Life Field. He showed it in Big 12 opener win

He collected two home runs, seven RBIs and scored four runs in a four-game stretch that ended with OU earning its first Big 12 Tournament title since 2013. He was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.

“It was pretty surreal,” Graham said. “You always see it on TV when you’re growing up. To be able to play in that stadium and that environment was pretty neat. I’m excited we took care of business and won it.”

Graham's performance in Arlington further boosted his stock in the upcoming MLB Draft. He's listed as the 33rd-best prospect by MLB.com and the sixth-best shortstop.

Still, Graham can't escape the same critique that has followed him throughout his entire career. While most scouting reports credit Graham for his power at the plate, they also point to his thin frame as something that needs improvement.

One person who isn't concerned about Graham's physique is Skip Johnson.

The OU head coach paid little mind to it when Graham joined the team as a 6-f3, 168-pound freshman in 2020. Johnson pays little mind to it now as Graham has blossomed into an All-Big 12 first-team selection.

"The scouts will talk about how he's not that big, he's this and he's that," Johnson said. "I said you ought to be there at 6 o'clock in the morning, he's pushing a sled for 600 yards. Peyton is a great player."

'Growing as a team': Streaking OU Sooners rout Texas to win Big 12 baseball tournament title

Justin Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to The Oklahoman to stay up to date with all local sports.

Gainesville Regional

Friday's games at Florida Ballpark

► Oklahoma (2) vs. Liberty (3), noon (ESPN+)

► Florida (1) vs. Central Michigan (4), 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)