Briones to Transfer to Oklahoma

Chris Briones, a sophomore catcher on the Chapman baseball team, has decided to accept a scholarship at Oklahoma, Briones said Thursday.

Briones said he is leaving Chapman because he wants to play Division I baseball. Chapman is applying to change its affiliation to Division III and has stopped offering athletic scholarships.

“I know I can play Division I baseball and I know I can do that in Oklahoma,” Briones said. “I enjoyed my two years at Chapman. I had a chance to see what Division I baseball was about and play. I saw all the good schools and did well.”

Briones batted .281 with 11 home runs and 56 runs batted in this past season. As a freshman, he batted .328 with eight home runs and 49 RBIs.