The Tigers silenced Oklahoma’s bats and capitalized on defensive miscues to end the Sooners' stay in Hoover, shifting focus to OU’s high-stakes quest for an NCAA Tournament bid
HOOVER, Ala. — It was a tough night in Hoover for the Oklahoma Sooners as they dropped their opening game in the 2026 SEC Baseball Tournament to LSU, 6-2, on Monday evening.
The 11th-seeded Sooners (32-21) came into the matchup looking to make some noise, but the 14th-seeded Tigers (30-26) had other plans and handed OU a one-and-done exit from the bracket.
The game stayed quiet early on, with both offenses held in check through the first two innings. Pitchers on both sides were dealing, and it looked like we might be in for a classic low-scoring pitchers’ duel.
That changed quickly in the third inning.
LSU got on the board first with a single to left field that brought home the game’s opening run. Oklahoma answered right back in the bottom half of the third, though.
The Sooners strung together three consecutive base hits, capped off by a clutch RBI single from Camden Johnson to left. That tied the game at 1-1.
Johnson has been a steady presence at the plate all season, and this was another example of why he’s relied upon in big spots.
OU briefly grabbed the lead in the fourth inning thanks to some help from the LSU defense.
Brendan Brock reached base on an error, and a combination of a wild pitch and another defensive miscue allowed him to scamper all the way home.
For a moment, it felt like Oklahoma might seize control of the game and settle into a rhythm. Unfortunately, that momentum didn’t last.
The Tigers responded with two runs in the fifth, using a double and an errant throw home to retake the advantage.
From there, LSU’s offense found its stride. The decisive blow came in the eighth inning when the Tigers launched a two-run home run that pushed their lead to four runs.
The Sooners couldn’t mount a comeback in the final frames, and the game ended 6-2 after a scoreless ninth.
On the mound, LJ Mercurius (6-7) took the loss after working two innings and allowing three runs (two earned). He was followed by Jackson Cleveland, who also went two innings and surrendered two more runs.
Gavyn Jones provided a bright spot out of the bullpen with two clean innings of relief—no hits, no runs, and two strikeouts.
For LSU, Gavin Guidry (5-3) earned the win and Deven Sheerin picked up the save.Key statistical highlights:
- Camden Johnson went 1-for-3 with the team’s lone RBI.
- Kyle Branch added a hit and scored a run.
- It was a rare offensive night for the Sooners, who failed to record a single extra-base hit for just the fifth time all season and the first since late April at Auburn.
A few bright notes to take away: Deiten Lachance extended his hitting streak to nine games and even swiped his first bag of the season.
Dasan Harris kept his own hot streak alive at seven games. On the defensive side, Oklahoma went 5-for-7 on challenges in what was the program’s first-ever game using the Automated Ball-Strike System. That’s a small silver lining in an otherwise frustrating evening.
With the loss, OU moves to 32-21 on the year. After winning a couple of games in Hoover last season, this year’s trip was unfortunately short-lived.
Now all eyes turn to the NCAA Tournament selection show, which airs Monday, May 25 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2. They’ll be eager to punch their ticket to a fifth straight NCAA appearance and the 43rd in program history.
Baseball in May is all about peaking at the right time, and while Monday didn’t go the way Oklahoma fans hoped, this team has shown plenty of fight throughout the season.
