Fresh off an offensive explosion in Atlanta, the red-hot Sooners clash with former conference rival Kansas in Lawrence, battling for a coveted return to the College World Series in Omaha
Oklahoma baseball is headed back to the Super Regional round for the sixth time in program history.
The Sooners (36-22) are set to travel to Lawrence this weekend for a best-of-three showdown against No. 15 seed Kansas (45-16), with a trip to Omaha on the line to make the College World Series.
Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m. CT, followed by Game 2 on Sunday at 5 p.m. If needed, a winner-take-all Game 3 will be played Monday.
Saturday’s opener will air on ESPN2 with Gregg Olson and Victor Rojas on the call. Radio coverage will be available locally on The REF 99.3 FM/1400 AM and on The Varsity Network app with Toby Rowland and Carly Murray.
This feels like a massive opportunity for Oklahoma.
After knocking off host and No. 2 national seed Georgia Tech in Atlanta, the Sooners head into this weekend playing with confidence and carrying plenty of momentum.
And frankly, the offense has been ridiculous lately.
OU blasted 11 home runs and scored 49 runs during its five-game run through the Atlanta Regional while the pitching staff piled up 45 strikeouts.
The Sooners have shown all year they’re capable of putting up big numbers offensively. Oklahoma has outscored opponents 400-329 this season and even opened the year with a program-record seven consecutive games scoring double-digit runs.
Now they’re trying to keep the postseason run alive.
This is Oklahoma’s 43rd NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth straight trip to the postseason. The Sooners own an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 105-87, have won two national championships, and are searching for their 12th trip to the CWS.
Know Your Foe
Standing in the way is a Kansas team that’s having one of the best seasons in program history.
The Jayhawks claimed both the Big 12 regular season and tournament championships before cruising through their own regional, capped off by a win over Arkansas.
Kansas brings plenty of firepower.
KU is hitting .289 as a team and rank among the national leaders with 110 home runs. Their pitching staff has also been strong behind Dominic Voegele, who has piled up 117 strikeouts, while closer Boede Rahe has locked down the back end.
Tyson LeBlanc has been the biggest offensive weapon, setting a program record with 24 home runs.
Old Friends Meet Again
The Sooners lead the all-time series 169-90-2 and swept Kansas the last time they visited Lawrence back in 2022.
The two teams also met twice in the 2024 Big 12 Tournament, with Oklahoma winning both games, including a memorable walk-off homer from Jackson Nicklaus.
Road to the Super Regional
Two players, in particular, have been carrying Oklahoma lately.
Senior Dayton Tockey has been on fire. He had a dramatic 10th-inning walk-off homer against Georgia Tech, which sent the Sooners to Supers. He hit .438 during regional play with three home runs and five RBIs.
Then there’s Deiten Lachance.
The big Canadian catcher has completely caught fire, launching 14 home runs since early April and becoming one of the hottest bats in the lineup.
The pitching depth also showed up in Atlanta.
Oklahoma used 15 different pitchers during the regional, with LJ Mercurius delivering huge innings out of the bullpen while several young arms stepped up in important spots.
This weekend is another milestone moment for head coach Skip Johnson, who picked up his 300th Division I win during regional play.
Now the challenge is simple.
Win two games in Lawrence, and Oklahoma punches its ticket to Omaha for the 12th time in program history and the second time in five seasons.
It won’t be easy against a Kansas team that is arguably playing its best baseball of the year, in a rocking home environment in Lawrence.
But right now, the Sooners have nothing to lose and everything to gain as they look to advance to the CWS.
