Opening Round Shutout in the World Series: Oklahoma Baseball Dominates Over the Crimson Tide

OMAHA, Neb.- Some teams cool off when they enter the Men's College World Series, but not the Oklahoma Sooners. They didn't miss a beat from start to finish in the 9-0 opening round victory over the Crimson Tide. From nonstop breaking balls from freshman pitcher Cord Rager to the 11 Oklahoma hits, this team looks unstoppable. 

Alabama won the regular-season series against the Sooners, winning two games out of three. In the 10-7 win in the first regular season matchup, Alabama's Brady Neal went 4 for 4 with one RBI and two runs. In the world series matchup, Oklahoma held Neal hitless in his four plate appearances. 

Cord Rager started on the mound and looked like anything but a freshman. In seven innings, he only allowed three hits, allowed no walks, and struck out eight batters. In the bottom of the seventh, Rager struck out the side to end his remarkable day on the mound. Then, junior pitcher LJ Mercurius entered the game in the bottom of the eighth to close it out. He struck out two batters and allowed just two hits. Rager also recorded the longest world series shutout by an Oklahoma freshman since 1973. 

The offense was efficient just like most of the postseason. In the top of the first, Oklahoma had three hits and scored two runs right off the bat. Walk led off with a single. Three batters later, Gambill hit a double, allowing Lachance and Willits to score. This was also after Lachance suffered an ankle sprain earlier in the game.

It was 3-0 Sooners going into the top of the sixth. Despite Lachance's injury, he played the entire game. His two-run bomb at 409 feet extended the Sooners' lead to five runs. Then, in the top of the eighth, Oklahoma poured it on, scoring four more insurance runs. 

Lachance finished the day going 2 for 5 with a homerun, two RBIs and three runs scored. Willits also had a standout performance going 2 for 4 with one RBI and two runs scored. 

UP NEXT: The Sooners look to keep rolling as they will face the winner of No. 6 Texas and No. 3 Georgia on Monday, June 15, in the winners bracket. The winners bracket game is scheduled to start on Monday at 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN. Alabama will face the loser of Georgia-Texas on Monday, June 15 at 1:00 p.m. CT on ESPN in an elimination game.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 16 seed West Virginia held off Troy 7-5 and No. 5 seed North Carolina rallied late to defeat Ole Miss 6-2. 

Ole Miss will face the Cinderella hopeful Troy Trojans in an elimination game on Sunday, June 14 at 1:00 p.m. CT on ESPN. In the winners bracket, West Virginia will battle North Carolina on Sunday, June 14 at 6:00 p.m. CT.