OU baseball defeated Kansas 8-1 in the first game of the Lawrence Super Regional at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Sooners are fighting for their first College World Series appearance since 2022, while the Jayhawks are looking for their first since 1993.
OU (36-22) entered super regionals, its first since 2022, after defeating No. 2 overall seed Georgia Tech (50-11) 8-7. No. 15 overall seed Kansas (45-16) came off defeating Arkansas (41-22) 13-10 for a regional championship, its first since 1993.
Here are takeaways:
Dayton Tockey continues to show power at plate
Senior infielder Dayton Tockey hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning to open up what had been a lower-scoring game to that point.
He took the Sooners to a 4-0 lead that they never looked back on, with the homer marking his fifth in the last eight games. Tockey also hit a walk-off home run to send the Sooners to super regionals. His postseason success comes despite being in and out of the lineup for most of the season, only starting 27 of the Sooners’ 59 games.
Junior catcher Deiten Lachance praised Tockey’s strength Thursday and his ability to peak in the postseason as an upperclassman.
“He’s a big guy with power, …” Lachance said. “Any veteran we have in the lineup right now, I think it’s awesome.”
Tockey finished with three runs batted in, one hit and one run against the Jayhawks Saturday.
Cord Rager sharp on the mound
Freshman pitcher Cord Rager had another good outing against the Jayhawks Saturday.
He finished with six strikes and allowed only one hit and zero runs in six innings of work. The left-hander also recorded eight strikeouts and allowed seven hits against The Citadel in the Sooners’ first game of regionals.
The Sooners also started two other freshmen, Xander Mercurius and Nick Wesloski, in regionals. Mercurius recorded a career-high eight strikeouts and threw 100 pitches against Georgia Tech in game two of regionals. Wesloski finished with four strikeouts and allowed six hits in seven innings of work against The Citadel in game three of regionals.
“We threw three freshman arms; you don’t see three freshman arms getting into regionals,” head coach Skip Johnson said Thursday. “You just don’t see that, I mean, especially in Power Five in college baseball, and that was incredible.”
Junior right-handed pitcher LJ Mercurius entered in relief against the Jayhawks Saturday, finishing with three strikeouts and allowing three hits and one run in three innings of work.
Sooners’ offense peaking in NCAA Tournament
OU’s offense has been playing its best since early in the 2026 regular season while it strives to make a run to the College World Series.
The Sooners have scored 46 runs in their last four games. The last time they scored more runs in a four-game stretch was against Coppin State (11-37) and New Mexico State (20-34) in February, putting up 67. Additionally, recently, instead of recording over 45 runs against teams that failed to make the NCAA Tournament, OU has done it against programs ranked top 15 going into the postseason.
“We can beat anyone in the country,” Tockey said on Thursday, “when we’re playing our game.”
The Sooners are scheduled to start game two against the Jayhawks at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Here are live updates:
Kansas cuts into lead
Highlight: Senior outfielder Jordan Bach hits a solo home run.
Score: OU 8-1 Kansas
Inning: Bottom of eighth
OU tacks on more in 7th inning
Highlight: Junior catcher Brendan Brock lines a two-out run-batted-in single.
Score: OU 8-0 Kansas
Inning: Top of seventh
OU scores 2nd home run of 5th inning
Highlight: Senior outfielder Trey Gambill hits a solo home run.
Score: OU 7-0 Kansas
Inning: Top of fifth
Camden Johnson takes OU lead to 6-0
Highlight: Junior infielder Camden Johnson hits a two-run home run, bringing in junior outfielder Jason Walk.
Score: OU 6-0 Kansas
Inning: Top of fifth
OU increases lead to 4-0
Highlight: Senior infielder Dayton Tockey blasts a three-run home run, bringing in junior outfielder Dasan Harris and Gambill.
Score: OU 4-0 Kansas
Inning: Top of fourth
OU takes 1st lead of game
Highlight: Harris with the run batted in, bringing home junior infielder Jaxon Willits
Score: OU 1-0 Kansas
Inning: Top of fourth
This story was edited by Audrey McClour.
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