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USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Vanderbilt beats Oklahoma in SEC Baseball Tournament
Vanderbilt beats Oklahoma in SEC Baseball Tournament The weekend will be long in Norman for the Oklahoma baseball team. OU saw its regular season come to an end Thursday at the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament. Fourth-seeded Vanderbilt knocked off the 12th-seeded Sooners in the quarterfinals, 6-1. Now, Oklahoma, which is a practical lock for the NCAA Tournament, will see where its off to next on Sunday, when the field of 64 teams is announced. The Sooners' defeat at the hands of Vandy all but ensures the longshot hope of hosting a Norman Regional will not come to fruition. Vanderbilt struck for four runs in the third inning off Oklahoma starter Cade Crossland. The Commodores tallied the four runs off four hits and a Sooners error. OU, which has still only scored more than five runs once since April 25, couldn't get things going offensively enough to rally. Things were so rough offensively for Oklahoma, their lone run came almost by accident. Sam Christiansen was hit by a pitch to start the fourth inning. He advanced to second when Jaxon Willits walked, then took third on a passed ball. An RBI groundout from scored him. That's all Oklahoma, which picked up just two hits as a team, would get in the inning and the game. Vanderbilt took three of the four games played against Oklahoma this season and is likely to end up hosting the Nashville Regional. The Commodores are unlikely, however, to earn a national seed. Oklahoma is seeking to avoid a similar fate: The Sooners would prefer not landing in a nationally-seeded team's Regional. The good news is the SEC is expected to earn at least four of the eight such seeds, meaning Oklahoma's chances are smaller than most other teams'.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
12th-seeded Oklahoma beats No. 5 Georgia in SEC Baseball Tournament
12th-seeded Oklahoma beats No. 5 Georgia in SEC Baseball Tournament Dayton Tockey hit an RBI groundout to break a sixth-inning tie and Brayden Horton followed with what would be the game-winning RBI single as 12th-seeded Oklahoma beat fifth-seeded Georgia in the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament second round Wednesday, 3-2. The Bulldogs brought the potential tying run to the plate three times in the ninth inning. But OU closer Dylan Crooks retired three of the four batters he faced to finish things. Oklahoma ace Kyson Witherspoon kept the Bulldogs at bay for most of his 7 2/3 innings. He allowed the game's first run on a sacrifice fly in the third and a second run in the seventh on a solo home, but ultimately that was all he gave up in surrendering five hits with no walks while striking out eight. After Georgia opened the scoring, Oklahoma immediately responded with Horton's sacrifice fly in the next half-frame. He was able to get it after Easton Carmichael singled to start the inning and Jaxon Willits moved him to third base with a double. The Bulldogs' loss eliminates them from the tournament and may have been enough to keep them from earning a national seed in next week's NCAA Tournament. Georgia is still likely to host, however. If Oklahoma keeps winning, the Sooners may re-enter the hosting conversation. Regardless, it seems OU is likely to land as second-seed in a different NCAA Tournament Regional next week. In the meantime, Oklahoma readies for its quarterfinal game in the SEC Tournament on Thursday against No. 4-seed Vanderbilt. OU took two of three from the Commodores during the regular season in Normal.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma baseball beats Kentucky in first round of SEC Tournament
Oklahoma baseball beats Kentucky in first round of SEC Tournament Nine days after being swept by Kentucky in the penultimate series of the regular season, the Oklahoma baseball team picked up a measure of revenge on Tuesday. OU, the No. 12 seed in the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament, sent the 13th-seeded Wildcats packing from the tourney with a 5-1 victory in the first round. The Sooners advanced to play fifth-seeded Georgia, a team that took two of three from Oklahoma in late April down in Athens. After Kentucky scored the first run of the game Tuesday in the top of the third inning, OU responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Dasan Harris singled to start the frame and, after a Dawson Willis strikeout, Jason Walk hit a two-run home run to give the Sooners the lead. Trey Gambill then followed with a walk and a stolen base and scored on Easton Carmichael's RBI single to provide Oklahoma with all the runs it would need. That was thanks in large part to two unexpected pitchers. Jaden Barfield picked up a rare start, his third of the season, and worked four innings, giving up just an unearned run on four hits and two walks. James Hitt pitched the next four innings in relief and allowed just three Kentucky baserunners. Oklahoma would add insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings on an RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly to advance. The Sooners are all but guaranteed a spot in next week's NCAA Tournament with the win, though they were heavily likely to get in even with a loss. Still, beating Kentucky is helpful to the OU's resume given the teams' close finish in the SEC standings. First pitch against the Bulldogs on Wednesday is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Hoover, Alabama.
