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The Oklahoma baseball team scored two runs in the first inning but dropped the second game of the 2026 NCAA College World Series Championship Series to No. 5 North Carolina 6-2 Sunday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field.
Sunday’s result sets up a winner-take-all final game, set for 6 p.m. CT Monday on ESPN.
For the eighth straight game, the Sooners (42-23) scored first, plating two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Junior center fielder Jason Walk scored on a throwing error when he and junior third baseman Camden Johnson executed a double steal. Johnson scored on an RBI double off the right center field wall by junior shortstop Jaxon Willits.
Willits’ first-inning double was his 10th hit of the College World Series, establishing a new program record for most hits in a single CWS.
The Tar Heels (54-13-1) tied the game in the top of the third inning on a two-run triple into the right field corner by shortstop Jake Schaffner. Schaffner scored on a wild pitch to give UNC a 3-2 lead. Center fielder Owen Hull hit a solo home run to right field in the fifth inning, and third baseman Cooper Nicholson hit a two-run home run to left center in the seventh inning to make the score 6-2.
Oklahoma’s two runs were its fewest since its SEC Tournament loss to LSU (6-2) and its four hits were its fewest since March 19 at LSU. OU got single baserunners in the third, fourth and sixth innings, but none advanced past first base. Johnson was hit by a pitch in the third inning, junior left fielder Brendan Brock singled in the fourth inning and senior designated hitter Trey Gambill singled in the sixth.
The Sooners put two runners on base with one out in the ninth inning on walks by Gambill and Brock, but a double play ended the game.
Freshman starter Xander Mercurius (1-3) struck out eight batters and allowed four runs on five hits in 4.0 innings. UNC reliever Caden Glauber (12-0) pitched the final 5.0 innings, striking out eight and allowing one hit and two walks to earn the win.
Pitchers of Record
Win: Caden Glauber (12-0)
Loss: Xander Mercurius (1-3).
Statistical Snapshot
- Jaxon Willits | 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
- Trey Gambill | 1-for-3, BB
- Brendan Brock | 1-for-3, BB
- Jason Walk | 1-for-4, R
- Xander Mercurius | 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
Notes
- Oklahoma is making its fourth appearance in the College World Series finals and second in the era of three-game series. OU is now 3-3 in CWS finals games.
- OU’s nine-game winning streak came to an end. The Sooners are now 42-23 on the year.
- This was the seventh all-time meeting between Oklahoma and North Carolina. The Sooners lead the series 4-3. All seven meetings have come in the postseason (prior to this CWS finals matchup, OU won twice in the 2010 Norman Regional and UNC won two of three games in the 2025 Chapel Hill Regional).
- Oklahoma’s two runs scored today were its fewest since a 6-2 loss to LSU in the opening round of the SEC Tournament on May 19.
- Oklahoma recorded four hits today, its fewest in a game since March 19 (four hits in a 7-1 loss in the series opener at LSU).
- Today’s game marked the first time in the NCAA Tournament in which Oklahoma did not hit a home run (11 games). OU’s last game without a home run was in the SEC Tournament vs. LSU (May 19).
- Oklahoma pitchers totaled 15 strikeouts today, tied for the team’s second most this season (also had 15 strikeouts at Vanderbilt on April 9 and vs. Santa Clara on March 8). OU’s season high was 17 strikeouts vs. Oklahoma State on Feb. 14 (second game of the season).
- The Sooners allowed nine walks today, their most in a game since May 30 at Georgia Tech in the Atlanta Regional (OU’s last loss).
- A third-inning throwing error that allowed UNC runners to advance to second and third was just the second error committed by OU in five CWS games (the runners did not score).
- Oklahoma’s 4-2 deficit in the fifth inning marked the first time it trailed by more than one run in the CWS. North Carolina’s 3-2 lead after the first inning on Saturday marked the first time OU had trailed in a game since the Atlanta Regional final at Georgia Tech on June 1 (trailed 7-3 after six innings).
- Oklahoma has scored first in eight straight games, dating back to the Atlanta Regional final at Georgia Tech on June 1. The Sooners scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning today.
- Junior Jaxon Willits recorded his 10th hit of the CWS, establishing a new school record for hits in a College World Series. He had nine hits through OU’s first four games, which tied the mark set by Rick Gutierrez in 1994 (also in four games).
- Willits is hitting a team-best .455 (10 for 22) with four doubles and five RBI in the CWS.
- With a stolen base today, junior Camden Johnson increased his season total to 31 (31 of 34). This is the 15th time in program history that a player has registered 30 or more stolen bases. He ranks 13th in single-season program history, and his 31 steals are the most since Peyton Graham had 34 in 2022.
- Oklahoma used seven pitchers today, the most pitchers it has used in a game since it also used seven pitchers on May 9 at Arkansas.
- True freshman Xander Mercurius made his second College World Series start, marking the fifth CWS game and seventh straight contest in which the Sooners have started a true freshman on the mound.
- In each of his five starts this season (his last five mound appearances), Mercurius has recorded at least six strikeouts. He struck out eight over his 4.0 innings today and allowed four runs on five hits and three walks.
- Mercurius totaled 17 strikeouts in 11.1 innings over his two CWS starts.
- Junior Jason Bodin made his CWS debut, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings in relief and recording two strikeouts. It was his team-leading 26th appearance of the season and first since the second game of the Lawrence Super Regional at Kansas (0.1 innings).
- Redshirt sophomore Nate Smithburg made his CWS debut on the mound, pitching 1.1 relief innings with a pair of strikeouts. It was his first appearance since a 3.2-inning stint in the second game of the Lawrence Super Regional at Kansas in which he earned the victory.
- Junior Mason Bixby made his CWS debut and first mound appearance since May 14 vs. Tennessee (0.1 inning). He recorded two outs (one strikeout) and a walk and allowed no hits.
- Sophomore Jaden Barfield made his CWS debut and first mound appearance since May 31 in the Atlanta Regional vs. The Citadel (1.0 inning.) He faced two batters and recorded a strikeout and a walk.
- Graduate senior Reid Hensley made his CWS debut and first mound appearance since May 31 in the Atlanta Regional vs. The Citadel (1.0 inning). He retired the only batter he faced with a fly out.
- Sophomore Trent Collier made his CWS debut and first mound appearance since May 30 in the Atlanta Regional vs. Georgia Tech (2.0 innings). He pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout.
- OU has scored 105 runs on 142 hits in its 12 NCAA Tournament games.
- Walk extended his team-leading hitting streak to 14 games. Walk has reached base in 22 straight games and Jaxon Willits has an 18-game reached base streak.
Up Next
Oklahoma and No. 5-seed North Carolina will meet in a winner-take-all final game of the 2026 NCAA Men’s College World Series at 6 p.m. Monday. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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