Sooners Reign Supreme: Oklahoma Wins National Championship

by Staff Reporter

June 22, 20263 Comments

Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

OMAHA, Neb. – The Oklahoma Sooners are the 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball National Champions. Oklahoma defeated North Carolina 13-2 Monday night to win the program's third national title and first since 1994. The Sooners scored in five straight innings and tacked on four more runs in the eighth inning.

Kyle Branch went 3 for 4 with a home run and six RBI and Jaxon Willits reached in all five plate appearance, going 3 for 4 with a double, two walks and two RBI. LJ Mercurius (7-7) pitched 5.2 innings in relief and earned the win. Jackson Cleveland pitched the ninth inning and recorded three strikeouts to close the game.

Oklahoma scored first for the ninth straight game, plating two runs in the second inning. Second baseman Kyle Branch singled to right field to score right fielder Dasan Harris. First baseman Dayton Tockey, who reached on a one-out single and went to third on Branch's base hit, scored on a wild pitch.

The biggest defensive play during the early part of the game, when OU led 2-0, came in the bottom of the second inning. With runners on first and second and two outs, UNC designated hitter Rom Kellis V lined a single to right field. Harris fielded the ball and fired a strike to Camden Johnson at third base in time for Johnson to tag out right fielder Carter French trying to reach from first before first baseman Erik Paulsen could reach home plate from second base.

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