After a dominant week that saw them outscore opponents 57-13, the No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners return to the friendly confines of L. Dale Mitchell Park for a brief stopover as they welcome in-state rival Oral Roberts on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on SECN+ with Chad McKee and Rich Hills on the call. Fans can also catch the game on the radio via The REF (99.3 FM/1400 AM) or nationwide through The Varsity App, with longtime voice Toby Rowland on play-by-play.
Tuesday’s matchup will mark the second meeting between the Sooners (29-10, 10-8 SEC) and the Golden Eagles (22-15, 10-6 Summit League) this season, and if the first was any indication—an 11-2 OU win in Tulsa on March 25—this rematch should offer fireworks on both sides of the ball.
Back in Norman, Riding High
The Sooners return home riding a tidal wave of momentum after a 4-0 week that included an emphatic 11-1 midweek victory over Oklahoma State and a historic SEC sweep of Missouri in Columbia. Not only did Oklahoma sweep its first SEC series since joining the league, but all three wins came via run-rule: 17-4, 17-7, and 12-1. The 46-run weekend outburst highlighted OU’s offensive firepower and showed why the Sooners are among the most balanced teams in the nation.
OU’s recent surge has propelled them up the national rankings. D1Baseball has them at No. 14, while Baseball America places them as high as No. 11. The Sooners also sit No. 19 in the latest NCAA RPI, a strong indicator of their postseason hosting potential if they continue this form.
Offensive Onslaught
The Sooners’ offensive numbers tell the story. They’re averaging 7.6 runs per game and have outscored opponents 296-174 on the year. Their team batting average sits at .296, with three starters—Jaxon Willits (.345), Trey Gambill (.340), and Easton Carmichael (.331)—leading the charge. Carmichael is pacing the team with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs, while Willits has chipped in nine long balls and 39 RBIs of his own.
The long ball has been a consistent threat in Oklahoma’s offense, with 50 home runs through 39 games. The team has homered in 28 of those contests, including 14 multi-homer games. The power surge was on full display in Columbia, where the Sooners blasted 10 home runs across the three-game series.
Adding to the explosive offense is freshman Drew Dickerson, who earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors on Monday. Dickerson went 7-for-14 with three extra-base hits and five RBIs in last week’s four games. The Missouri native had a breakout weekend in his home state and now owns a .314 average through 23 games.
On the Mound
Oklahoma’s pitching staff continues to show depth and poise. The Sooners boast a team ERA of 4.26, which ranks 28th nationally, and have compiled 391 strikeouts against just 144 walks. They’ve notched 18 double-digit strikeout games and have held opponents to five or fewer runs in 34 of their 39 contests.
Ace Kyson Witherspoon has anchored the rotation with a 2.48 ERA, ranking second in the SEC and earning a host of midseason accolades, including D1 Baseball’s Midseason Top Pitcher and Perfect Game’s Midseason Pitcher of the Year.
For Tuesday’s game, left-hander Gavyn Jones is the projected starter. Jones enters with a 1-0 record and a 5.32 ERA. While not a regular part of the weekend rotation, Jones has been effective in short outings and will look to set the tone before the bullpen takes over.
Golden Eagles Looking to Spoil the Party
Oral Roberts makes the short trip to Norman aiming to even the season series after a lopsided loss in the first meeting. Despite falling 11-2 in late March, ORU took an early 2-0 lead before OU responded with 11 unanswered runs. Right-hander Conner Johnson, who gets the ball again on Tuesday, struggled in that contest, allowing four runs in just 2.1 innings.
Johnson enters Tuesday with a 1-3 record and a 9.87 ERA, and while the numbers don’t jump off the page, the Golden Eagles have been trending upward as a team. ORU is 5-3 on its current nine-game road trip and has won three consecutive weekend series, including a recent two-of-three triumph at Omaha.
At the plate, Oral Roberts is averaging over eight runs per game across their last nine outings and has reached double-digit hits in eight of those. Outfielder Will Edmunson is in the midst of a 17-game hitting streak, the longest by any Golden Eagle this season.
Head coach Ryan Folmar is also approaching a significant milestone, now just eight wins away from becoming the program’s all-time wins leader. With Summit League play heating up, Tuesday’s non-conference game serves as a crucial tune-up against a nationally ranked opponent.
Series History and Rivalry Notes
Oklahoma leads the all-time series 47-38 and has taken four of the last five matchups. In Norman, the Sooners hold a 21-16 advantage, and they’ve won the last two meetings overall. ORU’s last win came in April 2024, a 3-1 victory in Tulsa. Despite the gap in rankings, these in-state games often carry a little extra intensity and emotion, with players on both rosters familiar with each other from high school and travel ball circuits.
What’s Next
Tuesday’s clash is a quick pit stop before Oklahoma embarks on another challenging SEC road trip, this time to No. 10 Georgia for a top-15 weekend showdown. That series begins Thursday night on ESPNU and will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
For Oral Roberts, the road trip comes to an end with Tuesday’s game, and they’ll look to carry momentum into the final stretch of Summit League play as they jockey for position in the conference standings.
Fan Info and Promotions
It’s $2 Tuesday at L. Dale Mitchell Park, with $2 beer, soda, and hot dogs available throughout the game. Tickets can be purchased at SoonerSports.com/tickets. With pleasant spring weather in the forecast and a high-octane offense on display, fans should expect a lively atmosphere in Norman.
Final Thoughts
Oklahoma has asserted itself as one of the more well-rounded teams in the SEC, blending potent offense with solid pitching depth. Tuesday night provides another opportunity to fine-tune things before a tough SEC stretch begins. For Oral Roberts, a competitive showing—or an upset—would serve as a springboard heading into the final month of the season.
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Don’t blink—these Sooners can score fast.
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