OU Beats Nebraska, Meets UNC in Winners Bracket

Friday, May 30

Chapel Hill, N.C.

4 p.m. CT

University of Oklahoma

36-20

Nebraska

32-28

Nebraska

Oklahoma

OU Beats Nebraska, Meets UNC in Winners Bracket

May 31, 2025 | Baseball

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Oklahoma opened NCAA postseason play with a 7-4 win over Nebraska Friday at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional.

The regional two-seed Sooners (36-20) advanced to the winners bracket with the victory and will face regional host and No. 5 national seed North Carolina Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.

Starting right-handed pitcher Malachi Witherspoon had one of his best starts of the season, hurling six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts while scattering three hits and walking two. The righty has struck out eight-plus in four of his last seven outings and his three hits surrendered Friday matched a season low.

Offensively, Oklahoma went yard twice courtesy of freshman Drew Dickerson and junior Easton Carmichael. Dickerson's blast was the frosh's first since April 18 at Missouri in just his fourth game played in the month of May.

After Witherspoon escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, the Sooners jumped on top in the second. Senior Scott Mudler singled and briefly exited due to a shoulder injury sliding back into first base. After Mudler returned to first base, Dickerson launched the first pitch he saw down the right line and out of the park in his first postseason at-bat.

Carmichael made it 3-0 in the third, hitting a leadoff home run for his team-leading 15th of the season.

Oklahoma pushed another run across in the fifth on an RBI single from junior Trey Gambill. Following a leadoff walk drawn by Jaxon Willits and HBP to Carmichael, Gambill singled through the left side to make it 4-0.

To the seventh, Oklahoma put up a three spot to push its lead to seven. A walk drawn by Dayton Tockey, one of his three on the night, followed by an error and hit by pitch loaded the bases for Mudler. The senior catcher grounded out to second allowing Tockey to score from third. The next batter, freshman Kyle Branch, singled through the left side to clear the bases.

Witherspoon exited after six scoreless innings. The Huskers (32-28) attempted a late-inning comeback on OU's relief pitchers, plating four runs on two hits and an error. After a single, error and hit by pitch loaded the bags, a three-run triple from NU's Max Buettenback got Nebraska on the board. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly plated the Huskers' final run of the game.

OU senior closer Dylan Crooks entered in the ninth and put Nebraska down in order for his 15th save of the season, striking out one. Crooks' 15th save moved him past 1994 national champion Bucky Buckles for third in a single season in program history and seventh in career saves.

Witherspoon (W, 4-8) earned the win in six innings, while relievers Jason Bodin (1.0 IP), Reid Hensley (1.0) and Crooks (1.0) finished the job. Bodin and Hensley each fanned a pair to Crooks' one in the ninth.

At the plate, four Sooners had multi-hit days, while the freshmen Branch and Dickerson paced OU with two RBIs each.

The win marked OU's second consecutive NCAA regional-opening victory and sixth in the last seven years, with five coming on the road.

The Sooners meet North Carolina at 5 p.m. CT Saturday. The game will be available to watch on ESPNU. All games can be heard on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF in Oklahoma or nationwide on The Varsity Network app.

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