Oklahoma Sooners pull off doubleheader sweep

Oklahoma swept an elimination doubleheader to keep their season alive.

Sunday was a long day at the ballpark for the Oklahoma Sooners. However, it was worth every single second of it as the Sooners won not once but twice to keep their season alive and force a do-or-die Game 7 for the opportunity to advance to the Super Regionals where the ACC Tournament runner-ups, Florida State, await them.

The Sooners had no margin for error, as a loss would end their season. After a short rain delay, they took on Duke, the ACC Tournament champs.

Duke drew first blood on an A.J. Garcia single to score Zac Morris and make it a 1-0 Blue Devils lead in the first inning. After getting caught stealing twice, the Sooners managed nothing in their half of their first.

Later, Rocco Garza-Gongora scored Jaxon Willits on an RBI single in the third off Fran Oschell before freshman Jason Walk got in on the action and lined a two-run triple to give OU a 3-1 lead.

Grant Stevens, a senior left-hander, put forth one of the best performances of his career as he held down an elite Duke offense for seven innings. He had seven strikeouts while giving up just one earned run on six hits and two walks, giving Oklahoma a legitimate chance to win.

The Sooners added another run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Michael Snyder slapped a double off the wall in left field, scoring Easton Carmichael to push Oklahoma’s lead to 4-1. Carson Atwood entered in relief and was promptly met with resistance as a double and home run brought Duke closer at 4-3.

Malachi Witherspoon shut down the eighth-inning rally and kept Duke quiet in the ninth as Oklahoma knocked out Duke to set up a rematch with UConn.

After a short break, the Sooners hopped right back into action, knowing they would have to beat UConn not once but twice to reach the Super Regionals.

The Huskies sent Garrett Coe to the bump while Oklahoma rolled with Brendan Girton. Girton didn’t have it today, and Skip Johnson wasted no time giving him the hook. In the first inning, UConn’s leadoff hitter Caleb Shpur cracked a solo home run to left field to open the scoring. Luke Broadhurst singled in Paul Tammaro to make it a 2-0 Huskies lead.

OU responded immediately in the top half of the second on a Scott Mudler RBI single to drive in Jackson Nicklaus.

Out of the bullpen came Jett Lodes, who relieved Girton after a walk to start the bottom of the second. Lodes gave up a run-scoring single to Korey Morton as the Huskies took a 3-1 lead. From that point on, Lodes was nails for the Sooners.

He twirled seven scoreless innings and allowed three hits while walking just two batters. He also racked up seven strikeouts during his outing.

In the top of the third, Oklahoma responded in a big way, with Michael Snyder slamming a two-run homer off Coe to tie the game. The teams remained in a deadlock until the top of the eighth.

In the eighth, the Sooners used patient approaches against the Huskies’ Kieran Finnegan, which paid off. A Jaxon Willits single and a walk by Nicklaus set the scene for Scott Mudler to deliver another RBI Single, giving OU a 4-3 lead. Isaiah Lane walked to load the bases, and the lineup turned over to the top. John Spikerman flew out, but on the very first pitch of his at-bat, OU’s Bryce Madron ripped Braden Quinn’s breaking pitch into the left-center field gap for a 2-run double and a 6-3 Oklahoma lead.

UConn designated hitter Tyler Minick hit a home run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 6-4, but that was it as junior Ryan Lambert came on in the ninth for the save and locked up the win.

With the win, the stage is set for Monday. There will be one final game between UConn and OU. The winner will face FSU in the Super Regionals, and the loser’s season will end.

The game will be at 8 p.m. local time and can be seen on ESPN+.

 

 

Oklahoma Sooners fall to UConn Huskies 4-1 in Norman Regional

Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t hit with runners on and fall to UConn 4-1.

After a picture-perfect start to hosting their first regional in almost 20 years, [autotag]Skip Johnson[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners saw it all come crashing down on Saturday night. They lost to the Big East regular season champion UCONN Huskies 4-1.

The Sooners came into the game with loads of momentum after a 14-0 shutout of Oral Roberts Friday night. On Friday afternoon, UCONN beat the two-seed in the region, Duke, by a 4-1 score.

Both teams knew Saturday night would be a grind, but for OU, they felt great.

[autotag]Braden Davis[/autotag], the staff ace, didn’t pitch on Friday because Johnson wanted to save him for this matchup instead. While he was right in theory, things didn’t go as he wanted them to.

Oklahoma was the road team, so they started the game batting first. Oklahoma could get nothing off Connecticut pitcher Stephen Quigley despite a Bryce Madron hit.

Davis worked out of a jam in the bottom of the second to keep things tied. Oklahoma had two hits in the top half of the third, but Quigley worked himself out of a jam and kept Oklahoma off the board.

In the bottom half of the inning, a two-out rally featuring two walks and a single by the Huskies’ Korey Morton allowed UConn to draw first blood and take a 1-0 lead.

Oklahoma got doubles in the fourth and fifth innings from [autotag]Michael Snyder[/autotag] and [autotag]John Spikerman[/autotag], but couldn’t bring them home.

That would remain the story of the night for the Sooners. In the bottom of the seventh inning, after back-to-back 1-out singles, RHP Dylan Crooks entered in relief of Braden Davis, who pitched 6.1 innings, allowing seven hits and walking three batters. He threw 109 pitches and struck out ten batters. He was also on the hook for three earned runs when Luke Broadhurst hammered a ball to deep left field to push the Huskies’ lead to 4-0.

Kendall Pettis hit a homer in the eighth, but that would be the last hurrah from the Sooners before the game ended. The Sooners got Jackson Nicklaus up for the tying run, but Nicklaus couldn’t make any noise, and the game was over.

Oklahoma’s inability to get the big hit doomed them. They pitched well enough to stay within striking distance but could never push themselves to get the one or two big hits necessary to flip momentum to their side.

Redshirt senior outfielder Kendall Pettis went 2-for-3 with a home run. He was the standout offensively.

With the loss, the Sooners will face Duke, the two-seed in this regional, with their season on the line.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on X @thatmanbryant.

Duke baseball staves off elimination with 6-2 win over Oral Roberts

Duke eliminates Oral Roberts 6-2 to keep season going.

The 2024 Duke Blue Devils baseball team will live to play another day after they survived an elimination game in the Norman Regional on Saturday afternoon, beating Oral Roberts 6-2.

Friday was a bit of shell shock for the Blue Devils, who came into the NCAA Tournament red-hot, especially offensively. After a 16-run performance against Florida State in the ACC Tournament title game, Duke only managed one run on Friday against Big East regular-season champion Connecticut.

UCONN used some situational hitting and terrific pitching to put Duke away 4-1 and force Duke into the loser’s bracket. In a double-elimination system, the Blue Devils woke up knowing they’d be heading back to Durham by nightfall if they didn’t win.

Staff ace Jonathan Santucci received the start against Oral Roberts and pitched for the first time since he was injured in the regular season. He didn’t go long for obvious reasons, as he had been out for a little while, and Duke didn’t want to over-extend him.

He only pitched two innings but gave up no runs while striking out four and walking two. He escaped a jam to keep the scoreboard blank while his offense continued to find its footing.

James Tallon came on to handle the third inning and did so smoothly. He gave up no hits and didn’t walk anyone. In the top of the fourth, Duke finally broke through on a Devin Obee RBI single to score Alex Stone. The Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead.

Talented two-way freshman Kyle Johnson relieved Tallon in the bottom of the fourth and started the first of three innings. In the top of the sixth, Duke hit the gas to separate themselves from the Golden Eagles. Alex Stone led off with a double and scored on a one-out double from Chase Krewson. Wallace Clark made sure he made it home after he doubled to the left-center gap to make it 3-0 Duke.

Jimmy Evans connected on a two-run homer for his only hit of the afternoon to make it 5-0 for the Blue Devils in the sixth. ORU would respond with a run in the bottom half of the inning, but Duke quelled any other threats. Devin Obee smoked a solo home run for insurance in the top of the eighth, and Charlie Beilenson nailed down the final inning to end Oral Roberts’ season.

Duke’s bounceback couldn’t have been better, as they needed all hands on deck to make this work. The Blue Devils will play on Sunday afternoon in yet another elimination game. The loser of Oklahoma vs. UCONN will have their backs pushed up against the wall and face elimination. That game will start at 2 p.m. local time and be broadcast on ESPN +.

Sooners cruise to a 14-0 win over Oral Roberts to open NCAA Tournament play

Kyson Witherspoon and Carter Campbell combined for the shutout and the Sooners offense erupted for a 14-0 win over Oral Roberts in the NCAA tournament.

It was the first time the Oklahoma Sooners hosted postseason baseball at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman since 2010, and the boys in Crimson and Cream were ready to rock and roll from the opening pitch.

Oklahoma entered the NCAA Tournament fresh off a loss to their in-state rivals, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, in the Big 12 Tournament Championship game. However, with how the Sooners have played since conference play began, bouncing back was easy for them.

Their first opponent was an Oral Roberts team that the Sooners had already faced this season, splitting a pair of midweek games.

Kyson Witherspoon got the start. Oklahoma opted to save Braden Davis in case the Sooners were in the loser’s bracket or had to face Duke.

Witherspoon escaped early danger, stranding the bases loaded to end the first. Oklahoma immediately opened things up with a triple from centerfielder John Spikerman and a Bryce Madron sac fly. Madron returned to the starting lineup after sitting out the Big 12 tournament to rest an injury from the end of the regular season.

 

With the Sooners up 1-0, they never looked back. Witherspoon worked around two runners in the second and third innings to hold the Golden Eagles scoreless.

In the bottom of the third, Madron let the rest of the home crowd know he was healthy as he blasted a two-run home run to right field, giving OU a 3-0 lead.

After some clean innings from Witherspoon, Oklahoma opened the game up on an Easton Carmichael three-run home run to make it a 6-0 game.

Witherspoon finished his day tossing six innings of shutout ball. He struck out nine batters and sat down the last ten batters he faced. Simply, it was a dazzling performance in his NCAA Tournament debut.

Oklahoma continued to pile on runs the rest of the way. Scott Mudler hit a solo home run and had a two-run single. Spikerman had a two-run single. And Jackson Nicklaus added an RBI single himself.

Carter Campbell finished the pitching from the seventh inning onward and kept things spotless, giving up no runs to complete a dominant performance from the Sooners.

It’s hard to imagine Skip Johnson drawing up a more perfect opening game. Minimal pitchers were used, and the team showed tremendous discipline at the plate, which made Oral Roberts pay for mistakes in the form of 17 hits.

Oklahoma will advance to the winner’s bracket and will face UConn tomorrow at 8 p.m. local time under the lights. The winner of that game will be just one win away from clinching a spot in the Super Regionals.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on X @thatmanbryant.

Duke manages eight hits but just one run in 4-1 loss to UCONN to start NCAA Tournament play

Duke falls 4-1 in opening game of NCAA Tournament play.

After destroying everything in their path to an ACC Title, the Duke Blue Devils lost for the first time in four games. They fell 4-1 to the UCONN Huskies in their first game of the Norman Regional to kick off the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Duke entered the game as the second seed in the region behind the hosts Oklahoma and was a notable trendy pick to win the regional itself. However, when the dust settled as the Blue Devils kicked off the region on Friday, the Blue Devils found themselves with their backs against the wall and their season on the line.

Staff ace Jonathan Santucci has yet to return, and Duke went with their ACC Championship-winning pitcher Andrew Healy on the mound Friday against the Big East regular season champions.

Healy pitched plenty well enough, but Duke’s bats were ice cold. UCONN starter Braden Cooke went 5.2 IP, giving up just four hits, one earned run and walked two while striking out four.

Healy threw four innings and gave up just one run. Ryan Higgins entered in relief and gave up two runs after a walk, an error on a failed pickoff, and another walk set UCONN up with runners on third and first. A sacrifice bunt moved runners to second, and a two-run single in the top of the sixth by Huskies catcher Ryan Hyde proved too much for the Duke offense to overcome.

Duke mustered eight hits but couldn’t piece it together for more than just one run, which is a stark contrast from how this offense has operated all season l; long.

Duke’s loss sends them to the loser’s bracket. They’ll face the loser of the Oklahoma and Oral Roberts game tomorrow at 2 p.m. central time, and the loser will head home.

 

Alex Karaban to return to UConn for junior year after testing NBA draft

Alex Karaban announced Wednesday that he will withdraw from the 2024 NBA draft and return to UConn for his junior year.

Alex Karaban announced Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will withdraw from the 2024 NBA draft and return to UConn for his junior year.

Karaban declared for the draft on April 18 while maintaining his remaining college eligibility. He averaged eight points, two rebounds and one assist in two scrimmage games at the draft combine this month in Chicago, Illinois. He also worked out with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 21-year-old helped the Huskies to their second straight championship after averaging 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 37.9% shooting from 3-point range. He produced eight 20-point games, including a season-high 26 points and seven rebounds on Dec. 9.

Karaban was considered a borderline first-round pick this year, given his ability as a shooter and cutter on offense. He has also shown promise on the defensive side of the ball with the Huskies and is a smart player with a great feel for the game.

His return to the program is a big addition for Dan Hurley after the team lost Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer to the NBA draft. He was their third-leading scorer last season and has started 77 out of 78 games in two years.

Hurley and the Huskies signed top-50 prospects Liam McNeeley (No. 10) and Ahmad Nowell (No. 31) to the roster next season. They also add Aidan Mahaney (Saint Mary’s) and Tarris Reed Jr. (Michigan) via the transfer portal.

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UConn star Alex Karaban foregoes NBA draft, returns for Huskies

Alex Karaban will withdraw his name from the 2024 NBA draft and return to the UConn Huskies as they try to win a third straight national championship.

The UConn Huskies’ quest for a third straight national championship got a big boost on Wednesday when forward Alex Karaban announced he is withdrawing from the NBA draft and will return to Storrs for his junior season.

“While I’ve enjoyed the draft process, Storrs is home. Let’s run it back,” Karaban posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday afternoon.

Karaban started for the Huskies in each of the past two seasons, playing a critical role as a shooter for both of UConn’s national championship runs.

As a sophomore in 2023-24, the 6’9 wing averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 64% on two pointers and 37.9% from three on 5.5 attempts per game.

Karaban becomes the lone returning starter from UConn’s title team – with Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton out of eligibility and Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan, both projected lottery picks, opting to stay in the draft process.

However, Karaban will be joined by a bevy of returning rotation players, including Samson Johnson, Hassan Diarra, Solomon Ball, and Jaylin Stewart – and the team added key additions via the transfer portal in Aidan Mahaney (Saint Mary’s) and Tarris Reed (Michigan).

Danny Hurley’s team – who also added top ranked incoming freshman Liam NcNeeley – was in solid shape before Karaban’s announced return. Now, having his experience back in the mix should vault this team into top 10 consideration as they look to do what has not been done since the 1970’s at UCLA…win back-to-back-to-back national championships.

Fresh off ACC Tournament title, Duke baseball heads to Oklahoma as No. 2 seed in the Norman Regional

Duke earns the second seed in the Norman Regional after winning the 2024 ACC Tournament Title.

The newly minted 2024 ACC Tournament champions are headed to Norman, Oklahoma.

Following their offensive explosion against Florida State in the ACC title game, many around the Duke program thought there was a chance that the Blue Devils could sneak a late hosting bid away. Sunday night, the NCAA disproved that by now awarding Duke with a top-16 seed. On Monday, the Blue Devils discovered which regional they would participate in.

The Blue Devils will head to Norman, hoping to advance to the Super Regionals for the second consecutive year. This will be no tall task, as the hosting Oklahoma Sooners are a well-rounded ball club with offense, defense, and a deep pitching unit that features quality starters and challenging bullpen options in relief. Oklahoma dominated the Big 12, posting a 23-7 record in the conference. They also came up just short of winning the tournament title.

The Big East regular season champion, the Connecticut Huskies, are also in the region and they are no slouches. Lastly, the Blue Devils will have the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, this year’s Summit League tournament champions, to contend with.

Regionals will run from May 31 through June 3 at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman. Duke (39-18) is slated to open the regional against No. 3 seed UConn (32-23) on Friday at 8 p.m. EST. The game can be seen on ESPN+.

The winner of the double-elimination NCAA Regional will advance to a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional, which will run from June 6-8 or 7-9. The Norman Regional winner will face the winner of the Tallahassee Regional, which features Florida State, Alabama, UCF, and Stetson.

Sooners earn No. 9 national seed, host regional round of the NCAA Tournament

Oklahoma set to host regional, welcoming Duke, UConn, and Oral Roberts to Norman.

The field is set, and Skip Johnson’s Oklahoma Sooners baseball team knows exactly who it will be playing when the NCAA Tournament opens on Friday, May 31.

On Sunday afternoon, regional host sites were announced. The Sooners were chosen to host, indicating they were at least one of the top 16 seeds in the nation. On Monday, they found out who they would play this weekend.

The Sooners missed the cut as a national seed, finishing No. 9 instead of landing a projected top eight seed. If the Sooners had finished eighth, they would have been able to host a Super Regional should they advance. The loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament championship game likely made the difference.

Oklahoma will have no easy task trying to advance, as the Sooners are set to host Duke, Oral Roberts, and the UConn Huskies.

The Duke Blue Devils are the two-seed in the region and are fresh off of winning their second ACC Tournament.

UConn is the third seed in this region and hails from the Big East. They won the Big East regular season and are in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight season.

Oklahoma’s first opponent in the tournament is Oral Roberts, the Summit League champions. Oklahoma played Oral Roberts in March and earned a seven-inning run-rule shutout, winning 10-0. Game time is set for Friday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

Oklahoma’s region isn’t a cakewalk, but there’s plenty of reason to believe that the Sooners can come out on top with their improved pitching, which failed them in last year’s tournament, and an offense that is much more dynamic than last year.

If the Sooners advance, they will take on the winner of the Florida State Regional, which consists of the Seminoles, Alabama, Stetson, and the Big 12’s UCF.

Oklahoma also hopes their All-Big 12 Second Team outfielder Bryce Madron can go. He sat out the entire Big 12 tournament to rest an injury he sustained in the final regular season series against Cincinnati.

Otherwise, Oklahoma will be in excellent health as it prepares to play this weekend.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on X @thatmanbryant.

Projected top-5 pick Donovan Clingan explains his potential impact in the NBA

After helping UConn win back-to-back national titles, Donovan Clingan is confident he can continue that success in the NBA.

After helping the UConn Huskies win back-to-back national titles, projected top-five pick Donovan Clingan is confident he can continue that success in the NBA.

Clingan was an Associated Press All-American honorable mention after averaging 13 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.5 assists on 63.9% shooting from the field. He had the second-best player efficiency rating (34.8) and ranked fifth in blocked shots.

He was an integral player in the Huskies winning their second straight national championship. He was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team after posting 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.7 assists in six games.

The 7-footer is in the conversation to be the No. 1 pick on June 26, given his size and ability to protect the paint with his 7-foot, 6 3/4-inch wingspan. He also showed improvement on the perimeter to switch onto smaller players in certain situations.

He believes he brings that and more to the NBA.

It is all of the little things, whether that is defense, protecting the rim, finishing around the rim, being able to step out to shoot the 3, passing, which I love to do.

The 20-year-old is working to expand his offensive game during the predraft process. He is focusing on improving his shot from 3-point range and showing teams he can develop into a consistent floor spacer at the next level.

Clingan showed off that ability a bit at the draft combine in Chicago, Illinois. He impressed during the shooting portion of the workouts, converting over 60% of his attempts in the off-the-dribble and spot-up 3-point drills.

He rose rapidly up draft boards and is a proven winner at the collegiate level. He still has plenty of room to grow on the court, but believes he is more mature to handle playing in the NBA than he was after testing the process last year.

“Last year, I knew I was too young and wasn’t mature enough to play in the NBA,” Clingan said. “I realized I had to go back and just take my game to the next level.”

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