The Oklahoma Sooners began their NCAA Atlanta Regional tournament with a commanding 8‑3 win over The Citadel, a game that set an early tone for the team's aspirations in the bracket.
Milestone Night for Skip Johnson
At the heart of the celebration was head coach Skip Johnson, whose 300th career victory in Division I baseball was marked by a quiet clubhouse toast and a glance at the scoreboard that read 300, underscoring a career defined by consistency and growth.
The Sooners' offense exploded for eight runs on 15 hits, a barrage that included solo home runs from Dayton Tockey and Trey Gambill, illustrating the depth and firepower of the lineup.
Freshman left‑hander Cord Rager turned in a career‑high six innings, allowing just three runs on seven hits while striking out eight and walking none, a performance that drew praise from both coaches and teammates.
Reliever LJ Mercurius sealed the game with three shutout innings, fanning four batters and yielding only two hits and a walk, earning his first save of the season and his second career save.
Looking ahead, Oklahoma will meet Georgia Tech in the winners bracket, a matchup that will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on The REF 99.3 FM/1400 AM and the Varsity network app, giving fans multiple platforms to follow the action.