Oklahoma Baseball: Sooners Set to Begin NCAA Tournament Run on Friday

The Sooners will open up regional play on Friday against the Liberty Flames at noon CT in Gainesville, FL.

Let the fun begin.

After a spectacular run through the Big 12 tournament last week in Arlington, Oklahoma (37-20) looks to keep the hot stretch rolling into the NCAA Tournament this weekend in Gainesville, FL.

The Sooners, who have largely ridden a high-powered offense throughout the season, were led not by their bats but by their pitching with starters Jake Bennett, David Sandlin and Cade Horton all twirling gems to lift OU to the conference crown.

At the most important time of the year, Oklahoma’s pitching is performing at its highest level.

“Jake has done what he’s done, Sandlin was really good last week and Horton is just now getting in shape,” head coach Skip Johnson said this week. “I’ve been really proud of them throwing strikes.”

“It started off with the pitching,” first baseman Blake Robertson said of the Sooners’ big week in Arlington. “We (the offense) had big innings because of them. They kept putting up zeroes and that gives us more momentum in the dugout.”

For an OU program that hadn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2018, the last couple of months certainly serves as some of the top play the Sooners have had in some time.

With that, Oklahoma fans have begun to notice what the team is capable of — with many becoming excited about a potential run through the month of June.

But while the excitement is warranted, this will be uncharted waters for a group of players yet to taste the big dance. 

“Since I’ve been here, this (reaching the NCAA Tournament) is something I haven’t been able to do,” senior center fielder Tanner Tredaway said. “It’s what we’ve worked for. And we talk about it all the time. This is just a stepping stone for what we really want to accomplish, and that’s going to Omaha.”

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How to Watch:

• Oklahoma vs. Liberty: Friday, 12:00 p.m., ESPN+

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The Sooners begin play in the regional hosted by the No. 13 Florida Gators as the No. 2 seed within the region facing the Liberty Flames (37-21).

The Flames finished in third place in the Atlantic Sun this season with a 19-11 league record, holding an RPI of No. 31 in the country heading into the tournament.

Simply put, they aren't ones to be taken lightly — something Johnson is well aware of heading into the weekend. 

“Their athleticism,” Johnson said of what sticks out about Liberty. “The coach (Scott Jackson) is a good friend. He does a great job. He was at North Carolina when they were really good back in the day. They’re really really good. They got an arm. They have those guys split up through the lineup, they can really hit.”

Getting the start against the Flames will be left-hander Jake Bennett (7-3, 3.60), who looks to continue to set the weekend tone as he has throughout the season.

From start to finish in 2022, Bennett has been OU's No. 1 starter - and that won't be changing heading into the tournament. 

“They (the team) have a lot of confidence in Jake (Bennett) because they know how hard he works,” Johnson said. “That’s the biggest thing. The kids know how hard he works and what he’s put in to get from where he was to where he is today.”

First pitch for Oklahoma’s matchup with Liberty is set for noon CT in Gainesville and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Should the Sooners win, they will face the Florida/Central Michigan winner on Saturday at 6 p.m CT. in a winner’s bracket game. A loss and OU will be playing for its season in an elimination game against the Gators/Chippewas loser at noon CT on Saturday.

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