OU Baseball: Oklahoma Routs Nebraska to Set Up North Carolina Rematch

Originally posted on Oklahoma Sooners on SI
By John Hoover | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 3:09 PM ET

Oklahoma wasted no time jumping all over Nebraska on Sunday in their NCAA Tournament rematch at the Chapel Hill Regional.

But now the No. 2-seeded Sooners have all afternoon to think about what’s next.

By taking down the 3-seed Huskers in an absolute 17-1 rout — for the second time in three days at Boshamer Stadium — OU earned a rematch with top seed and host North Carolina in the regional championship on Sunday evening.

First pitch Sunday night is scheduled for 5 p.m.

UNC is the No. 5 national seed and routed Oklahoma 11-5 on Saturday night after scoring six unearned runs in the first inning off OU ace Kyson Witherspoon.

The Tar Heels (44-12) need to win just once to advance to next week’s Super Regionals. If OU beats UNC Sunday, they’ll meet again on Monday (time TBA), with the winner moving on to the best-of-3 round against the winner of the Eugene Regional.

The Sooners don’t have much time to enjoy their emphatic conquest of the Huskers, which was decided early as OU improved to 37-21 on the season. Nebraska’s season ends at 33-29.

The Cornhuskers committed five errors — three in the first inning that led to three runs — then OU batted around and even hit for the cycle in a decisive six-run third inning.

Easton Carmichael hit his 16th and 17th home runs of the year and drove in four runs, Jaxson Willits had three RBIs, and Sam Christiansen had two doubles, a triple, two RBIs and three runs as the Sooner bats tied a season-high with 18 hits — eight for extra bases. Eight of the nine Sooner starters had a hit, and all nine scored a run.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma left-hander Cade Crossland delivered his best performance of the season, finishing seven innings and striking out nine while scattering five hits and two walks. He gave up only one unearned run in the sixth and needed just 107 pitches (71 strikes).

After two Nebraska errors opened the game, Willits singled to left to score Carmichael and Drew Dickerson. Scott Mudler then scored on Christiansen’s RBI groundout to stake the Sooners to a 3-0 lead.

Carmichael got things going in the third with a long ball over the left field wall, and RBI doubles by Willits (to score Dickerson) and Mudler (to score Willits) followed as OU took a 6-0 lead.

The hit parade continued as Christiansen’s triple into the left-center gap brought home Mudler. Christiansen came home on Kyle Branch’s sacrifice fly, and Dawson Willis finished it off with a single up the middle that forced another error in the outfield to allow Trey Gambill to score from first and extend OU’s lead to 9-0.

But the Sooners were just getting started.

Christiansen scored again when he doubled with one out in the fourth and came home on Branch’s single up the middle for a 10-0 lead.

In the sixth, the Sooners poured it on.

OU loaded the bases on Christiansen’s walk, Branch’s infield single and Gambill’s walk. Willis’ sac fly made it 11-0, and Dasan Harris’ RBI single plated Branch for a 12-0 lead.

Carmichael then added the cherry on top: a tape-measure shot over the scoreboard in left-center field, a three-run blast that put the Sooners up 15-0.

Nebraska loaded the bases against Crossland in the sixth with a single, a walk and a Willits error, then finally plated a run on an infield single by Dylan Carey. Crossland ended the rally with a called third strike — the eighth of his nine on the day. His career-high for strikeouts (10) was set three weeks ago against Texas.

OU added two more runs in the eighth when Gambill opened with a single, advanced on a passed ball, took third on Willis’ infield single and scored on Harris’ double to left-center. Dickerson’s sacrifice fly to right sent Willis home to make it 17-1.

Michael Catalano pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth.

Crossland’s strong start was vital for Skip Johnson’s pitching staff after Witherspoon was shelled Saturday against the Tar Heels and twin brother Malachi Witherspoon was great in his opening start against the Huskers.

The Sooners might need mound contributions from the whole staff the rest of the way as only one other pitcher — Cameron Johnson — made more than two starts this year. Johnson, an LSU transfer and hard-throwing left-hander, began the season as the Sooners’ No. 2 starter and made seven starts, but struggled with his command and was replaced in the weekend rotation by Crossland.

Johnson (2-0, 5.85 ERA) hadn’t made an appearance on the mound since April 13 before pitching a scoreless eighth Saturday against the Tar Heels, and has only thrown 21 innings this season.

Jaden Barfield and Jacob Gholston each made two midweek starts for the Sooners this year, and Landon Victorian, Reid Hensley and Gavyn Jones started the other three.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Sooners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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