OU Baseball: Oklahoma Takes Down Ole Miss in Opener

Originally posted on Oklahoma Sooners on SI
By John Hoover | Last updated May 2, 2025 10:14 PM ET

Kyson Witherspoon turned in his best game as a Sooner, and Oklahoma opened its weekend series Friday with a big victory.

OU rode Witherspoon to a 2-0 victory over Ole Miss on Friday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman.

No. 21-ranked Oklahoma improved to 31-13 overall and 12-10 in SEC play, while the No. 18 Rebels fell to 32-14 and 12-10.

Witherspoon threw seven shutout innings and gave up just one hit. He struggled at times with control, as he tied his season high by walking three and hitting three. But he also struck out eight of the 27 batters he faced.

Witherspoon (8-2) commanded his fastball and slider, throwing 67 of his 103 total pitches for strikes. He also went over 100 strikeouts for the season.

Jason Bodin gave up a single in relief but pitched a scoreless eighth. Closer Dylan Crooks threw the ninth inning and pitched around a two-out, four-pitch walk to earn his 11th save.

The Sooners didn’t get much offense — but with Witherspoon dealing and the bullpen dialed in, they didn’t need to.

OU managed just three singles all night, but scratched across a pair of runs in the fifth inning.

Kyle Branch and Mason Hamlin led off the inning with back-to-back walks. Drew Dickerson laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line and beat the throw to load the bases for Dawson Willis, who reached on a fielder’s choice that forced Dickerson at second but scored Branch.

Trey Gambill then delivered an RBI single to right field to score Hamlin and put the Sooners up 2-0.

Witherspoon only had one 1-2-3 inning all night, but he saved it for the seventh inning.

This weekend marks a rematch of the 2022 CWS Championship Series where the Rebels beat the Sooners in two games for their first national title. Ole Miss comes to Norman for the first time since a two-game series in 1994. The Rebels hold the all-time advantage 6-2 over OU and have won the last four contests against the Sooners.

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

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