Oklahoma
OU Softball: Oklahoma Shocked by BYU, in Danger of Dropping Second Consecutive Series
NORMAN — For the second straight weekend, Oklahoma heads into a rubber match needing a win to avoid a series defeat.
BYU lead most of Friday’s contest, and erased Tiare Jennings’ game-tying home run that came in the fourth inning.
The Cougars plated a pair in the sixth, and OU stranded two runners in the bottom half of the frame.
BYU then added a trio of runs in the top of the seventh.
Hailey Morrow lined out to Karlie Keeney, and as the OU pitcher fired to first to turn an inning-ending double play, she missed her target and overthrew Cydney Sanders.
Lexie Bennett scored from second, but the Cougars weren’t done.
Aleia Agbayani delivered with an RBI-double and Ailana Agbayani’s RBI-single put the Sooners in a 7-4 hole headed into the bottom of the seventh.
Patty Gasso’s team couldn’t overcome all the miscues.
Kinzie Hansen lead the seventh with a single and Alynah Torres added a one-out single, but Oklahoma couldn’t rally.
BYU closed out the contest to win 9-4 at Love’s Field, leveling the series ahead of Saturday’s finale.
The defeat dropped OU to 37-4 on the year and 14-3 in Big 12 play, and was the first home conference defeat since then-No. 15 Baylor beat the Sooners 4-3 on April 23, 2017 at Marita Hynes Field.
Oklahoma played from behind for most of the game after the Cougars (22–18, 5-12) got off to a fast start.
BYU shortstop Ailana Agbayani opened the contest with a double, and then Nicole May’s wild pitch moved Agbayani to third.
Maddie Bejarno’s sacrifice fly gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead two batters into the game.
Oklahoma couldn’t cash in on a pair of walks in the bottom half of the inning, allowed the Cougars to add to their advantage.
Keila Kamoku homered in the second inning and Lily Owens’ sacrifice fly in the third inning tacked on two more runs for the Cougars before OU steadied.
Rylie Boone’s single and walks drawn by Alyssa Brito and Ella Parker loaded the bases for Hansen with two outs.
The Sooner catcher connected with the ball off the end of her bat and it slowly rolled down the third base line, but the ball died and stayed fair.
Boone raced home, and everyone reached safely.
Kasidi Pickering then walked, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
Avery Hodge flew out to left field to end the third, and Kierston Deal entered the game for May in the fourth.
A pair of doubles from Hailey Morrow and Ailana Agbayani extended BYU’s lead to 4-2, but a nice piece of clutch hitting from Jennings leveled the game.
The OU shortstop smashed a two-out, two-strike delivery to tie the game 4-4.
But the Cougars didn’t wilt.
With runners on first and third, BYU coach Gordon Eakin called for Maddie Udall to steal second base.
Hansen threw to record the out, but Hodge cut it off and fired back to Hansen as Lauren Flanders dashed to steal home.
Flanders’ hand snuck under Hansen’s glove, putting the Cougars back up 5-4.
Morrow’s single then scored Flanders from second to push the BYU advantage back to two runs.
Oklahoma had a great opportunity to respond in the sixth.
Boone singled and then advanced to second on a wild pitch, and Jennings’ walk put a pair aboard with one out.
Brito was unable to play hero, as she popped out into foul territory and then Parker flew out to left field, leaving plenty of work to do even before the disastrous seventh inning.
The Sooners committed two errors on the night and were outhit 11-8 in the game. Oklahoma did combine to draw 10 walks throughout the game, but stranded eight batters as a team as OU hit 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
BYU’s 11 hits were the most allowed by Oklahoma’s coaching staff since June 8, 2021 against Florida State in the Women’s College World Series Championship Series.
Both teams will return for the series finale at on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Love’s Field, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
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The Oklahoma baseball team is back in the mix and trending upward.
After a rough few weeks in Southeastern Conference play, the 14th-ranked Sooners have won three of their last four games to get to .500 at just beyond the halfway point of the league slate. Friday’s 9-6 win over Missouri allowed Oklahoma to move to 8-8, tied with three other teams for eighth in the standings.
Friday’s win wasn’t truly that close, even. OU took a 9-3 lead into the ninth before Mizzou made it somewhat interesting with three runs in the frame. Two of them came with two outs, though, and Mason Bixby induced a groundout with the bases empty to hold on.
The large edge came via a home run-happy night. The Sooners popped four over the wall at Kimrey Family Stadium, including three in a four-run seventh inning that gave OU a four-run lead.
Jason Walk, who hit one of the four homers, had the best day at the plate. He went 2 for 5 with the shot, three RBIs and a run. Camden Johnson, who also homered, went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and two runs, and Dasan Harris went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs. Trey Gambill hit the Sooners’ other jack.
Oklahoma jumped out to a four-run lead in the second behind four hits and a walk. Missouri helped the Sooners out with an error that resulted in a bases-loaded situation and three unearned runs registered to Tigers starter Josh McDevitt.
The runs were more than enough for Oklahoma’s LJ Mercurius, who pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Game 2 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday and the finale will be played Sunday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
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