Oklahoma
Oklahoma Opens 2026 With Four Big 12 Battles in Arizona
The Sooners are ready to tackle the 2026 season.
At least Patty Gasso thinks so.
No. 3 Oklahoma opens the season with a four-game swing through Arizona that will feature one contest against Arizona State and three bouts with No. 17 Arizona.
Seven new Sooners, five freshmen and two transfers, will have an opportunity to make their OU debuts over the weekend, but Gasso’s team returns a majority of their production at the plate.
Over 80 percent of Oklahoma’s hits, total bases, RBIs and home runs are back in 2026, and everyone is expected to take a step forward this season.
“Our team is strong,” Gasso said last Saturday. “… It’s a game-changer. Again, the strength of this team and their swings—I would not want to be an OU pitcher having to face this lineup over and over, like daily. There’s just, what can you do?
“The swings are good, and they’re powerful, and they’re smart. I think, again, our experience last year has really helped us learn about being better hitters.”
How to Watch OU Softball in Arizona
- Thursday vs. Arizona State: 7:15 p.m., ESPN+
- Friday vs. Arizona: 5 p.m., ESPN+
- Saturday vs. Arizona: 6 p.m., ESPN+
- Sunday vs. Arizona: 12 p.m., ESPN+
Oklahoma’s physical gains should be paired with mental strides.
The Sooners relied on numerous players last year, either in their first year with the program after transferring in — Abby Dayton, Ailana Agbayani and Isabela Emerling — or who were playing college softball for the first time — Gabbie Garcia, Sydney Barker, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, Audrey Lowry, Tia Milloy and Chaney Helton — as freshmen.
Comfort brings more confidence, as does the addition of this year’s highly-rated freshman class.
“I’m super excited coming into my sophomore year,” Garcia said. “We’ve got a great incoming freshman class, which I’m excited to experience and play along with. But I mean, how can I not be confident with the team I have behind me?”
Freshman Kendall Wells will likely make her debut behind the plate at some point during the weekend, as will outfielder Kai Minor.
OU’s new-look pitching staff will be on full display as well.
Kierston Deal returns alongside Lowry, but the Sooners added LSU transfer Sydney Berzon and Ole Miss transfer Miali Guachino, who both bring SEC experience.
Freshmen pitchers Allyssa Parker and Berkley Zache also hope to make their regular-season debuts this weekend.
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Regardless of who gets handed the ball, however, Oklahoma’s pitching staff is just thankful to take on batters other than their own teammates.
“I’m super excited to see all of us as one staff,” Deal said. “Getting to face other people besides our team. We love our offense; they’re really good. We’re excited to face some new batters this weekend. I’m just super excited.
“Everyone brings a little something different to the table. We’re able to feed off each other, talk through things, help each other. Be able to encourage each other as well. I’m really excited to see our staff come together this year.”
Oklahoma
Iowa State wrestling adds Brayden Thompson from transfer portal
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.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Jahsiear Rogers ‘Knew It Was Time to Showcase’ His Talents In Spring Game
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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Oklahoma
Oklahoma knocks off Missouri in series opener
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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