The Alabama Crimson Tide have reached the College World Series for the first time since 1999, but you can bet that they aren’t satisfied with a mere appearance. Advancing isn’t going to be easy, however, considering the gauntlet that lies ahead.
Alabama
OU baseball vs Alabama score: Cord Rager, Sooners shut out Tide in College World Series
Cord Rager pitched seven shutout innings and the OU baseball team rolled to a 9-0 win over seventh-seeded Alabama on Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska, in the largest shutout at the College World Series since 2002.
The Sooners (39-22) set the tone early with two runs in the first inning on Trey Gambill’s two-run double.
Catcher Deiten Lachance scored the first of those runs, limping home after having rolled his ankle earlier in the inning on second base. Lachance stayed in the game and scored twice more, including on his two-run home run in the sixth inning off Alabama starter Tyler Fay that gave the Sooners a 5-0 lead.
OU added four more runs in the eighth on Brendan Brock’s two-run double and Dasan Harris’ two-run single.
Rager allowed just three hits and struck out eight batters.
The Crimson Tide (42-20) will face the loser of Saturday night’s Georgia-Texas game on Monday afternoon in an elimination game.
Meanwhile, the Sooners will face Bulldogs-Longhorns winner at 6 p.m. Monday.
Watch Oklahoma vs Alabama baseball live with Fubo
College World Series Game 3 live score updates: Oklahoma vs. Alabama
| ▫ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | – | F |
| OU | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 9 |
| ALA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 |
FINAL: OU 9, Alabama 0 | Sooners crush Crimson Tide in CWS opener
LJ Mercurius works a second scoreless inning in relief as OU wraps up the largest shutout in the CWS since 2002.
The Sooners will face the Georgia-Texas winner at 6 p.m. Monday night in the winners’ bracket.
—Jeff Patterson, sports editor
Middle of the 9th: OU 9, Alabama 0 | Sooners retired in order
Sam Mitchell retires the side on just 13 pitches for the Tide.
—Jeff Patterson, sports editor
End of the 8th: OU 9, Alabama 0 | LJ Mercurius faces the minimum in relief
Cord Rager’s day is over. After giving up a leadoff single, LJ Mercurius gets a strikeout and double play to get out of the inning.
—Jeff Patterson, sports editor
Middle of the 8th: OU 9, Alabama 0 | Sooners open the floodgates on the Tide
The Sooners bat around in the eighth, scoring four runs off Ashton Crowther and Evan Steckmesser.
Brendan Brock had a two-run double and Dasan Harris had a two-run single for the Sooners, who are cruising toward a Monday night showdown against either Texas or Georgia.
—Jeff Patterson, sports editor
Take a bow, Cord Rager.
The OU freshman left strikes out the side in what is likely his final inning in the CWS opener.
If he’s done, Rager’s final line will be seven shutout innings with just three hits, no walks and eight strikeouts.
—Jeff Patterson, sports editor
Middle of the 7th: OU 5, Alabama 0 | Ashton Crowther perfect in relief of Tyler Fay
Ashton Crowther puts the Sooners down in order in relief of Tyler Fay, who gave up five runs and six hits in six innings.
—Jeff Patterson, sports editor
End of the 6th: OU 5, Alabama 0 | Cord Rager keeps rolling along
Cord Rager works around a one-out single from Bryce Fowler to make it through six scoreless innings on just 72 pitches. His ERA for the season has now dropped to 4.76.
—Jeff Patterson, sports editor
Middle of the 6th: OU 5, Alabama 0 | Deiten Lachance blasts two-run HR despite injured ankle
OU catcher Deiten Lachance rolled his ankle stepping on second base in the first inning, but there was no doubt that the former hockey player would be staying in the game. It’s a good thing he did. He smoked a two-run homer to left field off Tyler Fay to score Camden Johnson and extend the Sooners’ lead to 5-0.
—Jeff Patterson, sports editor
End of the 5th: OU 3, Alabama 0 | Alabama breaks up Cord Rager’s no-hitter
Freshman left-hander Cord Rager took the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning having not allowed a hit. Then the Crimson Tide ambushed him with back-to-back sharp singles. With runners on first and second with no outs, Rager induced a timely double play, started by first baseman Dayton Tockey. Rager got another ground-ball out to end the inning.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
Middle of the 5th: OU 3, Alabama 0 | Eric Hines makes diving catch
Alabama left fielder Eric Hines made a diving catch, robbing Jason Walk of a multi-base hit. Alabama pitcher Tyler Fay has settled in, keeping the Sooners off the scoreboard in consecutive innings.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
End of the 4th: OU 3, Alabama 0 | Cord Rager keeps Alabama hitless
Don’t tell anyone, but Cord Rager has held the Crimson Tide hitless through four innings. The Sooner lefty has been economical, only needing 46 pitches — 32 of which he’s thrown for strikes. Rager has only allowed one base runner, and that was on a hit by pitch.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
Middle of the 4th: OU 3, Alabama 0 | Sooners go quietly
Brendan Brock drew a one-out walk. Brock was caught stealing to end the inning. Alabama’s Tyler Fay finally got through an inning without allowing a hit.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
End of 3rd: OU 3, Alabama 0 | Camden Johnson makes highlight defensive play
OU pitcher Cord Rager hasn’t allowed a hit through three innings. Credit third baseman Camden Johnson for keeping the no-no alive. Johnson made a diving stop at third base before firing to first for the second out of the inning. Rager has only thrown 34 pitches.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
Middle of 3rd: OU 3, Alabama 0 | Sooners add to lead
Jason Walk walked to lead off the inning. Then he ran to second for a stolen base. OU’s leadoff man has reached in all three innings. Camden Johnson hit a sharp single to right field, giving the Sooners runners on the corners with no outs. Deiten Lachance grounded into a double play, scoring Walk. Lachance is still hobbling after turning his ankle in the top of the first. He had no hope of beating out the double play.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
End of 2nd: OU 2, Alabama 0 | Cord Rager cruising
OU freshman Cord Rager already has four strikeouts — all of them coming off his curveball. Rager has only allowed one baserunner, and that was a hit by pitch.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
Middle of 2nd: OU 2, Alabama 0 | Sooners sat down after leadoff single
Dasan Harris flew to first base, reaching on an infield single to lead off the inning. Alabama pitcher Tyler Fay struck out Dayton Tockey and got Kyle Branch to ground into a double play.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
End of 1st: OU 2, Alabama 0 | Cord Rager starts strong
Sooner freshman Cord Rager started in a 1-0 hole before throwing his first pitch as he was called for a pitch-clock violation. No matter. Rager, a 6-foot-6 lefty, struck out the Alabama lead-off man. Rager recorded two strikeouts and induced a pop-up in an efficient opening frame.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
Middle of 1st: OU 2, Alabama 0 | Sooners take early lead on Trey Gambill’s two-run double
The Sooners saw the ball well. Jason Walk and Jaxon Willits lined a pair of singles to center field. Deiten Lachance, who reached on a fielder’s choice, rolled his ankle when advancing to second base on Willits’ single. Trainers checked on Lachance, but he stayed in the game. He came around to score, but was not moving well. Senior Trey Gambill doubled to drive in Lachance and Willits. Looks like the scorching bats OU swung in the regional and super regional rounds traveled to Omaha.
— Joe Mussatto, columnist
Junior righty Tyler Fay (11-4, 4.37 ERA) gets the start on the mound for Alabama.
- CF Bryce Fowler
- SS Justin Lebron
- C Brady Neal
- 3B Jason Torres
- DH John Lemm
- LF Eric Hines
- 2B Brennan Holt
- 1B Luke Vaughn
- RF Peyton Steele
Freshman lefty Cord Rager (5-3, 5.20 ERA) gets the start on the mound for OU.
- CF Jason Walk
- 3B Camden Johnson
- C Deiten LaChance
- SS Jaxon Willits
- DH Trey Gambill
- LF Brendan Brock
- RF Dasan Harris
- 1B Dayton Tockey
- 2B Kyle Branch
What time is Oklahoma vs Alabama College World Series game on TV? When is OU baseball game today?
- Date: Saturday, June 13
- Time: 2 p.m. CT
The Oklahoma Sooners and Alabama Crimson Tide will play in College World Series opener Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska.
What channel is Oklahoma vs Alabama on today? How to watch, stream NCAA baseball tournament
The Oklahoma vs Alabama game will be broadcast on ESPN streamed on ESPN+.
The Sooners have posted a 6-1 record so far in the NCAA baseball tournament to reach their first College World Series since 2022.
Which teams advanced in NCAA Men’s College World Series?
- No. 3 Georgia: Swept No. 14 Mississippi State in Athens Super Regional
- No. 5 North Carolina: Beat Southern California in Chapel Hill Super Regional
- No. 6 Texas: Swept No. 11 Oregon in Austin Super Regional
- No. 7 Alabama: Sweep St. John’s in Tuscaloosa Super Regional
- No. 16 West Virginia: Swept Cal Poly in Morgantown Super Regional
- Ole Miss: Swept No. 4 Auburn in Auburn Super Regional
- Oklahoma: Swept No. 15 Kansas in Lawrence Super Regional
- Troy: Swept Little Rock in Troy Super Regional
What are the matchups for Days 1-2 of the NCAA baseball College World Series?
Here’s how the bracket looks as of Sunday, June 7 (dates/times are TBD):
- No. 16 West Virginia vs. Troy
- No. 5 North Carolina vs. Ole Miss
- Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Alabama
- No. 6 Texas vs. No. 3 Georgia
When is the College World Series? What is the 2026 NCAA baseball CWS schedule?
The 2026 NCAA baseball College World Series gets under way with two games at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska on Friday, June 12.
Here’s the full schedule for the CWS:
All times Central
Friday, June 12
Saturday, June 13
- Game 3: No. 7 Alabama vs. Oklahoma, 2 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 4: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 3 Georgia, 7 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
Sunday, June 14
- Game 5: Troy vs. Ole Miss, 1 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 6: North Carolina vs. West Virginia, 6 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
Monday, June 15
- Game 7: Teams TBD, 1 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 8: Teams TBD, 6 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
Tuesday, June 16
- Game 9: Teams TBD, 1 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 10: Teams TBD, 7 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
Wednesday, June 17
- Game 11: Teams TBD, 1 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 12: Teams TBD, 6 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
Thursday, June 18
- Bracket 1: Teams TBD, 1 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
- Bracket 2: Teams TBD, 6 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
Friday, June 19
Saturday, June 20
- CWS finals Game 1: Teams TBD, time TBD, ESPN (Fubo)
Sunday, June 21
- CWS finals Game 2: Teams TBD, 1:30 p.m., ABC (Fubo)
Monday, June 22 (if necessary)
- CWS finals Game 3: Teams TBD, 6 p.m., ESPN (Fubo)
Jeff Patterson is the sports editor for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jeff? He can be reached at jpatterson@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jeffpattOKC. Support Jeff’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
Nitrogen-hypoxia executions are fairly simple in theory. Earth’s atmosphere is roughly 78 percent nitrogen and 20 percent oxygen, with trace elements rounding out the remaining two percent. Humans have evolved to breathe large amounts of nitrogen, and we can do so indefinitely as long as some oxygen is present. Alabama’s plan is to simply subtract the oxygen—or, more accurately, to place a mask over Lee’s face so that he only breathes pure nitrogen until he dies.
The state has already killed seven death-row prisoners by this method; Louisiana also executed a man via nitrogen hypoxia last year. Three other states have authorized the method. Proponents describe it as relatively simple and largely painless, even compared to lethal injection. Justice Sonia Sotomayor described it differently in a dissenting opinion last year:
Take out your phone, go to the clock app, and find the stopwatch. Click start. Now watch the seconds as they climb. Three seconds come and go in a blink. At the thirty-second mark, your mind starts to wander. One minute passes, and you begin to think that this is taking a long time. Two . . . three . . . . The clock ticks on. Then, finally, you make it to four minutes. Hit stop.
Now imagine for that entire time, you are suffocating. You want to breathe; you have to breathe. But you are strapped to a gurney with a mask on your face pumping your lungs with nitrogen gas. Your mind knows that the gas will kill you. But your body keeps telling you to breathe.
Sotomayor said that the death-row prisoner in that case would “immediately convulse,” “gasp for air,” and “thrash violently against the restraints holding him in place as he experiences this intense psychological torment until he finally loses consciousness” before finally dying about 15-20 minutes later. The justice’s description also assumes that everything goes as planned. Unsurprisingly, Lee asked the court to let him be executed by firing squad instead, which can be virtually instantaneous when done correctly.
After having execution via nitrogen hypoxia blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court, officials are now looking to execute death row inmate Jeffery Lee by lethal injection.
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office asked the Alabama Supreme Court to grant Lee’s death warrant by lethal injection. The state Attorney General Steve Marshall has previously commented about Lee’s stay of execution being a miscarriage of justice and that he’ll fight to see Lee executed.
A ruling has yet to come back on whether or not Lee will be given the lethal injection.
Of the eight teams in Omaha, five are from the SEC and Alabama is on the side of the bracket with only other conference members. The Tide opens play with Oklahoma, who finished 11th in the SEC to the Tide’s fourth place finish. The other two teams are Georgia, who won both the regular season and tournament championships, and the Texas Longhorns who finished second in the conference. The other team from the Southeastern Conference, Ole Miss, is on the other side with Troy, West Virginia, and North Carolina. The Rebels are considered to be on the easier side of things, avoiding meeting any of their conference foes until the final round.
Game one: A rematch with the Oklahoma Sooners
These two met in early April, with the Tide taking two of three in Norman. Both teams have changed a lot over the past two months, but obviously will be familiar with each other’s style of play and personnel. Alabama was hot down the stretch while the Sooners stumbled to the finish line in SEC play, but Oklahloma made it into Regionals and took down second overall seed Georgia Tech in an exciting series, then traveled to Kansas and took down the Jayhawks in Super play.
OU hit .289 as a team with 83 home runs, 100 doubles, 17 triples, and 124-146 stolen bases. Those marks are almost all ahead of the Tide’s .258, 80 home runs, 101 doubles, 10 triples, and 86 stolen bases in 94 attempts. Oklahoma pitches to a 5.15 ERA with a .236 batting average against with 264 walks, and 596 strikeouts. Alabama carries a 4.08 ERA with a .245 batting average against, 210 walks, and 532 strikeouts.
Oklahoma will likely start Cord Rager against the Tide in the World Series game, after not pitching against Bama in the earlier series. Alabama is most likely to go with Tyler Fay, who has opened every series for the Tide this season. Rager is 5-3 with a 5.20 ERA in 64 innings pitched with 81 strikeouts, 19 walks, and 50 hits allowed. Fay is 11-4 with 4.37 ERA over 103 innings pitched while allowing only 85 hits, 24 walks, with 121 strikeouts.
Individually for the Sooners, Dasan Harris leads the team with a .362 average and 18 steals in 19 attempts. Deiten Lechance is hitting .332 with 15 home runs, 62 RBI, and 12 doubles. Camden Johnson has a .309 average with nine home runs, 47 RBI and has swiped 28 bases in 31 tries. Brenden Brock is a .293 hitter with 12 home runs, 52 RBI and 27 bags in 30 attempts. Trey Gambill also hits .293 with 12 doubles and has stolen 16 bases. Oklahoma has some pop and a lot of speed for the Tide to deal with.
Game two: Either Georgia or Texas
The Bulldogs and Longhorns will battle, boasting two of the top offenses in the country. Each team has a clear number one pitcher as well. For Georgia, Joey Volchko is the likely starter against Texas and should face off against Dylan Volantis. Volchko has a 10-2 record with a 4.07 ERA over 17 starts and 86 innings. The big right hander has allowed 78 hits with 45 walks and 104 strikeouts. Volantis, last season’s National Freshman of the Year, is a big lefty that dominated this season. The sophomore starter has a 10-1 record with a 2.03 ERA in 88 innings, with 126 strikeouts, a .192 batting average against, and has allowed only two home runs all year.
Georgia mashed their way to a .326 team batting average with 123 doubles, a nation leading 174 home runs, with a .439 on base percentage and .629 slugging mark. The team struck out 497 times and walked 334 times with 124 hit by pitches. The list of offensive stars is long for the Dogs. Georgia pitching has a 4.92 ERA with 273 walks, 653 strikeouts, 82 home runs allowed and a .242 batting average against.
SEC Player of the Year, and the favorite for the Golden Spikes Award, catcher Daniel Jackson leads the way with a .396 average, 31 home runs, 13 doubles, 86 RBI, an absurd 1.339 OPS and 26 stolen bases in 28 tries. Centerfielder Rylan Luju hits .374 with 15 doubles, 13 home runs, 45 RBI, and 13 stolen base. Tre Phelps logs in with a .364 average, 10 doubles, 19 home runs, and 58 runs driven in. Part time player Michael O’Shaughnessy has 21 home runs and 50 RBI with a .296 batting average. Shortstop Kolby Branch has a .297 average with 19 home runs, 18 doubles, and 58 RBI. The list goes on and on.
Texas is almost as strong offensively as the Bulldogs, but has better pitching. The Longhorns hit .298 as a team with 103 home runs, 109 doubles, a .521 slugging percentage, and a .420 on base percentage. Texas pitchers have a team ERA of 4.08 with 192 walks, 658 strikeouts, and a .225 batting average against.
Freshman outfielder Anthony Pack leads the ‘Horns with a .359 average plus 11 home runs, 16 doubles, 52 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Centerfielder Aiden Robbins comes in with .342 average, 24 home runs, 64 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. Catcher Carson Tinney checks in with a .333 average with 22 home runs, 12 doubles, 10 stolen bases and 58 runs driven in.
If the Tide plays the Longhorns, the matchup should be Adams for the Tide against Ruger Riojas or perhaps Luke Harrison. Bama faced both in Austin earlier in the season, and enjoyed more success against Harrison in their lone victory of the series. Both are tough matchups and I would think Riojas would get the nod. Adams pitched six shutout innings against the Horns, allowing only five hits with seven strikeouts in one of his best performances.
If the Tide faces Georgia, they will most likely send Zane Adams to face Caden Aoki. Aoki is 9-1 with a 4.04 ERA in 19 games with eight starts, while striking out 104 in 78 innings. Adams is 8-4 with a 3.96 ERA over 88 innings, allowing 90 hits with 27 walks and 98 strikeouts. If Alabama play Georgia they cannot get in a shootout with them, that’s a game the Tide can’t play.
The first priority is obviously to win game one. Alabama knows that whichever team they face, they will be in for a battle. Having not played Georgia and knowing what the Longhorns bring, Texas is probably the preferred matchup.
The Crimson Tide faces Oklahoma on Saturday, June 13 at 2:00 PM CT, airing on ESPN.
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