The Sooners got half of the job done on Saturday.

Oklahoma defeated No. 15 Kansas 8-1 in Game 1 of the Super Regional series between the Sooners and the Jayhawks. OU can clinch its first College World Series appearance since 2022 with a win over KU on Sunday.

The Sooners controlled the game at the plate, on the mound and in the field.

Almost all of OU’s offense came in the middle of the contest.

Outfielder Dasan Harris scored the game’s first run on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning. And one at-bat later, infielder Dayton Tockey blasted a three-run home run to left-center field to make it a 4-0 game.

The Sooners were able to separate themselves even further from the Jayhawks in the fifth.

Infielder Camden Johnson hit a two-run home run to give OU a 6-0 lead. And later that inning, Trey Gambill blasted a solo shot to center field.

OU got one more insurance run in the seventh, when Brendan Brock singled and drove Deiten Lachance across to score.

The Sooners combined for 11 hits as a team. Eight of the nine batters in OU’s starting lineup registered at least one base hit.

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On the mound, freshman Cord Rager controlled the Jayhawks throughout his six innings.

Rager gave up only one hit, and it came in the first inning. The left-handed pitcher struck out six Jayhawks and allowed only four baserunners during his outing.

LJ Mercurius pitched the rest of the game for the Sooners. He allowed Kansas to score its only run on a solo homer in the eighth. Mercurius allowed the one run on three hits in three innings.

Oklahoma’s Game 1 win follows its heroics at the Atlanta Regional last week. After losing to Georgia Tech in the 1-0 game, the Sooners won three games in a row — against The Citadel and twice against the Yellow Jackets — to advance to the Super Regionals.

OU improved to 37-22 overall with the win. The Sooners are 5-1 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Their recent success is a total flip from how they performed in the weeks preceding the tourney, as OU lost four series in a row to end the regular season and dropped its SEC Tournament opener to LSU.

Kansas dropped to 45-17 after losing Game 1. The Jayhawks won both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles and defeated Arkansas, Missouri State and Northeastern in their home regional last week. Dominic Voegele collected the loss for KU, as he surrendered seven runs — three earned — on seven hits and a walk.

The second game of the Super Regional series will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

If the Sooners win Game 2, they will go to Omaha. If they lose, they’ll be forced to play a winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday, with first pitch time to be determined.

A new Oklahoma law legalizing bottle rockets and allowing year-round fireworks sales in some parts of the state is drawing praise from fireworks retailers while prompting city officials to remind residents that local fireworks bans remain unchanged in some communities.

The Rockets’ Red Glare Act recently took effect and primarily applies to unincorporated areas of Oklahoma where county regulations govern fireworks sales and use. Cities such as Oklahoma City, Yukon, and Midwest City continue to enforce their own ordinances.

Oklahoma City Ban Remains in Place

Despite the new state law, fireworks remain illegal within Oklahoma City limits.

“The important thing for everybody within the city of Oklahoma City needs to know is fireworks are still illegal to buy, sell, purchase or light off within the city limits of Oklahoma City,” said Scott Douglas, a battalion chief and public information officer with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.

Douglas said Oklahoma City’s fireworks ordinance has been in place since 1912 and is not affected by the Rockets’ Red Glare Act.

“This law does not affect us. It does not affect the city of Oklahoma City. It does not affect our ordinance,” he said.

Bottle Rockets Return

One of the most significant changes under the new law is the return of bottle rockets, which had been prohibited in Oklahoma since 1981.

Robert Johnson of Good Guys Fireworks said the change will give Oklahomans an opportunity to purchase the products locally rather than traveling across state lines.

“We’re very excited to add some stick rockets back to the inventory,” Johnson said. “They’ve been outlawed since 1981.”

Johnson said customers have responded enthusiastically to the law’s passage.

“We want them to shop local in Oklahoma,” he said.

Johnson’s company operates 18 fireworks locations across central Oklahoma.

Limited Impact in Mustang

In Mustang, officials say the law will result in only minor changes.

“We’ve always had fireworks discharge in Mustang,” said Fire Marshal Eric Halter. “The only thing that changed for our municipality with the state law is the bottle rockets.”

According to Halter, residents may discharge fireworks from June 27 through July 4. Fireworks are allowed from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. June 27 through July 3 and from 9 a.m. to midnight on July 4.

The city also recommends that people who live outside Mustang use Wild Horse Park for fireworks activities.

Safety Concerns Remain

Officials in both Oklahoma City and Mustang stressed the importance of fireworks safety ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

Halter encouraged residents to follow manufacturers’ instructions, keep children from lighting fireworks, avoid holding fireworks in their hands and properly extinguish fireworks before throwing them away.

“A lot of the fires that we see are people throw discharged fireworks away in their trash can, and then they pull the trash cans up next to their house,” Halter said.

He warned that fireworks can continue smoldering for hours before igniting trash containers or nearby structures.

Douglas said the Oklahoma City Fire Department continues to discourage the use of consumer-grade fireworks because of the risks they pose.

“Our stance on fireworks is there’s no safe way to handle consumer-grade fireworks,” he said.

Douglas noted that sparklers can burn at temperatures of approximately 1,200 degrees and that fireworks frequently cause fires in homes, fields and other properties.

Retailers Expect Strong Holiday Sales

As the Fourth of July approaches, Johnson said fireworks retailers are anticipating a strong season, fueled in part by the return of bottle rockets and increased interest surrounding the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary celebration.

“We are expecting them to explode,” Johnson said of sales. “Twenty percent up is what we have planned for.”

Officials are encouraging residents to familiarize themselves with local regulations before purchasing or using fireworks, noting that rules vary widely depending on where they live.