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Oklahoma Crushes OSU 10-1 At 2026 College Baseball Series In Texas – FloBaseball

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Oklahoma Crushes OSU 10-1 At 2026 College Baseball Series In Texas – FloBaseball


The Oklahoma baseball team combined spectacular pitching with explosive offense Saturday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, to improve to 2-0 on the season and pick up another memorable win against in-state rival Oklahoma State.

The Sooners routed the Cowboys for the second consecutive year, this time, with a 10-1 performance in the midday game at the 2026 Shriners Children’s College Showdown.

The Shriners Children’s College Showdown is the first of three events at the 2026 College Baseball Series, which will bring 18 top-tier teams to GLF between now and March 1, and all of the action will unfold live on FloCollege and the FloSports app.

UNLV transfer LJ Mercurius was dominant in his Oklahoma pitching debut, tying a career-high with 12 strikeouts in just 5 1/3 innings of work. He gave up one run on three hits and left the game after 99 pitches.

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Offensively, the Sooners reached the 10-run plateau for the second straight day, and it was senior outfielder Trey Gambill leading the way with three of Oklahoma’s 12 hits, including a three-run homer with two outs in OU’s four-run fifth inning.

Over the first two games of the season, the Sooners have outscored their opponents 20-4 and combined for 30 strikeouts (23 by the starters). Junior left-hander Cameron Johnson fanned 11 in Oklahoma’s 10-3 win over Texas Tech in Friday’s season opener. 

Oklahoma State’s lone run Saturday came on a fifth-inning double from junior Kollin Ritchie, which followed a base hit up the middle from junior shortstop Avery Ortiz. 

The pitching duties against OU were shared by four Oklahoma State pitchers, three of whom tossed more than two innings. 

The Cowboys were held to four hits on the day and stranded eight runners on base. They’re now 0-2 in 2026, which includes a 12-2 run-rule loss to No. 7 Arkansas on Friday night.

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Despite their proximity and long history, Oklahoma and OSU only played one time in 2025, due in part to the Sooners’ move to the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference, while the Cowboys remained in the Big 12.

Oklahoma won that meeting 11-1 in eight innings on OSU’s home turf, and it ended a two-game winning streak in the series for the Cowboys.

In the final Big 12 conference baseball game between the two schools, Oklahoma State defeated Oklahoma 9–3 to win the 2024 Big 12 Championship, also held at Globe Life Field.

Saturday’s showdown at GLF, home of the 2023 World Series-winning Texas Rangers, was a milestone game in the OU-OSU rivalry, as it was their 350th all-time meeting in Division I play and 386 clash all-time. And the first at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown.

Since their first official faceoff in 1935, Oklahoma State leads the series 189-161. If you count all the times they met at the club level, it’s a 204-183 OSU advantage.

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It’s actually the most-played game in Oklahoma State baseball history and part of an even bigger and deeper rivalry between the two schools. 

It is known as the Bedlam Series, and the moniker spans beyond just the baseball diamond. It encompasses all athletic competition between the in-state rivals.

Whether they’ve played in the same conference or not over the years, the Bedlam Series has been alive and well since being established in track and field in 1900.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State both will be back in action Sunday for the final day of the 2026 Shriners Children’s College Showdown.

Oklahoma State will kick off the day against 1-1 Vanderbilt, a big winner over Texas Tech on Saturday. The Cowboys and Commodores will get underway at 11:30 a.m. Eastern.

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Oklahoma will help close out the event with a 7:30 p.m. EST nightcap against TCU. The Horned Frogs defeated Vanderbilt on Friday and are taking on Arkansas on Saturday night.

The 2026 season marks the sixth consecutive year of college baseball at Globe Life Field and the third straight year the action spans three weekends. 

The schedule includes the Shriners Children’s College Showdown (Feb. 13-15), Amegy Bank College Baseball Series – Weekend 2 (Feb. 20-22) and Amegy Bank College Baseball Series presented – Weekend 3 (Feb. 27-March 1), all of which will bring 18 teams to Arlington. 

How To Watch The Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma Baseball Replay From The College Baseball Showdown

The Bedlam game was the middle game of the 2026 Shriners Children’s Showdown on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14).

Replays, highlights and breaking news from the event will be on both platforms.

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Box Score: Oklahoma 10, Oklahoma St. 1

Here are all the details:

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E L
OSU 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 8
Oklahoma 2 1 0 1 4 0 0 2 X 10 12 1 4

Final: Oklahoma Defeats Oklahoma State Baseball 10-1

Oklahoma goes to 2-0 on the year, while OSU falls to 0-2.

Oklahoma has outscored its opponents 20-4 so far this season.

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Top of 9th | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 1, Oklahoma 10

Sixth-year senior Reid Hensley (RHP) takes the mound for Oklahoma in the top of the ninth. He previously was the setup man for the Sooners and is looking to establish himself as the closer.

Hensley starts with a strikeout, the 17th of the day for OU.

Hensley retires the Cowboys in order, and this one is in the books. 

Bottom of 8th | Oklahoma Batting

Oklahoma State 1, Oklahoma 10

A pair of singles to start the inning puts runners on the corners for Oklahoma.

An infield single from senior Dayton Tockey brings around a run for the Sooners and puts the winning run (by run-rule) on first base.

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On the play, Ortiz, the OSU shortstop is injured and leaves the game with assistance.

The Cowboys make some defensive changes, and we’re back underway.

A sac fly moves Gambill to third base, and OU has runners on the corners one more time. 

Pinch hitter Alec Blair delivers an RBI base hit and proceeds to second base as Tockey is thrown out trying to take third.

Fyke leaves the game for OSU after 2 2/3 innings. JuCo transfer Bryce LeBlanc, a sophomore southpaw, comes on to pitch for the Cowboys with two outs and a runner on second.

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LeBlanc throws four pitches and ends the inning.

Top of 7th | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 1, Oklahoma 8

Catalano maintains his edge in relief and records another 1-2-3 inning. The Cowboys scored their lone run in the fifth inning.

Bottom of 7th | Oklahoma Batting

Oklahoma State 1, Oklahoma 8

Fyke is operating on another level so far and retires Oklahoma in order for the second consecutive inning, including his first strikeout.

Top of 7th | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 1, Oklahoma 8

The Cowboys get multiple baserunners for the first time since the third inning after a single and a walk, but junior Avery Ortiz hits into a 6-3 double play to kill the momentum.

OSU has a runner on third base with two outs. 

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Junior outfielder Kollin Ritchie strikes out to end the inning. 

Bottom of 6th | Oklahoma Batting

Oklahoma State 1, Oklahoma 8

Junior right-hander Kai Fyke comes on to pitch for Oklahoma State and retires the Sooners in order.

Short and sweet for the OSU newcomer in his debut.

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Top of 6th | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 1, Oklahoma 8

LJ Mercurius is at 85 pitches on the day with 11 Ks. That’s 22Ks in two games for OU starters. 

That’s 12 Ks for Mercurius now. 

Sebastian Normal walks for OSU. One on, one out. 

Two walks, 12ks and just three hits. What a debut for Mercurius. Michael Catalano takes over on the mound for Oklahoma. 

Catalano gets a K for the second out. And he gets Shull. 

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Bottom of 5th | Oklahoma Batting

Oklahoma State 1, Oklahoma 8

Will Oklahoma answer OSU’s score? Brennan Philips is back on the mound. 

Good news: Philips get a k. 

Bad new: It was a wild pitch and Camden Johnson is at first. 

Then another wild pitch puts him on second. 

Jaxon Willits drives another run in, OU adds another run. Brendan Brock singles. There’s two on, two outs. 

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And this game is blown open. Philips hangs a pitch and Trey Gambill sent it into the seats for a three-run home run.

The inning is finally over for OSU. On to the sixth. 

Top of 5th | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 1, Oklahoma 4

Can the Pokes answer in the fifth?

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That’s four straight Ks now by LJ Mercurius. My goodness. 

That streak is snapped with a Avery Ortiz single and Ritchie Kollin RBI double. 

Mercurius ends the inning with another K to limit the damage. 

Bottom of 4th | Oklahoma Batting

Oklahoma State 0, Oklahoma 4

Can OU add some runs?

Brendan Brock starts with a big double. 

No outs, runners on the corner. Pesca’s day is over in the fourth. OSU is headed to the bullpen. 

Oklahoma gets the runner in from third with a Dayton Tockey sac fly. 

Brennan Philips gets out of the inning with liner. On to the fifth. 

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Top of 4th | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 0, Oklahoma 3

LJ Mercurius has cruised so far with six Ks and one walk so far. 

Mercurius is rolling two more Ks. Another 1-2-3 inning. 

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Easy work for LJ Mercurius.

Six punch outs through three. #CollegeBaseballSeries | @OU_Baseball pic.twitter.com/0nFFC8dtCt

— FloCollege | Baseball (@FloCollegeBSB) February 14, 2026

Bottom of 3rd | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 0, Oklahoma 3

Mario Pesca is back on the mound and he gets a fly out of Camden Johnson to start. 

Deiten Lachance doubles down the left field line. Runner in scoring position. 

Jaxon Willits nearly had a home run. He gave it a ride to the right field gap but it was caught at the wall. Lachance moves to third. 

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Pesca and the Cowboys avoid runs and get out of the inning. 

Top of 3rd | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 0, Oklahoma 3

LJ Mercurius back on the mound. 

He picked up two Ks after a lead off single. 

Mercurius induces a ground out and gets out of the inning. 

Bottom of 2nd | Oklahoma Batting

Oklahoma State 0, Oklahoma 3

OK. Mario Pesca is back on the mound.  

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Oklahoma picks up another run on a Kyle Branch single that drives in Trey Gambill. There’s one out. 

Pesca gets out of the inning with a big K. 

Top of 2nd | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 0, Oklahoma 2

LJ Mercurius back on the mound. He was impressive in the first inning. 

He walks Aidan Meola to start the game. 

Two are now after Colin Brueggemann gets an infield hit and Meola moves to third. 

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Oklahoma gets out of the inning with Mercurius getting back-to-back Ks. 

Bottom of 1st | Oklahoma Batting

Oklahoma State 0, Oklahoma 2

Mario Pesca takes the mound against an Oklahoma team that hit three home runs on Friday and scored 10 runs. 

Jason Walk… walks to start the game. 

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And other walk with one out puts two on for Jaxon Willits. 

Runners are no on third and second. 

Willits doubles to drive in two runs. 

OSU gets a second out on a sacrifice that moves Willits to third. Brendan Brock now at plate. He hit a grand slam on Friday. 

But he pops out this time. Inning over. 

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Top of 1st | Oklahoma State Batting

Oklahoma State 0, Oklahoma 0

LJ Mercurius begins his OU career. 

He has an easy 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Did it on 10 pitches. 

First Pitch Movements Away. Let the Bedlam Begin

It’s Oklahoma State and Oklahoma at Globe Life Field. Follow here for the latest news and highlights. 

Almost Time For Baseball. OSU To Bat First 

SEC Baseball vs. Big 12 Baseball At Globe Life Field So Far

The SEC is 3-1 so far this season at the College Baseball Showdown. The only loss was Vanderbilt falling to No. 9 TCU in the afternoon game on Feb. 13.

2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

  1. LSU (9) 231
  2. Texas (1) 214
  3. Mississippi State (4) 205
  4. Arkansas (2) 203
  5. Auburn 175
  6. Tennessee 162
  7. Florida 156
  8. Vanderbilt 151
  9. Georgia 133
  10. Ole Miss 110
  11. Kentucky 99
  12. Alabama 87
  13. Texas A&M 86
  14. Oklahoma 84
  15. South Carolina 49
  16. Missouri 31

2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Baseball Team – First Team

  • C Ryder Helfrick Arkansas
  • 1B Gavin Grahovac Texas A&M
  • 2B Chris Rembert Auburn
  • 2B Camden Kozeal Arkansas
  • 3B Ace Reese Mississippi State
  • SS Justin Lebron Alabama
  • SS Tyler Bell Kentucky
  • OF Derek Curiel LSU
  • OF Caden Sorrell Texas A&M
  • OF Henry Ford Tennessee
  • DH/Util. Noah Sullivan Mississippi State
  • SP Hunter Elliott Ole Miss
  • SP Casan Evans LSU
  • SP Liam Peterson Florida
  • SP Dylan Volantis Texas
  • RP Zac Cowan LSU
  • RP Brandon Arvidson Tennessee
  • RP Luke McNeillie Florida

2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Baseball Team – Second Team

  • C Chase Fralick Auburn
  • C Carson Tinney Texas
  • 1B Levi Clark Tennessee
  • 1B Will Furniss Ole Miss
  • 2B Ethan Mendoza Texas
  • 3B Brendan Lawson Florida
  • SS Steven Milam LSU
  • OF Kuhio Aloy Arkansas
  • OF Bub Terrell Auburn
  • OF Jake Brown LSU
  • DH/Util. Braden Holcomb Vanderbilt
  • SP Gabe Gaeckle Arkansas
  • SP Connor Fennell Vanderbilt
  • SP Ben Cleaver Kentucky

2026 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Poll

  • 1. TCU (13)    169
  • 2. Arizona (1)    157
  • 3. West Virginia    137
  • 4. Arizona State    128
  • T5. Kansas    112
  • T5. Oklahoma State    112
  • 7. Kansas State    87
  • 8. Cincinnati    85
  • 9. Texas Tech    78
  • 10. UCF    66
  • 11. Baylor    54
  • 12. Houston    42
  • 13. BYU    29
  • 14. Utah    18

2026 Big 12 Baseball Preseason Team

  • C    Jack Natili    Cincinnati
  • IF    Landon Hairston    Arizona State
  • IF    Austen Roellig    Arizona State
  • IF    Travis Sanders    Baylor
  • IF    Brady Ballinger*    Kansas
  • IF    Robin Villeneuve    Texas Tech
  • OF    Andrew Williamson    UCF
  • OF    Chase Brunson    TCU
  • OF    Sawyer Strosnider*    TCU
  • OF    Logan Hughes    Texas Tech
  • DH    Dariel Osoria    Kansas
  • UTL    Noah Franco    TCU
  • SP    Owen Kramkowski    Arizona
  • SP    Nathan Taylor    Cincinnati
  • SP    Dominic Voegele    Kansas
  • SP    Tommy LaPour*    TCU
  • RP    Tony Pluta    Arizona
  • RP    Cole Carlon    Arizona State
  • RP    Chase Meyer    West  Virginia

*- unanimous selection

 2026 Big 12 Preseason Yearly Awards

  •  Player of the Year: Sawyer Strosnider, TCU
  •  Pitcher of the Year: Tommy LaPour, TCU
  •  Newcomer of the Year: Dean Toigo, Arizona State
  •  Freshman of the Year: Lucas Franco, TCU

Starting Pitching matchups: OSU Throws Mario Pesca

Oklahoma State is rolling with Mario Pesca in its second game of the season. The right-hander was All-Big Honorable Mention a year ago and went 4-2 with a 3.91 ERA in 11 outings and five starts in conference play. He made 22 appearances total. 

He transfred from St. Johnson where he was 7-6 over two seasons with a 4.36 ERA in two season. 

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Starting Pitching matchups: OU Throws LJ Mercurius 

LJ Mercurius, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound right-hander, transferred to Oklahoma after two seasons at UNLV. 

He emerged as a full-time starter in 2025, posting a 3.57 ERA in 53 innings with a 25.7% strikeout rate. Mercurius later pitched for Team USA. 

He features a three-pitch mix, including a low-90s fastball that has touched 97 mph, along with a low-80s gyro slider and changeup.

OSU vs. OU Baseball First Pitch Time

The game will start at 4:15 p.m. ET. 

OU Baseball Star Cameron Johnson Was LIGHTS OUT vs Texas Tech

Oklahoma began the College Baseball Showdown with a career-high 11 strikeouts on Feb. 13.

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Oklahoma Baseball Lineup vs. OSU 

  1. Jason Walk, CF
  2. Camden Johnson, 3B
  3. Deiten Lachance, DH
  4. Jaxon Willits, SS
  5. Nolan Stevens, RF
  6. Brendan Brock, C
  7. Trey Gambill, LF
  8. Dayton Tockey, 1B
  9. Kyle Branch, 2B

Pitching: LJ Mercurius, P

Oklahoma State Lineup vs. Oklahoma Baseball

How To Watch Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma Baseball At The College Baseball Showdown

The Bedlam game is the middle game on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 with a scheduled 4 p.m. ET first pitch. That start time will depend on the opening game on Saturday between Texas Tech and Vanderbilt, which is scheduled for Noon ET. 

2026 Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma

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2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

  1. LSU (9) 231
  2. Texas (1) 214
  3. Mississippi State (4) 205
  4. Arkansas (2) 203
  5. Auburn 175
  6. Tennessee 162
  7. Florida 156
  8. Vanderbilt 151
  9. Georgia 133
  10. Ole Miss 110
  11. Kentucky 99
  12. Alabama 87
  13. Texas A&M 86
  14. Oklahoma 84
  15. South Carolina 49
  16. Missouri 31

How To Watch College Baseball At The Shriners Children’s College Showdown 2026

Every game of the three-week College Baseball Series, which includes the Shriner College Baseball Showdown to start the season on Feb. 13, is streaming on FloCollege, FloBaseball and the FloSports app. 

College Baseball Series At Globe Life Field Schedule 2026

Shriners Children’s College Showdown Weekend 1 

Feb. 13, 2026

Feb. 14, 2026

Feb. 15, 2026

College Baseball Series In Surprise, Arizona

Feb. 13, 2026

  • 4:00 PM ET: Michigan vs. Oregon St
  • 8:00 PM ET: Stanford vs. Arizona

Feb. 14, 2026

  • 4:00 PM ET: Arizona vs. Oregon St
  • 8:00 PM ET: Michigan vs. Stanford

Feb. 15, 2026

  • 2:00 PM ET: Stanford vs. Oregon St
  • 6:00 PM ET: Arizona vs. Michigan

Feb. 16, 2026

  • 2:00 PM ET: Michigan vs. Oregon St

Amegy Bank College Baseball Series Weekend 2

Feb. 20, 2026

  • 12:00 PM ET: Michigan vs. Florida St
  • 4:00 PM ET: Nebraska vs. Louisville
  • 8:00 PM ET: Auburn vs. Kansas St

Feb. 21, 2026

  • 12:00 PM ET: Louisville vs. Michigan
  • 4:00 PM ET: Florida St vs. Auburn
  • 8:00 PM ET: Kansas St vs. Nebraska

Feb. 22, 2026

  • 11:30 AM ET: Auburn vs. Louisville
  • 3:30 PM ET: Nebraska vs. Florida St
  • 7:30 PM ET: Michigan vs. Kansas St

Amegy Bank College Baseball Series Weekend 3

Feb. 27, 2026

  • 12:00 PM ET: Arizona St vs. Mississippi St
  • 4:00 PM ET: UCLA vs. Tennessee
  • 8:00 PM ET: Virginia Tech vs. Texas A&M

Feb. 28, 2026

  • 12:00 PM ET: Tennessee vs. Arizona St
  • 4:00 PM ET: Mississippi St vs. Virginia Tech
  • 8:00 PM ET: Texas A&M vs. UCLA

Mar. 1, 2026

  • 11:30 AM ET: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
  • 3:30 PM ET: UCLA vs. Mississippi St
  • 7:30 PM ET: Arizona St vs. Texas A&M

2026 D1Baseball Preseason Top 25 Rankings

  1. UCLA (48-18)
  2. LSU (53-15)
  3. Texas (44-14)
  4. Mississippi State (36-23)
  5. Georgia Tech (41-19)
  6. Coastal Carolina (56-13)
  7. Arkansas (50-15)
  8. Louisville (42-24)
  9. Auburn (41-20)
  10. TCU (39-20)
  11. North Carolina (46-15)
  12. Oregon State (48-16-1)
  13. Florida (39-22)
  14. Tennessee (46-19)
  15. Georgia (43-17)
  16. Florida State (42-16)
  17. NC State (35-21)
  18. Kentucky (31-26)
  19. Clemson (45-18)
  20. Southern Miss (47-16)
  21. Wake Forest (39-22)
  22. Miami (35-27)
  23. Vanderbilt (43-18)
  24. Arizona (44-21)
  25. Texas A&M (30-26)

Teams At Globe Life Field College Baseball Series

  • Oklahoma
  • Texas Tech
  • TCU
  • Vanderbilt
  • Oklahoma State
  • Arkansas
  • Michigan
  • Florida State
  • Nebraska
  • Louisville
  • Auburn
  • Kansas State
  • Arizona State
  • Mississippi State
  • UCLA
  • Tennessee
  • Virginia Tech
  • Texas A&M

FloBaseball Archived Footage

Video footage from FloBaseball events will be archived and stored in a video library for FloBaseball subscribers.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma audit says OTA operated unchecked for decades; lawmakers seek reforms

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2 hours ago

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March 5, 2026

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Oklahoma audit says OTA operated unchecked for decades; lawmakers seek reforms


Oklahoma City, Oklah. — A new investigative audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is fueling renewed calls at the state Capitol for lawmakers to rein in an agency the state auditor says has operated “unrestrained and unchecked” for nearly 80 years.

The state auditor and inspector said the problems highlighted in the audit can only be solved by amending legislation.

Among the issues cited: “handpicked contractors naming their own prices,” according to the report’s findings.

The reaction is also coming from Pike Off OTA President Amy Cerato, who said she is filing two lawsuits against the OTA over the Southern Extension project, which she said would level more than 70 homes. “The Legislature has no excuse not to bring this up in session,” Cerato said.

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Cerato said the larger issue is a lack of accountability in state law. “My problem is that we don’t have a state law to hold anybody accountable so they could say too bad too sad and keep going on for the next 70 years,” she said.

The state auditor said it is up to the Legislature to make changes.

State Sen. Mary Boren, a Democrat representing District 16, said she is willing to “continue to empower Oklahomans to hold their government accountable.”

Boren also warned about the potential cost to drivers if the agency remains unchecked. “The way it could be going, people could be paying $200 bucks a month to get to work on a toll road,” Boren said.

State Sen. Shane Jett, a Republican representing District 17, said the audit reflects a broader issue in state government. “There is a rampant problem of state agencies that have more sway and more influence on the legislative process than the taxpayers who are footing the bill,” Jett said.

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Boren and Jett both voted yes on a bill authored by Lisa Standridge that would eliminate the transfer of property to a state agency taken by eminent domain.

Still, the lawmakers said change will not begin until some candidates serving on committees are voted out.

Jett urged people to run for office, pointing to upcoming filing dates. “If you are sick and tired of people representing state agencies or industries instead of taxpayers, well the filing deadline is April 1, 2, and 3. Run for office,” Jett said.

Boren echoed concerns about whose interests are being represented. “We have people that are there to stick up for Oklahomans, and we have people that are there to stick up for the people making a lot of money off of Oklahomans,” she said.

The state auditor said the audit took so long because of a backlog of investigative audits with 25% fewer employees.

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The audit covers the last four years out of the last 79.

The OTA released a statement after the audit findings were revealed Wednesday.

“The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority would like to thank the State Auditor and Inspector’s office for their in-depth, extensive work on this first-of-its-kind investigative audit of the Authority. During the past three years, the auditor’s office has been inquisitive and intentional, learning as much about the OTA as possible to allow them to complete this investigative audit. While OTA has an annual financial audit conducted by an independent, nationally recognized firm, we were glad to collaborate with the State Auditor’s office for its examination of whether OTA complies with state law. OTA is pleased to have this independent confirmation that the agency follows all state statutes and there is no evidence of non-compliance with Oklahoma law. OTA will review the audit in more detail, and it is committed to considering how and where we can strengthen our policies and improve the documentation of our procedures and internal controls.”

ADDRESSING ENGINEERING CONTRACT SELECTION

“Even with the breadth and scale of construction programs like ACCESS Oklahoma, which is the largest reinvestment and expansion project in OTA’s history, we have been deliberate about keeping OTA staffing levels relatively flat. Instead, the Authority uses professional services contracts to procure engineering and construction management services through one of two lawful solicitation methods as allowed by Oklahoma Title 69-1708.2. OTA may use a project-specific solicitation focused on that individual project. OTA also may use an on-demand solicitation for specific types of professional services. This lawful and intentional administrative choice helps OTA keep construction costs at a minimum, manage changing project details, staffing capacity, and timing while still relying on a competitive, qualifications-based selection process. The method selected depends on project maturity, scope, and operational efficiency. It’s important to note that these contractors are selected by an internal review committee. This committee does not include the executive director, which was mistakenly stated Wednesday and incorrectly reflected in the audit report. As a matter of policy, that does not happen. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all work approved by OTA staff has been completed on time and on budget and to the highest standards of safety. We remain focused and committed on safely operating and maintaining Oklahoma’s turnpike system while responsibly managing infrastructure investments.”

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Oklahoma

The Spring adds immersive walkthrough to annual Encounter Hope gala in Sand Springs, Oklahoma

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14 hours ago

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March 4, 2026

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The Spring adds immersive walkthrough to annual Encounter Hope gala in Sand Springs, Oklahoma


TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — A Tulsa-based nonprofit is adding an immersive, walkthrough experience to its annual fundraising gala, aiming to give attendees a closer look at what survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking face — and how support services can help.

The Spring, which provides services to people impacted by domestic violence and human trafficking, will feature the walkthrough as part of Encounter Hope, its annual gala set for April 9 at the Arvest Convention Center.

The experience is designed to guide guests through the story of an abuse survivor across four stages of interaction with The Spring: the inciting incident, the crisis call, time at the emergency crisis shelter, and moving into safety.

“The idea is really to put you in the shoes of the people that we serve every day,” Allison Wells,

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The Spring’s events and environments coordinator, said. “It’s easy to throw out stats about violence and trafficking in Oklahoma, throw out our service numbers each year, but these are really peoples’ lives. We want to put our attendees in the mindset of one person, one story. What would you do if you were facing this?”

After the walkthrough, attendees will have the opportunity to assemble move-in kits for The Spring’s shelter guests and write personal notes of encouragement.

The program portion of the evening will include a panel discussion hosted by Karen Larsen, an Emmy Award-winning journalist who anchored Tulsa’s Channel 2 for almost 30 years.

“Tulsa is an incredibly charitable city, and we know that these kinds of gala events aren’t rare here,” Leslie Clingenpeel, The Spring’s CEO, said. “Our goal is to go beyond the model of these fundraising-only type events. More than anything, we want people to understand what we do, to know that we’re here, to know what our frontline advocates are doing every single day. Domestic violence and trafficking are hard to look away from once you’re aware of them. We want to build that awareness to the people of this city.”

Individual tickets and table packages are available for purchase.

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Attendees are encouraged to register before April 1 because space is limited.

More details and purchasing information are available at www.thespringok.org/encounterhope.

The Spring is a Tulsa-based nonprofit offering services to those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking.

The organization provides emergency crisis shelter, transitional living, and non-residential services.

More information is available at www.thespringok.org.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next

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1 day ago

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March 4, 2026

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Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next


ORLANDO, Fla. –

The Oklahoma State Cowboys men’s basketball bounced back in a big way Tuesday night.

Anthony Roy scored 27 points and Kanye Clary added 23, including seven in overtime, as Oklahoma State defeated the UCF Knights men’s basketball 111-104 in Orlando.

The Cowboys controlled the extra period, finishing overtime on an 11-4 run and outscoring UCF 17-10.

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Clary played a major role in closing it out. He hit a key 3-pointer and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in overtime to help seal the win.

The victory moves Oklahoma State to 18-12 overall and 6-11 in the Big 12, and gives the Cowboys two wins in their last three games after snapping a five-game losing streak. UCF, now 20-9 (9-8 Big 12), has dropped two straight.

Roy and Clary led a balanced offensive effort. Jaylen Curry and Christian Coleman each added 16 points, while the Cowboys shot 49% from the field (35-of-72) and 80% from the free throw line (32-of-40).

Themus Fulks led UCF with 22 points, while Riley Kugel added 18.

Late-game drama forces overtime

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The final seconds of regulation were chaotic.

With 24 seconds remaining, Isaiah Coleman threw down a dunk to give Oklahoma State a 94-91 lead.

But UCF answered quickly when Chris Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, tying the game at 94-94.

Oklahoma State had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Jaylen Curry missed a shot, and John Bol blocked Roy’s attempt, sending the game to overtime.

Cowboys respond after tough loss

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The Cowboys showed resilience after Saturday’s lopsided loss to Cincinnati.

The team traveled directly to Orlando following that defeat and was pushed through two intense practices by head coach Steve Lutz and the coaching staff.

The response was clear.

Led by Roy’s scoring and Clary’s clutch overtime performance, Oklahoma State delivered a gritty win and swept the season series against UCF

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