Oklahoma
Oklahoma One Win Away from CWS After Stomping No. 15 Kansas in Game 1 of Super Regionals
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.
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The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card in Oklahoma City, including a pair to the main event fighters.
After UFC Fight Night 281, four fighters picked up an extra $100,000 for their performances at Paycom Center. Additionally, two fighters got $25,000 extra checks for finishes that weren’t bonus-winners.
Check out the list of winners below.
Dricus Du Plessis (24-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC) put on a masterful performance with a unanimous decision over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (21-5 MMA, 16-4 UFC), whose return to middleweight ended in failure – and him saying he didn’t want to be a sore loser, then listing about six reasons why he was being precisely that. Du Plessis frequently made Usman look slow, though the broadcast team starting in the third round lauded him for his grit. DDP’s scorecards included a 50-45, which Usman took particular exception with as part of his “I’m not a sore loser” sore loser time on the microphone with Daniel Cormier, who seemed unsure if he should feel sorry for him or be embarrassed for his assertion that he somehow was in a competitive fight.
Performance of the Night: Felipe Franco ($100,000)
Felipe Franco (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) turned in a performance to remember for his first win in the UFC when he took out Levi Rodrigues (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a second-round TKO. Back at 205 pounds after a loss in his UFC debut at heavyweight, Franco mounted Rodrigues and pounded him out in the second frame.
Performance of the Night: Tommy McMillen ($100,000)
Tommy McMillen (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) looked like a star has been born when he set a new promotional record for significant strikes in a three-round featherweight fight. And thought he took a few licks himself from Alberto Montes (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), he put him away with about 90 seconds left in the fight after a torrid of standup punishment.
Finish bonus: R.J. Harris ($25,000)
R.J. Harris (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had a stellar debut in the UFC at heavyweight when he drilled Alvin Hines (7-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with an uppercut in the first round that took him off his feet. Harris was on him in the bat of an eye and a few punches later had a stoppage in 100 seconds.
Finish bonus: Dione Barbosa ($25,000)
Dione Barbosa (10-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) made things look easy against Alice Melisano (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Knowing her easiest path to victory was on the canvas, she took the UFC newcomer and “TUF” grad down right away, then worked her way to an eventual rear-naked choke finish in the opening round. Barbosa was the second biggest betting favorite on the card at 7-1.
The Oklahoma Sooners surprised the college football world with their breakthrough 2025 season. The Sooners made the College Football Playoff after a 6-7 season in 2024.
The Sooners navigated one of the toughest schedules in college football and still finished the regular season with a 10-2 record. With another offseason of development and the return of several key contributors, expectations are high around Norman heading into 2026. However, that optimism has not carried over to the national conversation.
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) projects the Sooners will finish with a 7-5 record this season. Despite that projection, FPI still ranks Oklahoma as the No. 12 team in the country. That disrespect likely comes from the up-and-down tenure under head coach Brent Venables. So far, he’s had two double-digit-win seasons, while also having two losing seasons. Oklahoma hadn’t had a losing season since 1998 until Venables took over before the 2022 season.
On3’s Ari Wasserman said that Oklahoma has been overlooked nationally on his show with Andy Staples.
Oklahoma has already shown it can compete at the highest level after making the College Football Playoff in its first season as an SEC member. Now, the challenge is proving that last season was not just a one-year breakthrough.
With a talented roster, an elite defense, and key players returning, the Sooners have the opportunity to exceed national expectations and establish themselves as a consistent contender in the SEC.
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Du Plessis returns to the Octagon for the first time since losing his middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev last August. Standing across from him is Usman, a former welterweight champion who defended his title five times, with signature wins over Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington. The pair headline a stacked card filled with rising contenders and can’t-miss prospects.
Where To Watch UFC Oklahoma City
Live results, highlights, fight recaps, post-fight interviews and more will be added throughout the event. Preview each matchup below before the action begins. The main card kicks off Saturday at 8pm ET/5pm PT live on Paramount+ in the United States.
UFC Oklahoma City Main Card Results:
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