Oklahoma - April 17-19
The Sooners, the other newest team in the SEC, are coming off a successful 2024 season, finishing 40-21 (23-7) and hosting a regional they ultimately lost. In his ninth year as head coach in Norman, Skip Johnson is aiming to lead his team to something Oklahoma hasn't achieved since the 1950s: a baseball national championship.
On the hitting side, the Sooners lost several key players from 2024, including four hitters to the draft and others to graduation. While some important contributors from last season won’t return in 2025, junior Easton Carmichael, who led the team with a .366 batting average and nearly posted a 1.000 OPS, will remain at the top of the lineup. The team had only two players finish with an OPS over 1.000, and both graduated. Additionally, the only other players to hit above .300 are gone. As a result, many of the at-bats will be filled by newcomers or players from 2024 who need to step up. Returners like senior Scott Mudler, who drove in 31 RBIs in 40 games, sophomore Jason Walks, who ranked third on the team with 13 stolen bases, and sophomore Jaxon Willits, who played in 57 of the team’s 60 games in 2024, are expected to take on bigger roles in 2025. The team also brought in a large group of transfers from both Division I schools and junior colleges. Newcomers such as Christian Hoffman (New Mexico JC), Brayden Horton (Liberty), and Mason Hamlin (UT Permian Basin) will look to make an impact in 2025. In addition, the freshman class includes highly touted recruits like Drew Dickerson and Ryley Leininger.
After losing their No. 1 starter to the draft, along with some of their top bullpen arms, the Sooners still return several key pitchers from last year. Only one player on the roster made more than 11 starts in 2024. Junior Kyson Witherspoon, who posted a 3.71 ERA in 17 appearances (11 starts) and finished second on the team with 40 walks, graduate Grant Stevens, who made nine starts, and senior James Hitt, who made seven starts, are expected to take on larger roles in the rotation in 2025. In the bullpen, senior Dylen Cooks (25 appearances, 4.11 ERA) and junior Malachi Witherspoon (21 appearances) return as two of the top arms and are expected to step up as leaders this season. Behind them, the Sooners will rely on a mix of newcomers, including transfers Cade Crossland (Weatherford JC), Jason Bodin (Texas A&M), and Cameron Johnson (LSU), along with freshmen Landon Victorian, Jordan Stribling, and James Nesta to round out the bullpen.
Guys to look for:
- Dayton Tockey
- Michael Catalano