Oklahoma Baseball: Sooners Lose Regular Season Finale at No. 6 Texas Tech

The Red Raiders struck for five runs in the first inning and never looked back, creating a hole the Sooners were unable to climb out of through the game.

One game short of history.

After another stellar win on Friday night to win their fifth straight weekend series, No. 24 Oklahoma wrapped up the regular season on Saturday afternoon going for the sweep against No. 6 Texas Tech.

With a win, the Sooners would collect a share of the first Big 12 regular season title in program history and hold the No. 1 seed at next week’s conference tournament.

But, unfortunately for Skip Johnson’s club, OU came up just one win shy of the feat, falling to the Red Raiders 10-2 at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park in Lubbock.

While the game didn’t go Oklahoma’s way on Saturday, it certainly got off to a fantastic start.

Tanner Tredaway and Jimmy Crooks each picked up RBI singles in the opening frame to give OU a quick 2-0 lead and make it appear as if the Sooners were just going to pick up where they had left off the previous two days.

But, Texas Tech would respond immediately and in large fashion - striking for five runs off of OU starter Cade Horton in the bottom half of the first.

Red Raiders starting pitcher Chase Hampton then settled in after his rocky first inning, tossing five scoreless innings after TTU took the lead.

Texas Tech added to their advantage in the fourth, with Cole Stilwell scoring a run on a sacrifice fly and Jace Jung breaking things open with a two-run homer.

There's the @jace17jung we know and love!!!

That ball was sent into orbit and not sure if it's landed yet 👋👋👋 pic.twitter.com/fae5kV6mie

— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) May 21, 2022

The Red Raiders added two more runs in the sixth and seventh innings with solo shots from Kurt Wilson and Parker Kelly to balloon their lead to 10-2 through seven.

.@ParkerKelly22 greets Oklahoma with a Senior Day 💣 in the 7th pic.twitter.com/BWLLVfJYAw

— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) May 21, 2022

After Hampton's departure, TTU relievers Mason Molina and Austin Becker would finish the job recording the final nine outs without allowing a run. 

The loss ends Oklahoma’s regular season at 33-20 overall and 15-9 in conference play - finishing in a tie for second place in the Big 12.

The Sooners will now turn their attention to postseason play in the annual Big 12 tournament, which opens action on Wednesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.

OU will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed for the event, depending on the outcome of Saturday’s Oklahoma State-Baylor contest.