Oklahoma HC Skip Johnson Calls National Championship Celebration Event ‘Incredible’

NORMAN — The Sooners received a hero’s welcome in Norman on Wednesday evening.

Oklahoma hosted a celebration event at Kimrey Family Stadium to honor its national championship-winning team. Every seat at the 3,180-capacity ballpark was filled, and hundreds more spectators huddled into standing-room areas, as well as the grass sections on the first- and third-base lines.

As soon as OU coach Skip Johnson and each of his players and assistant coaches walked from the dugout to the stage — set up in front of home plate — “Boomer Sooner” chants and a roar of applause rang from every corner of the stadium.

“It was awesome,” freshman pitcher Xander Mercurius said. “Sooner Nation showed out, just like they did in Omaha. It was something else.”

The event began at 6:30 p.m., but gates at the ballpark opened at 5:30 p.m. During that time, fans made their way to their seats as highlights from OU’s CWS Finals Game 3 win over North Carolina played on the scoreboard in left field.

University of Oklahoma president Joe Harroz opened the event by highlighting how remarkable the Sooners’ run to the title was.

Harroz, though, was quick to dismiss the notion that it was a “Cinderella” run.

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“They want to call us the Cinderella Sooners… well, we know we’re bigger than that,” Harroz said. “This is no Cinderella story. It’s our third time to be national champions in baseball.”

OU’s 2026 championship follows national titles that the Sooners won in 1951 and 1994. Oklahoma is one of just 10 programs across the nation that have won three or more national championships.

Though OU is one of the best programs historically, the path to its 2026 championship was rather unconventional.

After losing their final four series of the regular season and their first game of the SEC Tournament, the Sooners took down No. 2 Georgia Tech, No. 3 Georgia, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 7 Alabama and No. 15 Kansas in a three-week span to reach the top of the college baseball world.

Athletic director Roger Denny took the podium after Harroz, and he underscored the team’s grit throughout the highs and lows of the season.

“You competed for one another, you trusted one another… because of that, you accomplished something that will forever be a part of our program’s greatness,” Denny said to the team. “Those moments that tested your adversity revealed who you really are.”

After Harroz and Denny’s speeches, Johnson and OU outfielder Trey Gambill addressed the masses at Kimrey Family Stadium.

Less than 48 hours removed from their heroics in Omaha, those two expressed their gratitude to those who consistently supported the team.

“I don’t know where to start… it’s incredible,” Johnson said. “Continue to stay behind us. Y’all made this happen.”

Gambill said, “We’ve been overlooked all year. We’ve been spit on, we’ve been embarrassed, and, yes, we’ve been punched in the mouth. But when we taste blood… most people can’t stand it, some people can tolerate it, few are champions… and that’s Sooner baseball.”

As soon as Gambill walked off the stage, the roaring applause resumed and people started walking toward the exits.

Kimrey Family Stadium was more lively for Wednesday's event than it was for any of OU’s home regular-season games.

Sophomore Kyle Branch — an integral piece in Oklahoma’s run — wants Sooner faithful to keep that same energy when February 2027 rolls around.

“We would all love to see that,” Branch said after the event. “In Omaha, especially, they showed up big-time. We all felt their presence, and it was a real game-changer.

“We know that Sooner Nation’s very capable of showing up here and showing out, and they have. But we’re really excited for next year and just getting back to work.”

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