Oklahoma Hosts Final Series at Kimrey Family Stadium Against Top 25 Florida Gators

Following a series loss on the plains at Auburn, the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners look to course correct against No. 25 Florida in Norman.

OU forced a rubber game with last Saturday's defensive performance led by Kyle Branch. Cord Rager's second start since missing two straight weeks with a lat injury, got off the rails quick as Oklahoma surrendered five home runs en route to a run rule loss.

Hosting a regional is still in play for the 29-14 Sooners (11-10 in conference play). Winning a series against Florida (29-16, 11-10) would go a long way at pushing OU up the conference rankings (currently sixth) while stamping their cause to host some postseason play.

This is the first series the two programs have played in the regular season. Oklahoma last met Florida in the 2022 Gainesville Regional. The Sooners prevailed in a dramatic three-game matchup that included a five hour weather delay that resulted in an OU win en route to a College World Series championship appearance.

How to Watch Florida vs. Oklahoma

When: Friday, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, 6:00 p.m., and Sunday, 2:00 p.m.
Where: Kimrey Family Stadium, Norman, OK
How: SEC Network+ (Friday & Sunday), SEC Network Saturday, KREF 99.3 FM, 1400 AM, KREF App

LJ Mercurius will not be starting for Friday's initial game. RHP Kadyn Leon will get the start in his place. Leon is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA.

Mercurius has struggled since being moved to the Friday starter slot in Oklahoma's series sweep at the hands of Texas on March 26. He's 1-4 and only pitched in three or less innings in three of those games.

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Cameron Johnson and Rager are still slotted in their typical Saturday/Sunday starting roles.

Johnson has returned to form since the lackluster performance in Baton Rouge that led to him losing his Friday starting status. The left-hander is 4-1 in his last five appearances with his lone loss being against the Longhorns where he gave up one hit and struck out eight batters in five innings.

Overall, the Sooners' pitching staff has earned a 4.63 ERA, with a .224 batting average against and a 432-to-182 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Their performance at the mound has been more than backed up by great defense — a .979 fielding percentage.

Oklahoma is 18-5 at home and hopes that trend continues. The Sooners swept Missouri in their last series in Norman and won one game in a series loss to Alabama three weeks ago. On the other hand, Florida has been great on the road against ranked competition. The Gators are 8-1, including a series sweep of Arkansas and series win of Georgia.

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