Oklahoma Heads to Lawrence to Face Kansas in Super Regionals

This article will be updated when times/TV designations are announced.

Drama reached its peak at the Atlanta Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

The Oklahoma Sooners, who all season were stuck in the unenviable twilight zone between greatness and disaster, were given very little chance to leave the Peach State still playing baseball.

After playing one of the toughest schedules in the country and repeatedly coming up short in pivotal games to put themselves in better position, no one would have blamed the Sooners (36-22) for going through the motions in Atlanta as the expected whipping boy for the No. 2-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Instead the Sooners triumphed. A loss to Georgia Tech in the first game of the winners' bracket did little to derail Oklahoma. Back-to-back come from behind victories against the Yellow Jackets have OU journeying to an old venue its played countless times for the right to head for Omaha.

Skip Johnson, Oklahoma Sooner — Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson talks with officials before a Bedlam baseball game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Oklahoma Sooners at ONEOK Field | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Standing in their way? The Kansas Jayhawks, who won the Big 12 regular season and post season crowns. Beginning on Friday or Saturday, Oklahoma and their former Big 12 foe will duel a best-of-three series for entry into the College World Series.

OU is 175-97-1 against the Jayhawks all-time. The last time these two programs met was in the 2024 Big 12 Tournament where the Sooners got the last laugh against KU twice.

With two wins separating them from the right to play in Omaha, Oklahoma's season can begin to be viewed in a much different lens.

The SEC sent 11 teams to the Regionals. Seven of those 11 punched their tickets for the Super Regionals. Of those 11, OU played six of them, losing their series meet-ups to all but Texas A&M.

Dropping series' to similarly or slightly more talented squads over and over could have bred apathy, but when you down the No. 2 team in the country off the first walk-off home run in postseason play in 16 years, you gain positive perspective.

Oklahoma appeared to be good enough to beat the teams they were visibly better than, but not quite good enough to consistently win over higher-end talent in the SEC. They had their chances to be better — evidenced by their 2-3 record in rubber matches. But for one reason or another, OU was unable to put winning ingredients together consistently.

Oklahoma Sooners, Cameron Johnson — Oklahoma pitcher Cameron Johnson throws against Gonzaga. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

It's important to remember that Oklahoma was already replacing its entire starting rotation from a year ago. Considering the turnover and their gauntlet schedule, OU's record seems to be a mirage. Skip Johnson's team is good and is heading to Lawrence with momentum.

And the momentum didn't just start with a miraculous performance in Atlanta, since May 9 against Arkansas, OU has found something at the plate. They've belted 28 home runs in 11 games — a trend that they hope continues as they head north of the state border this weekend.

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Dayton Tockey's extra innings heroics was the cap of other stellar performances. Deiten LaChance, who's been on one since early May, already made his prescence known in Atlanta with a go-ahead grand slam in the Sunday victory over Goergia Tech.

LaChance, along with Jaxon Willits and LJ Mercurius, were named to the Atlanta Regional All-Tournament Team. LaChance earned Most Outstanding Player honors with two home runs and seven RBIs.

Deiten LaChance, Oklahoma Sooners — Deiten LaChance celebrates a home run. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

At the best time possible, Oklahoma's key players are playing their best ball of the year.

Kansas is experiencing a historic season. It's the Jayhawks' first tournament title since 2006, their first regular season crown since 1949, their first regional championship win since 1993 and the first time they've hosted a super regional in program history.

If KU gets past the Sooners, it'll be the second time they've ever made it to college baseball's biggest stage.

This is Oklahoma's sixth appearance in the Super Regionals and their first since the 2022 College World Series run that ended as the runner-up to Ole Miss. That season, OU had to travel to Blacksburg to defeat Virginia Tech in the Super Regional.

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