Two Oklahoma Players Land on SEC's Honor Roll After Opening Weekend Sweep

A red-hot start for Oklahoma on the diamond has already produced immediate hardware in the trophy room.

Following the Sooners’ 3-0 start — three emphatic victories over three former Big 12 rivals — that brought home the championship trophy in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington, TX, two OU players landed Southeastern Conference weekly honors on Monday.

Starting pitchers LJ Mercurius and Cord Rager were named this week’s SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week and Co-Freshman of the Week, respectively.

In his OU debut, Mercurius went 5 1/3 innings and struck out a career high-tying 12 batters in the Sooners’ 11-1 win over rival Oklahoma State at the Shriners Showdown on Saturday.

The UNLV transfer, a junior right-hander, surrendered just one run on three hits with two walks. Mercurius struck out the side in two of his 5 1/3 innings pitched and registered two or more strikeouts in four innings.

Rager, a freshman left-hander, was instrumental in Oklahoma’s 12-2 run-rule victory for the Shriners Showdown championship.

Rager threw five innings and struck out eight while giving up just one run on two hits with three walks.

OU opened the 2026 season by routing Texas Tech 10-3 on Friday, Oklahoma State 10-1 on Saturday, and TCU 12-2 on Sunday to win the event.

Skip Johnson’s Sooners (38-22 overall, 14-16 SEC last season) were ranked No. 19 by Baseball America to open the season last week and this week have already debuted in this week’s D1Baseball at No. 21.

The weekly honors from the SEC are the first of the season for the Sooners and the first by an OU player since Drew Dickerson claimed Freshman of the Week honors last April. Mercurius is the second Sooner to be named an SEC Pitcher of the Week after 2025 MLB Draft first-rounder Kyson Witherspoon earned the honor twice last season.

Mercurius shared the accolade with Dylan Volantis of Texas, while Rager split the frosh honors with Cash Strayer of Florida.

Caden Sorrell of Texas A&M was named SEC player of the week. he batted 9-for-15 (.600) with seven runs scored, 10 RBI, three home runs, one walk and two stolen bases, compiling a .625 on-base percentage and 1.200 slugging percentage (1.825 OPS) in the Aggies’ opening weekend sweep of Tennessee Tech. He homered twice and drove in five RBIs on Friday and added another home run with four more RBI in the second game of the series on Saturday. Sorrell then recorded four hits on Sunday.

Volantis registered a career-long seven innings to guide No. 3 Texas to a 9-1 victory over UC Davis in the series finale at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Sunday afternoon. Volantis limited the Aggies to one unearned run on one hit, while matching a career-best eight strikeouts. In just his second career start, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound southpaw took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, retiring 14 of the first 16 batters he faced. With one out in the frame, Zach Story broke up the no-hit bid with a double to left center. Volantis cruised through the visiting lineup, facing the minimum through five innings. Overall, he tossed 56 of his 78 pitches for strikes.

Strayer made his first two career starts in games two and three vs. UAB on Saturday, helping Florida to a pair of wins to battle back for a series victory. Strayer hit .625 with a home run, two doubles and two runs scored across the doubleheader. He went 3-for-4 with one double and one run in his first-career start in game two, then went 2-for-4 with one double, one run and his first-career home run in the eighth inning of the decisive game three.

Oklahoma returns to action Monday at Globe Life Field vs. New Mexico State at 6:30 p.m.

The game can be seen via simulcast on SECN+ and heard on 99.3 FM/1400 AM. Tickets for the weekend are available via CollegeBaseballSeries.com.