Why Oklahoma’s CWS Run Can Pave the Way for Future Pitching Success

Oklahoma’s young pitchers made history in Omaha.

The Sooners started three freshman arms — Cord Rager, Xander Mercurius and Nick Wesloski — at the College World Series and became the first team to do so since 1999. Each of them started a game in the CWS Finals, and OU became the first team to ever win a national championship while starting three freshman pitchers.

Rager, Mercurius and Wesloski combined for a 1.80 ERA in six games at the CWS. And over the course of the entire postseason, those three allowed only 24 earned runs over 60 innings of work.

Needless to say, the Sooners’ pitching staff is well set up for future success.

Here is a closer look at each of those three freshman standouts:

Cord Rager

Rager is the only one of the freshman trio that was a starter for the entire season.

The left-handed pitcher from Maypearl, TX, primarily served as the Sooners’ Sunday starter during the regular season. He finished the season with a 7-3 record and a 4.74 ERA.

Rager pitched twice at the CWS. He allowed only three earned runs in his outings against Alabama and North Carolina (Game 1 of the CWS Finals) and struck out 13 batters in the process.

Despite shutting down the Tar Heels’ offense in the Sooners’ 9-3 win in Game 1, Rager did not earn a spot on the CWS All-Tournament Team.

Still, OU coach Skip Johnson knows that Rager’s grit in that contest went a long way in helping the Sooners win the national championship.

“What he did today was show you what his true grit is as a pitcher and his level of care for his teammates,” Johnson said after Game 1.

Xander Mercurius

Mercurius didn’t make his first start until the Sooners’ final regular-season series against Tennessee at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in May. That game and his start against Georgia Tech in the Atlanta Regional didn’t go well, as he combined for nine earned runs and earned losing decisions in both contests.

But Mercurius was dominant in each of his next two starts.

Mercurius gave up only four earned runs in 11 ⅓ innings against Kansas and Georgia, helping OU win both of those games. He was particularly sharp in the Georgia game, as he lasted 7 ⅓ innings against one of college baseball’s most dynamic offenses.

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The freshman, though, didn’t have his best stuff in Game 2 of the championship series, the only CWS Finals game that the Sooners dropped.

Mercurius pitched only four innings and gave up four runs on five hits as the Tar Heels won 6-2. He logged six strikeouts in the first two innings, but after that, UNC applied pressure and got him in a jam.

Even so, Mercurius flashed his potential throughout the postseason; Johnson simply believes that the pitcher “tried too hard” after his stellar start to Game 2.

“I thought he was really good starting out,” Johnson said after that game. “When you start punching guys out, you start trying to punch guys out and strike them out. When you start trying, when you try to get back to your plan, it's a struggle.”

Nick Wesloski

Wesloski made 12 relief appearances during the regular season, but he proved during the postseason that he can be a reliable rotation option going forward.

The right-handed pitcher from McKinney, TX, had a breakout performance against The Citadel in the Atlanta Regional, allowing three earned runs in seven innings. He followed that up by allowing Georgia to log only one earned run in 5 ⅔ innings on June 17, helping the Sooners win 11-4 and punch their ticket to the CWS Finals.

Wesloski started Game 3 of the championship series and his outing didn’t last particularly long. He retired just seven batters before OU opted to put junior LJ Mercurius into the game.

While Wesloski gave up five hits to UNC’s offense before being pulled, the freshman gave up only one run, which went a long way in the Sooners’ winning effort.

“I was really proud of him in that moment,” Johnson said after Game 3.

The bottom line

Barring any unforeseen entries into the transfer portal, the trio of Rager, Mercurius and Wesloski has the potential to be one of the SEC’s best rotations in 2027.

The Sooners also have plenty of other young arms like Brisco Smith, Michael Catalano, Trent Collier, Jaden Barfield and Kadyn Leon, all of whom garnered experience during the postseason.

Other notable arms who have eligibility remaining include LJ Mercurius, Cameron Johnson, Nate Smithburg, Maxon Bixby and Gavyn Jones. But it’s possible — likely perhaps — that some of them may either hear their names called in the 2026 MLB Draft or choose to enter the transfer portal.

Toward the end of the regular season, pitching struggles plagued the Sooners, and it appeared that they might need to overhaul the unit during the offseason. Now, pitching appears to be something OU can lean on when it tries to defend its national title in 2027.

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