Sooners sweep Big 12 series from UCF, defeats UTA

NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners baseball team opened its final season in the Big 12 in fine fashion with a threegame home weekend series sweep of Central Florida at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The Sooners swept Saturday’s doubleheader any scores of 4-3 and 11-3, then routed the Knights 14-2 on Sunday.

In Saturday’s opener, Jackson Nicklaus, Anthony Mackenzie and Jaxon Willits all brought in a run, while Nicklaus and fellow junior John Spikerman finished 2-for-4 to lead OU.

On the mound, OU used four pitchers with reliever Malachi Witherspoon (1-1) getting the win, tossing two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out three. Malachi’s brother and fellow RHP, Kyson Witherspoon, earned the save in the ninth.

In Saturday’s nightcap, the Sooners scored early and often in the second game of the day, putting up runs in each frame.

OU’s pitching staff was exceptional on the day, with another five arms getting work in Game 2. Lefty reliever Grant Stevens (3-0) earned the win, throwing 2.2 innings and surrendering one run on a hit with a walk and three strikeouts. Starter Brendan Girton fanned four, while relievers Carson Atwood (two Ks), Brad Pruett (two Ks) and Reid Hensley (a strikeout) all saw work out of the bullpen. At the plate, nine Sooners recorded a hit in the nightcap, with six bringing in at least one run. Michael Snyder lead the group with four runs batted in, while Bryce Madron and Easton Carmichael each registered a pair of hits.

In Sunday afternoon’s victory, OU’s offense was explosive throughout Sunday’s contest, registering 18 hits with a trio of three-run home runs, capped by sophomore Carmichael’s walk-off blast in the seventh.

On the mound, senior James Hitt (W, 1-1) went 5.2 innings, scattering four hits with one run and two walks to go with five strikeouts.

The Sooners (9-5, 3-0) outscored the Knights (9-4, 0-3) by a margin of 29-8 on the weekend en route to OU’s first conference-opening sweep since 2019.

After losing Tuesday night’s Bedlam game to visiting Oklahoma State University, the Sooners bounced back with a 5-1 road win over Texas-Arlington on Wednesday night.

Stevens earned the win in relief, pitching four innings and allowing a run on three hits to go with four strikeouts and no walks. Fellow relievers Ryan Lambert and Hensley closed the game, going an inning a piece and striking out one and two, respectively.

At the plate, nine Sooners registered hits in the contest with Spikerman, Anthony Mackenzie and Michael Snyder all pushing runs across.