Oklahoma’s remarkable postseason journey reached its ultimate destination Monday night as the Sooners powered past North Carolina 13-2 in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the 2026 Men’s College World Series finals, securing the program’s first national championship since 1994.
A team that few expected to contend for a title entered the season picked 14th in the 16-team Southeastern Conference. Three months later, the Sooners stood atop college baseball after one of the most improbable championship runs in recent memory.
Oklahoma (43-23) became the latest SEC powerhouse to hoist the national championship trophy, extending the conference’s streak to seven consecutive titles. The accomplishment was especially impressive considering the Sooners finished 11th in the conference standings and limped into postseason play after losing seven of their final nine regular-season games.
Yet once the NCAA Tournament began, Oklahoma transformed into a championship machine.
The Sooners traveled into hostile territory and defeated No. 2 national seed Georgia Tech twice during regional play before sweeping Kansas on the road in the super regionals. In Omaha, they beat No. 3 Georgia twice in bracket play before overcoming North Carolina in the championship series.
Monday’s decisive victory showcased everything that fueled Oklahoma’s remarkable run — explosive offense, timely hitting and dominant bullpen work.
After managing only four singles in a 6-2 loss in Game 2, the Sooners erupted for 14 hits and handed North Carolina its most lopsided defeat of the season.
The offensive star was unlikely hero Kyle Branch. Entering the game batting just 1-for-16 (.063) in the College World Series, the No. 9 hitter delivered the performance of his life, driving in six runs with two singles and a home run.
Branch’s towering homer in his final at-bat provided another memorable family moment in Omaha. It came just days after his brother, Kolby Branch of Georgia, homered during the Bulldogs’ College World Series run. Kyle’s blast also made him the eighth Oklahoma player to go deep during the tournament, highlighting the lineup’s depth throughout the championship run.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma standout Willits continued his torrid stretch at the plate. He collected three hits, reached base five times and finished the College World Series with a staggering .520 batting average (13-for-25), cementing himself as one of the tournament’s most productive hitters.
The championship game featured a rare freshman-versus-freshman pitching matchup, with North Carolina’s Jackson Rose opposing Oklahoma’s Nick Wesloski. It marked the first time since 1993 that freshmen started a winner-take-all College World Series final.
Neither starter survived beyond the third inning, but Oklahoma found stability in the bullpen thanks to LJ Mercurius.
Mercurius (7-7) delivered another clutch postseason performance, entering with the Sooners protecting a 3-1 lead and a North Carolina threat brewing in the third inning. The right-hander extinguished the rally and proceeded to dominate the Tar Heels over 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one run while continuing an outstanding College World Series.
Across four appearances in Omaha, Mercurius surrendered only two runs in 12 1/3 innings, becoming one of the unsung heroes of Oklahoma’s championship run.
For North Carolina (54-14-1), the loss was a painful ending to an otherwise historic season.
The Tar Heels entered the championship series boasting the Atlantic Coast Conference’s best pitching staff and had been outstanding throughout much of the College World Series. But on Monday, everything unraveled.
Eight North Carolina pitchers combined to allow 14 hits while issuing eight walks, throwing three wild pitches and hitting a batter. The normally dependable staff never found its footing against Oklahoma’s relentless lineup.
A pivotal moment came in the fourth inning when ACC Freshman of the Year Caden Glauber was summoned from the bullpen one day after throwing 65 pitches across five scoreless innings in Game 2.
Head coach Scott Forbes hoped Glauber could once again rescue the Tar Heels. Instead, the gamble backfired.
Before throwing a pitch, Glauber was charged with a clock violation. He then walked in a run on four pitches with the bases loaded. Moments later, Willits delivered a two-run single that stretched Oklahoma’s lead to 6-1.
Glauber’s outing lasted only seven pitches, five of which were balls. Remarkably, North Carolina had been 29-0 in games Glauber pitched before Monday night.
The Tar Heels were unable to recover.
When Jackson Cleveland struck out Jake Schaffner for the final out, Oklahoma’s celebration began immediately. Cleveland and catcher Deiten Lachance embraced before joining a jubilant dogpile near third base as players waved championship towels and sprinted toward the first-base line to salute the sea of crimson-clad fans.
Among those celebrating were Oklahoma football legends Barry Switzer and Brian Bosworth, who watched the Sooners complete one of the most unlikely championship runs in school history.
For North Carolina, the defeat marked another heartbreaking near miss. The Tar Heels remain without a national championship despite making 13 Men’s College World Series appearances, finishing runner-up for the third time since 2006. Only Florida State, with 24 appearances, has reached Omaha more times without capturing the title.
For Oklahoma, however, Monday night represented the culmination of a dream season.
From preseason underdogs to national champions, the Sooners overcame long odds, conquered some of the nation’s top programs on the road, and delivered a dominant final performance when the stakes were highest.
Thirty-two years after their last title, Oklahoma once again sits atop the college baseball world.
