Oklahoma captures third MCWS title, defeating North Carolina 13-2 | NCAA.com
PRESENTED BY
Sort By:
- Oldest First
- Latest
10:56 pm, June 22, 2026
🏆 Oklahoma wins 2026 Men's College World Series
It’s Boomer Sooner time in Omaha.
Oklahoma has won the 2026 Men’s College World Series, steamrolling through North Carolina in the winner-take-all Game 3, 13-2, capturing its first national title in over 30 years and third overall. The Sooners are the seventh straight SEC team to win the national championship.
A dogpile with cheers that made its way through the infiled, it closed out the Sooners’ one-for-the-ages NCAA tournament run.
Twitter Embed
[Oklahoma Baseball\ \
·
for the third time in program history, the Oklahoma Sooners are national champions
Copy link
It was an all-around masterclass for OU, jumping out to a 3-1 lead by the end of the third and never looking back. They put at least one run across the plate in four of the final six innings, including three in the fourth and four in the eighth.
The fourth was where Oklahoma’s upper hand became clear. Walker McDuffie’s three consecutive one-out walks loaded the bases, and UNC turned to star freshman Caden Glauber. The Tar Heels were previously 29-0 with whenever he pitched, but he was pulled after a walk and Jaxon Willits’ two-RBI single.
LJ Mercurius was outstanding on the mound, entering for starter Nick Wesloski in the third and tossing 5.2 innings, giving up just one run on four hits. It was his longest outing since April 17.
Outside of Mercurius, shortstop Jaxon Willits and Kyle Branch starred for the Sooners. The former went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and was named Most Outstanding Player, while Branch also went 3-for-4 with a homer and six RBIs, a career-high. He's the third player all-time to record six or more RBIs in a national championship game.
The victory caps off OU’s gauntlet-like journey to the top. After finishing 11th in SEC regular season play, they knocked off five national seeds — three in the top five and two on the road — leaning on a trio of freshman arms and a historic power surge at the plate.
Men's College World Series All-Tournament Team:
- Catcher: Deiten LaChance, Oklahoma
- First base: Erik Paulsen, North Carolina
- Second base: Gavin Gallaher, North Carolina
- Third base: Tyrus Hall, West Virginia
- Shortstop: Jaxon Willits, Oklahoma
- Outfield: Jason Walk, Oklahoma
- Outfield: Owen Hull, North Carolina
- Outfield: Dasan Harris, Oklahoma
- Designated Hitter: Adrian Rodriguez, Texas
- Pitcher: Joey Volchko, Georgia
- Pitcher: Caden Glauber, North Carolina
Twitter Embed
·
THE 2026 #MCWS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Copy link
share with Facebook
copy link
10:37 pm, June 22, 2026
Oklahoma 13, North Carolina 2 | End 8th
The Sooners' offensive onslaught hasn't ended yet in Omaha, putting together its biggest inning yet in the eighth with four runs, taking a 13-2 lead.
Two of the first three batters walked, setting the table for Dasan Harris' RBI single to left field. Two batters later, Kyle Branch continued his career day with a three-run blast to left field, sending the OU crowd and family into a frenzy. The homer was his first of the postseason, notching his sixth RBI of the game, a career-high.
Every Oklahoma starter has now hit a home run in the NCAA tournament.
Twitter Embed
[Oklahoma Baseball\ \
·
you really can't script this stuff......
Copy link
Fast stats:
- Branch became the eighth Oklahoma player to homer in this year's MCWS
- Most players with a homer in the MCWS since the move to Charles Schwab Field in 2011
- Third player all-time with 6+ RBI in a national championship game
- North Carolina has now used 7 pitchers tonight, setting a record for the most pitchers used in a National Championships in MCWS history
share with Facebook
copy link
10:14 pm, June 22, 2026
Charles Schwab Field Omaha at its finest
It doesn't get much better than this. One of our team members went up to the roof for the Omaha sunset, capturing this picturesque shot of one of college sport's greatest gatherings.
On the final night, with a winner-take-all Game 3, players, fans and media alike were blessed with maybe the best weather all MCWS. We've had a beautiful two weeks in Omaha as our team has worked, played and enjoyed yet another exciting time crowing a national champion.
Thank you for hanging with us all season, and whether you're a Sooner, Tar Heel or just a fan of this great sport, we always enjoy bringing you into the action. Now let's get back to baseball as the Sooners look to put away the Tar Heels in the final two innings.
share with Facebook
copy link
10:07 pm, June 22, 2026
Oklahoma 9, North Carolina 2 | End 7th
The Tar Heels show life in the seventh, taking advantage of an Oklahoma error to drive a run across. And let us tell you, no one has told the North Carolina crowd it's a seven-run game as the third base side of Charles Schwab Field erupted as Jadyn Nunez touched home plate. Crazier things have happened, right?
Twitter Embed
share with Facebook
copy link
9:50 pm, June 22, 2026
Oklahoma 9, North Carolina 1 | End 6th
The Sooners refuse to lay off the gas in Game 3, as Kyle Branch takes advantage of a North Carolina error, sending a single over the right side of the infield to drive in two more, bringing his brother and Georgia shortstop Kolby Branch to his feet.
Twitter Embed
Tonight marks only Branch’s second 3-RBI performance all season, with his last coming on February 15th against TCU. The second baseman is the first 9-hole hitter with three RBIs in a national title game since Arizona's Trent Gilbert in 2012 against South Carolina.
In the bottom half, the Tar Heels sat down in order, lead off by yet another web gem at Charles Schwab Field from Sooner right-fielder Dasan Harris making a diving grab in the corner. Everything is turning up Sooner right now, and North Carolina is running out of outs to try and mount a Game 3 comeback.
Twitter Embed
share with Facebook
copy link
9:41 pm, June 22, 2026
💣 Oklahoma's crazy home run numbers
Dayton Tockey’s solo home run in the fifth didn’t just extend Oklahoma’s lead, it shined even more light on how much of a power surge it's been for them in the NCAA tournament.
The Sooners have hit 46 homers in their last 19 games.
Their first 47 contests? 48.
With seven different players going deep in Omaha, let’s take at each player’s long ball totals in the regular season compared to the NCAA tournament in batting order.
| Player | Regular season | NCAA tournament |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Walk | 3 | 3 |
| Camden Johnson | 8 | 1 |
| Deiten Lachance | 12 | 6 |
| Jaxon Willits | 5 | 2 |
| Trey Gambill | 6 | 5 |
| Brendan Brock | 10 | 3 |
| Dasan Harris | 3 | 3 |
| Dayton Tockey | 3 | 6 |
| Kyle Branch | 3 | 0 |
Below is some more crazy stats:
- OU is tied for most players with a homer in the MCWS since the move to Charles Schwab Field in 2011
- Two of three have won national championships
- Deiten Lachance had zero home runs in his first 31 games, he now has 18 in the last 30 games
- 14 since May, the most in all of DI
- Fifth player with multiple homers in a MCWS Finals game
- OU is the MCWS team in park history with a pair of multi-homer games
- Jason Walk and Dasan Harris in MCWS semifinals
share with Facebook
copy link
9:23 pm, June 22, 2026
Oklahoma 7, North Carolina 1 | End 5th
The Sooners tacked on one more after eight-hole hitter Dayton Tockey crushed a 3-1 pitch into the Oklahoma bullpen in right field, lighting up the first base side of the Charles Schwab Field.
Twitter Embed
Scott Forbes called on his fifth arm in as many innings, turning to junior lefty Folger Boaz who is making just his second appearance since the super regionals started.
The Tar Heels were held scoreless once again by LJ Mercurius who has now thrown 2.1 innings of one-hit ball for Skip Johnson.
share with Facebook
copy link
9:07 pm, June 22, 2026
Oklahoma 6, North Carolina 1 | End 4th
The first three innings of Game 3 have been chaotic, but the fourth has taken the cake.
North Carolina used three different pitchers, while Oklahoma tacked on three more runs that has brought Sooner nation to their feet at Charles Schwab Field.
Disaster struck for the Tar Heels as Walker McDuffie walked three straight Sooners to load the bases with just one out. Scott Forbes turned to 18-year-old Caden Glauber on the mound after his five-inning outing yesterday with power-hitting Deiten LaChance up to bat. The 6-foot-5 catcher proceeded to draw his first walk of the NCAA tournament, pushing Kyle Branch home from third.
A Jaxon Willits single through the right infield drove across two more, forcing Forbes to turn to Matthew Matthijs for the final two outs of the inning. The Tar Heels sat down in order in the bottom half of the inning as LJ Mercurius punched out two more.
Twitter Embed
Fast stats:
- Willits now has 13 hits in MCWS, tied for 3rd most in a MCWS since the move to Charles Schwab Field in 2011
- Oklahoma entered tonight with 84 runs in the 4th inning this season, its most productive inning of the season
- The Sooners entered tonight outscoring foes 8-1 in the 4th inning this MCWS
share with Facebook
copy link
8:40 pm, June 22, 2026
Oklahoma, North Carolina turn to bullpen early
We mentioned before the game that both teams may turn to their bullpens early in Game 3, and its already started. Each brought in their high-leverage closers before the third inning concluded.
This is the 3rd national championship game where neither starting pitcher made it through the 3rd inning.
North Carolina called on Second Team All-ACC member Walker McDuffie, ended freshman Jackson Rose's day after 2.2 innings of work, allowing six hits and three runs. Although UNC has typically featured McDuffie in later innings, but as the Tar Heels have trekked deeper into the NCAA tournament, he has entered earlier.
This is one of his earliest appearances this season (1.2 against Coastal Carolina earlier in the season.)
The Sooners turned to LJ Mercurius, who's pitched three times in the MCWS, twice as a closer. Mercurius began the season as a starter, before being moved to the bullpen coincidentally for his younger brother reportedly due to fatigue.
UPDATE: McDuffie was replaced by Caden Glauber after 0.2 innings following three consecutive walks.
The 17-year-old ACC Freshman of the Year has only pitched on back-to-back days three times this season and all were when he threw under 40 pitches the day before. He threw 65 pitches in Game 2 yesterday. The most recent time was May 14-15 against NC state.
UNC is 29-0 whenever Glauber pitches. Either Glauber or McDuffie (or both) have now pitched in 21 of North Carolina’s last 23 games.
share with Facebook
copy link
8:23 pm, June 22, 2026
Oklahoma 3, North Carolina 1 | End 3rd
The bats have warmed up for both the Sooners and Tar Heels in the third, as both teams tacked on a run in the third and ran each starter out of the game.
Oklahoma initially extended its lead to 3-0 thanks to arguably its hottest hitters: shortstop Jaxon Willits and left fielder Brendan Brock. Willits got things going with a double to left field, and after a pitching change to Walker McDuffie and an out was recorded, Brock knocked him in with an RBI single to center.
Twitter Embed
[Oklahoma Baseball\ \
·
pass the bat 3-0 Sooners!
@brendanbrockk // ESPN
Copy link
UNC's Gavin Gallaher stepped up with an RBI single with one out, but LJ Mercurius picked starter Nick Wesloski up by sitting down the next two batters and stranding them at first and third.
Twitter Embed
·
Gav gets us going
Our captain comes through with a big RBI single to score Jake.
Copy link
Fast stats:
- Willits has the fifth most multi-hit games at the MCWS since Move to Charles Schwab Field in 2011
- Fifth double of MCWS
- Jackson Rose allowed a season-high six hits in just 2.2 innings of work
- Gavin Gallaher is the fourth hitter to drive in at least 10 runs in a single MCWS since the move to Charles Schwab Field
- Now holds 16th game hitting streak
share with Facebook
copy link
8:10 pm, June 22, 2026
💎 Early Game 3 web gems
Everything's on the line for North Carolina and Oklahoma tonight, and the Sooners have proven that on the field so far.
Both third baseman Camden Johnson and right fielder Dasan Harris made a few plays that you'll want to see again. Check them out below:
Twitter Embed
[Oklahoma Baseball\ \
·
GLOVE LOVE @Camdenkj12 // ESPN
Copy link
Twitter Embed
[Oklahoma Baseball\ \
·
DASAN HARRIS @DasH_0021 // ESPN
Copy link
share with Facebook
copy link
7:48 pm, June 22, 2026
Oklahoma 2, North Carolina 0 | End 2nd
The Sooners have scored first in the winner-take-all battle against the Tar Heels, putting two runs across in the top of the second inning thanks to Kyle Branch's RBI single and a passed ball.
It's the ninth consecutive games they've scored first, the most by any NCAA tournament team in the last 40 seasons.
Twitter Embed
[Oklahoma Baseball\ \
·
strike first@kylebr4nch_ // ESPN
Copy link
However, Dasan Harris' defensive IQ play in the bottom half. might've been the highlight of the inning. With runners on first and second with two outs, the right fielder hosed Carter French at third on Rom Kellis V's single before Erik Paulsen could score.
Twitter Embed
[Oklahoma Baseball\ \
·
Copy link
Fast stats:
- First time both starting pitchers in the national title game have been freshmen since 2022
- Last time OU was in the national championship
- OU has five hits the first time through the order
- Four total in Game 2 loss
- Scored the first run in each of the past nine games
- won seven of previous eight contests
- Dasan Harris' second outfield assist of the season
share with Facebook
copy link
6:49 pm, June 22, 2026
Final pregame check in
It's 79 degrees and sunny for the first time all weekend heading up to first pitch with no chance of rain in site, and the sun will be shining almost all game with sunset not expected until 10 p.m. ET.
Both teams were working on sky-high pop flys pregame as the sun factors back in for the first time since the semifinals early last week.
We appear to have a balanced crowd with Oklahoma red lining the first base line and Carolina blue matching down the third base line behind their team's dugouts.
Follow along here all game for live updates, highlights and more as we crown the DI baseball national champion in Omaha tonight.
share with Facebook
copy link
6:39 pm, June 22, 2026
Game 3 lineups
We are under 20 minutes to first pitch of Game 3 at 7 p.m. ET. Here are your lineups for the winner-take-all matchup as we settle in at Charles Schwab Field for the national championship.
North Carolina lineup
Oklahoma lineup
share with Facebook
copy link
5:24 pm, June 22, 2026
UNC, OU Pitching staff breakdown
A winner-take-all matchup for the national championship means anything is on the table. If there’s a time to pull out all the stops, this is it.
Oklahoma and North Carolina have both used a variety of arms to get to Monday, some throwing an inning, while others have gone more than half a game. But with the season on the line, a looming question is what pitchers could be brought in for relief after UNC's Jackson Rose's and OU’s Nick Wesloski’s days are done.
Here are the arms that each team has used at the MCWS, their last outing and more.
Oklahoma
| Pitcher | Appearance Date | Innings | Number of pitches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Wesloski | 6/17 | 5.2 | 90 |
| Cord Rager | 6/20 | 5 | 100 |
| 6/13 | 7 | 88 | |
| Xander Mercurius | 6/21 | 4 | 92 |
| 6/15 | 7.1 | 104 | |
| LJ Mercurius | 6/20 | 1.2 | 24 |
| 6/17 | 3.1 | 56 | |
| 6/13 | 2 | 32 | |
| Jackson Cleveland | 6/15 | 1.2 | 36 |
| Nate Smithburg | 6/21 | 1.1 | 29 |
| Jason Bodin | 6/21 | 1.1 | 27 |
| Trent Collier | 6/21 | 1 | 12 |
| Mason Bixby | 6/21 | 0.2 | 11 |
| Jaden Barfield | 6/21 | 0.1 | 11 |
| Reid Hensley | 6/21 | 0.1 | 1 |
North Carolina
| Pitcher | Appearance Date | Innings | Number of pitches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Rose | 6/17 | 4.1 | 58 |
| Jason DeCaro | 6/20 | 3.2 | 83 |
| 6/12 | 6.2 | 106 | |
| Caden Glauber | 6/21 | 5 | 65 |
| 6/17 | 2.1 | 45 | |
| 6/16 | 0.2 | 9 | |
| 6/12 | 2.1 | 33 | |
| Ryan Lynch | 6/21 | 4 | 58 |
| 6/16 | 4.2 | 73 | |
| Walker McDuffie | 6/20 | 2.1 | 34 |
| 6/16 | 3.2 | 63 | |
| Cameron Padgett | 6/20 | 1 | 16 |
| 6/17 | 0 | 6 | |
| Tom Chmielewski | 6/20 | 2 | 39 |
| Folger Boaz | 6/17 | 1 | 28 |
| Matthew Matthijs | 6/17 | 1.1 | 30 |
share with Facebook
copy link
LOAD MORE +
SIGN UP TO WATCH
For free access to this stream and hundreds of live championship events across every division, please register below.
EMAIL ADDRESS
not a valid email address
NCAA.com and its affiliates may use my email address to send updates/news, ads, and offers. I can opt out or learn more about my rights via the Privacy Policy.
i
WATCH NOW
By clicking Watch Now, you are registering and agree with NCAA.com Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
OR
SIGN-UP COMPLETE
Would you like to receive updates/news, ads, and offers from NCAA.com and its affiliates?
YESNO
By clicking Yes, you are registering and agree with NCAA.com Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. To withdraw your consent or learn more about your rights, see the Privacy Policy.
Twitter Widget Iframe