Amber Aniston • June 18, 2026

Oklahoma Powers Past Georgia to Reach College World Series Championship Series

OMAHA, Neb. — Oklahoma continued its remarkable postseason surge Wednesday night, defeating No. 3 Georgia 11–4 in the College World Series semifinals at Charles Schwab Field. Powered by five home runs and another dominant freshman pitching performance, the Sooners advanced to the College World Series championship series and moved within two wins of a national title. 


The victory improved Oklahoma to 41–22 and extended its winning streak to eight games. Georgia finished a historic season at 53–14 after setting a school record for victories and reaching Omaha for the first time since 2008. 


Sooners Strike First 


Oklahoma once again established momentum early. 


Jason Walk broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with a towering solo home run to dead center field, giving the Sooners a 1–0 lead. The blast extended Walk’s hitting streak and continued his outstanding postseason run from the leadoff spot. 


The Sooners added to the lead in the fourth inning when Trey Gambill launched a solo home run into the Oklahoma bullpen. Moments later, Brendan Brock singled and Dasan Harris followed with a two-run blast to right-center field, extending Oklahoma’s advantage to 4–0. 


The offensive outburst immediately placed pressure on Georgia and chased starter Paul Farley from the game. 


Freshman Wesloski Delivers Again 


Oklahoma continued its trend of relying on freshman pitchers in Omaha. 


Nick Wesloski made just his second start of the season and delivered another impressive outing. The freshman right-hander worked 5.2 innings, allowing four hits and three runs, though only one was earned. He struck out four batters and consistently limited Georgia’s opportunities to build momentum. 


Wesloski joined Cord Rager and Xander Mercurius as the third consecutive freshman starter for Oklahoma during the College World Series. 


The trio combined to allow only a handful of earned runs across three starts, giving the Sooners one of the most surprising pitching stories of the tournament. 


Georgia Tries to Climb Back 


The Bulldogs battled throughout the middle innings. 


In the fifth inning, senior shortstop Kolby Branch doubled and later scored on a base hit from Ryan Black, cutting the deficit to 4–1. Georgia created another opportunity in the sixth when it loaded the bases against reliever LJ Mercurius. 


Back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Branch and Black trimmed Oklahoma’s lead to 5–3 and briefly brought the Bulldogs back into contention. 


However, Mercurius escaped further damage by inducing a key defensive play to end the threat. 


That sequence proved to be one of the most important moments of the game. 


Harris and Walk Take Over 


After surviving Georgia’s rally, Oklahoma immediately answered. 


The Sooners scored in the seventh inning when Jaxon Willits delivered an RBI double to score Kyle Branch, extending the lead to 6–3. Then the Oklahoma power display resumed in the eighth. 


Harris crushed his second home run of the game, a two-run shot into the right-field stands. Shortly afterward, Walk launched his second solo homer of the night, pushing the advantage to 9–3. 


The back-to-back offensive blows effectively ended any hopes of a Georgia comeback. 


Both players entered the game with only four home runs on the season and produced the first multi-home run games of their careers on college baseball’s biggest stage. 


Gambill Leads 15-Hit Attack 


While Harris and Walk provided the power, Trey Gambill delivered one of the best all-around performances of the postseason. 


The designated hitter finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs, including a home run and a double. His four-hit performance marked the first four-hit game of his collegiate career. 


Brendan Brock added three hits, while Willits and Deiten Lachance each contributed two hits. Six different Sooners recorded multi-hit games as Oklahoma finished with 15 hits. 


The balanced production continued a postseason stretch in which Oklahoma averaged more than 10 runs per game. 


Oklahoma’s Historic Power Surge Continues 


The five-home-run performance further solidified Oklahoma’s status as the hottest offense in college baseball. 


The Sooners tied their season high with five home runs and increased their NCAA Tournament total to 26, establishing a new program postseason record. Oklahoma also became one of the most prolific power-hitting teams ever to play at Charles Schwab Field, where offense is often difficult to generate. 


During their eight-game winning streak, the Sooners averaged more than 10 runs per contest while defeating conference champions and national seeds throughout the postseason. 


Their path included victories over Georgia Tech, Kansas, Alabama, and Georgia. 


Branch Provides Final Highlight for Georgia 


Despite the loss, Georgia received a memorable moment from one of its program legends. 


Kolby Branch hit a solo home run in his final collegiate at-bat, giving him 20 home runs for the season and 56 for his career. The senior finished one of the most decorated careers in school history while helping lead Georgia to a school-record 53 wins. 


The Bulldogs also captured both the SEC regular-season championship and SEC Tournament title before reaching the College World Series. 


Championship Series Set 


With the victory, Oklahoma advanced to the College World Series Finals for the second time in five seasons. 


The Sooners earned a matchup against North Carolina in the best-of-three championship series beginning Saturday in Omaha. Oklahoma previously reached the finals in 2022 before finishing as national runner-up. 


North Carolina entered the series after defeating West Virginia earlier Wednesday to reach its first championship series since 2007. 


Final Takeaway 


Oklahoma’s 11–4 victory over Georgia showcased the formula that has fueled one of the nation’s most impressive postseason runs. The Sooners combined elite power hitting, timely pitching, and relentless offensive pressure to eliminate another national contender. 


Georgia produced another historic season and finished with a school-record 53 wins, but Oklahoma’s five-home-run explosion proved too much to overcome. 


With the win, the Sooners advanced to the College World Series championship series and moved within two victories of their first national championship since 1994. 

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