Oklahoma's Power Play Secures Spot in College World Series Finals with 11-4 Victory Over Georgia

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Jason Walk and Dasan Harris each launched two home runs, while Trey Gambill contributed another, propelling the Oklahoma Sooners to an 11-4 triumph over the Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday night. This victory sends the Sooners (41-22) to the finals of the College World Series, where they will face off against North Carolina in a best-of-three championship series starting Saturday. This marks Oklahoma's first appearance in the finals since 2022 as they vie for their third national title in baseball.

The Sooners displayed a remarkable offensive performance, hitting five home runs, their highest total of the season. This power surge highlights a trend for Oklahoma, which has been on an impressive hitting streak since mid-May. In the last 16 games alone, the Sooners have belted 43 of their 91 homers, with 26 coming during the NCAA Tournament.

Walk and Harris, who each entered the game with just four home runs this season, were instrumental in the victory. Walk blasted a wind-assisted shot 417 feet into center field to start the scoring in the third inning. Following this, Gambill and Harris both homered in the fourth inning, extending Oklahoma's lead to 4-0 and knocking Georgia's starter, Paul Farley (8-2), out of the game. The duo struck again in the eighth inning to push the lead to six runs.

Harris had a standout performance, racking up five RBIs, his highest total in 107 career games, while three of his six home runs have come in the last four outings. On the mound, freshman Nick Wesloski (2-1) held Georgia (53-14) to just one run through five innings before facing challenges in the sixth, resulting in his exit with two outs and runners on base. Reliever LJ Mercurius eventually walked in two runs but secured his fourth save, allowing one run on two hits over 3 1/3 innings.

Despite having one of the most formidable offenses in the country, Georgia struggled to find their rhythm at the expansive Charles Schwab Field. They entered the College World Series with a program-record 174 home runs and impressive statistics, including an average of 9.4 runs per game and a .326 batting average. However, throughout four CWS games, they averaged just four runs per game and finished with a batting average of .183. Daniel Jackson, who earned the Dick Howser Trophy as the nation’s player of the year, managed a .157 average with one home run in the tournament, bringing his season total to 32.