Skip to main content
Oklahoma
Join Now

OU baseball suffers first loss of the season

Eddie On3by: Eddie Radosevich02/25/26

There’s going to be days like this in college baseball, even for this OU team. 

Oklahoma suffered its first loss of the season on Tuesday at Kimrey Family Stadium, run-ruled 15-3 by visiting Arizona State. 

The Sun Devils pounded out 15 hits, scoring eight in the second off starter Michael Catalano. 

After Sooners right fielder Nolan Stevens blasted his first home run as a Sooner over the right field fence to cut the deficit to 8-2, ASU responded in the third by sending 10 to the plate, highlighted by Landon Hairston’s second home run of the game. 

Ten of the Sun Devils 15 knocks went for extra bases, including six doubles and four home runs. 

Tough day on the bump for Oklahoma. Unexpected in a sense following the hot start to the Sooners season. Jaxon Willits connected for his first home run of the year in the fourth. The Sooners committed as many errors (3) as they had hits.

Catalano struggled. Sophomore left hander Jaden Barfield didn’t even record an out in the Sun Devils six run third. 

What can be learned of Tuesday’s mess? 

“Not to try so hard. (Michael) Catalano was trying to make them swing and miss,” OU head coach Skip Johnson said. “Overcompeting. Couldn’t throw a secondary pitch for a strike. That’s what is going to happen to ya especially against a good baseball team.

“They took advantage of some walks. Then they got some big hits. We had a chance to flip the script on them and we didn’t get the hits because we tried really hard to change the score instead of just having a good at-bat.” 

MISSED OPPORTUNITY IN THE FOURTH

Look no further than the Sooners fourth inning and trying too hard than Dayton Tockey’s at-bat. Oklahoma had loaded the bases with one out. Despite the score being 14-3 at the time, anything can happen in college baseball with a little momentum. Base hit here. A three-run home run there and you’re back in the game.

Instead of that script flipping at-bat, Tockey struck out. A big second out in a juncture that could have changed the game. It was a deflating moment in a game filled with many other less than moments. 

“There’s no doubt about that. He’s trying extremely hard. He’s trying to get hits instead of playing baseball. That’s what happens in this game when you try too hard you fail,” said Johnson. 

BOUNCE BACK WEDNESDAY

Now the focus turns to Wednesday. OU will turn to left-handed pitcher Gavyn Jones on the mound, looking to split the midweek series with Arizona State. First pitch set for 4 p.m. 

You may also like