Skip Johnson has turned to his three-headed trio in the bullpen – senior left-hander James Hitt, sophomore right-hander Jason Bodin, and senior right-hander Dylan Crooks – as much as anyone in the SEC this year.
Coming into Thursday’s game against No. 3 Texas (41-10, 21-7 SEC), Bodin and Hitt each rank in the top five in appearances in the SEC this season. However, the bullpen allowed four runs in 2.2 innings of work Thursday, as the Longhorns defeated Oklahoma (32-18, 13-15 SEC) 7-4 in the series opener.
“I thought they played their butts off all night long,” Johnson said Thursday. “And I’m gonna give the ball to Dylan Crooks with a tie game all day long.”
With junior right-hander Kyson Witherspoon posting another solid start in what is likely his final start at L. Dale Mitchell Park, the Sooners were in a position that they’ve found themselves in multiple times this season, but Thursday’s contest got away from them.
fire us up, @kybone904 🗣️8 K's through six 🦴 pic.twitter.com/5qhXApT4lT
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) May 16, 2025
The Sooners led 3-1 after six innings with the offense coming from junior outfielder Trey Gambill and junior catcher Easton Carmichael, but went into the bottom of the eighth trailing 4-3.
OU managed just five hits Thursday and went 5-31 (.161) in the loss. Since junior infielder Dayton Tockey suffered an injury against Georgia, the Sooners have managed to put up five runs three times over the past nine games.
first. pitch. swingin'. 🚀 @gambill_trey pic.twitter.com/0x16039hbD
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) May 16, 2025
After sophomore infielder Jaxon Willits lashed a single through the left side to tie the game at 4-4, Johnson turned to Crooks in his usual ninth-inning role.
The first two Longhorns reached base to start the inning, then right fielder Max Belyeu, who hadn’t played since March 28, hit a go-ahead three-run home run off the batter's eye in center field to give Texas the lead for good.
With the loss on Thursday, the Sooners have now lost five games in a row. Next, OU and Texas will face off in the second game of the series at 6:30 p.m. Friday at L. Dale Mitchell Park on SEC Network+.
What channel is Oklahoma vs. Texas on today?
TV: SEC Network+
Start time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: L. Dale Mitchell Park
Notes: OU ends the regular season against Texas, with the series opener on Thursday. The Sooners were swept by Kentucky last weekend, and fell out of D1 Baseball’s Top 25 this week. OU is tied for 10th in the SEC with Kentucky and Florida, while the Longhorns hold the best record in the conference. Junior right-hander Kyson Witherspoon will start for the Sooners in the series opener. Witherspoon is 9-3 with a 2.45 earned run average across 13 starts this season.
Oklahoma Baseball Schedule
Feb. 14: OU 11, Lehigh 3; OU 13, Lehigh 3 (8 innings)
Feb. 15: OU 12, Lehigh 1 (7 innings)
Feb. 21: OU 3, Minnesota 2
Feb. 22: OU 8, Oregon State 4
Feb. 23: OU 5, Virginia 4 (12 innings)
Feb. 25: OU 15, Texas Southern 4 (7 innings)
Feb. 26: OU 5, Texas Southern 4
Feb. 28: OU 9, CSUN 0
March 1: OU 10, CSUN 2
March 2: OU 3, CSUN 2
March 4: Dallas Baptist 11, OU 0 (7 innings)
March 7: OU 6, Sam Houston 5
March 9: OU 7, Sam Houston 3; OU 9, Sam Houston 7 (7 innings)
March 12: OU 9, Louisiana Tech 5
March 14: OU 8, South Carolina 5
March 15: South Carolina 11, OU 5
March 16: OU 6, South Carolina 5 (10 innings)
March 18: OU 7, UT Arlington 6
March 21: Mississippi State 2, OU 1
March 22: OU 13, Mississippi State 11
March 23: OU 7, Mississippi State 3
March 25: OU 11, Oral Roberts 2
March 28: Alabama 8, OU 6
March 29: OU 6, Alabama 5
March 30: Alabama 8, OU 6
April 1: OU 8, Texas Tech 6
April 3: LSU 2, OU 0
April 4: LSU 10, OU 2
April 5: LSU 3, OU 2
April 8: Dallas Baptist 9, OU 1
April 11: OU 9, Vanderbilt 4
April 12: OU 14, Vanderbilt 0 (7 innings)
April 13: Vanderbilt 13, OU 2 (8 innings)
April 15: OU 11, Oklahoma State 1 (8 innings)
April 17: OU 17, Missouri 4 (8 innings)
April 18: OU 17, Missouri 7 (8 innings); OU 12, Missouri 1 (7 innings)
April 22: Oral Roberts 5, OU 3
April 24: OU 8, Georgia 6
April 25: Georgia 10, OU 9
April 26: Georgia 6, OU 3
May 2: OU 2, Mississippi 0
May 3: OU 5, Mississippi 3
May 4: Mississippi 7, OU 3
May 9: Kentucky 4, OU 3
May 10: Kentucky 8, OU 5
May 11: Kentucky 7, OU 2
May 15: vs. Texas at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+
May 16: vs. Texas at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+
May 17: vs. Texas at 2 p.m. on SEC Network+
This story was edited by Parker Coyne.
