OU baseball (10-2) lost to Gonzaga (3-7) 7-1 at Kimrey Family Stadium Sunday, closing out the series 2-1.
'When you try, you fail in this game': OU baseball head coach Skip Johnson on the offensive performance against Gonzaga
Here are the takeaways:
OU’s slow start in series finale
OU was unable to get into a rhythm early on, remaining scoreless through the first five innings while Gonzaga scored two runs in that timeframe. The Sooners were never able to overcome the slow start.
This marks the first time this season the Sooners have been held to zero runs in the first five innings, with the closest being the opening game against Texas Tech when they were held scoreless through four innings in the 10-3 victory.
Coach Skip Johnson stated how important getting early momentum is, especially in the first inning.
“Games are won and lost in the first inning, …” Johnson said. “If you can score early, everybody's fastball gets better; their breaking ball gets better.”
The Sooners ended the series on a rough note after the poor start, only scoring one run after 25 runs in the first two games of the series.
Brendan Brock does it again
With the Sooners remaining scoreless in the bottom of the sixth inning, junior catcher and outfielder Brendan Brock provided another spark for the Sooners.
Brock hit a solo home run to cut the deficit down to one, which provided a much-needed momentum shift. Brock finished the game with a team-high one home run and one run batted in, along with five putouts and a .371 batting average.
“That's how you play offense — you have quality at bats (and) don't give in, …” Johnson said.
Brock ended the series against Gonzaga with a team-high two home runs with four runs batted in, three walks and 14 putouts.
Brock has now improved his season statistics to a team-high four home runs and is tied for a team-high 13 hits, 60 putouts and 15 runs batted in.
Brock blastin' 🚀@brendanbrockk pic.twitter.com/ZiMKelR4FZ
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) March 1, 2026
OU pitching struggles
The Sooners used six different pitchers against Gonzaga on Sunday, with freshman left-handed pitcher Cord Rager throwing a majority of the pitches.
Rager threw 68 total pitches, throwing 49 strikes while giving up three hits and two runs and accumulating a 1.80 earned run average. Senior pitcher Jackson Cleveland threw the second-most pitches for OU, throwing 16 strikes on 25 pitches. He also gave up two hits and three runs, accumulating a 7.20 earned run average.
OU struggled to find a go-to-pitcher in the game, which played a part in the Sooners giving up five runs in the top of the ninth inning to put the game well out of reach.
Next, the Sooners will take on Dallas Baptist University at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kimrey Family Stadium.
This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel.
