2026 College World Series: North Carolina, Oklahoma to play for NCAA baseball national championship
Sooners catcher Deiten Lachance launched two home runs in Game 1 of the CWS Finals
Scorching offense has been the catalyst behind Oklahoma's surprisingly deep run through the NCAA baseball tournament. The red-hot Sooners bats were put to the test in Game 1 of the College World Series Finals, and once again, they passed with flying colors. They mashed the elite pitching staff of No. 5 North Carolina and rolled to a 9-3 win on Saturday to move one win away from the 2026 national championship.
Both offenses started strong as North Carolina jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the first inning, but the Tar Heels could not sustain their approach at the dish against freshman pitcher Cord Rager and his relievers. A four-run fourth inning broke the game open for the Sooners.
North Carolina ace Jason DeCaro toed the rubber to open the championship series and figured to be a tough matchup for Oklahoma even amid their power surge. Not even the All-American could tame the Sooners' sticks, though. He surrendered two home runs to star catcher Deiten Lachance in a seven-run outing that lasted just 3.2 innings. It was by far his worst start of the season.
Lachance was one of five Oklahoma batters to hit safely multiple times. Jason Walk -- who homered twice in the Bracket 2 championship earlier in the week -- drove in two runs out of the leadoff spot, and nine-hole hitter Kyle Branch logged two RBIs of his own. It was another top-to-bottom hitting clinic from a Sooners lineup that has been seemingly impossible to contain over the last month and change.
Game 2 of the CWS Finals is set for 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. If Oklahoma takes that contest, as well, it will complete an undefeated run through the CWS, secure its first national title since 1994 and make it seven consecutive champions to hail from the SEC.
North Carolina must respond with a victory to force a decisive Game 3, or else it will fall short of winning the first championship in program history.
Check back here throughout the CWS for scores and schedule updates as the brightest stars and most talented squads compete for the 2026 national championship.
2026 College World Series schedule
All times Eastern
Sunday, June 21
CWS Finals, Game 2: No. 5 North Carolina vs. Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. on ABC
Monday, June 22
CWS Finals, Game 3 (if necessary): No. 5 North Carolina vs. Oklahoma, 7 p.m. on ESPN
2026 College World Series results
Friday, June 12
Game 1: No. 16 West Virginia 7, Troy 5
Game 2: No. 5 North Carolina 6, Ole Miss 2
Saturday, June 13
Game 3: Oklahoma 9, No. 7 Alabama 0
Game 4: No. 3 Georgia 7, No. 6 Texas 1
Sunday, June 14
Game 5: Troy 12, Ole Miss 8
Game 6: No. 5 North Carolina 5, No. 16 West Virginia 2
Monday, June 15
Game 7: No. 6 Texas 14, No. 7 Alabama 2
Game 8: Oklahoma 4, No. 3 Georgia 3
Tuesday, June 16
Game 9: No. 16 West Virginia 12, Troy 0
Game 10: No. 3 Georgia 2, No. 6 Texas 0
Wednesday, June 17
Game 11: No. 5 North Carolina 12, No. 16 West Virginia 7
Game 12: Oklahoma 11, No. 3 Georgia 4
2026 College World Series scores, bracket, schedule
Carter Bahns 2 min read2026 College World Series scores, bracket, schedule
