It’s over: Oklahoma defeats KU at Super Regional to end Jayhawks’ dream season
The Kansas baseball team will not compete in the College World Series — which it was aiming to do for the second time in school history — this weekend.
Oklahoma of the Southeastern Conference eliminated the Jayhawks from CWS contention by slugging the Jayhawks 13-2 on Monday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark. OU had defeated Kansas 8-1 Saturday in the opening game of a three-game set which qualified the winner for the CWS in Omaha.
The Jayhawks, who were trying to reach the CWS for the first time since 1993, were unable to close the gap on the Sooners on Monday. OU led the eventual deciding contest 8-1 when it was postponed because of lightning on Sunday night.
KU, which won the Big 12 regular season and postseason tourney titles, finished the season 45-17. The 45 wins tie the 1993 KU team for most wins in a season.
“This is a lot bigger than baseball. It’s the time. It’s the experience. It’s the journey. This was a wild one and one I’m incredibly grateful for,” an emotional KU coach Dan Fitzgerald said in the interview room after the game.
“You don’t want it to end,” the fourth-year KU coach added, “because I know you don’t win a national championship and then everything’s fixed. To me, it’s the journey, watching guys grow in their faith, all those things. We’ve got to continue to build and we’ll continue to do that.”
On Monday, OU put the continuation of Sunday’s game away with a four-run sixth inning that gave the Sooners a 12-1 lead.
Deiten Lachance ripped a two-run home run, his 15th of the season. It came off KU closer Boede Rahe. Next, Dasan Harris launched a two-run homer off Toby Scheidt.
The 12-1 deficit was insurmountable but not the 8-1 score heading into Monday’s continuation.
“I think they knew it was a reset,” Fitzgerald said of the continuation of the game down seven runs. “But yes, there was a quick message at the beginning of it to try to get this back on track. You know, 8-1 is doable.
“I’m always optimistic that we’re a leadoff guy away from getting on and getting something rolling, and we’ve scored so late in so many games. We have to be the greatest eighth inning scoring team in college baseball history. I swear, we scored in the eighth inning of every game this year, and so there was always that belief.”
In the end, though, the Jayhawks fell short.
“We just couldn’t string it together, and when you’re chasing runs like that, whether it’s down eight or down whatever, you have to play for a big inning,” Fitzgerald said. “Which really limits the creativity that you can do.
“We just couldn’t get into a groove. They just did a really good job of executing, and we just couldn’t get it rolling.”
KU’s Tyson LeBlanc made it 12-2 in the eighth by slugging his 25th homer of the season.
Oklahoma, which was the designated home team, took a 1-0 lead in the first. Jason Walk doubled, then moved to third on a bunt single by Camden Johnson. Starter Mason Cook enticed Deiten Lachance into a 6-4-3 double play that scored the run.
KU tied the game with a run in the top of the second. Big hit was Jordan Bach’s single through the shift on the left side of the infield, which scored Josh Dykhoff from second base.
The Sooners knocked out KU starter Cook in a second inning in which OU scored six runs off three hits with one KU error.
Dasan Harris rapped an RBI single that beat the shift that gave OU a 2-1 lead. With two on and one out, a Cook wild pitch moved runners to first and third. Kyle Branch plated a runner from third on a safety squeeze in which Cook bobbled the ball for an error.
After a balk put runners on second and third followed by a walk, Fitzgerald removed Cook in favor of reliever Riane Ritter.
Johnson walked to force in a run and make it 4-1. Lachance then socked a two-run double to make it 6-1. Brock was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 7-1.
Fitzgerald inserted closer Boede Rahe to start the third inning. Dayton Tockey greeted him with a home run as OU’s lead grew to 8-1. At that point a lightning bolt forced a delay.
This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 2:33 PM.
