It was beautiful. Something I’ll remember forever. Especially in this era of NIL and the transfer portal… it was a refreshing break from all of that. This OU baseball team was a bottom third team in the SEC as far as NIL money paid to players. There were 13 jucos on this roster. This was a little different.
This last month of OU baseball will be immortalized even beyond the two previous baseball national championsips from 1951 and 1994. This was even more special.
Last night was surreal. Jaxon Willits was spot on. Surreal is the word for what these Sooners did in this NCAA Tournament and the College World Series in Omaha. These guys were down 8-2 in an elimination game in Atlanta to the No. 2 team in the country. There can be no other word for it… surreal.
It kind of reminds me of what the Washington Nationals did a few years back when they jelled late under manager Dave Martinez and behind that strong pitching staff stunned the world by winning their first ever franchise World Series.
The highlights of this OU run for me are plentiful. There’s a montage of plays I’ll never forget:
Dayton Tockey’s walk-off homer in Atlanta to beat Georgia Tech. Kyle Branch’s three run homer on Championship Monday. Dasan Harris’s perfect throw from right field to nail a North Carolina baserunner at third. Big Maple lumbering around the bases on sprained ankle like Kirk Gibson rounding the bases after going yard. The rock solid steady play and leadership from MVP Jaxon Willits.
Even last night added to the playlist when new OU AD Roger Denny revealed Skip Johnson’s real first name was Arthur Ray. I never knew that previously. Arthur Ray Johnson…national championship coach has a nice ring to it.
One assistant coach has already left for Florida. I’m sure in this era of college athletics there will be other departures. But for me…for these past four weeks, and especially on this one night—this was a joyous departure from what college athletics has become.
It was joyful, almost innocent.
But most all it was surreal.
For that I’m grateful… I was still around to take it all in.
Mike J