AP Photo/John Peterson
Only four baseball teams remained in the NCAA Men’s College World Series as of Wednesday.
Oklahoma, hoping to repeat the Sooners’ softball team’s championship success of 2022, entered the day in Omaha, Nebraska to reach the best-of-three finals with a win over Texas A&M.
Coming to the CWS Finals for the first time, Ole Miss had a chance to make it to the finals by defeating SEC rivals Arkansas.
The final four teams were in the double-elimination portion of the College World Series. Texas A&M and Arkansas started Wednesday with one loss each, so they needed two from undefeated Oklahoma and Ole Miss to stay alive this round.
Here’s a look at the day’s action alongside the remaining schedule.
Wednesday’s results
Oklahoma 5, Texas A&M 1 (Oklahoma advances to CWS Finals.)
Arkansas 3, Ole Miss 2
The schedule for Thursday
Ole Miss vs. Arkansas: 7 p.m. ET (eliminator to determine CWS finalist)
College World Series Finals Schedule (Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss/Arkansas Winner)
Game 1: Saturday, June 25 at 7pm ET
Game 2: Sunday, June 26 at 3pm ET
Game 3 (if required): Monday, June 27 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Oklahoma 5, Texas A&M 1
The Battery led the Sooners to their first CWS appearance since 1994 after a 5-1 win over Texas A&M.
On the mound, starting pitcher David Sandlin hit 12 over seven innings of a one-run ball.
Oklahoma Baseball @OU_Baseball
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ถ๐. a Big 12 pitcher in one #MCWS-Game. #Sooners | #oklahOMAHA pic.twitter.com/oQwMrBPKts
Oklahoma Baseball @OU_Baseball
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐ง has a ๐๐จ๐ณ๐๐ง strikeout after seven.@Sandman__29
๐ /t.co/MaU7VN0WmN”>pic.twitter.com/MaU7VN0WmN
At the bowl, catcher Jimmy Crooks offensively gave OU all it took with a three-run homer from the first inning.
Oklahoma Baseball @OU_Baseball
๐๐ถ๐บ๐บ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฃ
๐บ ESPN@jimmy_crooks22 | #LaunchPad
โ https://t.co/GliHPxrKAm pic.twitter.com/mr43UkpPvl
Peyton Graham added another run for the Sooners after hitting a double in the third inning and scoring from an error.
Sandlin ran into some trouble at the head of the fourth after Austin Bost left and Ryan Targac singled, but the right-hander battered the next three batters to maintain a 4-0 lead.
OU scored its fifth and final heat when Tanner Treadway tapped John Spikerman with an RBI single to extend his hitting streak 17 games.
The Aggies got one back thanks to a solo home run from Dylan Rock in the sixth, but they couldn’t get a runner past first base for the rest of the game.
Texas A&M Baseball @AggieBaseball
Rock gets one back! ๐ชจโญ๏ธ pic.twitter.com/DWQfhT6PIc
The Sooners improved to 45-22 over the year. They are looking for their third College World Series crown. The Aggies finished the season 44-20.
Arkansas 3, Ole Miss 2
Arkansas survived a late Ole Miss rally to defeat the Rebels 3-2 and force a win-or-go home game Thursday for second championship spot.
The two teams traded solo homers in the second inning to get on the board. Chris Lanzilli did the honors for Arkansas while Kemp Alderman did it for Ole Miss.
Arkansas Baseball @RazorbackBSB
Career HR No. 53 for @Chrislanz20 pic.twitter.com/lBQw0Hvla8
Ole Miss Baseball @OleMissBSB
KEMP ANSWERS!
๐บ ESPN pic.twitter.com/I4Sa9VLV0q
Neither team scored until the fifth goal, when Brady Slavens gave Arkansas a 2-1 lead with a moonshot on dead midfield.
Arkansas Baseball @RazorbackBSB
In this stadium you almost never see anyone walking in the middle…
Except if it @brady_slavens pic.twitter.com/FSLONtRooZ
NCAA baseball @NCAA Baseball
This explosion brings @brady_slavens the longest HR distance of the 2022 Men’s College World Series!#MCWS x @RazorbackBSB pic.twitter.com/UdjfXuzJS0
NCAA baseball @NCAA Baseball
Did you know thatโ๏ธ @brady_slavens is the 3rd player to ever hit a home run in the gap between in a college game? the seats in CF below @CharlesSchwabFO, along with Florida’s Peter Alonso and Florida’s Dylan Busby. Like Slavens; Alonso & Busby’s home runs also came during the #MCWS. pic.twitter.com/VAUFv3abc0
Arkansas Baseball @RazorbackBSB
Noisy @NCAABaseball:@brady_slavenss 436-foot thingy is the longest-chasing home run in College World Series history at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. pic.twitter.com/bkaMdRs6jC
Arkansas scored again in the eighth after a single from Michael Turner scored Cayden Wallace, who doubled to start the inning.
Arkansas Baseball @RazorbackBSB
Insurance operation provided by none other than @MBTurner5 pic.twitter.com/ii7yGBibGB
The Razorbacks had the potential for a monster frame after charging bases with an out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat.
Both teams traded 1-2-3 innings before Ole Miss’s final shot in the bottom of the ninth. An Alderman single and a pair of hit batsmen loaded the bases with no one outside.
Left-handed pitcher Zack Morris then came out relieved and registered a strikeout and flyout to short left field to get his first two batters.
However, an RBI single in Justin Bench’s field cut the lead in half. Jacob Gonzalez then went to the plate and had a chance to send the Rebels through to the finals. He served one into left field, but Jace Bohrofen caught the easy flyout to end the game.
Arkansas Baseball @RazorbackBSB
In @ZackMorris55 we trust pic.twitter.com/pbXrZVAnsJ
Alderman’s three goals led all players. Wallace, Lanzilli and Slavens each had two for Ole Miss.
On the mound, Arkansas starting pitcher Hagen Smith and relief pitcher Evan Taylor combined for eight innings with one-run ball and 12 strikeouts.
Now it’s up for both teams: Arkansas and Ole Miss meet again Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET, with the championship winner taking on the Sooners.