ATLANTA, Ga. – Third-seeded The Citadel (35-24) opens the program's first NCAA regional since 2010 against the two-seeded Oklahoma Sooners (32-21) on Friday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
Game Notes (PDF)
 
Weekend Weather
The Friday weather in Atlanta, Ga., shows cloudy skies with a chance of showers in the evening, a high of 81, and a low of 69. Saturday continues to show chances of showers throughout the afternoon, with a high of 82 and a low of 68. Sunday predicts showers throughout the day, with a high of 74 and a low of 65.
 
ESPN+
The matchup between the Bulldogs and the Sooners will broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Radio
Brian Giffin, the voice of The Citadel Bulldogs, will call each of the Bulldogs' games during the NCAA Championship on 102.1 FM and 1450 AM.
 
Series History vs. Oklahoma
The Friday afternoon contest against The Citadel will serve as just the second meeting between the two programs with the Sooners owning the lone series victory, a tight 9-7 win back in 2014 as part of the UCF Baseball Tournament in Orlando, Fla.
 
Scouting Oklahoma
Second-seeded Oklahoma tallied a 32-21 overall mark on the year with a 14-16 record in SEC play. The Sooners wrapped up the campaign ranked 24th in the RPI after battling through a strength of schedule slotted as seventh nationally. Most recently, Oklahoma faltered against LSU in the opening round of the SEC Championship, 6-2. During the year, the Sooners notched a number of key victories, including Auburn (4/25), Alabama (4/3), Florida (5/1), a pair against Texas A&M (3/13 & 3/15), Arkansas (5/10) and Oklahoma State (2/14).
 
The Sooners are batting .280 as a team, with 477 hits, 91 doubles, 17 triples, 65 home runs, and 329 RBIs. Oklahoma has 114 stolen bases this season. Dasan Harris leads the team with a .356 batting average, and Deiten Lachance paces the power hitting with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs.
 
The Sooners' pitching staff has posted a team ERA of 5.33 over 450.2 innings, allowing 399 hits and 267 earned runs while striking out 534 batters.
 
2026 Southern Conference Champs
The Citadel edged Samford in the Southern Conference Championship final, topping the opposing Bulldogs via a 3-1 decision Saturday evening at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. With the victory, the Bulldogs cemented the program's 22nd SoCon title and first since the 2010 campaign.
 
Michael Gibson was named the winner of the Walt Nadzak Award, presented to the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Will Holmes, Phillips Daniels, Zach Hunt, Lane Tobin, and Christian Stratis were named to the All-Tournament team.
 
Bulldogs in the Dance
The Bulldogs head into their 14th NCAA regional with a 14-26 overall NCAA tournament record, last registering a postseason victory in the opening contest of the 2010 Columbia Regional against Virginia Tech, 7-2.
 
The 100-Strikeout Club Gains an Arm
Will Holmes joins an exclusive list of Bulldogs as the 14th pitcher all-time to enter the single-season 100-strikeout club. He currently ranks 12th all-time with 112 strikeouts, narrowly trailing current pitching coach James Reeves, who recorded 115 strikeouts in 2015. Prior to Holmes, the most recent addition was former Bulldog and current MLB pitcher JP Sears, who notched 142 punchouts during the 2017 campaign. Notably, Holmes serves as just the fifth addition to the esteemed list this century, highlighted by Sears (2017), Reeves (2015), Asher Wojciechowski (2010) and Jonathan Ellis (2004).