What's next for OU baseball following its College World Series run? 'We've got to continue to grow'

OMAHA, Neb. — Skip Johnson didn't want to look back. He only wanted to look forward.

Following his baseball team's season-ending loss to Ole Miss on Sunday in Game 2 of the College World Series finals, the OU head coach was asked to reflect on the Sooners' storybook postseason run.

"Are you able to have an appreciation for this year and everything the team accomplished and this run?" a reporter asked Johnson after the game.

"No, not really," Johnson responded. "I wanted to win the national championship. That's what my goal was. It'll continue to be my goal."

OU will have to chase that goal next season without some familiar faces. 

More: Which OU players boosted their MLB Draft stock the most with CWS run?

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Pitchers Jake Bennett and Cade Horton will surely get selected in the early rounds of the upcoming MLB Draft. Top batters Peyton Graham, Jimmy Crooks, Blake Robertson and Tanner Tredaway should also hear their names called.

But all hope isn't lost for OU, which had the youngest team in this College World Series.

A trio of freshmen emerged as rotational players. Wallace Clark made the Big 12 All-Freshman team after tallying 27 RBIs and 31 runs on .257 hitting.

John Spikerman batted first in the lineup and recorded 30 runs with an on-base percentage of .434. Then there was Jackson Nicklaus, who had 36 RBIs and 48 runs on .288 hitting in his debut season.

"I kind of knew whenever we got here in the fall," Clark said of OU's freshman class. "Everyone was competing from day one and everybody showed a lot of promise. And just from the very beginning, I knew we had a special class in the making right now."

OU is also expected to bring back Kendall Pettis, who was the heart and soul at the bottom of the order.

The redshirt sophomore took pride in occupying the No. 9 spot, which is usually reserved for a team's worst batter. Pettis finished the season with 27 RBIs, 45 runs and 22 steals on .259 hitting. He was named the Gainesville Regional's Most Outstanding Player.

"Really, it's the intangibles, what's inside his mind and what's inside his heart," Johnson said of Pettis. "He's an unbelievable kid. He was a leader when he stepped in here."

More: How Kendall Pettis recovered to break out for OU baseball on College World Series run

Who will be OU's top pitcher in 2023?

OU must find a new leader on the mound for next season.

Its top candidate is David Sandlin, should he return. The Owasso native recorded a 5.59 ERA in his redshirt sophomore campaign, but he saved his best for last.

Sandlin had a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed just one run in seven innings to help OU earn a 5-1 win over Texas A&M on June 22. The victory advanced the Sooners to the CWS finals.

Chazz Martinez will have a larger role. The redshirt sophomore recorded a 5.32 ERA in his first year with the team after transferring from Orange Coast College.

OU must find a go-to closer following the graduation of Trevin Michael, who had a team-high 10 saves this season. That job will likely go to Jaret Godman, a redshirt junior who ranked second on the team with three saves.

Carlson: College World Series 'what ifs' shouldn't cloud OU baseball's amazing season

Regardless of how OU's roster for next season shakes out, the goal remains the same.

The Sooners will keep searching for their first national championship since 1994, and Johnson will keep giving his team the same words of encouragement.

"First thing is you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it," Johnson said. "What they did and what they accomplished was incredible. We've got to continue to grow as a team."

Justin Martinez can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or @JTheSportsDude on Twitter. Make sure to subscribe to The Oklahoman to stay up to date with all local sports.