Jun. 29—Controversy ensued over a decision late in Game 2 of the Men’s College World Series between Oklahoma and Ole Miss on Sunday.

(No, not the interference call on OU’s John Spikerman on his run to first base in the sixth inning, taking away a go-ahead RBI. That was the correct call according to the rules of the game, though I think there are still some issues with the way baseball rules are interpreted.)

In this case, I’m talking about OU coach Skip Johnson’s decision to take redshirt freshman Cade Horton off the mound.

The Norman native was playing the best game of his career. Through seven innings pitched, he had recorded 13 strikeouts — that was a career high for Horton and also set the MCWS record for most in a single game — and had surrendered just four hits and two run. He was a key reason why the Sooners held a 2-1 lead late in the game.

But after giving up his fourth hit in the eighth inning, Horton was pulled in favor of Trevin Michael, the Sooners go-to closer on the mound. Michael uncharacteristically struggled in relief duty, and the Rebels finished with three runs in the eighth inning to take the lead and ultimately win the game and the national championship.

Johnson’s decision to pull Horton was met with some criticism by fans and viewers after the game. The Sooners’ season, and the program’s first national title since 1994, were on the line. Couldn’t he have left Horton out there a little longer?

It’s understandable. Part of being a fan includes wanting to see your team win, usually at all costs.

But in this case, for a few different reasons, Johnson made the right call.

Let’s take a look at Horton’s health.

The Norman High School graduate missed all of the 2021 season with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, a serious and not uncommon procedure for pitchers. Johnson was patient with Horton’s recovery, opting to play him at third base to begin the year.

Horton didn’t make his collegiate pitching debut until late March, and didn’t start a game until mid April. He made nine mound appearances before he surpassed 75 total pitches in a game.

By the time he was pulled against Ole Miss, he had thrown a season-high 107 pitches.

That’s not just a lot for Horton. It’s a lot for any college pitcher.

Freshmen starters average around 90 pitches per NCAA Tournament game, per research from the Hardball Times. Only 8.7 percent of the time do freshman pitchers throw more than 115 pitches in a tournament game.

“[Cade] wanted to go back out that inning, and I said [if one guy gets a hit], we’re going to go to Trevin,” Johnson said. “Sooner or later, we as coaches and as pitching coach, I’ve got to take the ball out of his hand because he’s going to go until he can’t go anymore.”

Horton had played a key role in the Sooners’ postseason success, but Michael had been huge as a closer. In his previous five outings entering Game 2 against Ole Miss, he had surrendered just four hits and zero runs in 10.2 innings pitched. That stretch included the Sooners’ three MCWS wins entering the championship series.

He had been essential, and just had a rare bad inning at a bad time.

“I wouldn’t want anybody behind the plate other than [catcher] Jimmy Crooks or Trevin to close the game,” Johnson said.

But the key reason that it was the right call is Horton’s future.

He finished the season with a respectable 4.86 ERA, but he elevated his performance in the postseason. He recorded 40 strikeouts in four postseason starts, surrendering just eight runs in 25.1 innings pitched.

He’s eligible to forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2022 MLB draft in July. His draft stock skyrocketed during the postseason, with some experts projecting Horton as a first-round pick should he declare.

Given Horton’s high-pitch count, injury history and potential MLB future, Johnson was faced with a tough choice: push your star pitcher even farther in pursuit of a championship at the risk of injury, or prioritize his health and hope your closer can seal the deal.

Johnson made the tough but admirable choice. He wasn’t willing to risk Horton’s future at any cost. He made a decision bigger than the game.

“Cade was at the end of his rope, and he wanted to keep going, and I’ve got to look out for him and his future,” Johnson said.

It was the right call.