Sooners Await NCAA Fate After Loss To Cowboys In Big 12 Tournament

John Spikerman registered two hits and two RBIs Friday night, but the Oklahoma baseball team fell to No. 18 Oklahoma State 8-3 in an elimination game of the 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field.

Spikerman, who was 5 for 10 with five walks and a .688 OBP in the tournament, was hit by a pitch with the based loaded in the fifth inning and lined an RBI single in the seventh inning. Both of his RBIs plated Jackson Nicklaus, who singled in the fifth inning and finished the tournament 4 for 7 with three walks and five runs scored.

The Sooners (31-26) cut the OSU lead to 5-1 in the fifth inning and to 6-3 with two runs in the seventh. The Cowboys (39-17) scored five runs in the second inning, then added a run in the sixth and two in the seventh.

OU starter Will Carsten (1-3) took the loss while Ben Abram (8-2) earned the win for OSU.

"Hats off to Oklahoma State for making some good pitches and putting men in scoring position. I thought that was the separator in the game, that we didn't hit with men in scoring position," Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson said. "We were down and got some hits and had those innings with the bases loaded, but you have to tip your cap to Oklahoma State for rolling the double plays."

Oklahoma State scored five runs in the second inning on a three-run home run by David Mendham, an RBI single by Roc Riggio and a sacrifice fly by Carson Benge. The Sooners got a run back with one out in the top of the fifth on the bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. A double play followed, however, ending the scoring threat.

Aaron Weber came on in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and retired three straight batters, getting out of the inning allowing only a sacrifice fly that made the score 6-1. Oklahoma pulled within 6-3 in the top of the seventh on a based-loaded single by Spikerman and an RBI groundout by Kendall Pettis. The Cowboys, however, scored two in the bottom of the inning on a two-run single by Mendham to reach the final margin.

A double play also ended the top of the sixth inning, with two runners on base, preventing Oklahoma from scoring in the frame. After plating the two runs in the seventh, the Sooners had runners on second and third, but a pair of strikeouts ended the inning.

Jett Lodes matched his career high with 3.0 innings in relief of Carsten. James Hitt got the final two outs of the fifth inning and gave way to Weber in the sixth, who tossed the final three frames.

Oklahoma now awaits a potential NCAA Tournament selection, which will be announced with the bracket reveal at 11 a.m. Monday on ESPN2.