Oklahoma baseball 2025 season preview: 3 biggest games, key players, predictions and more
The Oklahoma Sooners enjoyed incredible highs and massive lows in the 2024 NCAA Baseball season. In their last season as part of the Big 12 conference, they won the Big 12 regular season for the first time in program history with an impressive 23-7 conference record.
The Sooners fell just short of winning the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, losing to their fierce rivals, the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Despite that, the Sooners earned the No. 9 seed in the postseason, while the Cowboys earned the No. 10 seed.
They failed to recreate their regular season form in the postseason, suffering a shock exit in the Norman Regional at the hands of the UConn Huskies, who were seeded third in the regional.
The Sooners and the Texas Longhorns will be part of the SEC from 2025, bringing a fresh set of challenges for coach Skip Johnson and his roster. Soon after the end of the season, the Sooners tied Johnson down to a new contract that would keep him as their head coach through the 2029 season.
Here, let's preview Oklahoma's ahead of the 2025 NCAA Baseball season.
3 key games for Oklahoma Baseball in the 2025 season
1. Texas Longhorns
The expansion of the SEC will see both debutants feature as one of their two permanent opponents for the 2025 season. The Longhorns have made major moves in the off-season, the biggest one being prizing coach Jim Schlossnagle away from the Texas A&M Aggies.
Their rivalry looks set to intensify in 2025, given both teams' desire to impress in their maiden season in the SEC. They are likely to compete for top honors in the regular season and potentially in the postseason.
2. Tennessee Volunteers
The Sooners and the Vols faced each other just once this year, with the former coming out on top during their clash in the Shriners Children's College Showdown. The Vols will be the team to beat in 2025 following an impressive 2024 season in which they won their maiden College World Series.
To fuel their ambitions of succeeding in the SEC and potentially the postseason, the Sooners will need to overcome the threat posed by the Vols in 2025.
3. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Although the Sooners have left the Big 12, the Bedlam rivalry will continue next year. The Cowboys came out in their home series and beat the Sooners in the Big 12 Championship game to clinch the tournament.
The Sooners will be keen on revenge in 2025, which is likely to fuel what is arguably one of the fiercest rivalries in college baseball even further.
Key players for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2025
1. Jaxon Willits, INF
Willits enjoyed an impressive freshman season with the Sooners this year. He was one of the Sooners' top hitters in 2024, recording 10 home runs and 39 RBI with an average of .268 in 57 games.
Following a solid freshman season, Skip Johnson will expect Willits to take on a bigger role in his sophomore season next year.
2. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP
The Sooners picked up Witherspoon from the transfer portal prior to the start of the 2024 season. He established himself as one of their reliable starting pitchers, recording 90 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.71 in 17 appearances.
Witherspoon will be keen to establish himself as one of the top prospects in next year's MLB draft. He is expected to be the Sooners' starting pitcher in 2025, and his form could go a long way in determining how far the team can go.
3. Easton Carmichael, C
Carmichael showed his talent to keep the Sooners' scoreboard ticking consistently in several games this year. He recorded seven home runs and led all Sooners hitters in RBI (64) and batting average (.366).
With the Sooners losing some of their top bats in this year's draft, Carmichael will be expected to lead their hitting line-up in 2025.
Predicting Oklahoma Sooners' 2025 season
The Sooners have made efforts in the off-season to cover the gaps left by their losses in the 2024 MLB draft. They could face major challenges in their maiden season in the SEC, given that 11 teams from the conference made the postseason this year.
They will likely produce a regular season, earning them an at-large bid to qualify for the postseason. However, the two-time College World Series winners are not among the teams favored to make the field of eight in Omaha.