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Jaxon Willits (Photo by David Buono/Getty Images via Icon SportsWire)

The 2026 college baseball season is almost here. As such, we’re breaking down every preseason Top 25 team in greater detail. Check out Oklahoma’s 2026 season preview below.

Quick Hits

Last Season: 38-22 (14-16 SEC); Eliminated in Chapel Hill Regional

Final 2025 Ranking: Unranked

Coach (Record at school): Skip Johnson (267-175, 9th season)

College Baseball Top 25 Skinny

Oklahoma’s first season in the SEC was more stabilizing than spectacular, and that alone carried value. The Sooners finished with 38 wins and a 14-16 league record, avoiding the turbulence that often accompanies a conference jump of that magnitude. Oklahoma belonged, even if the ceiling remained out of reach. The follow-up has been assertive. The Sooners signed a quartet of top-100 transfers and added several other players capable of contributing immediately, while also bringing back a meaningful portion of their 2025 offensive production. That continuity matters in this league, where experience compresses the adjustment period and often determines whether teams can survive the middle innings of conference play.

Oklahoma Baseball Strengths

The offense projects as Oklahoma’s most reliable component. Several core contributors return with SEC experience already banked, beginning with first baseman Dayton Tockey, second baseman Kyle Branch, shortstop Jaxon Willits and outfielder Jason Walk. That group provides stability across the infield and outfield and allows the lineup to function without forcing unfamiliar roles. Experience carries heightened value in the SEC, and Oklahoma’s hitters now operate without the learning curve that marked portions of last season. The at-bats should be cleaner, the pacing more deliberate and the margins less frantic.

The portal additions were targeted rather than sweeping. Mississippi State transfer Nolan Stevens, Nebraska transfer Cayden Brumbaugh and Wichita State transfer Camden Johnson arrive with production in hand. Stevens and Brumbaugh both bring high-major track records, while Johnson adds depth and lineup flexibility. Together, they help offset losses and deepen an offense that should remain competitive on most weekends.

Oklahoma Baseball Weaknesses

The pitching losses were severe. Kyson Witherspoon’s departure leaves a void that cannot be filled directly. He functioned as both an innings-eater and a tone-setter, throwing 95 innings with a 2.65 ERA, 124 strikeouts and just 23 walks. His presence shortened games and stabilized series. There is no one-for-one replacement. UNLV transfer LJ Mercurius has drawn strong offseason reviews and offers upside, but Witherspoon’s impact was structural, not just statistical. Oklahoma will need to assemble outs by committee and discover which arms can handle extended responsibility against SEC lineups. Until that picture clarifies, the mound remains the largest variable.

Oklahoma Baseball Player To Know

Willits has been Oklahoma’s everyday shortstop since arriving on campus and enters the season as one of the roster’s most established pieces. A 6-foot, 205-pound switch-hitter, he has produced a .286/.394/.490 line with 19 home runs and 21 doubles across his first two seasons. His approach stands out more than raw tools, particularly from the left side, where his swing is more rhythmic and controlled. After the 2025 season, Willits reinforced that profile with a strong 13-game Cape Cod League stint, hitting .366/.534/.488. He offers solid-average tools across the board, steady defense at shortstop and a polished offensive foundation that gives Oklahoma predictability in the middle of the field.

Oklahoma Baseball 2026 Projected Lineup, Rotation

PosPlayerYearAVGOBPSLGABHRRBINote/previous schoolCDeiten LachanceJr.McLennan CC1BDayton TockeySr..271.382.4721447322BKyle BranchSo..288.357.3652222333BCamden JohnsonJr..325.402.433231235Wichita StateSSJaxon WillitsJr..302.409.495222948OFJason WalkJr..267.386.475221937OFNolan StevensJr..320.414.500100421Mississippi StateOFDrew DickersonSo..309.424.56881519DHCayden BrumbaughSr..309.388.451246533NebraskaPosGSIPERAWHIPSO%BB%SPLJ MercuriusJr.1153.03.571.3225.711.1UNLVSPMason BixbyJr.118.15.891.8025.521.3TCUSPCameron JohnsonJr.07.018.003.1420.520.5RPReid HensleyG-Sr.233.22.941.1926.610.8RPJaden BarfieldSo.322.23.571.4620.29.6RPJason BodinJr.041.05.931.4920.97.0