UNC denied again in 13-2 drubbing by Oklahoma in decisive Game 3 of College World Series final
OMAHA, Neb. (WTVD) -- The agony at the College World Series will continue at North Carolina.
Oklahoma hammered the Tar Heels 13-2 on Monday night to win the 2026 national championship 2-1 in the best-of-three series. It was the Diamond Heels' most lopsided loss of the season.
The Sooners capitalized on North Carolina's uncharacteristic pitching struggles and got another clutch performance from LJ Mercurius out of the bullpen to capture their first national championship since 1994.
The Tar Heels now have 13 CWS appearances without winning it all, the second most behind Florida State (24 appearances).
The Sooners (43-23) won the title after finishing 11th in the regular season and entering the NCAA tournament off losses in seven of nine games but got hot at the right time.
North Carolina (54-14-1) was runner-up for the third time since 2006.
When Jackson Cleveland struck out Jake Schaffner to end the game, he and catcher Deiten Lachance embraced and then headed to the dogpile that formed near third base. Players waving national championship towels rushed back toward their dugout to salute the celebrating Sooner faithful on the first-base line.
Oklahoma's Kyle Branch, the No. 9 batter who came into the game 1 of 16 (.063) in the CWS, drove in six runs with a pair of singles and home run. His homer came on his last at-bat, just as brother Kolby's did for Georgia last Wednesday.
"Pure joy. Pure joy for our team," Branch said. "I had a teammate tell me I was going to do something special, and for him to tell me that with the way things have been going, it has to be a God thing."
He joined Dayton Tockey as the seventh and eighth OU players to homer in Omaha. Jaxon Willits had three hits, reached base five times and finished the CWS 13 of 25 (.520). He was named CWS most outstanding player.
The pitching matchup of Carolina's Jackson Rose (5-1) and Oklahoma's Nick Wesloski was the first between freshmen in a CWS winner-take-all game since 1993. Neither got out of the third inning.
Mercurius (7-7) turned in another strong performance, shutting down a threat when OU led 3-1 in the third and holding the Tar Heels to one run in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed just two runs in 12 1/3 over four CWS appearances.
The Tar Heels' pitching staff, which had the best ERA in the Atlantic Coast Conference, had been good and occasionally great in the CWS. It was neither Monday, with eight pitchers combining to allow 14 hits, issue eight walks, throw three wild pitches and hit a batter.
ACC freshman of the year Caden Glauber, who had given up just one run in 10 1/3 innings in four CWS appearances, was called on for a fifth one day after he threw 65 pitches in five shutout innings. It was apparent that coach Scott Forbes went to the well one time too many.
Glauber was called for a clock violation before he even threw his first pitch. He issued a four-pitch bases-loaded walk and Willits followed with a two-run single to make it 6-1 in the fourth. That was all for Glauber, who threw seven pitches, five of them balls. The Tar Heels had won all 29 games in which Glauber had pitched before Monday.
UNC forced the decisive third game by beating Oklahoma 6-2 on Sunday. The Sooners won the opening game 9-3 on Saturday.
It's the seventh consecutive national title by an SEC school.
Oklahoma finished the year by winning 10 of its last 11 games. It's the Sooners' third national title.
The Associated Press contributed.
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