College World Series Bracket Finals 2026 Oklahoma vs. North Carolina Game 1 Score and Recap

Oklahoma baseball is one step closer to its first national championship since 1994.

Two home runs from Deiten Lachance helped the Sooners claim a 9-3 win over UNC in Saturday's Game 1 of the 2026 Men's College World Series championship final in Omaha.

Oklahoma grabbed an early lead when Lachance sent two runners home with a first-inning hit over the fence at Charles Schwab Field.

That lead lasted less than an inning as Oklahoma starter Cord Rager ran into trouble in the bottom of the first.

Rager gave up hits to each of UNC's first four batters in a three-run inning that allowed the Tar Heels to take a 3-2 lead.

Oklahoma's Jason Walk attempted to even the score with a hard hit to right field in the top of the third, but the ball was snagged by UNC outfielder Carter French.

That was when Lachance stepped up to tie the game at three runs with his second home run.

Oklahoma broke the game open in the top of the fourth after getting two runners on base with a walk and a double. Kyle Branch stepped up with a two-RBI single to put the Sooners ahead.

Branch and Walk later stole bases to get themselves in scoring position and help Oklahoma gain a 7-3 lead.

Oklahoma padded that advantage with an RBI hit from Walk in the sixth inning before scoring off a groundout from Jaxon Willits in the top of the ninth.

Rager took home the win after recovering from his first-inning struggles to hold the Tar Heels off the board for four more frames.

The Sooners will now have the chance to clinch a national title when Game 2 begins Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

If necessary, these two teams will return to Omaha for a winner-takes-all Game 3 on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.