College World Series 2026 Final Bracket Predictions for Oklahoma vs. UNC Game 3

The finals of the 2026 College World Series bracket will come down to the rubber match. North Carolina evened its best-of-three series against Oklahoma with a 6-2 win on Sunday.

Fifth-seeded UNC was considered the favorite coming into the finals, but the Sooners recorded a convincing 9-3 victory on Friday night. A win on Saturday would have given Oklahoma its third-ever national championship and its first since 1994. However, North Carolina responded with a stellar all-around outing that included homers from Cooper Nicholson and Owen Hull, as well as an impressive relief performance from Caden Glauber.

North Carolina's victory sets up a winner-take-all match on Monday night that will put a cap on the CWS.

CWS Finals Game 3

Tyler McFarland/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Who: No. 5 North Carolina vs. Oklahoma

Where: Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska

When: Monday, June 22

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: ESPN and ESPN app

*A look at the complete CWS bracket can be found at NCAA.com

Preview and Final Bracket Prediction

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Owen Hull

Heading into Sunday afternoon, it felt like Oklahoma might just be a team of destiny. They had rattled off nine straight wins and had really come alive on both sides of the plate in Omaha.

In the first inning on Sunday, Oklahoma jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

However, North Carolina made a statement after that hot start. Starting pitcher Ryan Lynch had a solid outing before leaving in the top of the fifth with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. The Tar Heels' spectacular bullpen took over from there, and UNC's bats came alive after being idle for most of Friday night.

It may seem a little cliché—and, to be fair, it is—but Monday's Game 3 could really go either way. North Carolina came to Omaha as a title favorite, and Oklahoma has shown at every turn that it is of championship quality, too.

Much will be determined by the pitching matchup.

With Lynch and Jason DeCaro already logging starts for UNC, the Tar Heels may turn to Folger Boaz or Glauber. Most likely, though, it'll be a group effort for North Carolina.

"All hands on deck," UNC coach Scott Forbes said, per Rodd Baxley of The Fayetteville Observer.

Oklahoma is expected to start Nick Wesloski, who went 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA during the season. He also recorded wins during his two appearances during the CWS tournament. To win his third, the freshman will need to ignore the pressure of the winner-take-all assignment.

"When you try in this game and get away from the fabric or the very essence of what baseball is about, the only thing you can control is throwing the ball to the target," Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson said, per Carson Field of SI.com.

If Wesloski can at least slow Hull, Jake Schnaffer, and the rest of UNC's deep offensive lineup, Oklahoma has the offensive punch to pull ahead. It would be a surprise to see Deiten LaChance, Camden Johnson, and the Sooners' bats stay quiet for another meaningful stretch.

However, the prediction here is that North Carolina uses its deep pitching rotation to force another low-scoring game and comes out on top with some late patient offense.

Prediction: North Carolina 4, Oklahoma 3