NCAA baseball: OU Sooners beat Texas A&M Aggies to reach College World Series finals

David Sandlin got redemption.

The redshirt sophomore pitcher made a brief, unsuccessful appearance during OU’s 13-8 win over Texas A&M on Friday. After entering the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, he surrendered four runs to the first five batters he faced and quickly got pulled.

A look of disappointment swept over Sandlin’s face as he handed the ball over to head coach Skip Johnson and returned to the dugout.

But a different look could be seen on Sandlin’s face Wednesday. It was one of determination.

OU found itself pitted against Texas A&M once again, this time with a spot in the College World Series finals on the line. Sandlin got the start and dominated, racking up a career-high 12 strikeouts in seven innings to lead the Sooners to a 5-1 victory.

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Jun 22, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Oklahoma Sooners starting pitcher David Sandlin (28) throws against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Sandlin set the tone by striking out the side in the top of the first inning. The final out came against Trevor Werner, who got to a 1-2 count before whiffing on a breaking ball.

“Come on,” Sandlin yelled to the crowd while waving his arms as he walked off the mound.

OU’s bats also came on strong.

The Sooners struck first in the bottom of the frame thanks to Jimmy Crooks, who crushed a three-run home run over the wall in right field.

A Texas A&M fielding error allowed OU to take a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, and Tanner Tredaway made it a 5-0 contest with an RBI single in the fifth.

The Aggies got on the board in the top of the sixth inning via a leadoff home run by Dylan Rock, but Sandlin kept his composure.

The Owasso native retired the next two batters before getting to a full count against Troy Claunch. The crowd at Charles Schwab Field began to slow cap, and it went into a frenzy when Sandlin got Claunch to go down swinging for his career-high 11th strikeout of the afternoon.

Sandlin finished with 12 strikeouts and five allowed hits in seven innings pitched. He tied for the most strikeouts by a Big 12 player in CWS history.

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Oklahoma's Jimmy Crooks (3) bumps helmets with Peyton Graham (20) and Blake Robertson (26) celebrating his three run homer in the first inning against Texas A&M during an NCAA College World Series baseball game Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/John Peterson) — Oklahoma’s Jimmy Crooks (3) bumps helmets with Peyton Graham (20) and Blake Robertson (26) celebrating his three run homer in the first inning against Texas A&M during an NCAA College World Series baseball game Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/John Peterson)

Sandlin then handed the ball to graduate closer Trevin Michael to start the eighth inning, and he took care of the rest.

Now just one out away from victory in the top of the ninth inning, Michael threw a slider in the direction of Brett Minnich on a 2-2 count. Minnich took a hefty swing and came up empty, sealing OU’s 5-1 win.

Crooks led the Sooners at the plate with three RBIs and one run on 2-for-4 hitting. Tredaway also tallied one RBI on 1-for-4 hitting.

OU advances to the College World Series Finals. It’ll face the winner of Ole Miss and Arkansas in a best-of-three series that begins Saturday at 6 p.m.