Oklahoma State University (OSU) claimed the Big 12 Championship title on Saturday night with a commanding 9-3 victory over the top-seeded Oklahoma Sooners at Globe Life Field. This win marks the 35th conference championship in the program's history, including six titles in the Big 12. It is OSU's fourth Big 12 tournament title, having previously won in 2004, 2017, and 2019.
With this victory, OSU improves to a 40-17 record for the season and secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals. The 16 NCAA Regional host sites will be announced on Sunday at 7:30 p.m., followed by the unveiling of the NCAA Championship field of 64 on Monday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2. This year's NCAA Regional will be OSU's 11th consecutive tournament appearance, making it the fourth-longest streak in the nation.
The Cowboys' offense was powered by three home runs, including a standout performance from Nolan Schubart, who went 2-for-4 with a game-high three RBIs. Lane Forsythe contributed three hits, while Carson Benge and Ian Daugherty added two hits each. Gabe Davis secured the win in relief of starter Tommy Molsky, improving his record to 2-4 by pitching 2 2/3 innings, striking out two, and allowing one run on two hits. Molsky delivered a strong performance with eight strikeouts, matching his career high, and gave up only two runs on four hits over 4 1/3 innings.
OSU set the tone early, scoring in their first at-bat. Schubart's double put runners in scoring position, and Zach Ehrhard drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly. Molsky kept Oklahoma at bay, and OSU extended their lead with a three-run rally in the fifth inning. Ian Daugherty led off with a single, followed by a double from Colin Brueggemann. Avery Ortiz then hit a sacrifice fly, and an RBI infield single by Forsythe made it 3-0. Forsythe later scored on a wild pitch to put OSU up 4-0.
Oklahoma attempted a comeback in the bottom of the fifth, with John Spikerman's double and a sacrifice fly cutting the deficit to 4-2. However, OSU pulled away with Schubart's three-run home run in the seventh inning, his 20th of the season, becoming the first Cowboy to achieve this milestone since Trevor Boone in 2019. Kollin Ritchie and Daugherty added back-to-back home runs in the eighth, extending the lead to 9-2.
The Sooners managed to score one more run in the eighth, but Robert Cranz came out of the bullpen to strand two runners and pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the victory.
Three OSU players – Carson Benge, Nolan Schubart, and Sam Garcia – were named to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team, with Benge earning the Most Outstanding Player award. OSU's head coach, Josh Holliday, now boasts a career record of 37-14 against their Bedlam rivals, with OSU finishing the season series 4-1 against Oklahoma.
