Oklahoma entered the week unranked in the major college baseball polls, but won't stay that way for long after an incredible showing at the Round Rock Classic in Round Rock, Texas.
The Sooners eeked out a 3-2 win over a good Minnesota team on Friday and followed that up with an impressive 8-4 win over seventh-ranked Oregon State, the Beavers' first loss of the season.
On Sunday, Oklahoma closed their challenging weekend against No. 2 Virginia and took the Cavaliers down late on Sunday evening with a 12-inning thriller that ended with a little bit of Sooner Magic.
As has been the case all weekend, Oklahoma dealt with a slow start and faced a three-run deficit after an outburst in the second frame for Virginia.
The Cavaliers got things started with an unearned run scored on a throwing error from Scott Mudler, making it 1-0 with no outs in the second. Luke Hanson added to the tally with a single to the right side, bringing two more runs across for the Hoos, making it 3-0.
That score would hold until the bottom of the fourth when Jaxon Willits cut into the lead with a solo shot over left center to make it 3-1.
Mulder got a run back for the Sooners again in the fifth with a double to right-center field, bringing Kyle Branch home. Later in the inning, Jason Walk doubled down the left field line and brought Mudler around to pull the game even a three apiece.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh with Dayton Tockey's one-out single scored Branch, giving Oklahoma a 4-3 lead.
Virginia would answer, however, as Trey Wells had a perfectly timed sac-fly in the top of the eighth, bringing Jacob Ference around to make it 4-4 heading into the ninth.
Neither team would find an answer in the ninth, and the game would go into extras. From there, we'd see a good old-fashioned pitcher battle as the Sooners and Hoos would trade scoreless frames in the 10th and 11th.
In the 12th, which made this the longest game in Round Rock Classic history, Oklahoma had an excellent scoring opportunity, as Mudler would get to first with a leadoff walk. After a pitching change from Virginia, Sooners' right fielder Dasan Harris would get to first on an infield single and give OU two on with nobody out.
Then, Oklahoma's Dawson Willis would step into the box with a chance to end the game. Willis laid down an excellent bunt on a 3-1 pitch, and forced Virginia's infield to try and make a play. The throw was wild, however, giving Sooners' pinch runner Brayden Horton the opportunity to come home and seal the game, 5-4.
With the win, Skip Johnson's group moved to 6-0 and will undoubtedly be moving into the Top 25 polls after back-to-back wins over Top 10 teams.
The Sooners will be back in action at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Tuesday, February 28, with a two-game series against Texas Southern.
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