Oklahoma Chases 3rd MCWS Title in Game 2 as North Carolina Tries to Force Game 3

Q: Can North Carolina's undefeated freshman reliever stop Oklahoma's red-hot offense and force a decisive Game 3?

Yes—but North Carolina will likely need more than Caden Glauber alone to do it. Glauber gives UNC its best weapon out of the bullpen. The ACC Freshman of the Year is 11-0 with a 2.17 ERA, leads all NCAA freshmen in strikeouts, and North Carolina is 28-0 in games he has pitched. He has also been sharp in Omaha, allowing just one run in 5 1/3 innings across three appearances. In an elimination game, coach Scott Forbes has made clear it is “all hands on deck,” so Glauber is expected to be a major factor if Ryan Lynch cannot work deep. The challenge is that Oklahoma’s offense is not just hot, but one of the most dangerous units left in the tournament. The Sooners scored nine runs in Game 1, have produced three nine-run games in Omaha, and have hit 45 home runs over their last 20 games. Deiten LaChance’s two-homer opener was another sign that Oklahoma is punishing mistakes quickly. That means Glauber can help change the game, but only if UNC gets enough from Lynch at the start and provides better run support than it did in the 9-3 loss. Oklahoma starter Xander Mercurius is also coming off his best outing of the season, so North Carolina’s lineup has its own pressure to answer. The path is there for UNC because Game 1 winners have not always finished the job in the MCWS finals. But if the Tar Heels are going to force Game 3, Glauber likely has to be excellent—and the offense must be much better too.

3 articles · Updated · NCAA.com · Jun 21

Oklahoma entered Sunday’s MCWS finals Game 2 one win from the national title after beating North Carolina 9-3 in Game 1 and taking a 1-0 series lead.
North Carolina turned to sophomore Ryan Lynch — 4.20 ERA, 5-4 record — with ACC Freshman of the Year Caden Glauber available; UNC is 28-0 in games Glauber pitches.
Oklahoma countered with freshman Xander Mercurius, whose season line is a 5.51 ERA and 1-2 record but who just worked 7.1 innings with 9 strikeouts against Georgia.
History offers only limited comfort for the Sooners: just 4 of the past 10 MCWS champions won Game 1, though Oklahoma still stood one victory from its third title.
North Carolina has lost back-to-back games only once this season, setting up Game 2 as a test of whether the Tar Heels can extend the finals to a winner-take-all Monday.