Sooners keep momentum from Blacksburg
Nicklaus’ grand slam powers Oklahoma past Texas A&M in opener
OMAHA, Neb. — Jackson Nicklaus hit a grand slam, Jake Bennett pitched six strong innings and Oklahoma jumped on Texas A&M early in a 13-8 win in the College World Series opener Friday.
The Sooners scored seven runs with two outs in the second inning to lead 8-0, then turned back the Aggies’ comeback bids in the highest-scoring CWS game since 2008.
The Sooners (43-22), who won a Super Regional at Virginia Tech last weekend and are making their first appearance in Omaha since 2010, will play Sunday against the winner of the Notre Dame-Texas game Friday night. Texas A&M (42-19) will play the loser of that game.
Oklahoma won a week after the school’s softball team earned its second straight Women’s College World Series championship.
Texas A&M has lost nine straight CWS games over five appearances since it beat Kansas in 1993.
Aggies starter Nathan Dettmer lasted just 1 innings for his second-shortest outing of the season. He left with his team down 5-0 after giving up four hits and three walks and hitting a batter.
Dettmer (5-3), who hasn’t made it past the fifth inning since April, has allowed 30 earned runs in his last 24 innings (10.95 ERA).
Joseph Menefee took over for Dettmer, and Jimmy Crooks drove his second offering into the rightfield bullpen for his eighth homer and an 8-0 lead.
Six Texas A&M pitchers combined to walk 10, hit three batters and strike out 12.
Oklahoma loaded the bases in the fourth on a bunt single, throwing error and walk before Nicklaus’
grand slam made it 12-3.
The Aggies got homers from Jordan Thompson and Austin Bost, and they were within four runs in the seventh after three straight RBI singles and a run-scoring groundout.
The teams’ four homers tied the Charles Schwab Field record.
Bennett (10-3), who allowed five hits and four earned runs, retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced.
It was the teams’ first meeting since Texas A&M left the Big 12 after the 2012 season.
Oklahoma designated hitter Brett Squires broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the third inning and will miss the rest of the CWS.
Dettmer hit Squires with a 2-2 fastball. Squires took first base and finished the inning. His left hand was wrapped when he returned to the dugout, and Cade Horton took over as the DH.
OU got a scare in the ninth when Chris Cortez’s fastball hit Kendall Pettis in the ribs as he squared to bunt. Pettis was on his knees in pain near home plate before heading to first.
Texas’ Melendez wins Howser Trophy
National home run leader Ivan Melendez of Texas won the Dick Howser Trophy on Friday as the outstanding player in college baseball. Melendez’s 32 home runs are the most in Division I since 2003. He leads the nation with 94 RBIs and an .886 slugging percentage.
The junior from El Paso, Texas, is the fourth Longhorn to win the Howser Trophy. Other Texas players to win it were Brooks Kieschnick (1992-93), Scott Bryant (1989) and Taylor Jungmann (2011).
Other Howser Trophy finalists were Oregon State pitcher Connor Hjerpe, Tennessee third baseman Trey Lipscomb, Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada and Clemson third baseman Max Wagner.