When it comes to the Southeast Conference, their prominence in the sport of football makes them considered as the best conference and it has been a long time.
However, it is the sport of baseball where the SEC may be the most dominant conference in any sport. The last 5 consecutive NCAA national champions all come from the SEC and all 5 are different teams. The SEC has also won 7 of the last 10 national championships (Vanderbilt has won 2). Going even deeper, of the last 4 national championship series, all 8 teams are current SEC teams (OU was runner up in 2022) and all 8 are different teams.
So when it was announced that OU was moving to the SEC, Sooners baseball fans have been waiting anxiously about who their opponents will be and who will be visiting Norman.
We don’t have to wait anymore as the Southeastern Conference announced the 2025 conference schedule and let’s just say that, “We aren’t in Kansas anymore.”
Remember that last year, it was announced that each team will have two permanent opponents each season and OU’s is Texas and Missouri.
Let’s take a look at who the SEC set as the Sooners’ opponents and where/when they play.
South Carolina (Columbia, SC), March 14-16
- Sooners record vs USC: 1-4
- First meeting: 2007
Gamecocks history:
- 2X NCAA National Champions (2010, 2011)
- 4X NCAA National Runner Up (1975, 1977, 2002, 2012)
- 11 CWS Appearances
- 19 NCAA Regional Championships
- 35 NCAA National Tournament Appearances (Most recent: 2024)
- 1 SEC Conference Tournament Championship (2004)
- 3 SEC Regular Season Championships (2000, 2022, 2011)
- Former players: Brian Roberts, Mookie Wilson, Justin Smoak, Jackie Bradley, Jr, Whit Merrifield, Jordan Montgomery
When you think about historically good programs, South Carolina is usually not a team that comes to mind. However, the Gamecocks had an outstanding run for 14 seasons from 2000-2013. USC won 2 National Champioships, Runner Up twice, won 11 Regional Championships, and made 6 CWS appearances.
OU doesn’t have much of a history with USC, but these two teams played each other in the 2010 CWS with OU winning the opening round game, but the Gamecocks eliminating the Sooners two games later. OU has traveled to Columbia before losing 2 games in 2012.
Mississippi State (Norman, OK), March 21-23
- Sooners record vs MSU: 4-3-1
- First meeting: 1992
Bulldogs history:
- NCAA National Champions: 2021
- NCAA Runner Up: 2013
- 12 CWS Appearances
- 16 NCAA Regional Championships
- 40 NCAA National Tournament appearances
- 7 SEC Tournament Championships
- 17 SEC Regular Season Championship
- Former players: Will Clark, Raphael Palmeiro, Jeff Brantley, Bobby Thigpen, Jonathan Papelbon, Mitch Moreland, Hunter Renfroe, Buck Showalter
Mississippi St has been one of the best programs nationally on a consistent basis. However, they’ve only won one national championship and was a finalist only one other time. In fact, after winning the national championship in 2021, the Bulldogs failed to make the national tournament the next two seasons, but they made it back in 2024 where they had a 40-23 record and finished in a tie for 5th place in the SEC.
One of the biggest advantages is the home field advantage the Bulldogs have. Dudy Noble Field is where the Bulldogs play their home games and it holds the top 8 on campus attendance records for baseball.
These two teams last played in a neutral site game in Frisco, TX in 2023 with the Sooners winning 15-9.
Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL), March 28-30
- Sooners record vs Alabama: 2-5
- First meeting: 2001
Crimson Tide history:
- 0 NCAA National Championships
- 2 NCAA Runners Up (1983, 1997)
- 5 CWS appearances
- 8 NCAA Regional Championships
- 24 NCAA National Championship appearances
- 7 SEC Tournament Championships
- 14 SEC Regular Season Championships
- Former players: Dave Magadan, Spencer Turnbull, Tommy Hunter
The Crimson Tide has had some success on the national level, but it was more in the 90’s and early 2000’s. That is not to say they aren’t a good program currently. They’ve made the NCAA National Tournament 3 out of the last 4 years.
However, what the Tide is probably most known for at this time is the firing of former head coach, Brad Bohannon. In May 2023, it was shown that Bohannon was tipping off a bettor that his starting pitcher was going to be scratched before a game before it became public knowledge. After an investigation, the NCAA issued a 15 year show-cause penalty on Bohannon.
These two teams last play in a 3 game series in 2018 in Norman with the Sooners winning 2 games to 3.
LSU (Norman, OK), April 4-6
- Sooners record vs LSU: 4-9
- First meeting: 1962
Tigers history:
- 7 NCAA National Championships (’91, ’93, ’96, ’97, ’00, ’09, ’23)
- NCAA National Runner Up, 2017
- 19 CWS Appearances (1st 1986; Latest 2023)
- 26 NCAA Regional Championships
- 36 NCAA Tournament Appearances
- 13 SEC Tournament Championships
- 19 SEC Regular Season Championships
- Former players: Ben McDonald, Todd Walker, Aaron Nola, Alex Bregman, Dylan Crews, Paul Skenes
The numbers regarding the Tigers’ history are eye popping. It is safe to say that LSU is one of the “blue bloods” when it comes to college baseball. The most eye popping stat is of the 36 times the Tigers have played in the NCAA National Tournament, they have advanced to Regionals 26 times. That is a rate of 72%!
There is not much else to say when it comes to the Tigers. They are one of the best programs nationally and it will be a treat to have them come to Norman.
These teams have play a total of 13 times over the years with the first meeting in 1962 and the last in a neutral site game in Houston in 2022. The best memory Sooners fans have against the Tigers was Dane Acker’s no hitter vs the Tigers in Houston in 2000.
Interestingly enough, these teams have never played in Norman.
Vanderbilt (Norman, OK), April 11-13
- Sooners record vs Vandy: 3-2
- First meeting: 1978
Commodores history:
- 2 NCAA National Championships (2014, 2019)
- 2 NCAA National Runner Up (2015, 2021)
- 5 CWS appearances
- 10 NCAA Regional Championships
- 22 NCAA Tournament appearances
- 4 SEC Tournament Championships
- 6 SEC Regular Season Championships
- Former players: David Price, Sonny Gray, Tony Kemp, Dansby Swanson, Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter
While the Commodores are currently known as one of the best programs nationally, their success has mostly been in the last 20 years. They won Regionals in 2004 and 2010, but didn’t make their first College World Series until 2011.
Once they got to the CWS, Vandy made the most of it. In the 5 CWS appearances since 2011, the Commodores have made the CWS final series 4 times winning 2 of them.
While they may have not made a CWS since 2021, Vandy has still made the last 3 NCAA National Tournaments the last 3 years and have win totals of 39, 42, 38 respectively.
Interestingly, these 2 teams have never played in Norman nor Nashville. The last time they played was a 2 game set in Tempe, AZ in 2008.
Missouri (Columbia, MO), April 18-20
- Sooners record vs Missouri: 128-85
- First meeting: 1942
Tigers history
- NCAA National Champion, 1954
- 3 NCAA Runner Up (1952, 1958, 1964)
- 6 CWS appearances (Last 1964)
- NCAA Regional Champion, 2006
- 22 NCAA National Tournament appearances
- 0 SEC Tournament Championship (3 Big 8/Big 12)
- 0 SEC Regular Season Championships (16 in other conferences)
- Former players: Max Scherzer
Time has not been kind to the Missouri baseball program. Since moving to the SEC, the Tigers have had only 5 winning seasons overall and only 1 non losing SEC record (15-15 in 2015) Kerrick Jackson took over as the Tigers head coach prior to the 2024 season leading them to a 23-32 (9-21) record.
Of all the teams OU will play in the SEC, the Sooners have more history with Mizzou than any other. That is due to both programs being in the Big 8 and Big 12 for decades until the Tigers moved to the SEC. These 2 last played in 2020 and 2021 in Houston and Frisco respectively with the Sooners winning their last meeting, 16-6.
Georgia (Athens, GA), April 28-27
- Sooners record vs Georgia: 0-0
- First meeting: N/A
Bulldogs history:
- NCAA National Champions, 1990
- NCAA National Runner Up, 2008
- 6 CWS appearances
- 7 NCAA Regional Championships (Latest, 2024)
- 16 NCAA National Tournament appearances
- 0 SEC Tournament Championships
- 5 SEC Regular Season Championships
- Former players: Derek Lilliquist, Glenn Davis, Josh Fields, Justin Grimm, Gordon Beckham, Alex Wood
I’ve got to be honest in that Georgia hasn’t had more success than they’ve had. Not that they aren’t a good program, but I was expecting more championships.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 2024 season that saw them go 43-17 (17-13) and win a NCAA Regional. They lost the Super Regional series to NC State 2-1. They lose National Player of the Year, Charlie Condon who hit .433 with 37 HR last year. Condon was drafted 3rd overall by the Colorado Rockies.
Ole Miss (Norman, OK), May 2-4
- Sooners record vs Ole Miss: 2-6
- Last meeting: 2022 CWS final series
Rebels history:
- NCAA National Champion, 2022
- 6 CWS appearances
- 8 NCAA Regional Championships
- 25 NCAA Tournament appearances
- 3 SEC Tournament Championships
- 7 SEC Regular Season Championships
- Former players: Lance Lynn, Chris Coghlan, Grae Kessinger, Archie Manning
SPIKE WAS SAFE!
OK, now that is out of the way. Like Georgia, Ole Miss is a program that I was expecting more from. Also like Georgia, the Rebels aren’t a bad program, but most of their success is recent. Ole Miss had a run of 18 NCAA appearances since 2001 culminating in the NCAA championship in 2022.
As Sooner fans we all know of the 2022 National Championship the Rebels won over OU in the final series. However, Ole Miss has failed to make the NCAA Tournament the last 2 seasons (maybe it’s karma for Spike being called out).
Kentucky (Lexington, KY), May 9-11
- Sooners record vs Kentucky: 0-0
- First meeting: N/A
Wildcats history:
- 1 CWS Appearance (2024)
- 3 NCAA Regional Championships
- 9 NCAA Tournament appearances
- 2 SEC Regular Season Championships (2006, 2024)
- Former players: Jason Kipnis, Jim Leyritz
Yep, Kentucky is a basketball school. However, head coach Nick Mingione is doing his best to change that. After leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in his first season (2017), Kentucky has been the last 2 years with a CWS trip this past season.
Over the last 2 seasons, the Wildcats have a combined record of 86-37 and had a national ranking of #2 at one point in 2024. Last season, Kentucky got off to a 32-5 start including a 15-1 mark through 16 games in the SEC.
Texas (Norman, OK), May 15-17
- Sooners record vs Texas: 60-136-2
- First meeting: 1947
Longhorns history:
You know what? It’s Texas. Who cares!
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