Johnny Baseball is the preeminent Oklahoma Sooners baseball super fan and cohost of The Oklahoma Baseball Experience. He is here with a preview of the Sooners’ 2025 season. You can follow him on X @Webbdingus.
OU is looking to find its footing once again with a revamped roster and an incredibly challenging schedule. While this is not a make-or-break season for Skip Johnson and his Sooners, it could very well be a hinge moment for the program. The theme for the 2025 Oklahoma Sooners should be “Adapt or Die”. A solid performance their first year in a new league could pay dividends as they dive head long into the SEC. A less than competitive season could be a momentum killer for a team that won a Big XII conference title and hosted a regional just one year ago. That being said, OU is well versed in facing off against teams from the Southeastern Conference and if there is a coaching staff in the country who can handle such an arduous job it is Skip Johnson & Co.
Schedule
The Sooners enter the spring with one of the toughest schedules in all of college baseball. A gauntlet that includes 4 of the last 5 College World Series Champions. Oklahoma will not only face a tough SEC schedule but will also be tasked with Virginia and Oregon State, week 2 during the annual Karbach College Classic in Round Rock, Texas. OU’s home SEC run includes Mississippi State, LSU, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Texas and they will hit the road against South Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, Georgia and Kentucky. Oklahoma will miss Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M in 2025 outside of the SEC tournament. Overall, they will see 13 teams who played in a regional in 2024 with 7 of those teams landing in the rankings to start 2025.
On The Mound
This offseason presented Oklahoma with many questions to answer. One question that appears to have been answered and then some is Pitching. The Sooners lost 26 starts to the draft over the summer but have used the portal to their advantage. Once again, OU has brought in top tier arm talent to fill the void. While All-American Kyson Witherspoon and twin brotherMalachi Witherspoon are the most recognizable names to Sooner fans, Cam Johnson (LHP), Michael Catalano (RHP), Cade Crosssland (LHP), Dylan Tate (RHP), Landon Victorian (RHP) and two-way juco phenom Gavyn Jones (LHP/OF) are names Oklahoma fans should get familiar with quickly. All will compete for a starting job but will be heavily relied upon in other roles regardless. Jacob Gholston in his sophomore campaign will also vie for a weekend gig sitting mid 90’s with sink on his fast ball, a complimentary slider, and a pull string changeup. Graduate Senior Grant Stevens (LHP) should fall back into his spot as the midweek starter. Landon Victorian may be the sleeping giant of the group. A true freshman who was once committed to LSU found his way to Norman, OK by way of the prestigious Northwoods Summer Collegiate summer league. Landon only lost one game in his high school career going 39-1. He features a low to mid 90’s fastball with a slurve type breaking ball and is also equipped with a low spin changeup.
Cam Johnson is a big lefthander from IMG Academy and has all the buzz as a top newcomer to Skip’s squad. He features an upper 90’s heater with a low end 80’s slider that is deceiving in that it is an almost identical offering as his fastball but with a two-plane break and reduced velo. He feeds on left-handed hitters and produces a high swing & miss rate. Cam was the highest rated recruit to ever make it to campus for LSU and is also the highest rated recruit to land in Norman.
Senior RHP Dylan Crooks, who returns for his second season in the crimson & cream, could really shine out of the bullpen. Along with sophomore LHP Gavyn Jones, both would appear to be viable option for the closer position or a first out of the pen stop the bleeding type spot when needed. Others on the pitching staff for Oklahoma this Spring; Fr-LHP – Jaden Barfield, So-LHP – Beau Sampson, Fr-LHP – Jordan Stribling, Sr-LHP – Jamie Hitt, Fr-RHP – Berkeley Roddy, So-RHP – Jason Bodin, Fr-RHP – Mitch Haythorn, Sr-RHP – Ried Hensley, RsFr-RHP – James Nesta and Fr-RHP/OF – Jackson Kircher.
At The Plate
One of the only positions on the field that didn’t need a replacement is catcher. OU returned two of the best catchers in the Big 12 last year. Junior, Easton Carmichael (Third Team All-American, Second Team All-Region, First Team All-Big12, Norman Regional. Big 12 Tournament, Las Vegas Classic All Tournament Teams and might have been a preseason All-Big12 first team selection had OU not switched conferences) may be one of the most underrated and under the radar players in the SEC in 2025. Carmichael led the team in batting average one season ago, going .366, 5 triples, 19 doubles, 7 home runs and stole 7 bases. Easton spent time in the off-season working at First Base and will also find himself in the DH role when not playing in the field. Complementing Carmichael behind the plate once again will be Senior Scott Mudler (Norman Regional All-Tournament Team) who played in 47 games in 2024 with 40 those starting at Catcher. He boasts a .988 fielding percentage, a .279 batting average with, 6 doubles 31 RBI and 4 homeruns. To say the Sooners are in good hands at the Catcher position would be an understatement.
The Sooners are replacing 3 of 4 infielders this spring, returning only Jaxon Willits (All-Big12 Honorable Mention and Big12 All-Tournament Team). He held a .954 fielding percentage and .268 batting average with 10 homers as a freshman. New to the squad in 2025 are JuCo Defensive Player of the Year Dawson Willis (Junior) and Weatherford College Transfer Dayton Tockey (Junior). Willits and Willis may compete for the job at shortstop, both can play the position and play it well. There were times during fall workouts we saw Dawson working at both SS and Thirdbase. Tockey is a solid 6’2” first basemen that hit .310 with 9 homer runs and 45 RBI at Weatherford in 2024. Finding power between these two will be important for the Sooners in the vaunted SEC as defense should not be an issue. Sophomore Sam Christianson, who redshirted last season is another contender for innings at first base. The South Mountain Community College transfer fits into the Anthony MacKenziemold as speedster who batted .307 with 35 RBI and an incredible 32 stolen bases last season. The competition at first base is quite stiff but gives Skip Johnson options at the corners.
True Freshmen, Kyle Branch and Junior JuCo transfer Mason Hamblin will compete for the remaining spot in the infield at Second Base. Both have high motors and are excellent defenders. This will be quite the position battle even after the start of the season and could come down to who has the hotter bat. 6’ 4” Drew Dickerson is another one who will work for play time. A true freshman who is ranked as the No 2 shortstop in Missouri, No 36 shortstop, and a top 150 player overall out of HS has the size and speed to push any upper classmen for innings. While Oklahoma has experienced options at every position there are younger players hot on their heels eager to take a spot.
Other infielders who will compete for innings are Junior-1B – Brayden Horton and Freshman-IF – Reid Graham (yes that Graham).
A side note for infielders: We have also seen Jason Walk, who is primarily used in the outfield, get work in the infield. Depending on the combination of hitters, Walk may snag a spot for himself leaving a line-u spot up for grabs.
For the last 2 years the outfield at L. Dale Mitchell Park has been roamed by 3 of the most defensively sound players of all time. No longer will the Sooners have the safety net that was Kendall Pettis, John Spikerman or Bryce Madron. While that loss is incredibly difficult to overlook, Jason Walk may just be able to ease the pain. Sooner fans got a preview of what the sophomore is capable of last season. Filling in for the injured Spikerman and finding his way into the lineup 43 times making 33 starts. A campaign that saw him hit a balmy .281, 19 RBI 4 doubles, 2 three baggers and 3 homers. After swiping 13 bags last season, Walk most assuredly can only improve on these numbers as an everyday option in the outfield or infield.
Dasan Harris and Brandon Cain more than likely flank Jason Walk in the outfield to start the season. Cain, a Junior JuCotransfer out of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, arrives in Norman with a .359 batting average, 29 RBI, 17 stolen bases and 21 extra base hits, 5 of which left the park. He was one of the more highly sought after transfers for the 24 season. Harris played sparingly during his freshmen year at OU, quite understandable with the veteran players ahead of him. Dasan looks to make his own mark on the Sooner program after having an outstanding season playing for the Ridgefield Raptors of the West Coast Summer Collegiate League. Producing a .375 batting average, 6 doubles, 4 triples, 11 stolen bases and 2 homers.
Two New Sooners who could make it difficult on Skip Johnson when filling out the lineup card are Junior Trey Gambill and Junior Brayden Horton who are both Junior College transfers. Gambill hit .373, 47 RBI, 13 doubles, 2 triples and 9 homers and stealing 16. Horton, who transferred from mid-major Liberty over the summer, batted .274, 11 homers and 39 RBI. It is a menagerie of talent in the outfield once again for Skip Johnson & co.
DH/Offense
As mentioned before, if Easton Carmichael is not playing a position he should be penciled in as the Sooners DH and Scott Mudler will follow suit in much the same manner. However, Drew Dickerson and Gavyn Jones will also be considered for the role. There are a variety of options at this spot and not one to worry about. While OU is replacing an incredible amount of offensive production this season, Todd Buttler has put in the miles on the recruiting trail and hopefully Oklahoma hitters find their footing sooner rather than later. Oklahoma has the speed and potential to compete in their new conference especially with the talent accumulated on the mound.
Outlook
To be frank, long-term success hinges on what happens in the batter’s box. If OU can generate run support for Sooner pitching, a top half finish in the SEC and deep run in the postseason are more than attainable ambitions. That may also include having hosting duties granted to Norman once again in 2025.
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