Oklahoma freshman left-hander Cord Rager put together a sensational NCAA Tournament for the Sooners. He made four starts in the NCAA Tournament, with three of those starts lasting six or more innings.
Rager has the third-most starts that have lasted six or more innings for a pitcher in the NCAA Tournament in the last four years. The only two other pitchers with more are LSU’s Kade Anderson in 2025 and LSU’s Paul Skenes in 2023. Both LSU pitchers had four starts lasting six or more innings in their respective NCAA Tournaments.
Here is a breakdown of Rager’s postseason performances with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Rager with three starts that lasted six or more innings
Rager’s first start of the postseason came on May 30 against The Citadel Bulldogs in the 2026 Atlanta regional. In that start, Rager had eight strikeouts while allowing three runs in six innings of work. Those three runs the Bulldogs scored in the first four innings of that game were the only runs they would score. Rager’s effort on the mound was enough for his fourth win of the season in an 8-3 victory for Oklahoma.
Rager’s next start in the NCAA Tournament came on June 6 in the Lawrence Super Regional against the Kansas Jayhawks. In six innings of work, the southpaw allowed just one hit, one walk, and gave up no runs. He also struck out six Kansas hitters as Oklahoma went on to win the game 8-1.
After two great starts against The Citadel and Kansas, Rager started on the mound for the Sooners in their first game of the 2026 College World Series against the Alabama Crimson Tide. That game at Charles Schwab Field was on June 13 and was Rager’s best postseason start.
In seven innings of work, Rager allowed just three hits and gave up no runs. He also struck out eight Alabama hitters. Rager’s start allowed Oklahoma to start the 2026 College World Series off in a huge way with a 9-0 win over the Crimson Tide.
The fourth start of the postseason for Rager came in the national championship series on June 20 against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Despite not reaching the six-inning mark, he delivered a quality five-inning start that included five strikeouts and three runs allowed. By the time Rager exited the game, Oklahoma had built up a 7-3 lead on the Tar Heels. He earned his seventh win of the season as the Sooners won game one of the national title series 9-3.
A promising freshman season for the Oklahoma left-hander
After his start in game one of the national championship, it is safe to presume that Rager’s freshman season with Oklahoma has concluded. In 76 innings of work in 2026, he has a 4.74 ERA and 94 strikeouts. Rager also has a 7-3 record and has allowed an opposing batting average of .214.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Oklahoma pitcher Cord Rager (99) throws during an NCAA baseball College World Series game against Alabama, Saturday, June 13, 2026 in Omaha, Neb. Oklahoma won 9-0. (AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis)
