Two Oklahoma Players Earn SEC Honors After Opening Weekend Sweep

Sooners' pitchers LJ Mercurius and Cord Rager recognized by conference after strong performances

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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The Oklahoma Sooners baseball team got off to a hot start in the 2026 season, sweeping three former Big 12 rivals to win the Shriners Children's College Showdown in Arlington, Texas. As a result, two OU pitchers - LJ Mercurius and Cord Rager - were named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week and Co-Freshman of the Week, respectively, by the Southeastern Conference on Monday.

Why it matters

The early-season honors for Mercurius and Rager highlight the strong start for the Sooners, who were ranked No. 19 in the preseason and have now debuted at No. 21 in the D1Baseball poll. The Sooners are looking to build on a 38-22 overall record and 14-16 SEC mark from last season.

The details

Mercurius, a junior right-hander and UNLV transfer, struck out a career-high 12 batters over 5 1/3 innings in OU's 11-1 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday. Rager, a freshman left-hander, threw five innings and struck out eight while giving up just one run on two hits in the Sooners' 12-2 victory over TCU to clinch the Shriners Showdown championship.

  • On Friday, Oklahoma routed Texas Tech 10-3.
  • On Saturday, the Sooners defeated Oklahoma State 10-1.
  • On Sunday, OU beat TCU 12-2 to win the Shriners Showdown title.

The players

LJ Mercurius

A junior right-handed pitcher and UNLV transfer who struck out a career-high 12 batters over 5 1/3 innings in OU's win over Oklahoma State.

Cord Rager

A freshman left-handed pitcher who threw five innings, struck out eight, and gave up just one run on two hits in OU's championship-clinching win over TCU.

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What’s next

Oklahoma returns to action on Monday at Globe Life Field against New Mexico State.

The takeaway

The strong opening weekend performance by the Oklahoma Sooners, capped by the SEC weekly honors for pitchers LJ Mercurius and Cord Rager, suggests the team is poised for a promising 2026 season as they look to build on last year's 38-22 overall record and 14-16 SEC mark.