OMAHA — Oklahoma defeated North Carolina 9-3 in Game 1 of the 2026 College World Series finals on Saturday, June 20, 2026. The championship series is a best-of-three format between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Oklahoma Sooners.

Game 1's start time was moved to 3 p.m. ET due to weather concerns. North Carolina scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, with Gavin Gallaher driving in two runs with a single and Collin Hynek hitting a sacrifice fly. Oklahoma's Deiten Lachance hit a home run in the first inning. Lachance hit a second home run to tie the game at 3-3 before Oklahoma scored four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead. Carter French made a defensive play for Oklahoma to prevent extra bases.

This appearance marks North Carolina's first Men's College World Series Championship Series since 2007. The Tar Heels are seeking their first NCAA baseball championship in program history. Oklahoma is seeking its first NCAA baseball championship since 1994. Both teams had been undefeated in the College World Series prior to Game 1 of the finals. Game 2 of the finals is scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET, with a potential Game 3 on Monday at 7 p.m. ET if needed.

Oklahoma has recorded 91 home runs during the 2026 season. Forty-three of these home runs occurred in their last 16 games of the season, with Lachance, Brendan Brock, and Trey Gambill contributing 40 of those during that stretch. Lachance, a catcher from Canada, has 16 home runs and 65 RBIs for the 2026 season, along with a 1.011 OPS. He hit four home runs during the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina's pitcher Jason DeCaro holds a 2.31 ERA and an 11-2 record over 18 appearances for the 2026 season. Sports analyst David Bearman said, "The Game 1 starters are not official yet, but it's widely believed it'll be Tar Heels ace Jason DeCaro vs. Oklahoma freshman Cord Rager." Bearman said, "DeCaro has a 2.31 ERA, eighth-best in the nation, to go along with his 11-2 record in 18 appearances." He added, "After a rough start in the regional, he's been almost unhittable in two starts since, pitching a complete-game shutout vs. USC in the Supers and shutting down Ole Miss over 6.2 innings." Regarding Rager, Bearman said, "Rager has pitched as well as anyone in the tournament, not allowing a run in his last 13 innings, beating Kansas and Alabama." Bearman also noted, "He struggled down the stretch against SEC rivals, allowing 4+ runs to Auburn, Florida, Arkansas, and Tennessee." He concluded, "I think both starters will go deep, as this is their last start."