How the Oklahoma Sooners National Championship resonated with current MLB players
How the Oklahoma Sooners National Championship resonated with current MLB playersYahoo Sports senior MLB analysts Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz recap the College World Series as the Oklahoma Sooners won their third national championship after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels. Hear the full conversation on the “Baseball Bar-B-Cast” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.3:02Now PlayingPausedThe Oklahoma Sooners are National Champions!0:59Now PlayingPaused
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How the Oklahoma Sooners National Championship resonated with current MLB players
Jake Mintz·Jordan ShustermanWed, June 24, 2026 at 5:22 PM UTCYahoo Sports senior MLB analysts Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz recap the College World Series as the Oklahoma Sooners won their third national championship after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels. Hear the full conversation on the “Baseball Bar-B-Cast” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
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The Oklahoma Sooners, national champs for the third time ever, first time since 1994.
We have never lived on this earth with the Oklahoma Sooners as champions of the Division I baseball world.
Do not remember 1994, because we were not there.
I also do not remember 1951, which was another national title for the, Oklahoma baseball team.
But, that is ancient baseball history and very different than achieving this in the year 2026.
This was an unbelievable run for a team that finished 11th in the SEC in the regular season, was-- came into the postseason a good RPI because they played in the SEC and they had some good players, but they're, th- they were a team that nobody was thinking about as particularly relevant for a postseason run.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAnd then they went into Atlanta, upset Georgia Tech, went into Kansas.
So this, this in- just incred- they just, they upset Georgia Tech, ACC double champions.
They go to Lawrence, they upset Kansas, Big 12 double champions.
They go to Omaha, they beat Georgia, SEC double champions.
By double champion, I mean win the tournament, win the regular season.
And then they make it all the way to the finals against UNC, and people are still like, "I don't think they can do it.
UNC's better."
And, nope.
Sooners stay hot even after dropping game two- Yeah after winning game one.
They just completely blow them out, and their three-week heater of a lifetime is complete, and they're national champs.
It's one of the most ama- amazing stories I've seen since watching this sport.
So they win Monday night.
I head to post-game clubhouse with the Nats after they win on Monday night.
And the Nats- have two starters in their rotation that pitched for Oklahoma- Yes Jake Irvin and Cade Cavalli.
Mm-hmm.
And they, like, come out as the media's in there, and they're, like, hooting and hollering.
And I see, like, Cade Cavalli, who, spoke to the team in February, like, went to Norman and, like, gave- Oh, nice the opening speech to, like, fire up the team.
And, like, Jake Irvin's got tears in his eyes.
You know, he hasn't pitched there for- Oh, that's awesome almost a decade.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAnd you just-- It-- look at what it means to him, you know?
Like, it w- it, it was so cool to, like, see how that sticks with people.
'Cause I remember when my college team, my D3 team, made the World Series after I left, and you feel 0.00000000001% responsible for helping to set a culture, and to see that on the Big League side was cool.
And then Skip Johnson, who's the, the head coach there, who has been a character in our sport, I mean, for a long time- Mm-hmm who helped build Clayton Kershaw.
Go read Andy McCullough's book, "Last of His Kind."
Like, Skip Johnson is a crucial character in just, like, the history of modern pitching development as well, someone that's really beloved around the sport.
And I'm happy that he got his moment in the sunshine.
- How the Oklahoma Sooners National Championship resonated with current MLB playersYahoo Sports senior MLB analysts Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz recap the College World Series as the Oklahoma Sooners won their third national championship after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels. Hear the full conversation on the “Baseball Bar-B-Cast” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.3:02Now PlayingPaused
- Oklahoma defeats UNC to win third Men's College World Series title1:48Now PlayingPaused
- College World Series - UNC, Oklahoma look to end title droughts1:34Now PlayingPaused
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
