Oklahoma baseball: All-America honors, portal haul begins

Oklahoma starting pitcher Kyson Witherspoon and catcher Easton Carmichael were honored as first-team Perfect Game All-Americans on Tuesday. They are the first Sooners duo to share first-team All-America honors in the same season since Jon Gray and Matt Oberste in 2013. 

The battery mates were also selected as members of the ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region team by the American Baseball Coaches Association, along with closer Dylan Crooks and shortstop Jaxon Willits. Witherspoon was named to the first team while Carmichael, Crooks and Willits were second team selections. 

For Witherspoon Tuesday’s All-America selection comes following a remarkable junior campaign in which he led the SEC in wins (10, ninth nationally) and ERA (2.65, 23rd nationally), striking out 124 batters (fifth-most nationally), with a 1.01 WHIP and a 11.75 strikeouts per nine innings. 

For Carmichael, it’s the second time he’s earned All-America honors, becoming the first Sooner to do so in consecutive seasons since Casey Bookout in 1998-99. Carmichael was a third-team selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America following the 2023 season. 

This season Carmichael led OU with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs and a .329 batting average, finishing the season in the top 10 amongst the conference in triples (fourth), hits (seventh) and total bases (ninth). He also swiped a career-high 14 bases. 

Witherspoon, Carmichael and Crooks are all three expected to hear their names called come July in the Major League Baseball Draft. Witherspoon is currently projected as a first round draft pick. 

Retention and Portal Life 

You know the routine by now. 

As eight teams head to college baseball’s mecca through the cornfields of Omaha, Neb., Skip Johnson and Co. in Norman have their sights on the building of next year’s roster. 

Of course, Oklahoma is going to be active in the transfer portal. The Sooners lose Dylan Crooks, Jamie Hitt and Scott Mudler to graduation. Underclassmen like Kyson and Malachi Witherspoon expect to hear their names called in just over a month. As does Easton Carmichael. And that’s where things get tricky. 

We all liked what we saw from Dylan Tate. But guess who else did? Major League Baseball scouts. Cade Crossland will have a decision to make following the draft. 

There’s a decent nucleus to build around 

Jaxon Willits, Drew Dickerson, Kyle Branch and Dayton Tockey are all expected to return. As are outfielders Trey Gambill, Sam Christiansen and Jason Walk. 

In the last week since season’s end, Oklahoma has been more than productive in the portal netting four public commitments. 

Portal Additions

RHP LJ Mercurius – UNLV 

The junior right-hander heads to Norman after making 11 starts last season at UNLV, earning second team All-Mountain West honors with a 3.29 ERA in 53 innings. He struck out 58 batters while sporting a team-best .230 batting average. Mercurius, the top ranked right-hander in UNLV’s class of 2023, struck out a season-high 12 in UNLV’s first complete game since 2015 in a 3-0 win on April 5. 

This summer Mercurius will play for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. The Witherspoon brothers did so last summer. 

He’ll join his brother Alexander, a 2025 Oklahoma signee, in Norman next season. 

INF Camden Johnson – Wichita State 

Oklahoma’s most recent addition out of the portal made it official on Tuesday evening. The Boerne, Texas, native made 116 starts over the last two years at Wichita, earning second team All-AAC honors in each season. 

This past year Johnson hit .323 with 17 doubles and nine stolen bases. 

P/OF Nolan Stevens – Mississippi State 

The two-way Mississippi State product heads to Norman on the heels of his brother’s, Grant, career ending in the crimson and cream. He played in 29 games last year in Starkville as a freshman, making seven starts, hitting .320 with four home runs, six doubles and 21 RBIs. He could figure into the Oklahoma starting lineup possibly from day one. 

INF Cayden Brumbaugh – Nebraska 

It comes full circle for the Edmond Santa Fe product after starting his career in Stillwater and seeing his season ended by Oklahoma in the Chapel Hill Regional. 

Brumbaugh played in 101 games across two seasons in Lincoln. He finished his final season for the Huskers posting career-highs with 76 hits, 18 doubles, five home runs and 33 RBIs.