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Oklahoma Downs Tennessee 12-9; LaChance Hits Three Homers

5/17/2026

29 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

LaChance Powers

Oklahoma Sooners beat Tennessee Volunteers 12-9 in the series finale on May 16, 2026 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Deiten LaChance hit a leadoff homer and finished 4-for-5 with three homers and a triple.
Jackson Cleveland recorded his eighth save by retiring the side in order in the ninth inning.
Tennessee entered the SEC Tournament as the No. 10 seed and will open against No. 15 seed South Carolina on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Summary

Blanco Wins

Evan Blanco threw six innings, 99 pitches, six strikeouts and three earned runs for the win.
Lightning in the bottom of the seventh on Friday halted play with one out, delaying game to a 2 p.m. ET Saturday finish.
Kalshi’s market lists UCLA at 62 %, Auburn at 56 % and Georgia Tech at 55 % to reach the College World Series.
Both teams will play in next week’s SEC Tournament, with Tennessee seeded No. 10.

History

Historical Context

The SEC launched its first baseball tournament in 1977, a four-team double-elimination event won by Ole Miss, establishing the automatic NCAA bid that still applies. Expansion milestones—such as the 1998 adoption of the Omaha bracket and the 2025 shift to a single-elimination format for all 16 members—show the league’s growing commercial and competitive scale, echoed today by Oklahoma’s recent win over Tennessee.

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LaChance Powers

Oklahoma Sooners beat Tennessee Volunteers 12-9 in the series finale on May 16, 2026 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Deiten LaChance hit a leadoff homer and finished 4-for-5 with three homers and a triple.
Jackson Cleveland recorded his eighth save by retiring the side in order in the ninth inning.
Tennessee entered the SEC Tournament as the No. 10 seed and will open against No. 15 seed South Carolina on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

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