ARLINGTON, Texas – On Saturday, February 14, LJ Mercurius started on the mound for the Oklahoma Sooners against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. It was the right-hander’s debut for Oklahoma as he transferred to Norman from UNLV. The Sooners defeated the Cowboys 10-1, which moved their record to 2-0 on the season.
In 5 1/3 innings of work, Mercurius tallied 12 strikeouts while allowing just one earned run and three hits. He also gave up just two walks as well, shutting down the Oklahoma State offense.
Mercurius threw 99 total pitches, 65 of which were for strikes.
Mercurius with UNLV in 2025
Last season, Mercurius was a good pitcher for the UNLV Rebels. He broke out with a 3.47 ERA in 53 innings of work. Over that same stretch, he had 58 strikeouts and allowed an opposing batting average of .230.
Mercurius was also named second-team All-Mountain West Conference last season. He was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week on April 7 when he threw a complete game shutout against the Nevada Wolfpack on April 5.
Making the Transition from UNLV to Oklahoma
After his fantastic start against Oklahoma State, Mercurius talked about the transition from UNLV to Oklahoma leading up to the 2026 season.
“Oklahoma’s staple is working on the mental game,” Mercurius said. “This past fall was about taking breaths, visualizing pitches, and getting to the next pitch. That is what today was about. I was just worried about getting to the next pitch.”
Oklahoma’s Skip Johnson also talked about Mercurius’ development in Norman leading up to the season.
“He has been growing up and maturing,” Johnson told WBN. “He wanted to get somewhere comfortable and needed a change. His best days are ahead of him.”
Johnson compared Mercurius to former Major League Baseball pitcher Chris Archer because of the junior’s ability to locate a fastball.
Up Next for Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Sooners will look to finish off the 2026 Shriners Children’s College Showdown on Sunday, February 15.
They will play the TCU Horned Frogs at Globe Life Field with the first pitch at 7:30 p.m. EST.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Alfred Ezman | World Baseball Network
