Rob Vaughn: ‘We Just Got Flat-Out Beaten’ After Alabama’s 9-0 CWS Loss to Oklahoma

OMAHA, Neb. – Alabama dropped its first game of the College World Series on Saturday, suffering a disappointing 9-0 shutout loss to Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide struggled on both sides of the ball, failing to generate baserunners and unable to finish innings, as the Sooners scored multiple runs with two outs.

Get our free mobile app

In the shutout loss to the Sooners, Alabama struggled offensively, striking out ten times and finishing with a .167 batting average on just five hits. In contrast, Oklahoma batted .314 with 11 hits, excelling in two-out situations by going 5-for-12, which accounted for five of their runs. 

“We just got beat today, and this was not a game where we went out there and walked 20 guys, this is not a game, Mark saw us, Mark’s in here, he’s seen us kick the ball all around the field at times we didn’t do that today. We just got flat-out beaten. They executed pitches on the mound better, they got some big hits in some big spots, they were kinda relentless with two outs, lengthening it out there at the end of the game so, man it’s one of those games where we’re gonna clearly go back and see what we need to do better come monday, but man we got 24 hours we’ll go get some work in tomorrow and get back on the saddle. I can promise you you’ll get a good punch from these kids. These kids haven’t quit their whole life.” 

Vaughn and his team are no strangers to adversity, enduring several tough losses during the regular season. After losing their first game, Alabama responded with a seven-game winning streak. The Tide were then swept by Kentucky in their first SEC series and lost to South Alabama 6-3 at home. They responded with three straight SEC series wins, sweeping both Florida and Auburn. Later in the season, after losing three consecutive conference series, Alabama finished the regular season strong with three straight series wins against Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Ole Miss.

Vaughn emphasized this resilience in his press conference when asked how his team would respond with their season on the line.

“It's one of those things where it's kind of all hands on deck. Which is great. And so what these kids have done all year. From the first game of the year, we got punched in the mouth and lost, and they responded. We got swept at Kentucky, and they responded. And I've said this for years, that's the mark of a man. Can you get back off the mat?”

Vaughn and company will look to bounce back on Monday when the Crimson Tide faces the loser of Georgia vs. Texas. Alabama hasn’t faced Georgia this season, but played Texas in a three-game regular season series, which the Longhorns won 2-1. Now, the Tide must win to survive as they try to fight their way out of the losers’ bracket.

Micah Nichols covers Alabama baseball, football, and basketball for Tide100.9. Follow @Micahnichols0 on X for in-game updates, highlights, and more Crimson Tide content.