UNC baseball vs Oklahoma College World Series rosters and players’ high schools

[ASFN Admin]

The 2026 College Baseball World Series championship series is set.

No. 5 seed North Carolina will take on unseeded Oklahoma. Both teams advanced through the CWS with 3-0 records to reach the best-of-three series to determine the 2026 national champions.

The Tar Heels had a strong season in the ACC to advance to the NCAA Tournament and reach this stage, while the Sooners built a strong resume throughout the year in a tough SEC, which saw five teams reach Omaha, Nebraska.

Now North Carolina and Oklahoma will square off in a best-of-three series to see who takes home the national title. However, it's important to remember that before these collegiate stars reached this stage, they were stars at their high schools.

Here's a look at where the Tar Heels' and Sooners' players in the CWS championship series attended high school:

Oklahoma​

• Jason Barfield, LHP: Pearland High School (Pearland, Texas)
• Maxon Bixby, RHP: Lady Bird Johnson High School (San Antonio, Texas)
• Alec Blair, OF: De La Salle High School (Lafayette, California)
• Jason Bodin, RHP: Orangefield High School (Orange, Texas)
• Kyle Branch, INF: Lovejoy High School (Lucas, Texas)
• Brendan Brock, C/OF: Mascoutah High School (Mascoutah, Illinois)
• Cayden Brumbaugh, UTL: Edmond Santa Fe High School (Edmond, Oklahoma)
• Michael Catlano, RHP: Frisco High School (Frisco, Texas)
• Jackson Cleveland, RHP: Deer Park High School (Deer Park, Texas)
• Trent Collier, LHP: Walnut Grove High School (Prosper, Texas)
• Myles Davis, INF: Marion High School (Marion, Iowa)
• Drew Dickerson, OF: Lee's Summit West High School (Lee's Summit, Montana)
• Gunnar Dillard, C: Wall High School (San Angelo, Texas)
• Trey Gambill, OF: Lone Peak High School (Alpine, Utah)
• Jaxon Grossman, RHP: Makawoo High School (Haiku, Hawaii)
• Dasan Harris, OF: Plano East High School (Plano, Texas)
• Reid Hensley, RHP: Lufkin High School (Lufkin, Texas)
• Camden Johnson, INF: Boerne High School (Boerne, Texas)
• Cameron Johnson, LHP: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
• Gavyn Jones, LHP: White Oak High School (White Oak, Texas)
• Deiten Lachance, C: École secondaire De Mortagne High School (Quebec, Canada)
• Connor Larkin, UTL: Cherry Creek High School (Cherry Hills Village, Colorado)
• Kadyn Leon, RHP: Lake Travis High School (Austin, Texas)
• LJ Mercurius, RHP: Faith Lutheran High School (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• Xander Mercurius, RHP: Durango High School (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• Gerardo Prado, OF: Puerto Rico Baseball Academy (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• Cord Rager, LHP: Maypearl High School (Maypearl, Texas)
• Drew Rerick, RHP: Fargo Davies High School (Fargo, North Dakota)
• Brisco Smith, RHP: Duncan High School (Marlow, Oklahoma)
• Nate Smithburg, LHP: Fairfield High School (Libertyville, Iowa)
• Nolan Stevens, OF/LHP: Franklin High School (Elk Grove, California)
• Dayton Tockey, INF: Weatherford High School (Fort Worth, Texas)
• Jason Walk, OF: Harrison High School (Acworth, Georgia)
• Uriah Walters, INF: Rock Hill High School (Frisco, Texas)
• Nick Wesloski, RHP: McKinney Boyd High School (McKinney, Texas)
• Isaac Williams, RHP: Fleming Island High School (Fleming, Florida)
• Jaxon Willits, INF: Fort Cobb-Broxton High School (Fort Cobb, Oklahoma)

The base of the Sooners' World Series championship roster is from one state, but not from Oklahoma. Nearly 40% of the Oklahoma roster features players who played high school baseball in Texas, Oklahoma's neighboring state. Just two players are from Oklahoma.

North Carolina​

• Sawyer Black, OF: Wesleyan Christian Academy (Oak Ridge, North Carolina)
• Folger Boaz, LHP: East Curry High School (Pilot Mountain, North Carolina)
• Jake Cackovic, RHP: Holly Springs High School (Holly Springs, North Carolina)
• Tom Chmielewski, LHP: Needham High School (Needham, Massachusetts)
• Jason DeCaro, RHP: St. Anthony's (Nort Port, New York)
• Boston Flannery, RHP: Brunswick High School (New City, New York)
• Carter French, OF: Jesuit (Tampa, Florida)
• Gavin Gallaher, INF: Pro5 (Apex, North Carolina)
• Caden Glauber, RHP: Catawba Ridge High School (Fort Mill, South Carolina)
• Perry Hargett, OF: Metrolina Christian Academy (Peachland, North Carolina)
• Talan Holiday, RHP: American Heritage High School (Pembroke Pines, Florida)
• Tyler Howe, OF/1B: Hopewell High School (Huntersville, North Carolina)
• Owen Hull, OF: Bishop Ireton High School (Alexandria, Virginia)
• Sean Hurley, RHP: Shaker High School (Cohoes, New York)
• Colin Hynek, C: Paulding County High School (Rockmart, Georgia)
• Olin Johnson, RHP: McCallie School (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
• Tim Lawson, LHP: Bishop Verot (Fort Myers, Florida)
• Riley Leatherman, RHP: Wayzata High School (Maple Grove, Tennessee)
• Ryan Lynch, RHP: Moorestown High School (Moorestown, New Jersey)
• Justin Mabe, RHP: North Davidson High School (Lexington, North Carolina)
• Michael Maginnis, OF: Newnan High School (Newnan, Georgia)
• Matthew Matthjis, RHP: D.H. Coley (Greenville, North Carolina)
• Walker McDuffie, RHP: Lee County High School (Broadway, North Carolina)
• Matt McKnight, INF: Charlotte Catholic High School (Charlotte, North Carolina)
• Cooper Nicholson, INF: Dowling Catholic High School (West Des Moines, Iowa)
• Jadyn Nunez, OF: Doral Academy (Miami, Florida)
• Cameron Padgett, RHP: East Rowan High School (Salisbury, North Carolina)
• Erik Paulsen, INF: Massapequa High School (Massapequa Park, New York)
• Kyle Percival, LHP: Andrew Jackson (Lancaster, South Carolina)
• Amos Rich, RHP: Tuscola High School (Waynesville, North Carolina)
• Jackson Rose, LHP: Etowah High School (Woodstock, Georgia)
• Jake Schaffner, INF: Craig High School (Janesville, Wisconsin)
• Camron Seagraves, RHP: Grace Christian Academy (Ellerbe, North Carolina)
• Lee Sowers, INF: Freeman High School (Glenn Allen, Virginia)
• AJ Terry, INF: Randolph High School (Randolph, New Jersey)
• Andrew Wallen, RHP: JH Rose High School (Greenville, North Carolina)
• Macon Winslow, C: Perquimans County High School (Hertford, North Carolina)

While just two players on Oklahoma's roster attended high school in Oklahoma, 15 players on the Tar Heels' World Series championship series roster hail from Tar Heel State.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High school roots of 2026 CWS championship series baseball stars

Continue reading...