Former LSU pitcher makes impressive statement in Opening Day performance

Cameron Johnson came to LSU in 2024 as one of the most highly-touted pitching prospects in all of college baseball. He was ranked as the No. 2 left-handed pitcher and No. 11 overall player in the country for the 2023 recruiting class by Perfect Game. He began his LSU career with plenty of hype, but would spend just one season in Baton Rouge before transferring to Oklahoma.

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Now entering Year 2 in Norman, Johnson earned the Opening Day nod for the Sooners. He made the most of his opportunity.

Cameron Johnson sets career-high in strikeouts on Opening Day

Oklahoma opened up the 2026 season against Texas Tech at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Friday night. Johnson toed the rubber for the Sooners, and he put together the best performance of his collegiate career. The hard-throwing lefty earned the win on the mound, as he tossed 6.0 innings and allowed just three hits and one earned run while racking up a career-high 11 strikeouts. Oklahoma ultimately won the game by a score of 10-3 to start the new campaign 1-0.

Control has been a bit of an issue for Johnson in his collegiate career thus far. He issued 16 walks with 13 strikeouts in his 9.0 innings with the Tigers in 2024, and then issued 25 walks with 24 strikeouts across 21.0 innings in his first season with the Sooners in 2025. But he controlled the strike zone well on Friday, issuing just three walks to go along with his 11 punch outs.

Johnson's eye-opening Opening Day performance sets up for an interesting weekend next month when the Tigers welcome the Sooners to Alex Box Stadium on March 19-21. It wouldn't be surprising to see Johnson be Oklahoma's starter for the first game of that series against his former team.

LSU swept Oklahoma in a three-game weekend series in Norman last season. Johnson did not see any action in any of the three games.