Just days after helping lead the University of Oklahoma to the 2026 Men’s College World Series title, Xander Mercurius is back on the mound preparing for his next opportunity.

The freshman right-hander didn’t have much time to celebrate before arriving at USA Baseball’s 2026 Collegiate National Team Training Camp. Fresh off a national championship run on college baseball’s biggest stage, Mercurius now has another chance to represent his country.

“It was a couple days, but I knew I had to come here and show out,” Mercurius said. “It was just a mindset flip. It’s still pitching.”

The quick turnaround came after one of the most memorable seasons of Mercurius’ young career. As a freshman, he helped Oklahoma capture the program’s third national championship while making one of the biggest starts of his career in Omaha.

Reflecting on the championship run, Mercurius, a USA Baseball 2019 12U and 2022 15U National Team alum, still feels the excitement of the last few weeks.

“It means a lot,” he said. “To do it as a freshman, doing it with my teammates and doing it with my brother, it meant the world. It was such a great experience. Charles Schwab was just a spectacular place to play, the greatest show on dirt. Everything about it was what you dream of as a little kid.”

The championship run was even more meaningful because he was able to share it with his older brother, LJ Mercurius, a junior right-hander for the Sooners and a 2025 Collegiate National Team Training Camp invitee.

“It was awesome,” Mercurius said. “It was someone I could always look to and smile at. Afterward, getting to see my whole family and have dinner together after everything we’d been through was really special. I’m glad we got to do it together.”

Mercurius’ defining moment came against Georgia in the Men’s College World Series, when he delivered the longest outing of his career. He earned his first collegiate win after allowing three runs over 7.1 innings in Oklahoma’s 4-3 victory over the No. 3 Bulldogs. The freshman threw 104 pitches, including 72 strikes, and struck out a career-high nine batters before exiting in the eighth inning.

Rather than letting the stage overwhelm him in front of a sold-out crowd of 24,555 at Charles Schwab Field, Mercurius leaned on his routine and the people around him.

“I was just trying to be as locked in as possible and keep that tunnel vision when I’m pitching,” Mercurius said. “I don’t remember everything about the start because I was just in that mode. Everything was kind of working, my connection with Deiten Lechance [ Oklahoma’s catcher] was amazing, and he kept me in that tunnel, just focused on what was in front of me and canceling out the noise.”

While the championship trophy capped the Sooners’ incredible season, many of Mercurius’ favorite memories with his team came away from the field.

“We were in hotel rooms together for like 20 days in a row at some point,” he said. “Riding the buses and just spending time together. You build those bonds, and that’s something we’re never going to forget. It’s going to live on forever, in the history books forever.”

Now at Collegiate National Team Training Camp, Mercurius is embracing another opportunity to compete alongside many of the nation’s top players while chasing another chance to represent the United States.

“I just want the chance to meet my peers,” Mercurius said. “These are the guys I’ll be playing against for a long time and hopefully with in Major League Baseball. Making those friendships and carrying them through the draft and as we get older, I’ll definitely be thankful for them now and as we grow up.”

Although he’s focused on earning a spot on the Collegiate National Team this summer, Mercurius already knows where he’ll be next spring.

Returning to Oklahoma after winning a national championship wasn’t a hard choice.

“Coming back was kind of an easy decision,” Mercurius said. “We just won a national championship so doing it with the same starting rotation, I can’t wait for that, I can’t wait for the future.”

Before defending that title, however, Mercurius has another opportunity in front of him.

“Playing for your country and having U-S-A across your chest,” he said. “There’s nothing better.”

From the bright lights of Omaha to the fields at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, Mercurius’ turnaround has been quick. While the memories of celebrating a national championship are still fresh, he’s already chasing another opportunity in a summer full of unforgettable moments.