JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State offense exploded for 12 runs over the final five innings and the Gamecock pitching staff blanked Oakland in a 12-0 win on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium on Saturday.

Jax State bounced-back after splitting an Opening Day doubleheader with the Golden Grizzlies. The two teams will wrap up the season-opening four-game series on Sunday. The start time for the series finale has been pushed up an hour to 12 p.m. to accommodate OU's travel schedule.

After both clubs were scoreless through three-and-half innings, the Jax State offense was sparked in the fourth inning with a five-run frame, highlighted by RBI singles from new faces in the program. Redshirt junior Colton Hegwood turned in one of his two hits on the day with an RBI to start the big inning. Redshirt junior Rob Gordon collected his first RBI as a Gamecock, followed by redshirt sophomore Cooper Blauser's two-run single. Senior Drew Collins added his third RBI in the first two days of the 2025 season with a sacrifice fly.

Blauser, who had two hits, including a triple on Opening Day, continued to swing a hot bat with two more hits on Saturday and tallied four RBI in the win.

The Gamecocks expanded the lead with a run in the fifth and another big frame with four runs in the sixth inning. Hegwood posted his second RBI, followed by an two-run double from Blauser. Junior Caleb Johnson tripled behind Blauser for the fourth run of the inning. Johnson, the preseason All-Conference USA selection added an RBI in the seventh, while freshman Cade Miles had an RBI single to cap off the scoring.

While the offense was extending the advantage, the Jax State pitching trio kept OU off the scoreboard for the first shutout by the Gamecocks since March 26, 2023 against Bellarmine. Transfer Steven Cash worked the first five innings and scattered five hits and worked out of early jams thanks to his own defensive effort coming off the mound. Cash, who joined the program from Louisiana, posted a pair of strikeouts in his debut.

Junior Grayson Knight, who played two seasons at Indiana Wesleyan, turned in three scoreless frames in relief. Freshman Maddox McDougall tossed the final inning.

Sunday's contest will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network. Tickets are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.