LJ Mercurius’ high school coach remembers his time coaching the pitcher who is now on top of the college baseball world.
“LJ was simply a great kid to have in our program,” Faith Lutheran coach, Dave Anderson said. “He showed up every day ready to work. What I appreciated most was that he was always himself, genuine, dependable and comfortable in his own skin.
“He was never shy, and the lights were never too bright for him. LJ always delivered a steady performance and gave us a chance to win.”
Brothers LJ and Xander Mercurius, former Faith Lutheran, Durango and UNLV standouts, helped Oklahoma defeat North Carolina in the College World Series finals Monday night, capping a journey that began in Southern Nevada and ended with a national title.
The pair took different paths to OU. Xander starred at Durango High School, where he earned Nevada 4A Player of the Year honors as a senior and helped lead the Trailblazers to a state championship as a junior.
Meanwhile, LJ played at Faith Lutheran before spending two seasons at UNLV and transferring to Oklahoma ahead of the 2026 season.
“He left a positive mark on our team, and I am grateful for the time I had the opportunity to coach him,” Anderson said. “I’m so proud of LJ and Xander and over the moon for his parents.”
Both brothers made their debuts with the Sooners this year, with Xander joining the program as a freshman and LJ arriving from UNLV.
Across four appearances in the College World Series, LJ threw 12⅔ innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out 11 batters.
LJ provided one of the most important outings of Oklahoma’s postseason run in the championship-clinching victory, tossing 5⅔ innings in relief after replacing starter Nick Weloski.
Xander made two starts during the College World Series and totaled 11⅓ innings, earning a win and recording nine strikeouts in Oklahoma’s Game 1 victory over No. 3 Georgia.
“The biggest thing I’ve seen over my three years of college so far is that teams have two choices, you either split apart or you come together when things aren’t going well,” LJ said. “We came together through our faith, and that helped propel us to be successful.”
Xander finished the season with the most strikeouts among starting pitchers in the College World Series, while LJ ranked second among relievers.
