OU's team nearly pulled out victory, but former MLB star Adrian Gonzalez helps Dodgers prevail in Home Run Derby X in Oklahoma City.
Adrian Gonzalez is used to hitting home runs in bunches.
The slugger hit 317 homers in a 15-year Major League Baseball career, and he hit 31 in 212 combined games with the Oklahoma RedHawks and Oklahoma City Dodgers.
Saturday in MLB Home Run Derby X at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, Gonzalez put on a show to lift the Dodgers to an 81-69 come-from-behind victory over the Sooners in the championship round.
Gonzalez came up in the second round of the final needing a monster performance after Jocelyn Alo put on a show in the first round.
Alo blasted 16 home runs in her two-and-a-half minute round, earning 32 points to give the Sooners a hefty advantage.
“When you get in that rhythm, it’s keeping that rhythm,” Alo said. “... The majority of my home runs go center field. I’m not a pull or oppo (hitter) but I can go there.”
Signed, sealed & delivered.✍️@adrian_eltitan takes home his 2nd Home Run Derby X 2025 victory & Jayda Coleman & Sydney Romero are going to SALT LAKE✈️#HomeRunDerbyXpic.twitter.com/wXEZNM7yqQ
— MLB’s Home Run Derby X (@homerunderbyx) August 24, 2025
But then Gonzalez posted 36 points in the second round to put the Dodgers ahead.
After Tiare Jennings put the Sooners ahead 55-46, another former OU star went to work.
Sydney Romero cut into the deficit for the Dodgers, then tagged out for Gonzalez for the final minute.
The 43-year-old helped put the Dodgers up 71-56 going into the final at-bat.
Kinzie Hansen chipped away slowly at the lead by Jayda Coleman, Gonzalez and Romero were able to come up with several key catches to keep the Dodgers up front.
“It was fun,” Alo said of facing Coleman and Romero. “It felt like we were at practice again — who can outhit who.”
Here are two more takeaways from the event:
Nick Swisher dons Lauren Chamberlain jersey
Nick Swisher, Kasidi Pickering and Ella Parker officially represented the Yankees in Saturday’s HRDX.
But the trio weren’t wearing pinstripes when they made their way to the field for introductions.
It wasn’t a big surprise to see Pickering or Parker representing Oklahoma when they made their way onto the field, but Swisher wanted to come out wearing Sooners gear also.
Swisher’s jersey came from another OU legend.
“Lauren Chamberlain has been gracious enough to come here to back Home Run Derby X and for me to be able to wear her jersey out here on the field today was amazing,” Swisher said. “I told the girls, ‘You all get your jerseys, we’re going to come out as the Oklahoma Sooners and once we get on the sidelines, we’ll take ’em off and we’ll become the Yankees.'
“I’m just trying to make this a little better. I want to be able to entertain the crowd as much as possible.”
Swisher spent the morning in Norman with OU softball coach Patty Gasso, who is fresh off Team USA’s World Games gold medal victory.
Swisher is a big advocate for women’s sports, especially softball.
“Ever since I’ve had the honor to jump in here to Home Run Derby X I’ve really grained a crazy different perspective, for lack of a better term just a love for women’s sports and for women’s softball,” Swisher said. “These girls are like my sisters now so for the fact that I get to come out there and compete with them, why would I not want to support them in everything that they’re doing.
"From the professional level to the collegiate level, Coach Gasso, she’s the GOAT. The fact that I was able to spend time with her and pick her brain on how she created the university (softball program), she didn’t just get those things, she earned those things. … One of these days when I become a manager, I want to become a leader like her.”
Sooners control opening round
Alo contributed in the opening round, but it was all defensively.
Alo made several catches in the outfield, but after the job Hansen and Jennings did in the matchup with the Yankees, Alo’s bat wasn’t needed as the Sooners won the semifinal 43-36.
Hansen started off with a 17-point round before Jennings slugged eight home runs — including five in the target zone in center for double points.
Swisher couldn’t quite lift the Yankees in front to force Alo to hit.
“I wish we would’ve pulled off the W but if we had to lose to somebody, to lose to the first female all-Sooner team, I don’t feel that bad about it,” Swisher said.
Pickering and Parker said there was an adjustment period to hitting baseballs thrown overhand compared to the release angles they’re used to seeing on the softball field.
“I think for me it was more mental just learning how to just make that mental adjustment to it coming overhand rather than underhand,” Parker said.
In the other first-round matchup, the Dodgers beat the Royals — Lorenzo Cain, Reese Atwood and Amanda Lorenz — 75-64.
Ryan Aber covers OU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ryan? He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @RyAber. Sign up for the OU Sooners newsletter to access more OU coverage. Support Ryan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jocelyn Alo, Adrian Gonzalez put on show in MLB Home Run Derby X
Category: General Sports
