Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Try to Lasso Vikings in Stillwater
April 12, 2001 | Cowboy Baseball
April 12, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
THIS WEEKEND
The Cowboys will welcome the Cleveland State Vikings to Stillwater for a
pair of games this weekend. The two teams were originally scheduled for a
trio of games, but Saturday's game was dropped in order for OSU to comply
with the NCAA limit of 56 regular season games. Dallas Baptist will replace
the Cowboys in Saturday's 2 p.m. contest at Reynolds Stadium.
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
The Vikings bring a record of 11-16 to Stillwater this weekend after
dropping their last five contests. Last weekend, Illinois-Chicago took four
games from CSU to drop the Vikings to 0-4 in the Midwestern Collegiate
Conference. On Wednesday, CSU dropped a 6-2 decision to Bowling Green to
extend the losing skid.
Offensively, the Vikings are led by All-American Keith Lillash. The senior has started all 27 of CSU's games this season and is hitting at a .389 clip. Lillash leads the team in hits (37), doubles (9), runs (15) and slugging percentage (.600).
On the mound, Jerry Long has tossed a team-best 53.2 innings in eight starts and is sporting a 2.85 ERA. Long has thrown four complete games this season and will bring a 3-4 mark to Stillwater.
Friday's contest will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
PROBABLES ON THE MOUND
OSU will run junior Nick McCurdy to the hill for Friday's series opener.
McCurdy has made nine starts and one relief appearance this season. The
Thomasville, Alabama native is 4-3 on the year and has a 3.66 ERA in 46.2
innings of work.
Freshman Jimmy Rhodes will make his second weekend start of the season on Sunday. The Sheperdstown, West Virginia native is 3-0 on the season with a 2.65 ERA. Rhodes has worked 17.0 innings and has struck out 11 batters.
LOOKING BACK
Oklahoma State took two-of-three games from Kansas State over the
weekend. In the opener, the Cowboys used a solid pitching performance by
Josh Merrigan to defeat the Wildcats 11-5. Merrigan went 7.2 innings,
allowing only two earned runs and five hits en route to his fifth win of the
season.
Paul Powell picked up his fourth home run of the year and his third of the week. The Cowboys' rally fell short in a 13-8 loss to the Wildcats on Saturday, leaving nine men on base, including five in the final three innings.
Jimbo McAuliff chopped a single to the mound with no outs in the bottom of the tenth inning to score Roy York and win the third game of the series 4-3.
Paul Powell extended his current hitting streak to a team-high 11 games, going 7-for-14 on the weekend with two home runs. Reliever Shane Hawk picked up his second win for the Cowboys, allowing only two hits in three scoreless innings.
On Wednesday, OSU doubled up Texas-Pan American 18-9 behind five home runs. Kris Oakes tossed two innings to pick up his first win of the season.
