Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Baseball Season Preview
January 22, 2002 | Cowboy Baseball
Jan. 22, 2002
Taking care of unfinished business. A theme that will guide the Oklahoma State baseball program throughout the 2002 season. The Cowboys returned to NCAA postseason play for the 19th time in 20 seasons a year ago, but were disappointed in how the season ended. OSU lost to eventual College World Series team Tulane in the championship round of the New Orleans Regional, leaving the returning players hungry for the opportunity to improve in the offseason and take the team to another level this season.
As the team prepares for 2002, the areas of strength will be pitching and defense and speed. While this year's team is not expected to have the 20-homer power of the departed Luke Scott, there are many players who have the power potential necessary to make up for the loss.
Seniors Nebasett Brown, Rob Watson, Paul Powell and Jake Bollig return to lead the offensive arsenal while the pitching staff is deep with veteran pitchers and talented underclassmen that if healthy, will give Oklahoma State one of the strongest staffs in the nation.
Catcher
The catcher's spot is an area to watch as the 2002 season begins. Three-year starter Ryan Budde signed a professional contract with the Anaheim Angels, leaving the Cowboys without a definite starter at the position for the first time in years.
Freshman backstop Jason Jaramillo is a talented performer who could step in and be a cornerstone at the position similar to his most recent predecessors, Ryan Budde (1999-01) and Josh Holliday (1996-99). Jaramillo showed flashes of his potential in the fall and will need to grow into the position and gain experience at the collegiate level.
Junior college transfer Cory Von Tungeln, who began his career at Oklahoma, will be expected to provide time at catcher and brings with him a solid bat and defensive skills. Von Tungeln had a solid juco season at Cowley County where he led the team with a .435 batting average en route to Honorable Mention All-American honors.
Veteran Matt Oakes returns for his senior season and is a knowledgeable player who has experience with the pitchers after seeing action in 31 games behind the plate last year.
Another freshman Brian Valichka will use the season to get stronger and mature physically with the potential to contribute down the line in his career.
First base
Ali Modami returns for his senior campaign and is the incumbent for the job at first. Modami proved to be an outstanding defensive infielder and also proved to be a solid contact hitter with his . 345 batting average last season in 56 games.
Junior college transfer Mitch Mitchell will also battle for time at first after showing promise in the fall. His 6-7, 235 pound frame is ideal at first base and his playing time this year will depend on his continued improvement defensively and at the plate.
"First base will certainly be one of our strengths defensively," said Holliday. "As the position dictates, it is an offensive position with power and the guy that can give me both will be the guy that goes everyday there."
Second base
The quality of talent at second base is probably the strongest in the infield with senior Nebasett Brown leading the way. Brown, an All-Big 12 selection a year ago, led the Cowboys with a .381 batting average while also stealing 12 bases in 60 games. The speedy infielder also legged out five triples in 2001 while showing increased power with six homers and 15 doubles.
Junior college transfer Kenny Hansley was one of the most impressive performers in fall practice and showed the Cowboy coaching staff that he has the ability to not only start but excel at the Division I level. He brings a solid bat and speed to go along with stellar defensive skills to the table and provide the team with an added weapon in the infield.
Shortstop
Senior Rob Watson will be the everyday starter at short and has proven to be one of the more versatile players Oklahoma State has had in quite a while. Last season, Watson saw significant playing time at catcher starting 26 games behind the plate following Ryan Budde's season sending knee injury in March. The Riverside, Calif., native has seen action at several spots for the Cowboys over his three year career, including time as a pitcher in 2000. Last season Watson focused solely as a position player and batted .279 with 10 homers and 45 RBIs.
"I would say as Rob finishes out his collegiate career, he is probably one of the most durable, team players we have had here in a long long time," said head coach Tom Holliday.
Third base
Senior Paul Powell, who mainly saw action at short and third for the Cowboys last season, is expected to start at third. He finished tied for second on the team with 10 homers in 2001 and came on strong in the second half of the season finishing with a .315 batting average, including an impressive .374 clip in conference play.
Backing up Powell at third is Zach Cates, who saw significant action last season. Cates started in 38 games and led the team with 17 doubles to go along with a .298 batting average. He is one of numerous Cowboys that will be counted on to play at a couple of positions in the 2002 campaign.
Utility
Junior Brian Kraft along with freshman Shawn Callahan and Josh Fields will see plenty of action at a variety of spots this season, with individual playing time based on their performances on the diamond.
Kraft will look to build upon a solid sophomore season in which he batted .358 with 12 doubles and 26 RBIs. He had shoulder surgery in the offseason which required him to sit out the fall practice season. He should see action at third, short and second and will be counted to provide an offensive spark in the infield.
Callahan, a Holden, Mo. product, showed in the fall that he had the potential to develop into a solid player for the Cowboys in the years to come. He is a big, strong versatile athlete who will play at a variety of spots including third, shortstop, outfield and catcher.
Fields, who signed with Oklahoma State as a two-sport player, missed out on the fall season while playing football for the Cowboys. He is another young prospect whom the coaching staff will experiment with at a few positions this season in order to find the place where he can make the most impact for OSU and eventually in the professional ranks. Fields, the Daily Oklahoman Player of the Year last season for Stillwater High could contribute at third, outfield or possibly catcher for the Cowboys the next three years.
"The battle for the infield positions has been very competitive all the way around," said Holliday. "We had prepared for the loss of Neb at second, and it seems every year somebody returns that makes you say, wow we didn't expect that, we'll he was the main returnee that I'd thought we would lose to the amateur baseball draft. As a result of that we brought in a couple of infielders to come in and battle for the second base and shortstop jobs."
Designated Hitter
Senior Jake Bollig will man the designated hitter spot and will look to build upon a solid junior season in which he hit a .354 clip with two homers and 36 RBIs. A hand injury at the beginning of the season, caused him to miss significant time, yet he recovered from that to have a successful postseason run at DH. Bollig showed a knack for clutch hitting and producing runs in his 40 games last season and should continue in that role for a full season.
Leftfield
Jos? Virgil returns for his junior season and will be the man in leftfield this season, a position he started in 23 games a year ago. The Phoenix, Ariz., native batted .301 in 61 games last season with six homers and 50 RBIs. He also led the team with 42 walks and was second in stolen bases with 15.
Sophomore Wyatt Stanfield and Jake Bollig will serve as the backups with Stanfield's defensive abilities allowing him to see action in later innings. Stanfield played in 28 games last season as a true freshman and can also play right and centerfield.
Centerfield
Junior college transfer Jeff Salazar won the starting job in center with a solid fall season. Salazar showed excellent defensive abilities in the fall and also showed the potential to provide a little power offensively from the left side of the plate.
Senior Toby Rhodes will backup Salazar in center and gives the Cowboys an experienced veteran with three years of playing experience in Stillwater. Rhodes, also a standout defensive player, will look to rebound at the plate this season after batting .233 last season in 45 games.
Rightfield
The rightfield position was one area where the starter was not determined in the fall due to the solid play of junior college transfers Daylon Monette and Mike Patitucci. Both players flashed skills at the position and will go into the spring battling for the job.
Monette was hampered by an injury in the fall but did show the ability to hit for power and strength in the middle of the order. The switch hitter from Cypress College is a two-time draft choice who will benefit from the vast array of talent around him.
Patitucci played in the outfield and as a pitcher last year at Gulf Coast Community College and impressed the coaching staff with his strong arm and physical tools. The lefthander also showed that he could be a quality reliever out of the bullpen when necessary.
"The position players as a whole are very deep," stated Holliday. "We looked for separation in the fall, for players to distinguish themselves from the others. We had several players who didn't play summer baseball and came in the fall behind and as a result either gave up their position or the guys who played in the summer had an edge up and took over the positions. Whatever reason, the fall was very competitive and showed that we have outstanding depth among the position players."
Pitchers
If there is one area on the 2002 team that standouts over the others, it would have to be the quality of arms that are on the pitching staff. The Cowboys return eight pitchers who saw extensive time on the mound a year ago and added several capable athletes to make for a loaded staff.
Sophomores Scott Baker, Shane Hawk, Jimmy Rhodes, Daniel Rew and Joe Weaver each made solid contributions last season and showed immense promise as they learned the nuances of pitching at the collegiate level. The five sophomores plus returning seniors Nick McCurdy, Justin Meccage and junior Mike Miller, give the Cowboys a wealth of experience heading into the season.
Baker, a freshman All-American last season, flashed the necessary skills to be a dominant college pitcher before having arm problems in March which effectively ended his season. He finished the season with a 6-2 record and a 4.05 ERA in 53.1 innings of work. After taking the summer and fall off, Baker has made a full recovery and is penciled in as the No. 1 starter entering the season.
Weaver, another freshman All-American and the Big 12 Freshman Pitcher of the Year, went a perfect 8-0 last year with a 3.23 ERA in 47.1 innings pitcher. He continued to throw impressively in the fall and will serve in the same closer role this season.
Hawk was the lone left-handed reliever last season and saw plenty of action out of the bullpen with 48.2 innings pitched. He posted a 2-4 ledger on the mound with a 3.88 ERA and 38 strikeouts. Hawk is expected to continue in the same relief role this season with the potential to start if needed.
Rhodes served as a midweek starter last season and had some strong outings in notching a 4-1 record with a 4.28 ERA. His strongest performance came against Ole Miss in the NCAA Regionals in New Orleans, La., when he threw seven innings of five-hit relief in the Cowboys 16-7 win in the elimination round. Rhodes will be expected to improve on his 2001 campaign and the emerge as a major contributor this year.
Rew had a strong second-half of the season and gained some valuable experience in clutch situations en route to an 0-1 record and 3.50 ERA. The coaches are hoping that he can hone his outstanding breaking ball with better control which will make him a more complete pitcher this year.
"Where we really scored is with our sophomores (Hawk, Weaver and Rew) who gained valuable experience last year and continued to impress in the fall," noted Holliday. "These guys are looked at now to fill out their potentials as sophomores and lead a squad to the College World Series."
McCurdy, a two-time draft choice of the Colorado Rockies, proved to be a durable hurler last season throwing a team high 97.1 innings. He made 21 appearances with 14 starts and recorded a 7-5 ledger with a 3.61 ERA. The Thomasville, Ga. product will be counted on as one of the weekend starters during the upcoming season.
Meccage made significant strides in the offseason in terms of velocity of his pitches and had an outstanding fall. He went 3-2 as a junior with a 4.89 ERA and the coaching staff firmly believe that he will have a breakout season as a senior. Miller proved to be a durable pitcher as a sophomore last year splitting time between being a starter and throwing in long relief. He posted a 2-2 record with a 5.25 ERA in 22 appearances with six starts. His big-game pitching experience and his ability to throw strikes gives the Cowboys a reliable performer who should be a big contributor this year.
To go along with all of the returning pitchers, the Pokes brought in a group of players that molds this staff into a deep, well-rounded group.
Jason Kramer, a two-time draft pick, is a juco transfer from Vernon College and had a solid fall and the coaches expect him to see plenty of action this year. The lefthander will join Shane Hawk and give OSU two southpaws who can relieve in long relief or start if needed.
Chris Reilly, a transfer from Seton Hall, is a proven winner at the collegiate level and is a consistent performer on the mound. He will challenge for a starting role and will be a guy to watch out for in the spring.
John Forrest, a junior college transfer from El Camino Community College, was a pleasant surprise in the fall who exceeded the expectations of the coaching staff. The Edmond, Okla., native showed the ability to change arm angles and could see time in a variety of roles from possibly closing out games or as a starter.
Justin Quaempts, a juco signee from Linn-Benton Community College is a tall, lanky righthander who showed flashes of becoming a dominant college pitcher in the fall. He could see time as a closer as he hones his mechanics and control on the mound.
Brent Bush is a junior college product from Palm Beach Community College who will be expected to come in as a lefthanded specialist. He could be an important player by balancing out the pitching staff.
Freshman Donald DeHollander and Aaron Whitehead are two promising righthanders who will spend this season getting physically stronger with the potential to become contributors in the years to come.
"It is a pitching staff that we had to develop to cover for some injured arms and with the healthy return of the injured, we have a really deep staff," said Holliday. "Early in the season what you will see is a lot of arms, maybe three pitchers a game to balance out the innings and keep the arms fresh so that come Big 12 and NCAA time, we have everybody healthy and ready to go."
The Schedule
Eight 2001 NCAA tournament teams highlight this year's baseball schedule that includes 18 teams which finished with 30 or more wins in 2001 and 20 teams that had winning records.
Among the more notable non-conference match ups are contests against 2001 NCAA participants Delaware, Arizona State, Texas-Arlington and Oral Roberts.
OSU has 33 home games on the schedule starting with a season-opening two game series against Prairie View A&M starting on Feb. 10 at 1 p.m.
The Cowboys open the Big 12 slate against Texas Tech, which finished second in the Big 12 in 2001, in Stillwater on Friday, March 15.
The rest of the conference slate at home include Kansas, 2001 College World Series participant and Big 12 champion Nebraska and Texas A&M.
OSU will travel to Kansas State, Baylor, Texas and Missouri while closing out the 2002 regular season with the annual Bedlam Series against Oklahoma. The first game will be played in Tulsa on Thursday, May 16 with the remaining two contests switching to Oklahoma City on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18.
