Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Set To Host Youngstown State
February 17, 2006 | Cowboy Baseball
vs.
Youngstown State (0-0)
February 17-18 • 1 p.m. (Fri. DH), 1 p.m. (Sat.)
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium (4,000)
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are 2-1 on the season after opening the season last weekend at the Jaguar Invitational in Mobile, Ala. OSU begins an 11-game home stand Friday with its first-ever meeting against Youngstown State. A doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. is scheduled for Friday, while the series will conclude Saturday at 1 p.m.
OSU is 54-14 all-time in home openers. In 25 seasons at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium, the Cowboys are 646-131 (.831) and have never lost more than two consecutive games at home.
Youngstown State
The Penguins are opening their 2006 season this weekend in Stillwater. YSU was 29-27 last season, its best finish since 1997.
About Youngstown State
The Penguins are coming off their best season in eight years as they finished 29-27 in 2005, which also marked their best-ever season under eighth-year head coach Mike Florak. YSU finished second in the Horizon League last season, earning a 10-6 conference mark, and was picked by the league's coaches to finish third in the standings in 2006. Eight starters return from last season's squad, and the Penguins count 11 seniors on their roster. In 2004, YSU won the Horizon League Tournament and earned an NCAA berth, and with the return of players who accounted for 85 percent of last season's runs, 83 percent of the hits and 83 percent of the RBIs, Florak is hopeful his team can return to the postseason.
As A Matter Of Fact: Youngstown State is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and 30 of the 33 players on the Penguins' roster are from the state of Ohio.
Players To Watch
• Justin Banks, 3B - Banks hit a team-high .356 with 18 doubles and 33 RBIs to earn first-team All-Horizon League honors as a junior in 2005.
• Brandon Caipen, C/OF - Also an All-Horizon League pick a year ago as a utility player, Caipen hit .301 during his junior season and led the Penguins in sacrifice bunts and sacrifice flies.
Pitching Rotation
Game 1 - Eric Shaffer, LHP - 4-8 with a 3.98 ERA and two complete games last season
Game 2 - Lucas Engle, RHP - 3-2 with a 5.54 ERA and 41 Ks in 50.1 innings in 2005
Game 3 - Chris Dennis, LHP - Redshirted w/shoulder injury last season; just 1-7 in 2004 but sported a 3.61 ERA and racked up 65 Ks in 62.1 innings
2-of-3 In Mobile To Start '06
The Cowboys traveled to Mobile, Ala. to open their 2006 season at the Jaguar Invitational and left with a 2-1 record. The season opener against South Alabama was a back-and-forth affair for coach Frank Anderson's squad. OSU took an early lead, was overtaken by the Jaguars in the middle innings, blew a ninth-inning lead and then won the game with a five-run 10th inning.
OSU did not fare as well in its second outing as 20th-ranked Arkansas topped the Pokes, 3-0. Razorback hurlers Nick Schmidt, Brian McLelland and Devin Collis combined on a no-hitter against the Cowboys, the first nine-inning no-hitter against OSU in the recorded 71-year history of the program.
Anderson's club would bounce back from the woeful offensive outing in its Jaguar Invitational finale as the Cowboys racked up 18 hits and got six scoreless innings of work from starting pitcher Jared Swart in an 11-1 win over George Mason.
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