Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Texas A&M In Big 12 Showdown
March 20, 2008 | Cowboy Baseball
#26 Oklahoma State (13-5, 1-2)
vs. #17 Texas A&M (16-4, 2-1)
March 21-23 • 6:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 1 p.m.
Stillwater, Okla.
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium (4,000)
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are 13-5 on the season and coming off a record setting doubleheader against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in which they outscored the Golden Lions, 56-9. They also collected 54 hits in the two games.
OSU returns to Big 12 Conference action this weekend looking to win its first Big 12 Conference series of the season when the Cowboys host Texas A&M at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The Cowboys opened conference play last week by going 1-2 at Baylor.
Texas A&M
The Aggies are 16-4 on the season, including a 2-1 mark in the Big 12 after opening league play against Texas Tech.
TAMU has not played a road game this season — all 20 of the Aggies' games have been played on their home field in College Station.
In The Polls
Oklahoma State is ranked 26th in the NCBWA poll.
Texas A&M's highest ranking is No. 17 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll. The Aggies are also ranked No. 19 in the NCBWA poll and 23rd by Collegiate Baseball.
On The Air & The Web
All OSU baseball games will be carried live by Stillwater Radio on KSPI 93.7 FM and/or 780 AM. Rex Holt, who is in his 26th season as the play-by-play voice of Cowboy baseball, will call the action, with Matt Davis providing color commentary. Radio broadcasts can also be accessed via www.okstate.com (link is available under Cowboy MVP - Live Events). Those wishing to follow OSU's games via live stats can log on to www.okstate.com (link is available under Cowboy MVP - Live Stats).
About Texas A&M
The Aggies are 16-4 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 Conference play. Texas A&M sports a team batting average of .314, and its pitching staff has compiled a collective 2.73 ERA.
OSU is 29-20 all-time against TAMU, including a pair of wins in College Station last season against the 14th-ranked Aggies.
Players To Watch
• INF Dane Carter (.468, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 8 SB)
• INF Jose Duran (.407, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 6 SB)
• RHP Travis Starling (1-0, 5 saves, 0.79 ERA)
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday: LHP Brooks Raley
2-0, 2.11 ERA in six appearances
Saturday: RHP Barret Loux
1-0, 3.86 ERA in eight starts
Sunday: TBA
Lots Of New Faces
The Cowboys' 2008 roster includes a large and talented group of newcomers, with a recruiting class that counts 18 players.
Eight of the newcomers are junior college transfers, while the class also includes six freshmen and four Division I transfers. Seven of OSU's recruits have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.
Among the more notable newcomers are transfers third baseman Matt Hague and catcher Luis Flores, both of whom have earned spots in the starting lineup.
Freshman Thomas Belza hit .556 as a senior at Cincinnati's Moeller High School to break Ken Griffey Jr.'s school record, while fellow frosh Rafael Thomas has blazing speed and was a high school All-American and MLB Draft pick. Another freshman, Dean Green, is seeing time as the Cowboys' designated hitter.
The group of junior college newcomers includes JUCO All-Americans Michael Dabbs, Neil Medchill and Tyrone Hambly.
Home Sweet Home
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium has been home to Oklahoma State baseball since 1981, and in those 26-plus seasons the Cowboys have been nearly unbeatable on their home field.
OSU is 7-0 at home this season and is 700-144 (.829) all-time at Reynolds Stadium, and the Cowboys have lost more than two consecutive games on their home turf only once.
Aluminum Assault
Over the last two seasons, the Cowboys have established themselves among the top hitting teams not only in the Big 12 Conference but nationally — and it appears that trend could continue in 2008.
OSU's lineup includes four of the Big 12's top 10 hitters — Donnie Webb, Matt Hague, Rebel Ridling and Jordy Mercer — and the Cowboys lead the league in batting average (.342), home runs (29), slugging percentage (.583), runs (181) and RBIs (173).
In '06, OSU led the Big 12 in homers, triples and slugging percentage, and in 2007 the Cowboys led the Big 12 in six offensive categories and ranked second in two more.
Heavy Hitters
OSU's offensive stats received a huge boost during a record setting day against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Wednesday.
In the doubleheader sweep of the Golden Lions, OSU racked up 56 runs on 54 hits.
With a 34-1 win in the nightcap, the Cowboys recorded several notable achievements, including:
• OSU set a school record for hits in a game with 32;
• The Cowboys collected 33 RBIs, one shy of the school's single-game record;
• OSU also finished just one double and one triple shy of setting school marks. The Cowboys racked up nine doubles and three triples.
• Freshman Thomas Belza tied school records for hits in a game (6) and runs in a game (6);
• The win marked OSU's 700th at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
For his performance against UAPB, Belza was named the StatStud.com National StatStud of the Day.
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