Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host No. 6 Arizona In Non-Conference Showdown
March 24, 2008 | Cowboy Baseball
#22 Oklahoma State (15-6)
vs. #6 Arizona (13-5)
March 25-26 • 6:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.
Stillwater, Okla.
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium (4,000)
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are 15-6 after winning four of their five games last week, including victories in 2-of-3 games against conference foe Texas A&M.
Up next, OSU hosts Top 10-ranked Arizona for a pair of midweek games at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The Cowboys, who are 3-4 against ranked teams this season, take on UA Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and close out the two-game set Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
The Cowboys return to Big 12 Conference action this weekend when they travel to Manhattan, Kan., to take on Kansas State.
Arizona
The Wildcats are 13-5 on the season but have lost four of their last five games, including dropping 2-of-3 at USC last weekend.
Arizona has played two ranked teams this season — Cal State-Fullerton and Arizona State — and is 2-2 against those clubs. The Wildcats are 4-4 on the road in 2008.
In The Polls
Oklahoma State is ranked 22nd in the NCBWA poll.
Arizona's highest ranking is No. 6 by Baseball America and in the NCBWA poll. The Wildcats are also ranked No. 8 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll and No. 9 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 Arizona
The Wildcats are 13-5 on the season but have lost four of their last five games.
UA sports a team batting average of .313, while its pitching staff has compiled a collective 3.53 ERA.
OSU is 9-4 all-time against Arizona. The last meeting came in 2003 in Tucson, Ariz., with the Wildcats winning, 7-4.
Players To Watch
• INF Dillon Baird (.355, 5 HR, 20 RBI)
• 1B C.J. Ziegler (.309, 8 HR, 22 RBI)
• RHP Jason Stoffel (1-0, 5 saves, 1.74 ERA)
Probable Starting Pitchers
Tuesday: RHP Mike Colla
1-1, 4.96 ERA in six appearances
Wednesday: RHP Ryan Perry
1-1, 5.33 ERA in seven appearances
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 9-1 at home this season and is 702-145 (.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 17 hitters — Donnie Webb, Matt Hague, Rebel Ridling and Jordy Mercer — and the Cowboys lead the league in batting average (.332), home runs (31), slugging percentage (.557) and RBIs (187).
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 March 19.
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.
