Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host First-Place Nebraska In Big 12 Showdown
April 10, 2008 | Cowboy Baseball
#20 Oklahoma State (21-9, 6-6)
vs. #6 Nebraska (24-4-1, 10-1-1)
April 11-13 • 6:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 1 p.m.
Stillwater, Okla.
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium (4,000)
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are 21-9 on the season and winners of three-straight games entering this weekend's conference showdown against Nebraska at Reynolds Stadium, where they have lost just once this season. OSU is tied for fifth in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 6-6 mark, while the Cornhuskers sit atop the league at 10-1-1.
OSU is hitting a collective .317, the second-highest batting average in the Big 12, while the pitching staff sports a collective 3.81 team ERA, which ranks fifth in the league.
Nebraska
The Cornhuskers are 24-4-1 overall and also bring a three-game winning streak into the weekend. NU's lone losses this season came to Stanford (twice), Arkansas and Texas.
Nebraska's 2.86 ERA is the best in the league, while its .287 batting average ranks sixth.
In The Polls
Oklahoma State's highest ranking is No. 20 in the NCBWA poll. The Cowboys are also ranked 21st by Baseball America and 25th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll.
Nebraska is ranked No. 6 by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll. The Huskers are 14th in the NCBWA poll.
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 Nebraska
The Cornhuskers are 24-4-1 overall and 10-1-1 in the Big 12. NU is hitting .287 as a team, and its pitching staff sports a collective 2.86 ERA.
OSU is 109-71 all-time against Nebraska. The Cowboys dropped 2-of-3 games to NU in Lincoln last season.
Players To Watch
• OF Nick Sullivan (.377, 3 HR, 23 RBI)
• C Mitch Abeita (.360, 6 HR, 24 RBI)
• LHP Dan Jennings (3-0, 1.85 ERA, 3 saves)
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday: RHP Johnny Dorn
4-0, 2.12 ERA in seven starts
Saturday: RHP Thad Weber
6-1, 3.06 ERA, CG in seven starts
Sunday: RHP Aaron Pribanic
3-1, 2.70 ERA, 2 CG in seven outings
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 12-1 at home this season and is 705-145 (.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 three of the Big 12's top 11 hitters — Donnie Webb, Matt Hague and Jordy Mercer — and the Cowboys lead the league in home runs (38) and slugging percentage (.508). They rank second in batting average at .317.
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.
