Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Baseball Ranked 13th In USA Today/ESPN Coaches? Poll
January 23, 2009 | Cowboy Baseball
McLEAN, Va. — The Oklahoma State Cowboys are ranked No. 13 in the 2009 USA Today/ESPN Top 25 preseason baseball coaches' poll, which was released today.
The No. 13 ranking marks OSU's highest of the preseason. In other national preseason polls, the Cowboys are ranked 14th by Collegiate Baseball and 16th by the NCBWA.
OSU is coming off a 2008 season in which it finished 44-18 and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons under head coach Frank Anderson. The Cowboys finished second in the Big 12 Conference regular season standings with an 18-9 mark and earned a No. 1 NCAA Regional seed for the second time in the last three seasons.
The Cowboys return four starters from a year ago, including sophomore infielder Tom Belza, who led the Big 12 in hitting as a true freshman with a .386 batting average, and junior outfielder Neil Medchill, who earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in his first season in Stillwater by hitting .349 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs.
OSU's pitching staff also returns much of its production from last season, and the southpaw duo of juniors Tyler Lyons and Andrew Oliver are set to once again anchor the rotation. Oliver was 7-2 a year ago and ranked third in the Big 12 with a 2.20 ERA, while Lyons tossed four complete games and finished with a 12-2 mark on the mound.
The Cowboys climbed to as high as No. 5 in the national polls in 2008 and finished the season ranked as high as 17th. OSU was ranked No. 18 the '08 USA Today/ESPN final poll.
LSU earned the top spot in the USA Today/ESPN 2009 preseason rankings. Texas A&M (5th) and Texas (T-9th) are the only Big 12 teams ranked ahead of the Cowboys.
OSU opens the 2009 season Feb. 20 against BYU in Stillwater.
The No. 13 ranking marks OSU's highest of the preseason. In other national preseason polls, the Cowboys are ranked 14th by Collegiate Baseball and 16th by the NCBWA.
OSU is coming off a 2008 season in which it finished 44-18 and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons under head coach Frank Anderson. The Cowboys finished second in the Big 12 Conference regular season standings with an 18-9 mark and earned a No. 1 NCAA Regional seed for the second time in the last three seasons.
The Cowboys return four starters from a year ago, including sophomore infielder Tom Belza, who led the Big 12 in hitting as a true freshman with a .386 batting average, and junior outfielder Neil Medchill, who earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in his first season in Stillwater by hitting .349 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs.
OSU's pitching staff also returns much of its production from last season, and the southpaw duo of juniors Tyler Lyons and Andrew Oliver are set to once again anchor the rotation. Oliver was 7-2 a year ago and ranked third in the Big 12 with a 2.20 ERA, while Lyons tossed four complete games and finished with a 12-2 mark on the mound.
The Cowboys climbed to as high as No. 5 in the national polls in 2008 and finished the season ranked as high as 17th. OSU was ranked No. 18 the '08 USA Today/ESPN final poll.
LSU earned the top spot in the USA Today/ESPN 2009 preseason rankings. Texas A&M (5th) and Texas (T-9th) are the only Big 12 teams ranked ahead of the Cowboys.
OSU opens the 2009 season Feb. 20 against BYU in Stillwater.
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