Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Travel To Lawrence To Take On Kansas
April 09, 2009 | Cowboy Baseball
#17 Oklahoma State (21-11, 4-5)
at Kansas (20-12, 4-5)
April 10-12 • Fri. - 6 p.m. • Sat - 2 p.m. • Sun. 1 p.m.
Lawrence, Kan. • Hoglund Ballpark (2,500)
• • •
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are 21-11 overall and looking to snap a two-game losing streak when they open a three-game series Friday at Kansas. OSU is 4-4 on the road this season.
OSU is tied with Kansas for seventh in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 4-5 mark, and the Cowboys will be looking for their second league series win of the season.
With seven regulars in the starting lineup hitting .303 or better, OSU sports a .313 team batting average on the season and ranks among the Big 12 leaders in several offensive categories.
OSU's pitching staff has a collective 4.71 ERA and is tied for the Big 12 lead with 10 saves. The Cowboys' staff has also racked up 287 strikeouts, which ranks second in the league.
Kansas
The Jayhawks are 20-12 overall and tied with OSU in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 4-5 league mark. Kansas is 15-2 on its home field this season.
KU is hitting a collective .299, while its pitching staff sports a 3.87 ERA, which ranks second in the conference.
In The Polls
Oklahoma State's highest ranking is No. 17 in the NCBWA poll. The Cowboys are ranked 18th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll, and 20th by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America.
Kansas is not ranked.
On The Air & The Web
All OSU baseball games are carried live by Stillwater Radio on KSPI 93.7 FM and/or 780 AM. Rex Holt, who is in his 27th season as the play-by-play voice of Cowboy baseball, will call the action, with Matt Davis providing color.
Radio broadcasts can also be accessed via www.okstate.com (link is available under Audio/Video - Live Events). Those wishing to follow OSU's games via live stats can also log on to www.okstate.com (link is available under Audio/Video - Live Stats).
About Kansas
The Jayhawks are 20-12 overall and 4-5 in Big 12 Conference play. KU has lost just twice on its home field this season.
OSU is 125-41 all-time against Kansas. Last season, the Cowboys swept the series vs. the Jayhawks in Stillwater.
Players To Watch
• 3B Tony Thompson (.388, 9 HR, 38 RBI)
• C Buck Afenir (.357, 3 HR, 27 RBI)
• SS David Narodowski (.333, 16 RBI, 5 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday: LHP Shaeffer Hall
2-2, 2.82 ERA, CG in seven starts
Saturday: RHP T.J. Walz
3-0, 3.00 ERA, CG in seven outings
Sunday: RHP Lee Ridenhour
3-2, save, 3.55 ERA in nine appearances
Home Sweet Home
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium has been home to Oklahoma State baseball since 1981, and in those 28-plus seasons the Cowboys have been nearly unbeatable on their home field.
The Cowboys are 734-156 (.825) all-time at Reynolds Stadium and have lost more than two consecutive games on their home turf only once (six in a row in May 2007).
OSU is 13-6 at Reynolds Stadium in 2009.
200 Club
With the Cowboys' season-opening win over BYU, Frank Anderson became the fifth head coach in OSU history to reach 200 career victories. He is the third-fastest coach to reach the milestone in Stillwater behind Gary Ward and Tom Holliday.
Anderson is in his sixth season at OSU and owns an overall career record of 220-119. The Cowboys are 83-60 in Big 12 Conference play under Anderson.
Aluminum Assault
Over the last several seasons, OSU has established itself among the top hitting teams not only in the Big 12 Conference but on a national scale.
Through their first 32 games of the 2009 season, the Cowboys rank among the Big 12's best in batting average (.313), runs (266), hits (346), triples (15), home runs (46), RBI (249), slugging percentage (.527) and on-base percentage (.404).
Last season, OSU led the Big 12 in three offensive categories — batting average (.326), slugging percentage (.531) and home runs (89). The Cowboys finished second in the league in runs, hits, triples and RBIs.
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.
Kings Of The Hill
OSU also had one of the top pitching staffs in college baseball in 2008, and the '09 version has been solid as well.
Each of the Cowboys' weekend starters has at least four wins in 2009, and the pitching staff leads the Big 12 in saves (10) while ranking second in strikeouts (287).
Last season, the Cowboys led the Big 12 with a 3.98 team ERA and also topped the league with 21 saves. The staff returned seven pitchers who made at least eight appearances and worked 15 or more innings in '08.
OSU's 3.98 ERA in '08 marked the first time since 2005 the Cowboys' finished the season with a team ERA under 4.00. The '05 and '08 seasons are the only two since 1974 that OSU has had an ERA of less than 4.00.
Awards Watch
Several Cowboys have been named to preseason awards lists by various publications, including:
• Baseball America Preseason All-America
Andrew Oliver (second team)
• Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America
Andrew Oliver (second team)
Tyler Lyons (third team)
• Rivals.com Preseason All-America
Andrew Oliver
• Golden Spikes Award Watch List
Tyler Lyons, Andrew Oliver
• Wallace Award Watch List
Tom Belza, Tyler Lyons, Andrew Oliver, Neil Medchill
Short Hops
• The Cowboys are 4-4 against ranked teams in 2009, including two wins over Top 10 teams (#6 Cal State Fullerton & #9 Texas).
• OSU pitchers Tyler Blandford, Thomas Keeling and Andrew Oliver rank third, fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Big 12 in strikeouts.
• An OSU player has led the Big 12 in batting average each of the last two seasons — Ty Wright in 2007 and Tom Belza in 2008 — and the Cowboys have two of the league's top 20 hitters in 2009 in Neil Medchill (eighth at .375) and Micheal Dabbs (12th at .362).
• The Cowboys entered the week (games as of 4/5) ranked among the Top 10 in the NCAA statistics in several categories, including:
* OSU ranked seventh nationally with 15 triples.
* The Cowboys were eighth nationally in fielding percentage at .978.
* Tyler Blandford ranked sixth in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings at 4.76.
* Blandford also ranked seventh nationally with six wins.
* Micheal Dabbs ranked eighth in the nation with five triples.
at Kansas (20-12, 4-5)
April 10-12 • Fri. - 6 p.m. • Sat - 2 p.m. • Sun. 1 p.m.
Lawrence, Kan. • Hoglund Ballpark (2,500)
• • •
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are 21-11 overall and looking to snap a two-game losing streak when they open a three-game series Friday at Kansas. OSU is 4-4 on the road this season.
OSU is tied with Kansas for seventh in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 4-5 mark, and the Cowboys will be looking for their second league series win of the season.
With seven regulars in the starting lineup hitting .303 or better, OSU sports a .313 team batting average on the season and ranks among the Big 12 leaders in several offensive categories.
OSU's pitching staff has a collective 4.71 ERA and is tied for the Big 12 lead with 10 saves. The Cowboys' staff has also racked up 287 strikeouts, which ranks second in the league.
Kansas
The Jayhawks are 20-12 overall and tied with OSU in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 4-5 league mark. Kansas is 15-2 on its home field this season.
KU is hitting a collective .299, while its pitching staff sports a 3.87 ERA, which ranks second in the conference.
In The Polls
Oklahoma State's highest ranking is No. 17 in the NCBWA poll. The Cowboys are ranked 18th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll, and 20th by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America.
Kansas is not ranked.
On The Air & The Web
All OSU baseball games are carried live by Stillwater Radio on KSPI 93.7 FM and/or 780 AM. Rex Holt, who is in his 27th season as the play-by-play voice of Cowboy baseball, will call the action, with Matt Davis providing color.
Radio broadcasts can also be accessed via www.okstate.com (link is available under Audio/Video - Live Events). Those wishing to follow OSU's games via live stats can also log on to www.okstate.com (link is available under Audio/Video - Live Stats).
About Kansas
The Jayhawks are 20-12 overall and 4-5 in Big 12 Conference play. KU has lost just twice on its home field this season.
OSU is 125-41 all-time against Kansas. Last season, the Cowboys swept the series vs. the Jayhawks in Stillwater.
Players To Watch
• 3B Tony Thompson (.388, 9 HR, 38 RBI)
• C Buck Afenir (.357, 3 HR, 27 RBI)
• SS David Narodowski (.333, 16 RBI, 5 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday: LHP Shaeffer Hall
2-2, 2.82 ERA, CG in seven starts
Saturday: RHP T.J. Walz
3-0, 3.00 ERA, CG in seven outings
Sunday: RHP Lee Ridenhour
3-2, save, 3.55 ERA in nine appearances
Home Sweet Home
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium has been home to Oklahoma State baseball since 1981, and in those 28-plus seasons the Cowboys have been nearly unbeatable on their home field.
The Cowboys are 734-156 (.825) all-time at Reynolds Stadium and have lost more than two consecutive games on their home turf only once (six in a row in May 2007).
OSU is 13-6 at Reynolds Stadium in 2009.
200 Club
With the Cowboys' season-opening win over BYU, Frank Anderson became the fifth head coach in OSU history to reach 200 career victories. He is the third-fastest coach to reach the milestone in Stillwater behind Gary Ward and Tom Holliday.
Anderson is in his sixth season at OSU and owns an overall career record of 220-119. The Cowboys are 83-60 in Big 12 Conference play under Anderson.
Aluminum Assault
Over the last several seasons, OSU has established itself among the top hitting teams not only in the Big 12 Conference but on a national scale.
Through their first 32 games of the 2009 season, the Cowboys rank among the Big 12's best in batting average (.313), runs (266), hits (346), triples (15), home runs (46), RBI (249), slugging percentage (.527) and on-base percentage (.404).
Last season, OSU led the Big 12 in three offensive categories — batting average (.326), slugging percentage (.531) and home runs (89). The Cowboys finished second in the league in runs, hits, triples and RBIs.
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.
Kings Of The Hill
OSU also had one of the top pitching staffs in college baseball in 2008, and the '09 version has been solid as well.
Each of the Cowboys' weekend starters has at least four wins in 2009, and the pitching staff leads the Big 12 in saves (10) while ranking second in strikeouts (287).
Last season, the Cowboys led the Big 12 with a 3.98 team ERA and also topped the league with 21 saves. The staff returned seven pitchers who made at least eight appearances and worked 15 or more innings in '08.
OSU's 3.98 ERA in '08 marked the first time since 2005 the Cowboys' finished the season with a team ERA under 4.00. The '05 and '08 seasons are the only two since 1974 that OSU has had an ERA of less than 4.00.
Awards Watch
Several Cowboys have been named to preseason awards lists by various publications, including:
• Baseball America Preseason All-America
Andrew Oliver (second team)
• Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America
Andrew Oliver (second team)
Tyler Lyons (third team)
• Rivals.com Preseason All-America
Andrew Oliver
• Golden Spikes Award Watch List
Tyler Lyons, Andrew Oliver
• Wallace Award Watch List
Tom Belza, Tyler Lyons, Andrew Oliver, Neil Medchill
Short Hops
• The Cowboys are 4-4 against ranked teams in 2009, including two wins over Top 10 teams (#6 Cal State Fullerton & #9 Texas).
• OSU pitchers Tyler Blandford, Thomas Keeling and Andrew Oliver rank third, fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Big 12 in strikeouts.
• An OSU player has led the Big 12 in batting average each of the last two seasons — Ty Wright in 2007 and Tom Belza in 2008 — and the Cowboys have two of the league's top 20 hitters in 2009 in Neil Medchill (eighth at .375) and Micheal Dabbs (12th at .362).
• The Cowboys entered the week (games as of 4/5) ranked among the Top 10 in the NCAA statistics in several categories, including:
* OSU ranked seventh nationally with 15 triples.
* The Cowboys were eighth nationally in fielding percentage at .978.
* Tyler Blandford ranked sixth in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings at 4.76.
* Blandford also ranked seventh nationally with six wins.
* Micheal Dabbs ranked eighth in the nation with five triples.
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
