Oklahoma State University Athletics
2011 Cowboy Baseball Season Preview
February 09, 2011 | Cowboy Baseball
Feb. 9, 2011
Oklahoma State enters the 2011 season eyeing a return to the postseason under head coach Frank Anderson, who is entering his eighth season in Stillwater.
The Cowboys are coming off a 29-26 showing in 2010, and they return five starters from that ballclub, including All-Big 12 second baseman Davis Duren. Four of those returning starters hit .320 or better a year ago.
The pitching staff returns a strong nucleus of veterans and a group that accounted for nearly 60 percent of OSU's wins in 2010.
Along with the returners, the Cowboys have brought in a talented recruiting class that is ranked among the best in the country. Adding those prep and JUCO stars to the mix gives Anderson one of his deepest clubs during his OSU tenure.
"The depth of this club is a lot better than what we've had the last several years," Anderson said. "Pitching could potentially be very good, and defensively I think we'll maintain. Offensively, we should be better from top-to-bottom -- rather than just some individual guys I think we'll be better all the way through.
"The way we have to compete on a daily basis makes us better. There are very few positions, even with returning guys that have played a lot of games, that are locked up so the competition in the preseason and early in the season is going to be really tough."
Anderson believes that the strong veteran presence along with the mix of more than 20 newcomers to the program has the Cowboys poised for success in 2011 and adds that the heavy competition for playing time should pay dividends down the road.
"This team, as far as their work ethic and the continuity they've developed since the fall, has been really good," Anderson said. "I don't know that we have many guys that have separated themselves a long ways from everybody else. Everybody on the roster has a chance to play and contribute and be a part of our success."
Catcher
The Cowboys have a pair of talented players who will battle for playing time behind the plate.
Dane Phillips spent most of his freshman season as the Cowboys' designated hitter and enjoyed a successful rookie campaign as he hit .337 with 34 RBIs.
Returning to Stillwater for his second stint with the Cowboys is junior Jared Womack. As an OSU freshman in 2009, Womack showed flashes of being a solid hitter. He spent 2010 at Ranger Junior College, where he hit over .400 and bashed 21 home runs.
First Base
Several Cowboys will vie to replace two-year starter Dean Green at first.
Zach Johnson starred the past two seasons at the JUCO ranks, where he hit .389 with 24 home runs and 112 RBIs in two seasons. He was a 48th-round draft pick of the Oakland A's last June.
Graham Saiko spent the 2010 season as a Cowboy redshirt after a highly decorated career in the Indiana high school ranks.
A versatile JUCO transfer, Gabe Weidenaar could see time at a variety of positions and on the mound. He was a two-way standout at the College of Southern Nevada the last two seasons.
Second Base
Davis Duren spurned professional baseball to return to the Cowboys for his senior season in 2011. As a junior, he was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection after leading OSU with a .383 batting average. He led the league in stolen bases with 29 and ranked in the top 10 with 88 hits. Duren was drafted in the 13th round of last June's Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros.
Shortstop
A pair of newcomers should challenge for the starting shortstop job.
Joel Atkinson was a prep star in California, where he proved to be a threat with the bat and on the basepaths.
Hunter Bailey was an all-conference performer as a sophomore at McLennan Community College, where he hit .383 with 40 RBIs.
Redshirt sophomore Randy McCurry could also see playing time at short.
Third Base
Junior Mark Ginther returns as the Cowboys' starter at the hot corner. A year ago, he led OSU in home runs (12) and RBIs (58).
Zach Johnson could also be called upon for duty at third.
Outfield
Outfield depth should be a strength for the Cowboys, who return two starters from a year ago as well as a host of talented newcomers.
Nico Rosthenhausler started 50 games in left field as a junior and ranked third on the Cowboys with 13 multi-RBI games.
Luis Uribe brings a poweful bat to the lineup and was one of the Cowboys' top hitters last season when he hit .355 with nine homers and 35 RBIs.
The son of a former major leaguer, Devin Shines redshirted with an injury last season. He hit well over .300 in both of his JUCO seasons and collected nearly 100 RBIs.
Andrew Heck spent his first three collegiate seasons starring at Duquesne but transferred to OSU after the Dukes dropped their baseball program. Heck was an All-Atlantic 10 Conference pick last season after hitting .408 with 10 home runs, 49 RBIs and 15 stolen bases and setting school records with 91 hits and 25 doubles.
Ryan Doeppel emerged as a potential starter for the Cowboys with a strong fall campaign. He is coming off a sophomore season at Los Angeles Community College in which he hit .377.
Trey Whaley was an all-conference performer at Midland Junior College.
Gabe Weidenaar could play in the outfield or infield and will also challenge for innings on the mound.
A freshman from Shawnee, Okla., Saulyer Saxon hit .482 with seven homers and 30 stolen bases to earn all-state honors as a prep senior.
Carlos Saade appeared in 14 games as a freshman for the Cowboys last season, and the speedster will battle for playing time in center field.
A two-sport athlete at OSU, Nate Sorenson joins Anderson's club after redshirting the 2010 season for coach Mike Gundy's football squad. Sorenson led his high school team to a state championship as a senior and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates last June.
Pitchers
OSU returns a strong group of veteran hurlers who have worked productive innings for the Cowboys, and Anderson is also excited about several newcomers to the pitching staff.
"You're talking about some core guys that have pitched some big innings in conference play, and not just innings but successful innings," Anderson said. "Then you've got some really quality arms that haven't pitched at this level but that are quality athletes and quality arms."
Starters
Brad Propst returns for his senior season with the Cowboys after making 15 appearances a year ago. A part-time starter a year ago, he should challenge for a spot in the starting rotation this season.
Last season, Andrew Heaney became the first OSU freshman to lead the club in wins since 2001. He was 5-4 in 16 appearances, including 10 starts, as a Cowboy rookie.
Mike Strong is a two-time major league draft pick, including being a 22nd-round pick of the Oakland A's last June. He started 11 games last season (16 appearances) and had 66 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.
Hunter Herrera spent two seasons at San Diego City College and was the conference player of the year as a sophomore after going 9-2 with a 2.54 ERA.
A sixth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates last June, Jason Hursh joins the Cowboys after a standout prep career in Texas. As a senior, he was 11-2 on the mound with a 2.47 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 70 innings.
Andrew Heck pitched three seasons at Duquesne before transferring to OSU. As a sophomore, he led the Dukes with a 3.78 ERA.
Relievers
Vince Wheeland was 13-0 with a 0.74 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched is a senior at Turlock High School in California.
Matt Klein appeared in 14 games for the Cowboys last season.
Kevin Chambers was a two-way player for the Cowboys as a freshman and had 13 appearances on the mound. A four-game winner, the southpaw recorded 44 strikeouts in 34 innings.
Sophomore Ian McCarthy missed the first part of last season with an injury but returned to lead the Cowboys with a pair of saves. He also added two wins in 16 appearances.
Closer
Two years ago, Randy McCurry tied OSU's single-season saves record as a freshman with 10 and was 4-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 28 appearances. He missed last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery but should return to the bullpen mix in 2011.
Hard-throwing Chris Marlowe played two seasons at Navarro Community College and was a 21st-round draft choice of the Toronto Blue Jays after striking out 61 and recording a 2.84 ERA as a sophomore.
Blake Barnes is another hurler who turned down a professional career after a successful JUCO stint. He was a 48th-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in June.
Josh Neilson was an all-conference selection as a sophomore at Vernon Junior College.
Mark Ginther has not pitched for the Cowboys since his freshman season but could be in the mix on the mound as a junior.
Gabe Weidenaar adds even more depth as a two-way player for the Cowboys. He had 98 strikeouts and a 2.79 ERA in 71 innings at the JUCO level last season.
The Schedule
Nine NCAA Tournament teams from 2010 highlight Oklahoma State's 2011 baseball schedule, which also includes 33 home games for the Cowboys at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
"It's a tough schedule that will offer some good tests for our ballclub," Anderson said. "We've tried to upgrade our schedule and bring some tough competition to Stillwater, and I think we were able to do that this year."
OSU opens the 2011 season against Bryant University on Feb. 18 in the first of a three-game weekend series against the Bulldogs. The Cowboys will follow that with five more home games, including a three-game set against Cal Poly, before a trip to Tucson, Ariz., to appear in the Dairy Queen Classic for the second-straight year. OSU will face Washington State, Minnesota and South Alabama in the tourney, which was originally scheduled to be played at the Metrodome.
The Cowboys will open Big 12 Conference play March 18 against Kansas in Lawrence. OSU's first conference home series will be the following weekend when Texas comes to town.
In Big 12 Conference action, Anderson's club will play host to the Longhorns, as well as Missouri, Kansas State and Baylor.
Among the Cowboys' non-conference highlights are three-game home series against New Mexico (March 11-13) and TCU (May 6-8). UNM was an NCAA Tournament team a year ago, while the Horned Frogs advanced to the College World Series last season. Anderson's squad will also make a trip to Columbus, Ohio, for a pair of midweek games against Ohio State on May 10-11 and will have home-and-away contests against Wichita State and Missouri State.
OSU also has a non-conference game against Bedlam-rival Oklahoma in Norman on April 5 as the two teams continue a plan that began last season which sees each program alternate hosting a non-conference game each year. The game will not count towards either team's Big 12 record.
The Cowboys and Sooners will continue their conference rivalry in the annual Bedlam Series, with the opener April 15 at Oneok Field in Tulsa, Okla., and the final two games at RedHawks Ballpark in Oklahoma City on April 16-17.
The Big 12 Baseball Championship will be held at OKC's RedHawks Ballpark May 25-29, while NCAA Regionals get underway on June 3. The College World Series begins play on June 18 in Omaha, Neb.
