Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Pair Of Midweek Tilts
March 21, 2011 | Cowboy Baseball
March 21, 2011
OSU Game Notes vs. UAPB & UW in PDF Format
Oklahoma State (14-5)
vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-11)
Tues., March 22 - 6:30 p.m.
Washington (3-13)
Wed., March 23 - 6:30 p.m.
. . .
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium (4,500)
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State returns to Allie P. Reynolds for a pair of midweek contests as the Cowboys play host to Arkansas-Pine Bluff Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. before a Wednesday showdown against Washington, which also begins at 6:30 p.m. The Cowboys will get back to Big 12 Conference action this weekend when they host No. 4 Texas in a three-game series.
The Cowboys rank second in the Big 12 in batting average (.314) and ERA (2.37). Dane Phillips leads the offense with a .410 batting average, while Andrew Heaney, Brad Propst and Blake Barnes each has three wins on the mound.
OSU head coach Frank Anderson is in his eighth season at the helm of the Cowboys and has led the club to 276 wins and five NCAA Tournament appearances in his career. During a four-year span from 2006-09, OSU was the only Big 12 Conference team to advance to an NCAA Regional championship round each season.
About The Opponents
Arkansas-Pine Bluff is 6-11 under first-year head coach Carlos James and is coming off a win over Prairie View A&M. The Golden Lions are hitting .277 and sport a 7.48 ERA.
OSU is 20-0 all time against UAPB, including a 14-3 win in the last meeting in Stillwater in 2010.
Washington brings a 3-13 record to Stillwater after dropping three games to Cal State Fullerton last weekend. Led by second-year head coach Lindsay Meggs, the Huskies own a .237 batting average and a 6.15 ERA.
The Cowboys and Huskies have squared off on the diamond three times, that coming in a weekend series in March of 1996. OSU won two of the three games in the series.
On The Air & The Web
All OSU baseball games are carried live by Stillwater Radio and will air on KSPI 93.7 FM or 780 AM. Rex Holt, who is in his 29th season with Cowboy baseball (16th as the play-by-play voice), will call the action, with Matt "Chief" Davis providing color commentary.
Radio broadcasts and live stats can also be accessed via www.okstate.com (links are available under Schedule/Results).
Additionally, all OSU home games are available to watch online via paid subscription at okstate.tv.
Home Sweet Home
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium has been home to Oklahoma State baseball since 1981, and in those 31 seasons the Cowboys have been nearly unbeatable on their home field.
OSU is 774-170 (.820) all-time at Reynolds Stadium and has lost more than two consecutive games on their home turf only twice (six in a row in May 2007; three straight in 2010).
The Cowboys are 11-2 at home in 2011.
300 Club
OSU head coach Frank Anderson is on the verge of becoming the third coach in Cowboy history to reach 300 wins. Gary Ward (953 wins) and Toby Greene (318) are the only two previous OSU coaches to reach that mark.
Anderson is in his eighth season at OSU and owns a career record of 276-161, which includes a 96-90 Big 12 mark. He ranks fourth on OSU's all-time coaching wins list, five wins shy of third-place Tom Holliday's 281.
Aluminum Assault
Over the last several seasons, OSU has established itself among the top hitting teams in the Big 12 Conference, and that trend is continuing this season.
Along with a .314 batting average that ranks second in the league, the Cowboys lead the conference with 57 doubles and hold down the second spot in slugging percentage (.454) and sacrifice flies (13).
The 2010 club ranked second in the league with a .307 batting average and finished third in doubles (128) and sacrifice flies (31). Five of the Cowboy regulars in the starting lineup hit .316 or better.
In 2009, the Cowboys ranked among the Big 12's best in batting average (third at .300), triples (second with 21), home runs (third with 81) and slugging percentage (second at .503).
OSU led the Big 12 in three offensive categories in 2008 -- 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.
Strong Armed
OSU's pitching staff has allowed just 45 earned runs in 171.0 innings, which translates to a 2.37 team ERA, and the Cowboys have tossed a league-high five shutouts.
Seven different Cowboy hurlers have notched wins, with Andrew Heaney, Brad Propst and Blake Barnes each posting three victories.
Want more? OSU's opponents are hitting just .239, and of the 11 Cowboys with at least three appearances, nine of them have an ERA of 3.00 or less.
And while we're at it, go ahead and note that OSU's staff has issued just 42 walks, the second fewest in the Big 12.
Among the leaders on the pitching staff this season are:
• Brad Propst - A converted infielder, Propst entered this season with three wins and three saves in 30 career appearances. The senior right-hander has started all five of the Cowboys' Friday games in 2011 and is 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA.
• Andrew Heaney - A year ago, this lefty became the first freshman to lead OSU in wins since 2001 as he was 5-4 with a save in 16 outings (10 starts). As a sophomore, he's been even better, with three wins, a 2.18 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 33.0 innings.
• Mike Strong - A two-time MLB Draft pick, Strong is 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five games this season and has 24 Ks in just 17.1 IP. In his last three outings, the lefty has struck out 15 of the 49 batters he's faced.
• Chris Marlowe - Marlowe leads the Cowboys with nine appearances, and this JUCO transfer has been nearly unhittable of late. He has 28 strikeouts in only 16.1 innings and earned his first-career win by striking out 10 in 4.2 innings of relief work vs. New Mexico, a performance that earned him Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week honors.
• Blake Barnes - A junior right-hander Barnes has three wins, all in relief, and a 1.69 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .200 against him, and he has 13 Ks in 16.0 innings of work.
• Gabe Weidenaar - A junior who spends most of his time in center field, Weidenaar has also been a star on the mound as he's tied with Marlowe with a team-best two saves in three appearances.
Southpaw Slinging On Saturdays
Andrew Heaney had a solid freshman season a year ago, but in his first four outings of 2011, he's stating his case as one of the Big 12's top pitchers.
Heaney is 3-1, and he ranks fifth in the league in innings pitched (33.0) and seventh in opponent batting average (.195). He did not allow a run in his first 16.0 innings of work and has given up just six earned runs on the year. The southpaw has also recorded 23 strikeouts and just seven walks.
Hit Man
Sophomore Dane Phillips has been one of the Big 12's most consistent hitters in 2011. He leads the conference with a .667 slugging percentage and four triples and ranks second in batting average (.410), hits (32) and total bases (52).
Splitting time between DH and catcher, Phillips hit safely in OSU's first 13 games and has hits in 18 of the Cowboys' 19 games this season. He leads the club with nine multi-hit games, including a pair of four-hit efforts.
Short Hops
• The Cowboys are hitting .317 (71-for-224) with runners in scoring position.
• Nine different position players have made their OSU debuts this season while 10 different pitchers have toed the pitching rubber for the first time as Cowboys.
• OSU has turned 26 double plays this season, the second most in the conference.
