Oklahoma State University Athletics
Choosing To Be A Cowboy
March 28, 2013 | Cowboy Baseball
March 28, 2013
By Samantha Ketcham, OSU Media Relations
For most high school players, being a sixth-round pick in the Major League Baseball Draft would lead to an obvious decision.
But when the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Jason Hursh in 2010, he chose to take a different route.
“I just felt like I wasn't ready (to turn pro),” Hursh said. “I just started pitching my senior year of high school so I felt like I had a lot to learn. An education was really important to me and going to college was just the best decision.”
Now Hursh had another decision to make — where he was going to play college ball. The right-hander from Carrolton, Texas, considered Baylor, Texas A&M, Rice, TCU, Texas Tech and Houston, but Oklahoma State captured his heart.
“OSU just seemed like the right fit for me,” Hursh said. “The baseball program is rich in tradition, and I love the school and the college atmosphere that Stillwater has.”
In his first season as a Cowboy in 2011, Hursh pitched in 10 games and made four starts, picking up a win in the first start of his career against Bryant. He learned to adjust to the new competition and develop as a player and a pitcher.
“It's all about location. I had to put a lot of work into my off speed pitches and mixing them in. I couldn't just throw fastballs one hundred times a game because these batters will hit that every time,” Hursh said.
Hursh was off to a good start as a weekend pitcher when health issues brought problems a couple of weeks into the season. Sickness caused him to miss a weekend outing and when he pitched again that Tuesday, his performance slipped.
“I still didn't feel well, and after that game I felt like I got pushed aside a little bit,” Hursh said. “I got a few relief innings here and there, a few starts towards the end, but I never got into a routine. I threw a lot less innings than I expected I would.”
Hursh hoped to erase that disappointment as a sophomore, but those plans were put on hold after he was forced to redshirt following Tommy John surgery.
“It wasn't fun, but I got to pause my baseball career for a second and adjust and think about what I needed to do to get back,” Hursh said. “It also took a toll on me mentally because I got to step aside and sit on the bench and see how the mental part of the game is played. I learned about myself from that perspective. A lot of positives came from it. I fought through adversity, and I'm better than I was before.”
Hursh is now in his junior season and has taken on the responsibility of being the Cowboys' ace pitcher. And thus far, he has delivered.
In six starts this season, Hursh is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA and two complete games, and he has racked up 36 strikeouts in 44 innings. He enters this weekend's series against Texas with a 17.1 scoreless innings streak dating back to the eighth inning of the Loyola Marymount game on March 8.
With numbers like those and a fastball that is consistently clocked in the mid-90s, Hursh will likely get another chance at pro baseball in the future. He is listed by MLB.com as the 22nd-best MLB Draft prospect in 2013.
But Hursh's current focus is his collegiate career. With a new head coach and pitching coach in OSU alumni Josh Holliday and Rob Walton, he has high expectations for the Cowboys' program.
“I think everyone on our team will agree when I say they are a perfect fit for this program,” Hursh said of the OSU caoches. “Their pride and enthusiasm for Oklahoma State baseball is awesome, and they are pushing the program to where it used to be, which is on the top of the college baseball spectrum.”
Hursh also holds high expectations for his teammates and their 2013 season.
“Our team is highlighted by great team chemistry and work ethic by all our players,” Hursh said. “I am excited to see where are talent and hard work takes us. We just need to continue to play our type of baseball and keep piecing it together week-by-week.”
