Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Baseball To Begin Fall Practice
September 12, 2013 | Cowboy Baseball
Sept. 12, 2013
STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State will begin preparations for its second baseball season under head coach Josh Holliday with its first fall practice Sunday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
The Cowboys return 17 letterwinners from last year's club, which turned in a 41-19 record, finished second in the Big 12 Conference and lost in the finals of the NCAA Louisville Regional, as well as a strong recruiting class that counts 17 newcomers.
“We're very excited to start fall practice,” Holliday said. “We've got a great group of returning players and a core of winners from last year's team that competed at a high level. You start going up and down our list of returning players, and you feel really good about what those guys did.
“And we're excited about our newcomers. We've got 13 quality freshmen as well as four quality transfers that we think are talented kids who are invested in our program and have us really excited for what our future holds.
“Come Sunday, we'll get together for the first time as a team and begin this journey to grow together on the field and develop the chemistry and the mindset necessary to play deep into the postseason.”
Among OSU's returners are six position players who started at least 33 games in 2013, led by All-Big 12 performers Zach Fish (.243, 7 HR, 41 RBI) and Tanner Krietemeier, who led the team with a .314 batting average and 45 RBIs last season. Honorable mention all-conference performers Saulyer Saxon and Donnie Walton also return, as do Gage Green, Aaron Cornell, Corey Hassel and Craig McConaughy.
On the mound, OSU returns two weekend starters in Tyler Nurdin and Mark Robinette, who combined for 11 wins and 156 innings on a pitching staff that turned in a 3.04 ERA, the lowest for a Cowboy team since 1973.
All-Big 12 First Team right-hander Vince Wheeland returns for his senior season on the heels of going 8-2 with a pair of saves and a 1.97 ERA in 30 appearances, while fellow senior and closer Brendan McCurry racked up eight saves a year ago. Other returners on the mound include Jon Perrin, Alex Hackerott, Kyle Bagnell and Reid Barnett.
During fall practice, the Cowboys will hold scrimmages, which are all open to the public, on the following dates: Sept. 18-20 and 24-26; Oct. 2-4, 6, 9-11, 13, 16-18 and 20. Scrimmages will begin at approximately 3:30 p.m. at Reynolds Stadium.
The Cowboys will conclude fall practice with a best-of-five intrasquad series Oct. 23-29.
