Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Baseball Discusses Upcoming Season
February 04, 2014 | Cowboy Baseball
Feb. 4, 2014
STILLWATER, Okla. - The Oklahoma State Cowboys hosted a media day to discuss the 2014 season, and the following is a sampling of what they had to say as they enter their second season under head coach Josh Holliday.
OSU head coach Josh Holliday
On how the fall went
"Fall was good. We got a lot done. We probably made as much progress inside the locker room as we did anywhere. We were integrating 16 new guys with our returning guys so that was big. That's a large number of first-year guys in your program. The returning guys did a great job of showing them the ropes and welcoming those guys to the program. We got a number of freshmen adjusted to the academic culture of college and got them at least aware of some of the necessary adjustments to play this year, and contribute, which we're counting on a number of them to do. For the most part, it went exactly as we hoped it would.
"We got a lot stronger during the fall. A lot of guys made improvements to their bodies that I think will show up over the course of the season. We were a tough team last year, but come to the end I think we were a little worn out a little bit. A long season will do that to you. We hope to be stronger so we can be a little bit more at the top of our game when it matters the most. We did well in the classroom.
"I think the fall was a great start to the year. We were ready to answer the challenges, and I think that leads to confidence heading into the spring. On the field, we return several good players in positions that are important. We established a fair amount of roles early on through fall practice. Saw good improvement in the month of November, after the fall, that made the competition for the remaining spots even better. It was a good fall, and it's been a good camp to this point. We got a lot of work in, despite the weather being a little tricky at times. With the Smith Center and the indoor facilities we do have, we've been able to stay on point. I feel good about our team, and after our banquet Saturday night, I think the team feels real good about the energy and the excitement about a season that's right around the corner."
On the camaraderie between the veterans and the younger players
"That's a compliment to these guys. It's a compliment to them reaching out and making the new players feel at home and welcomed and integrating them into our team so that they can contribute right away. As these guys will tell you, the first hurdle you have to get over when you're new to a place is feeling accepted and feeling welcomed. Once you get over that hurdle, you can dive into competition and realize, `It's just baseball. It's still the same game I played well enough to get here.' That's really about these guys. It's about them taking some leadership roles on our team. It's about them owning their program and making sure every guy that every guy that walks into it is welcomed in. I think that's a good sign. It's a sign of some of these guys-- guys like Saul (Saulyer Saxon), now in his fourth year and Vince (Wheeland), in his fourth year, it's Tyler's (Nurdin) and Zach's (Fish) third year- of them really understanding what this is about. It's about not only individual development, but also about our team's culture. It's really a byproduct of what these kids learned last year together that they extended into the fall. We are very proud of our freshmen class and the transfers that are in it; it's a very good group. Combined with these returning guys, we have a nice balance."
On the loss of Jason Hursh and the changes to the weekend pitching staff
"Obviously Jason (Hursh) had a great season. He was very solid every Friday night, and he pitched a number of quality ballgames. That's part of any strong program -- that's part of what happens. Good players move on and others emerge. I'm confident that guys like Tyler (Nurdin) and Vince (Wheeland) will build on the years they had last year. Mark Robinette started a lot of games last year and won some important games down the stretch. Guys inside the program like Jon Perrin have stepped forward. Alex Hackerott stepped forward, as well as a number of first year guys who have really good arms. We'll offset the loss of all the good players from last year by guys getting chances to emerge. That's certainly what great programs do, and that's what we're striving to do. We want to get to the point where every year there's six or seven really good players that move on to the next level and there's six or seven more that come right in. We'll work to replace all the guys we lost in different ways, but I'm confident in the guys we have and I'm excited to see what these guys do with the opportunities that lie ahead."
On guys he thinks might play a role in the weekend pitching rotation
"Roles are still being developed as we get guys in shape. You've got to remember, we didn't start school until the 13th so we're basically three weeks in at this point. As we've gotten the guys in shape, now we're starting to dial in their stuff and get them ready for game outings. Obviously, Tyler (Nurdin) is a guy we believe in quite strongly. He pitched excellently the last half of the season when his toe healed up. A guy like Tyler you're going to see out there. Robinette's another guy I expect to be in there early. Jon Perrin has made a big step forward. Then the new guys -- Thomas Hatch, Garrett Williams, Tyler Buffet -- those three freshman threw really well in the fall. As did other guys. Matt Wilson and Trey Cobb, Blake Battenfield, those young arms are all quality young arms. As we go, Rob (Walton) will get those guys their first touch on the mound, and we'll get those guys into the fire as soon as we can so that they're ready to take on a more prominent role as we go. It's still a bit early to pinpoint when someone is going to throw, yet. We still have a lot of work to do, but the games are right around the corner."
On moving Donnie Walton to shortstop
"It's a position he played a lot growing up. He probably had more of an adjustment going to second last year than he will sliding back to shortstop. We felt it was the right fit. He is a stronger athlete as a sophomore. He's played the position good. He's played extremely well in the three weeks we've been back. We feel good about that. We've got a very good option behind him with Craig McConaughy, who is an outstanding defender. So we've got some options there. Looking at just putting the right guys in the right spots to build a lineup and a defense that is strong up the middle, Donnie and Tim are the two guys we'll go with. But you see how things go. Last year we didn't go into the year thinking Randy McCurry was our shortstop as much as we thought he was a pitcher and an infielder. Over time he proved to be our shortstop and a very good one. We'll give the guys opportunities when we think they're right, and we'll see what the game tells us as we go. Donnie at shortstop has been a good transition."
On his feelings about the direction of the program
"I feel very good. Everyday we're looking to get better. I feel good because of these guys. I believe in our players. I love the commitment to Oklahoma State that lies within them. I'm excited about the kids that we've recruited. I'm very appreciative of the fan support that we've seen. Saturday night (team/alumni banquet), as these guys can tell you, was a lot of fun for us, as a group, to see the excitement and hear people talk about how much they're looking forward to coming to the ballpark this year. Season ticket sales are up. All the little things that tell you the interest is growing. To see more than 125 alumni, former baseball players, return for the weekend to meet these kids and support them and really endorse their support of these guys, they're all positive steps for where we're trying to go. This is all about the players. It is, and it always will be. Our coaching staff is thrilled that we're 10 days away from a new challenge. I'm very comfortable, and I feel really good about the direction we're heading. We're by no means where we want to be, but we're getting closer every day. That's all you can really hope for."
On getting ahead in recruiting
"A lot of that goes to Marty (Lees) and Rob (Walton) for the hustle that it takes to get into recruiting circles. Any time you go after top players, you're going to go against people that have a lot to offer. I think they did a great job, when we were initially hired in the middle of June, in signing a great group of players in basically three months. They had half of June, July and August before we started visiting guys and signing those kids up. Their energy and their work ethic, getting kids to campus and letting them see how special Oklahoma State is. Sharing with them our thoughts about where we're going. And as I always say, these guys (players) are our best recruiters because if kids come on campus and are made to feel welcome, and these guys believe what we're doing, that really helps. We think we have something here that's really worth taking a look at, and we try to share that with people every chance we get. It's a good, solid nucleus of players that are coming in, but I'm really proud of these guys that were in the program when we were hired. Their willingness to embrace us and buy into what we do, these guys have been outstanding. We'll keep looking to bring in the best players from all over. Certainly right at home in Oklahoma, we'll start there. We have recruited well, and that's something you'll see us work hard at as we continue."
"I think he was really dynamic for us because we could use him in the fourth inning in a jam, and he could pitch us to the seventh. We could pitch him in the seventh and eighth. We could use him to close games. He had a remarkable year, and that's not easy to find. It takes a durable, special guy that can handle different roles like that and pitch out of jams. I don't know if he ever came into the game out of the windup; he always came into the game pitching out of the stretch with runners on. He was awfully good there. It'd be our hope that we could keep him there because anytime you can shorten a game with a quality bullpen, it's a great place to start. He's very capable of starting if we needed him to, but I really like, and feel like he was built for that role. He was outstanding. We'll look to see how the rest of the staff shakes up and complements one another. I'll say ideally, we'd like to see Vince in the same spot he was in."
Senior pitcher Vince Wheeland
On coach Rob Walton
"For me, personally, he's helped with my mechanics, getting me on line, getting me to work down. He works with a lot of pitchers like that too. He gets everybody sound in their mechanics and when you get your mechanics down, it makes it a lot easier to command the baseball. He's done a good job with that with me and everybody."
On being the guy to go to in any pitching situation
"It's a cool thing; you can't do that without your infield and your outfield behind you. When you go in there and attack a zone, you need someone who is capable of playing that position, and they're great at it. You have to give credit to your outfield, infield and your catcher. They're with you out there the entire way through it. It is nice."
On his routine for being ready
"Just being mentally prepared for the whole game. Rob (Walton) talks about that a lot. Being locked in on every pitch with the guy on the mound, with the people in the field. So, that's just what I try to do is stay locked in the entire game and that's what the entire pitching staff does so that they are ready also."
Junior pitcher Tyler Nurdin
On coach Rob Walton
"Coach Walton, all of the coaches, really have a lot of experience, they've been around the block. They all have championships. Coach Walton really works with us mostly on the mental aspect of the game, hitting our spots. He says the key to pitching is location, location, location. I feel like last year, after the season we had as a pitching staff and the team, most of the new guys didn't have a problem buying into what the coaches were trying to get us to do. Whether it's hitting or pitching. They just do a really good job making us comfortable, working with us and making sure that we are healthy and ready to compete."
On having a reliable bullpen to go to
"Having a guy like Vince (Wheeland) and the bullpen we had last year and the bullpen we're capable of having this year, it's nice knowing that no matter what they have your back, the entire team does. That's what we've been working on a lot lately inside the locker room is building a better team that we can possibly be. Although, I may not have my best stuff every day, I'm going to do my best to compete and give my team a chance to win."
On if the bullpen is deeper than last year
"There's definitely a potential to have a much deeper staff. We have a lot of good arms, great arms really, that I feel that as the season progresses and they get outings under their belt, I feel like the staff will progress and be very successful, as long as we keep working."
Senior outfielder Saulyer Saxon
On what he's seen from incoming pitchers this offseason
"A lot of them bring it up there, in the low 90s. Good off-speed, which you don't always see a lot with freshmen. (Tyler) Buffett has one of the best sliders I've seen. (Thomas) Hatch has an unbelievable changeup that he's shown here recently. They can pitch."
On how the program is different going into his senior year
"A lot different. It was kind of one the rocks. But after going to that banquet, getting to talk to the alumni and people around baseball, they were just like, `We love where this program is headed.' I think it's just catching momentum. We had a great season last year, they liked the way we competed and could see we were a team. We've built on that this year. We have a great group of guys that love to compete, and I think it's headed in the right direction."
On what they've been challenged to do hitting
"We talk a lot about intent. If you're not focused, then you're not getting anything out of your swings. We're not just up there swinging to get exercise; we're working on a specific skill every time we swing the bat. When we get in there, it's the same thing. I've done it a hundred times in the cage. So, it allows you to be free."
Junior outfielder/catcher Zach Fish
On where his home is on the field
"I feel like, back in the outfield, I just started playing the outfield my freshman year here. I came in as a catcher and now I'm in the outfield, which I love right field. We have a great outfield. We have a very talented outfield. We have Saul (Saxon), who can play center, we have a lot of guys, we are a very talented outfield. We're fast, we're very deep at every position. We have two or three guys that can play right, center and left. So, I think that anybody at any moment could go out there and play at a very high level no matte what position they're in."
On what he worked on this offseason
"One thing we really worked on this fall was the mental aspect. As Rob was preaching about the mental aspect with pitching, the hitters go in and we talk about approach, we talk about what we look for when we're up there, certain zones we're going to look for, offspeed and fastball. So, it's just going up there and trying to eliminate those bad swings, swinging at balls, swinging in the dirt. Just trying to be a complete hitter and allowing yourself to be free up there so that you're not thinking about mechanics. What you're thinking about is how can I move this runner over, what kind of skill am I going to have to use right here to get the run in. So just trying to focus in on and allowing what we talked about this fall and even this spring already in the mental aspect and allowing yourself to not think too much when you're up there and allowing yourself to trust the work that you've put in the entire year."
On what they've been challenged to do hitting
"Even in scrimmages, what we saw was that Rob calls the pitches, and he threw me about 20 curveballs in a row, completely in the dirt because he said he was tired of watching me swing at them. So I started laughing and said I needed to figure something out. Eventually, I became more patient up there and allowed myself to use my eyes more as we talked about this fall and the spring about allowing your eyes to adjust and not swing at those bad pitches that are up, in the dirt, or way too far in. You have to allow yourself to see the ball, track it and adjust to whatever location it is."
On the type of pitches he received
"Everybody is going to have a different approach to hitters. Like Saul, he peppers the left side of the field, he's an amazing lead off hitter. Donnie (Walton) is a great bunter. So they have to know the different hitters that we have on this team and know how to pitch to them. For me, I get a lot of off-speed pitches. So it's about being able to be disciplined enough to not be an easy out when I get up there."
On the difference and quality of Big 12 pitching
"The amount of off-speed I saw, especially my freshman year, and last year, the amount of off-speed I saw. Coming out of high school, not a lot of guys had good off-speed, then you see Texas and TCU's very talented arms they have coming in and out of the bullpen. It's going to be trusting in what we've worked so hard for and trusting the guys you have in front of you and behind you. As long as you do your job you know that they're going to do their job behind you."
