Oklahoma State University Athletics
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Cowboys Rout OU in Big 12 Championship Opener
May 21, 2014 | Cowboy Baseball
May 21, 2014
Box Score - OSU Photo Gallery
Big 12 Photo Gallery - Video Highlights - OSU Postgame Press Conference
OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma State snapped a pair of losing streaks Wednesday at the Big 12 Baseball Championship as the top-seeded Cowboys knocked off Bedlam-rival Oklahoma by a 13-4 count at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Entering the contest, No. 7 OSU had lost seven games in a row at the Big 12 Championship dating back to 2011 and was 0-8 all time vs. OU at the Big 12 tourney.
Zach Fish, the newly crowned Big 12 Player of the Year, had a career night in the win as the Cowboys improved to 42-14 on the year. Fish delivered a career-high six RBIs, which included a grand slam, as OSU racked up 15 hits against the Sooners.
Wednesday's effort marked OSU's 24th come-from-behind win of the season, while its 13 runs were the most by the Cowboys in the Big 12 Championship since they had 14 against Baylor in the 2008 tourney.
Vince Wheeland earned the win in relief to improve to 9-0 on the season, tying him for the most wins in the Big 12 this season. The senior right-hander worked the final 4 1/3 innings and allowed just one unearned run while tying a season high with five strikeouts.
With the win, OSU advances to face fifth-seeded Texas Thursday in a game scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
"It's good to start a tournament off with a win in a particularly challenging game against who I think is the best eight seed in any conference tournament," said OSU head coach Josh Holliday, whose club is 4-2 against OU this season. "That's a good team, and we played each other so much that the competition is very familiar...
"I like to win every day. That's how we are wired - when we wake up we want to do the best we can. Our goal is to go out and win the moment. I'm proud of these guys for doing that today, and it's absolutely important. You function in the mindset of showing up ready to go, prepared, focused and together. When you do that you want the end result to be something good, but the process is what we really become invested in as a team.
"I'm proud of the kids today for showing up ready, and I like how we responded to the way we ended the season. You win something like a regular season title, but you have to flip the switch and try to win something new. These tournaments are very challenging if you don't win the first game."
OSU fell behind early as the Sooners (28-28) tagged Cowboy starter Tyler Nurdin (4.2 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 4 BB, 2 K) for three runs in the top of the first inning.
But the Cowboys responded in the bottom half of the frame. Saulyer Saxon drew a leadoff walk, and back-to-back singles by Donnie Walton and Tanner Krietemeier loaded the bases. Gage Green then brought home OSU's first run with a single before Fish was hit by a pitch to collect his first RBI and make the score 3-2.
That score remained until the fifth. Wheeland came up big in the top of the inning, spelling Nurdin and striking out Kolbey Carpenter on three pitches with the bases loaded and two outs, before OSU rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the inning.
After an error and singles by Krietemeier and Green to begin the OSU fifth, Fish again came up with the bases full of Cowboys. And this time he delivered an RBI single to tie the score at 3-3.
The Cowboys weren't done as Tim Arakawa and Craig McConaughy came through with RBI singles to put OSU on top, 5-3.
OSU would take command in the sixth, thanks in large part to Fish. For the third time in the contest, the junior came up with the bases loaded. This time, he crushed a grand slam to left field, his 11th home run of the season, to give the Cowboys a 9-3 advantage.
"It was a slider around my knees, and I caught almost all of it," Fish said. "There was just one out so I wanted to just get the ball in the air."
Along with providing his personal best, Fish's six RBIs tied a Big 12 Championship record. It marked the sixth time a player has achieved that feat at the Big 12 tourney.
Fish was one of five Cowboys with multiple hits on the night. McConaughy, Walton and Green led OSU with three apiece, with Green's three hits tying a career high. Seven different Pokes recorded RBIs in the contest.
