Cowboy Baseball Well-Represented In MLB Postseason

Four former Oklahoma State players spent time on Major League Baseball rosters in 2015, and three of those are on teams that will be in the MLB playoffs, which begin this week.

Two of those Cowboys are on division winners, with Tyler Lyons a member of the National League Central champion St. Louis Cardinals and Matt Hague a part of the American League East champion Toronto Blue Jays. Jordy Mercer helped the Pittsburgh Pirates secure a National Wild Card berth.

• The Pirates will take on the Chicago Cubs Wednesday at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to the Division Series to face St. Louis.
• The Cardinals will open postseason play Friday when they host either Pittsburgh or Chicago.
• Toronto will begin Division Series play Thursday when the Blue Jays host American League West champ Texas.

Here's a look at each of the Cowboys who helped their teams to the postseason.

Jordy Mercer, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates – OSU Career: 2006-08
• Part of a Pittsburgh team that finished with the second-best record in baseball in 2015 at 98-64 and earned a playoff berth for the third consecutive year
• Shortstop who has played in 116 games this season and is hitting .244 with three home runs, 21 doubles and 34 RBIs
• Owns a .986 fielding percentage and has committed just seven errors on the year
• Spent over a month on the disabled list after suffering a leg injury in late July but returned to Pittsburgh's active roster on August 23
• Established himself as Pittsburgh's starting shortstop last season, playing in 149 games and hitting .255 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs
• In 410 career games with Pittsburgh, Mercer is hitting .257 with 24 homers, 75 doubles and 121 RBIs

Tyler Lyons, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals – OSU Career: 2007-10
• Has made 17 appearances for the Cardinals in 2015, including eight starts
• Is 3-1 with a 3.75 ERA and has recorded 60 strikeouts in 60.0 innings of work
• Was the winning pitcher in game that clinched the Central Division pennant for the Cardinals as he tossed seven scoreless innings against Pittsburgh on Oct. 1, striking out five and allowing only four hits and no walks
• In his MLB career, which spans parts of three seasons with the Cardinals, is 5-9 with a 4.27 ERA in 40 appearances

Matt Hague, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays – OSU Career: 2008
• Was a late-season call-up by Toronto and played in 10 games, going 3-for-12 (.250) with a double and two walks
• Spent most of 2015 at Triple A Buffalo (played in 136 games) and was named the International League Most Valuable Player
• Led the International League with a .338 batting average (31 points higher than the next closest), 177 hits, 245 total bases and a .416 on-base percentage and finished second in RBIs (92)
• Prior to his stint in Toronto this season, had two previous years of MLB experience with Pittsburgh in 2012 and 2014, where he played in 32 games and hit .222 with seven RBIs

Just Missed Out
Along with the three Cowboys whose teams are playoff bound, former OSU All-American Andrew Heaney was a member of the starting rotation for a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim club that narrowly missed making the postseason in 2015.

Heaney finished the year with a 6-4 record in 18 starts to go along with a 3.49 ERA. He worked 105 2/3 innings and struck out 78.

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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