Oklahoma State University Athletics
Freeman A Finalist For Olson Award
June 09, 2015 | Cowboy Baseball
Cowboy hurler one of 10 in running for breakout player of the year
OMAHA, Neb. -- Oklahoma State pitcher Michael Freeman is one of 10 finalists for the 2015 Gregg Olson Award, it was announced today.
The Olson Award honors college baseball's breakout player of the year and is presented annually by Toolshed Sports to a top amateur player who elevates his game to an elite level throughout the season.
As a junior for the Cowboys last season, Freeman pitched just 14 1/3 innings in 10 appearances and recorded a 6.28 ERA, but he blossomed into the 2015 Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year as a senior.
Freeman capped his final collegiate season with a 10-3 record and 1.31 ERA in 15 starts. His 1.31 ERA ranks as the fifth lowest in a single season in OSU history (minimum 1.0 IP/Team game).
A 6-foot-8 southpaw, Freeman leads the Big 12 with four complete games and 97 strikeouts, and he ranks second in wins, ERA, innings pitched (109.2) and opponent batting average (.184). Over his final 14 starts, he allowed just 12 earned runs in 100.0 innings (1.08 ERA), and he ranks sixth nationally in ERA.
In conference play, Freeman was 5-2 with three complete games and a 0.80 ERA in seven starts, and he recorded 49 strikeouts in 56 innings. In his only Big 12 losses, he allowed just one earned run combined as the Cowboys lost those games 3-2 and 2-1.
Freeman tied a record by capturing Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors four times in 2015 -- March 2, 23 and 30 and April 27 -- to become one of only three pitchers in conference history to achieve that feat.
Of Freeman's non-strikeouts outs, 171 came via ground ball and only 44 via fly out, and he induced 12 ground ball double plays. Factor in his 97 strikeouts and 86 percent of his outs came via ground ball or strikeout.
Freeman was named a Louisville Slugger Second-Team All-American, and he is a semifinalist for the National College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Award.
The Olson Award was developed to honor college baseball success stories and showcase players who raised the level of their game through hard work, strength of mind and determination. Eligible players are those omitted from major publication's preseason All-American prognostications, however by the end of the season their on-field performance demonstrated that they are among the top amateur players in the nation.
The winner of the 2015 Olson Award will be named during the upcoming College World Series.
The Olson Award honors college baseball's breakout player of the year and is presented annually by Toolshed Sports to a top amateur player who elevates his game to an elite level throughout the season.
As a junior for the Cowboys last season, Freeman pitched just 14 1/3 innings in 10 appearances and recorded a 6.28 ERA, but he blossomed into the 2015 Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year as a senior.
Freeman capped his final collegiate season with a 10-3 record and 1.31 ERA in 15 starts. His 1.31 ERA ranks as the fifth lowest in a single season in OSU history (minimum 1.0 IP/Team game).
A 6-foot-8 southpaw, Freeman leads the Big 12 with four complete games and 97 strikeouts, and he ranks second in wins, ERA, innings pitched (109.2) and opponent batting average (.184). Over his final 14 starts, he allowed just 12 earned runs in 100.0 innings (1.08 ERA), and he ranks sixth nationally in ERA.
In conference play, Freeman was 5-2 with three complete games and a 0.80 ERA in seven starts, and he recorded 49 strikeouts in 56 innings. In his only Big 12 losses, he allowed just one earned run combined as the Cowboys lost those games 3-2 and 2-1.
Freeman tied a record by capturing Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors four times in 2015 -- March 2, 23 and 30 and April 27 -- to become one of only three pitchers in conference history to achieve that feat.
Of Freeman's non-strikeouts outs, 171 came via ground ball and only 44 via fly out, and he induced 12 ground ball double plays. Factor in his 97 strikeouts and 86 percent of his outs came via ground ball or strikeout.
Freeman was named a Louisville Slugger Second-Team All-American, and he is a semifinalist for the National College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Award.
The Olson Award was developed to honor college baseball success stories and showcase players who raised the level of their game through hard work, strength of mind and determination. Eligible players are those omitted from major publication's preseason All-American prognostications, however by the end of the season their on-field performance demonstrated that they are among the top amateur players in the nation.
The winner of the 2015 Olson Award will be named during the upcoming College World Series.
![Image Taken at [event name], [day], [month date], [year], [venue], [city]. Brayden Hartmann/OSU Athletics](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fokstate.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F4%2F20%2FConover_celebration_vs._Kansas.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ Cowboy BaseballTuesday, July 07
Tuesday, July 07
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
