Cowboy Baseball 2016: The Batterymates

February 10, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball

Oklahoma State opens the 2016 season in just nine days, and expectations are high for the Cowboys under fourth-year head coach Josh Holliday.

OSU is ranked in the top 10 in four national preseason polls, including peaking at No. 7 in one, and most prognosticators have also dubbed the Cowboys the favorite in the Big 12 Conference. Big 12 coaches selected OSU second in the league's preseason poll behind defending champion TCU.

Holliday's ballclub is coming off a 2015 season in which it finished 38-20, which included a second-place finish in the league standings with a 14-8 mark. OSU made its third consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and also hosted a Regional for the second-straight year.

With the season almost upon us, we're taking a look at the Cowboys heading into 2016 with a breakdown of the roster by position. Today we take a look at the OSU pitching staff and its catchers.

Under the direction of pitching coach Rob Walton, OSU ranked eighth in the NCAA with a 2.84 team ERA in 2015 and has led the Big 12 in ERA in conference-only games each of the last two seasons. The Cowboys have also produced back-to-back consensus first-team All-Americans on the mound in Brendan McCurry and Michael Freeman.

Behind the plate, the Cowboys will be looking to replace departed seniors Bryan Case and Gage Green, with a trio of newcomers vying for that spot.

PITCHERS
Garrett Williams, 6-1, 204, LHP
• Junior southpaw
• 36 career appearances, including nine starts
• 5-1 with two saves and a 5.25 ERA to go along with 75 strikeouts in 60.0 innings pitched
• Was 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in 18 games last season and had 25 Ks in 18.1 IP
• Listed as No. 2 overall pro prospect in Big 12 for 2016 draft by Baseball America and D1Baseball.com
• 33^rd-round pick of San Diego in the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft

Carson Teel, 6-0, 170, LHP
• Redshirt freshman southpaw
• Contender for role out of the bullpen
• Went 9-0 with a 1.44 ERA as a high school senior

Conor Costello, 6-3, 211, RHP
• Senior right-hander and two-way player who will challenge for spot in starting rotation and also as an outfielder/DH
• Nine career appearances, eight of them starts
• Career record of 2-1 with a save and a 2.52 ERA
• Pitched in seven games in 2015 and was 2-0 with a save and a 1.67 ERA
• Drafted twice by MLB — in 16^th round by Cincinnati in 2011 and by Pittsburgh in 38^th round in 2015

Trey Cobb, 6-1, 199, RHP
• Junior veteran out of the bullpen who could move into starting rotation this season
• 49 career appearances, all but one in relief
• 5-2 with two saves and a 2.80 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 93.1 IP
• Made 31 appearances in 2015, the third-highest single-season total in school history
• Earned honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades after going 5-2 with two saves and a 2.61 ERA
• Listed as No. 6 overall pro prospect in Big 12 for 2016 draft by D1Baseball.com

Luke Matheny, 6-2, 199, RHP
• Freshman right-hander
• Went 6-3 with 1.27 ERA and tossed five complete games as a prep senior
• Son of St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny

Michael Mertz, 6-2, 209, RHP
• Junior in the mix for spot in Cowboys' starting rotation
• Spent most of 2015 rehabbing injury but made three relief appearances and tossed 3.2 innings
• Listed as 10^th-best overall pro prospect in Big 12 for 2016 draft by Baseball America

Remey Reed, 6-2, 225, RHP
• Junior right-hander in second season with Cowboys who may take over role as closer
• Honorable mention All-Big 12 in 2015
• Made 23 appearances, five of those starts, as a sophomore
• Was 3-2 with a 1.57 ERA and 30 Ks in 46.0 IP

Matt Wilson, 6-5, 209, LHP
• Sophomore southpaw
• Redshirted in 2015
• Made two relief appearances in 2014 and struck out four in two innings

Ben Leeper, 5-11, 193, RHP
• Freshman right-hander
• Hard thrower coming off Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss high school senior season

Jensen Elliott, 6-6, 206, RHP
• Freshman right-hander who could compete for starting role
• High School All-American went 9-3 with a 0.88 ERA and 103 strikeouts as senior
• Brother, Jake, is a pitcher at Oklahoma

Max Simpson, 6-3, 201, RHP
• Sophomore, submarining right-hander
• JUCO transfer from Hutchinson CC who was 7-2 with a save and 2.37 ERA in 2015
• Also had 85 strikeouts in 60.2 innings

Tyler Buffett, 6-2, 197, RHP
• Junior right-hander who can and has pitched in a variety of roles
• Has made 33 career appearances, including 13 starts
• Career record of 5-4 with a 3.26 ERA
• Went 3-3 with a 3.65 ERA in 19 appearances in 2015

Alex Hackerott, 6-2, 196, LHP
• Senior southpaw who has proven valuable out of the bullpen
• 56 career appearances, all in relief
• Career record of 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA and 58 Ks in 54.1 IP
• Was 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in 12 outings in 2015

Jake Cowan, 6-1, 201, RHP
• Sophomore JUCO transfer
• Right-hander who was 5-0 with eight saves and a 1.89 ERA in 23 appearances at Cowley County CC in 2015

Blake Battenfield, 6-4, 210, RHP
• Sophomore right-hander looking to return to freshman form
• Pitched in six games last season, starting two, before suffering season-ending injury
• Made 27 relief appearances as a freshman and was 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA

Thomas Hatch, 6-1, 190, RHP
• Sophomore right-hander a contender to earn a spot in starting rotation
• Redshirted with an injury in 2015
• As a freshman in 2014 was 2-2 with a 5.28 ERA in 13 appearances, including nine starts
• 32^nd-round pick of Colorado in 2013 MLB Draft

Joe Lienhard, 6-4, 239, RHP
• Freshman right-hander
• Career record of 18-3 with two saves and 1.63 ERA in high school
• Dad, Steve, was a four-year letterwinner for the Cowboys from 1984-87 and played six seasons in the minor leagues

CATCHERS
Collin Theroux, 6-1, 223, R/R
• JUCO transfer from California
• Hit .273 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs in 46 games as a sophomore at San Joaquin Delta JC
• A 33^rd-round pick of Minnesota in 2015 MLB Draft

Baylor Rowlett, 6-0, 198, R/R
• Freshman from College Station, Texas
• Missed high school senior season with knee injury
• Hit .445 with eight homers and 51 RBIs as a prep junior

Colin Simpson, 5-9, 227, L/R
• Freshman from Edmond, Okla.
• Leadoff hitter as prep senior who hit .452 with 10 homers, 13 doubles, seven triples and 52 RBIs