Oklahoma State University Athletics
Trey Cobb
Cobb's Cowboy Dream Comes True
February 12, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball
By Patrick Osborne, OSU Athletics Communications
Trey Cobb almost wasn't a Cowboy.
The Broken Arrow native always wanted to be one, but that dream becoming reality needed a twist of fate to make it happen.
"I grew up a huge OSU fan," he said. "They didn't recruit me out of high school, and I was hurt so I went down to (LSU) and they offered me. I was like, 'All right, I like this place. It's awesome here.'"
But before he had the chance to head down to the bayou for good, Oklahoma State made a coaching change — Josh Holliday was named the new Cowboy head coach and he was bringing Rob Walton along to be his pitching coach.
The soon-to-be Tiger wasn't ready to give up his OSU dream so he made a phone call.
"I called Josh and asked if there was any way I could come along," he said. "'I don't know if you've seen me play or anything, but I want to come. I know Rob.' He was like, 'We'd love to have you.' There were no questions asked. I didn't make a visit before I committed, I just committed right there on the phone."
For Cobb, it was a dream come true. He grew up in a Cowboy family and spent a lot of his childhood in Stillwater in the stands at OSU events.
"I idolized those guys," he said. "It's really cool to be a part of this team now. You see those kids in the stands now you you're like, 'That was me when I was that age.'"
It didn't take long for Cobb to find a role with his dream school. The right-hander pitched in 18 games as a freshman, including his first-career start against Texas in a Big 12 Championship elimination game.
Although Cobb was only a freshman, Holliday knew he could trust him in big moments by the end of that first season.
"Toward the end of his freshman year, he was throwing the ball really well and pitched in some big innings for us in the Big 12 Tournament and again in the regionals," Holliday said. "He worked himself into a high-trust role where we put the ball in his hand during games in important situations."
Cobb wasn't done there.
As a sophomore in 2015, he turned into one of the team's go-to guys. Holliday could use Cobb in the middle innings when the Cowboys needed key outs or in the later innings when he needed a closer to finish the game.
Cobb finished the season with 31 appearances — the third most by an OSU pitcher in a single season in program history — and was an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer while also earning a spot on the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team.
"He has continued to get better," Holliday, said. "All along we knew this was a kid who would be a big part of our pitching staff, and he has been for the first two years."
Cobb said he has changed significantly — for the better — thanks to the coaching staff. The Cobb who came to OSU three years ago isn't the one who will take this field this year.
"I'm a completely different person from when I got here on and off the field," he said. "I wasn't a bad kid or anything, but they helped me grow up.
"On the field, coming into the fall, (freshmen) think they're super awesome and everything because high school was so easy. Then you get here and you get hit around a bit and get brought back down to earth. It's frustrating, but the coaches never give up on you. You just have to put your full trust in them, and they really develop you."
Cobb said all the coaches have helped him since his arrival at Oklahoma State, but especially his pitching coach, Rob Walton.
"I think we have the best coaches in the country," he said. "The trust the pitching staff has with Rob when he talks, I've talked to guys at others schools and they just don't have it like that. I have kids text me that I played high school with and who play at big Division I (schools) and say, 'Hey can you ask Rob if this is okay? My pitching coach told me this.' I'm like 'What? I'll ask him.' Everyone in the country respects Rob."
Now in his third season, Cobb is expected to continue to grow and be the go-to guy the Cowboys have come to rely on.
Cobb is in a position to become part of the Cowboys' starting rotation, but it's not a guarantee. He said with plenty of talent on the pitching staff, no job is safe. Everyone pushes everyone, and anybody could start.
"Whatever role this team needs me to fill I will do my best to fill," he said. "I talked to the coaches in the fall and they weren't really sure what role I was going to play, but they knew I was going to pitch."
Walton said Cobb was the Cowboys' most consistent pitcher in the fall, with a fastball that touches 95 miles per hour, a slider that is a legitimate out pitch and an ever-improving change-up.
"Trey has really become a complete pitcher," Walton said. "Where he was a one-pitch guy, now he's become a three-pitch guy. Kudos to Trey because he's worked hard at it. It's exciting to see what he's doing. As his command has improved, he's just gotten better. Now he has an arsenal of pitches he can compete with."
Holliday said he isn't worried about when Cobb will end up pitching. He knows what he's getting with him. The coaching staff's priority is to put the team in a position to win, and they believe Cobb helps them do just that.
"Trey is a guy who could start any ballgame on a weekend," he said. "He could close or as he did last year he can be that utility role. He could be a long reliever on certain days of the week if necessary. He can start games and close games out. He's a versatile pitcher, but he's versatile because he's very good. When you're good, you can find any which way to use a guy who is good."
Trey Cobb almost wasn't a Cowboy.
The Broken Arrow native always wanted to be one, but that dream becoming reality needed a twist of fate to make it happen.
"I grew up a huge OSU fan," he said. "They didn't recruit me out of high school, and I was hurt so I went down to (LSU) and they offered me. I was like, 'All right, I like this place. It's awesome here.'"
But before he had the chance to head down to the bayou for good, Oklahoma State made a coaching change — Josh Holliday was named the new Cowboy head coach and he was bringing Rob Walton along to be his pitching coach.
The soon-to-be Tiger wasn't ready to give up his OSU dream so he made a phone call.
"I called Josh and asked if there was any way I could come along," he said. "'I don't know if you've seen me play or anything, but I want to come. I know Rob.' He was like, 'We'd love to have you.' There were no questions asked. I didn't make a visit before I committed, I just committed right there on the phone."
For Cobb, it was a dream come true. He grew up in a Cowboy family and spent a lot of his childhood in Stillwater in the stands at OSU events.
"I idolized those guys," he said. "It's really cool to be a part of this team now. You see those kids in the stands now you you're like, 'That was me when I was that age.'"
It didn't take long for Cobb to find a role with his dream school. The right-hander pitched in 18 games as a freshman, including his first-career start against Texas in a Big 12 Championship elimination game.
Although Cobb was only a freshman, Holliday knew he could trust him in big moments by the end of that first season.
"Toward the end of his freshman year, he was throwing the ball really well and pitched in some big innings for us in the Big 12 Tournament and again in the regionals," Holliday said. "He worked himself into a high-trust role where we put the ball in his hand during games in important situations."
Cobb wasn't done there.
As a sophomore in 2015, he turned into one of the team's go-to guys. Holliday could use Cobb in the middle innings when the Cowboys needed key outs or in the later innings when he needed a closer to finish the game.
Cobb finished the season with 31 appearances — the third most by an OSU pitcher in a single season in program history — and was an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer while also earning a spot on the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team.
"He has continued to get better," Holliday, said. "All along we knew this was a kid who would be a big part of our pitching staff, and he has been for the first two years."
Cobb said he has changed significantly — for the better — thanks to the coaching staff. The Cobb who came to OSU three years ago isn't the one who will take this field this year.
"I'm a completely different person from when I got here on and off the field," he said. "I wasn't a bad kid or anything, but they helped me grow up.
"On the field, coming into the fall, (freshmen) think they're super awesome and everything because high school was so easy. Then you get here and you get hit around a bit and get brought back down to earth. It's frustrating, but the coaches never give up on you. You just have to put your full trust in them, and they really develop you."
Cobb said all the coaches have helped him since his arrival at Oklahoma State, but especially his pitching coach, Rob Walton.
"I think we have the best coaches in the country," he said. "The trust the pitching staff has with Rob when he talks, I've talked to guys at others schools and they just don't have it like that. I have kids text me that I played high school with and who play at big Division I (schools) and say, 'Hey can you ask Rob if this is okay? My pitching coach told me this.' I'm like 'What? I'll ask him.' Everyone in the country respects Rob."
Now in his third season, Cobb is expected to continue to grow and be the go-to guy the Cowboys have come to rely on.
Cobb is in a position to become part of the Cowboys' starting rotation, but it's not a guarantee. He said with plenty of talent on the pitching staff, no job is safe. Everyone pushes everyone, and anybody could start.
"Whatever role this team needs me to fill I will do my best to fill," he said. "I talked to the coaches in the fall and they weren't really sure what role I was going to play, but they knew I was going to pitch."
Walton said Cobb was the Cowboys' most consistent pitcher in the fall, with a fastball that touches 95 miles per hour, a slider that is a legitimate out pitch and an ever-improving change-up.
"Trey has really become a complete pitcher," Walton said. "Where he was a one-pitch guy, now he's become a three-pitch guy. Kudos to Trey because he's worked hard at it. It's exciting to see what he's doing. As his command has improved, he's just gotten better. Now he has an arsenal of pitches he can compete with."
Holliday said he isn't worried about when Cobb will end up pitching. He knows what he's getting with him. The coaching staff's priority is to put the team in a position to win, and they believe Cobb helps them do just that.
"Trey is a guy who could start any ballgame on a weekend," he said. "He could close or as he did last year he can be that utility role. He could be a long reliever on certain days of the week if necessary. He can start games and close games out. He's a versatile pitcher, but he's versatile because he's very good. When you're good, you can find any which way to use a guy who is good."
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