Cowboy Baseball Set To Open 2016 Season

#7 Oklahoma State

at the

Clay Gould Classic

Arlington, Texas

Clay Gould Ballpark (1,600)

Fri., Feb. 19: vs. UT Arlington, 11 a.m.

Sat., Feb. 20: vs. Stephen F. Austin, 11 a.m.

vs. UT Arlington, 2:30 p.m.

Sun., Feb. 21: vs. Stephen F. Austin, 11 a.m.

OSU GAME NOTES

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State opens the 2016 season at the Clay Gould Classic in Arlington, Texas, where the Cowboys will take the field for four games against host UT Arlington and Stephen F. Austin. OSU opens the season Friday at 11 a.m. against UTA and returns to action Saturday with a pair of contests — at 11 a.m. vs. SFA and 2:30 against UTA. The Pokes conclude the tourney Sunday at 11 a.m. against SFA.

The Cowboys are coming off a 38-20 season in which they made their third consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, and expectations are again high. OSU is ranked in the top 10 nationally in four different preseason polls and returns seven starters from 2015, including All-Big 12 Conference performers Donnie Walton, Ryan Sluder and Corey Hassel.

The 2016 season will mark OSU's fourth under head coach Josh Holliday, who has compiled a 127-57 record in three seasons at his alma mater.

The Opponents

UT Arlington is coming off a 2015 season in which it went 24-32, and the Mavericks return nine position starters and eight pitchers from that ballclub. OSU is 18-5 all time against UT Arlington. The last meeting came in 2014 in Arlington with the Cowboys claiming a 4-3 victory.

Stephen F. Austin was 17-34 a year ago and returns 17 letterwinners from that squad. OSU is 9-0 against Stephen F. Austin, with the last meeting also coming in Arlington in a game the Cowboys won 3-1.

Watch, Listen, Follow

All OSU baseball games are carried live by Stillwater Radio and air on KSPI 93.7 FM or 780 AM. Rex Holt, who is in his 34th season on the air with Cowboy baseball, will call the action, with Matt "Chief" Davis providing color commentary. Radio broadcasts are also available online at www.okstate.com, with links available under the Schedule tab on the baseball home page.

Live stats for all games can also be found at okstate.com, with links available under the Schedule tab on the baseball home page. Additionally, fans can follow the official OSU Baseball Twitter account, @OSUBaseball, for in-game updates.

Webcasts of OSU's two games against UT Arlington can be accessed via www.utamavs.com with a subscription fee involved to watch.

In The Polls

OSU is ranked as high as No. 7 in the national preseason polls, earning that spot from Perfect Game. The Cowboys are ranked No. 8 by D1Baseball.com, No. 9 by Baseball America, 10th in the USA Today coaches poll, 11th by the NCBWA and 25th by Collegiate Baseball.

OSU has been ranked in at least one national poll for 52 consecutive weeks dating back to 2013, when the Cowboys were in the polls for the final 14 weeks of the season. During that time, they have been ranked as high as No. 3 (by the NCBWA in 2014), and they finished the '14 season ranked 10th in each of the final polls, marking the 19th time in program history OSU ended the season in the top 10 in the national polls.

2,500 Club

Oklahoma State is one of just 18 programs in Division I history to reach 2,500 victories and begins 2016 with 2,513 all-time wins. Of those achieving that feat, only one has played fewer season's than OSU's 104 (Florida State with 68).

OSU entered the 2016 season ranked sixth all time in NCAA history with a .665 winning percentage.

Big 12's Best

Oklahoma State's .690 winning percentage (127-57) since 2013 is the highest in the Big 12 Conference during that span. TCU comes in second at .677, with the Cowboys only trailing the Horned Frogs by one in the win column.

OSU has also finished first or second in the league standings each of the last three years, and the Cowboys are the only Big 12 team over that span to finish over .500 in conference play each year.

Comeback Cowboys

Come-from-behind victories have become a trend for the Cowboys under Josh Holliday. OSU has overcome deficits to win 61 games in Holliday's three seasons, notching 18 comeback wins in 2013, 28 in 2014 and 15 a year ago.

Awards Show

A number of Cowboys who earned all-conference recognition a year ago return in 2015.

Donnie Walton was named to the All-Big 12 First Team as an infielder last season, while outfielders Ryan Sluder and Corey Hassel each picked up All-Big 12 Second Team honors.

Earning All-Big 12 honorable mention accolades were first baseman Dustin Williams and pitchers Trey Cobb and Remey Reed, while Jacob Chappell was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.

I Feel A Draft

OSU has nine players on its 2016 roster who have been Major League Baseball Draft picks, including a pair of two-time draftees in Conor Costello (2011, Cincinnati, 16th/2015, Pittsburgh 38th) and Donnie Walton (2012, NY Mets, 36th/2015, Milwaukee, 23rd). Other MLB Draft picks include: Garrett Benge (2015, Cleveland, 22nd); Thomas Hatch (2013, Colorado, 32nd); Jon Littell (2014, Washington, 39th); David Petrino (2014, Chicago Cubs, 39th); Andrew Rosa (2013, Boston, 30th); Collin Theroux (2015, Minnesota, 33rd); and Garrett Williams (2013, San Diego, 33rd).

Close Calls

OSU is 26-13 in one-run games over the last three seasons, and during that same span, 33 of the Cowboys' 57 losses have come by two runs or less. Of the Pokes' 20 losses in 2015, 14 were by two runs or less.

Generating Offense Every Which Way

In 2015, OSU led the Big 12 in on-base percentage (.381), walks (282) and sacrifice bunts (81), and the Cowboys ranked second in runs (380), home runs (41), RBIs (338), stolen bases (89) and sacrifice flies (26).

Small Ball

OSU has smashed program records for sacrifice bunts each of the last three years.

In 2014, the Cowboys were third nationally with 88 sacrifice bunts, which trumped the 2013 team's 74 sac bunts to set a program record. Donnie Walton ranked fourth in the NCAA in 2014 with 22 sac bunts, while Gage Green tallied 11.

Last season, OSU led the NCAA with 81 sacrfice bunts and four different Cowboys had at least 10 sac bunts on the year.

Entering his senior season, Walton has racked up an OSU career-record 52 sacrifice bunts, a total which ranks 11th on the NCAA's all-time list.

Strong-Armed

In three seasons under the direction of coach Rob Walton, OSU's pitching staff has turned in impressive numbers.

The Cowboys' success under Walton includes 12 All-Big 12 pitchers, two consensus first-team All-Americans, a Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and a first-round Major League Baseball Draft pick.

Here's just a sampling of how the Cowboys have performed under Walton:

• OSU's pitching staff led the Big 12 in ERA in conference-only games in 2014 (2.43) and 2015 (2.50).

• The Cowboys' 2.84 ERA in 2015 ranked eighth nationally and was the lowest by an OSU pitching staff since 1973.

• OSU recorded seven shutouts in both 2013 and 2014, marking just the fourth and fifth times in program history the Cowboys had reached that mark. In the 26 seasons prior to 2013, the program had reached seven shutouts only once.

• Over the last three seasons, OSU has seen Jason Hursh drafted in the first round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft, Brendan McCurry (2014) and Michael Freeman (2015) named first-team All-Americans and Freeman garner Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors.

• Freeman's 1.31 ERA ranked sixth in the NCAA in 2015 and was the fifth lowest in a single season in OSU history.

• McCurry set OSU records for single-season saves (19) and career saves (27).

Back In The Saddle

Donnie Walton spurned professional baseball last summer to return for his senior season with the Cowboys in 2016.

Walton has established himself as one of the Big 12's elite players since arriving on campus in 2013. In 160 career games, the switch hitter owns a .306 batting average to go along with eight home runs, 92 RBIs, 30 doubles and an OSU-record 52 sacrifice bunts.

Primarily a shortstop throughout his career, Walton is one of just nine players in OSU history to earn All-Big 12 First Team accolades twice (in 2014 & 2015), with no Cowboy ever achieving that status three times.

A 23rd-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers last June, Walton chose not to sign a pro contract and instead starred in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League. He was named the CCBL All-Star Game MVP and then earned the Star of Stars Award as the most valuable player of the CCBL playoffs after leading the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox to the league championship.

Walton is one of 50 players on USA Baseball's 2016 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. The award is given to the top player in amateur baseball.

Hometown Hero

Corey Hassel played in 86 games and hit just .208 in his first two seasons at OSU, but the Stillwater native had a breakout junior campaign for his hometown Cowboys in 2015.

Used mostly as a late-game defensive replacement and pinch runner in 2013 and 2014, Hassel became a regular starter in the outfield as a junior and led the Cowboys with a .312 batting average. He also topped OSU in multi-hit games (18) and multi-RBI efforts (11) en route to All-Big 12 Second Team honors. In conference play, Hassel hit .344 with two home runs and 18 RBIs and led OSU in numerous offensive categories, including RBIs, hits (31) and doubles (6).

Sluder's Surge

Another breakout star for the Cowboys in 2015 was outfielder Ryan Sluder, who hit .284 with 67 at-bats in 35 games as a freshman but blossomed into an All-Big 12 Second Team performer in 2015.

As a sophomore, Sluder was second on the Cowboys with a .309 batting average, and led the club with 14 doubles and six homers. The Texan went on a tear in league games as he led OSU with a .403 average — the highest in the conference in Big 12 play — to go along with five homers, 10 RBIs and a .710 slugging percentage.

Sluder was named to the 2016 Perfect Game Preseason All-America Third Team.

Workhorse

Trey Cobb became the Cowboys' go-to pitcher out of the bullpen in 2015. His team-high 31 appearances marked the third most in a single season in OSU history, and the right-hander compiled a 5-2 record and two saves to go along with a 2.61 ERA. In 58.2 innings — all in relief — Cobb racked up 53 strikeouts, and opponents hit just .221 against him as he earned honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades.

Two-Way Threat

Conor Costello is another Cowboy who could have begun his professional career in 2015 but instead chose to return to Stillwater for his senior season in 2016 after being drafted in the 38th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates last June.

Costello's role is a big one as he'll be counted on to contribute on the mound and at the plate. In two seasons in an OSU uniform, he's smashed 15 home runs and collected 62 RBIs in 108 games, while also going 2-1 with a save in nine pitching appearances.

Named to the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List a year ago, Costello is expected to take on an increased pitching role in '16 after a season in which he went 2-0 with a save and a 1.67 ERA in seven outings.

Building A Winner

In three seasons as head coach at his alma mater, Josh Holliday has built quite a resume. Just a few of the highlights:

• OSU's .690 winning percentage is the highest among Big 12 teams from 2013-15;

• OSU has finished first or second in the conference standings each year (1st in 2014, 2nd in 2013 and 2015);

• The Cowboys finished in the top 10 in the national rankings in 2014 after ending the 2013 season ranked as high as No. 19. Counting the 2016 preseason polls, they've been nationally ranked for 52 consecutive weeks.

• In 2014, OSU advanced to the third Super Regional in program history and won its first-ever Big 12 Conference regular season championship;

• OSU has hosted two NCAA Regionals and been the top-seeded team both times;

• The Cowboys have earned three NCAA Regional berths and advanced to the regional championship round twice;

• OSU has won at least five of its eight Big 12 Conference series each season (5 in 2013, 7 in 2014, 6 in 2015).

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Garrett Benge

Jacob Chappell

Trey Cobb

Conor Costello

Michael Freeman

Gage Green

Corey Hassel

Thomas Hatch

Jon Littell

David Petrino

Remey Reed

Andrew Rosa

Ryan Sluder

Collin Theroux

Donnie Walton

Dustin Williams

Garrett Williams

Oklahoma State University Athletics