Oklahoma State University Athletics
Donnie Walton
Cowboy Baseball 2015: The Infield
February 08, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball
Oklahoma State opens the 2016 season next week, 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. We begin today with the infield.
Donnie Walton, 5-10, 184, S/R
• Senior switch-hitter and Cowboys' starting shortstop
• All-Big 12 First Team infielder in 2014 and 2015
• Played in 160 career games and owns career .306 batting average, eight home runs and 92 RBIs
• OSU career leader with 52 sacrifice bunts, which ranks as 11th most in NCAA history
• Hit .326 with four homers and 29 RBIs in 39 games as a junior
• 23rd-round pick of Milwaukee in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft
Dustin Williams, 6-2, 229, L/R
• Junior and Cowboys' starter at first base
• Honorable Mention All-Big 12 performer as a sophomore
• Played in 102 career games with 76 starts
• Career .255 batting average with nine homers, eight triples and 59 RBIs
• Coming off sophomore season in which he led Cowboys with 38 RBIs and tied for team lead with six homers
Jacob Chappell, 6-0, 164, R/R
• Sophomore who is in the mix for playing time at second and third base
• Played in 55 games as a freshman with 51 starts, 28 of those at third base and 23 at shortstop
• Named to the 2015 Big 12 All-Freshman Team
• Hit .250 with 21 RBIs and 16 sacrifice bunts
Garrett Benge, 5-11, 200, L/R
• Sophomore JUCO transfer from Cowley County CC
• Was the 2015 NJCAA Division I Player of the Year as a freshman at Cowley
• Hit .502 with 19 home runs and 97 RBIs to go along with 26 doubles and four triples
• Collected 103 hits and 15 stolen bases while recording a .946 slugging percentage and .601 on-base percentage for a team that went 54-5
• Selected in the 22nd round of the 2015 MLB Draft by Cleveland
Andrew Rosa, 6-2, 188, R/R
• Redshirt sophomore who can play any infield position
• Has played in 30 career games with nine starts
• Career .261 hitter (12-for-46) with two homers and eight RBIs
• Played in nine games in 2015 before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery
• Was 3-for-9 at the plate in 2015 with a homer, double and two RBIs
• A 30th round pick of Boston in the 2013 MLB Draft
J.R. Davis, 5-9, 187, R/R
• Junior in the mix for playing time at second and third base
• Did not play last season while at Seminole State
• Spent two seasons at Contra Costa College in California
• Hit .288 with 10 RBIs and 13 stolen bases as a sophomore in 2014
David Petrino, 5-10, 198, R/R
• Senior who is in the mix for playing time at second and third base
• Played in 38 games for the Cowboys last season, starting 13 — nine at third base and four at DH
• Hit .257 with a pair of doubles, a triple and nine RBIs
• A 39th-round pick of the Chicago Cubs in the 2014 MLB Draft
Nick Gallo, 5-10, 181, R/R
• Versatility allows to play second base, third base or shortstop
• JUCO transfer who spent two seasons at Palm Beach State College
• Hit .320 with 24 RBIs in 52 games as a sophomore and was named first-team all-conference
Mason O'Brien, 6-0, 193, L/L
• Sophomore first baseman
• Played in 17 games as a freshman and was 2-for-22 with an RBI
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. We begin today with the infield.
Donnie Walton, 5-10, 184, S/R
• Senior switch-hitter and Cowboys' starting shortstop
• All-Big 12 First Team infielder in 2014 and 2015
• Played in 160 career games and owns career .306 batting average, eight home runs and 92 RBIs
• OSU career leader with 52 sacrifice bunts, which ranks as 11th most in NCAA history
• Hit .326 with four homers and 29 RBIs in 39 games as a junior
• 23rd-round pick of Milwaukee in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft
Dustin Williams, 6-2, 229, L/R
• Junior and Cowboys' starter at first base
• Honorable Mention All-Big 12 performer as a sophomore
• Played in 102 career games with 76 starts
• Career .255 batting average with nine homers, eight triples and 59 RBIs
• Coming off sophomore season in which he led Cowboys with 38 RBIs and tied for team lead with six homers
Jacob Chappell, 6-0, 164, R/R
• Sophomore who is in the mix for playing time at second and third base
• Played in 55 games as a freshman with 51 starts, 28 of those at third base and 23 at shortstop
• Named to the 2015 Big 12 All-Freshman Team
• Hit .250 with 21 RBIs and 16 sacrifice bunts
Garrett Benge, 5-11, 200, L/R
• Sophomore JUCO transfer from Cowley County CC
• Was the 2015 NJCAA Division I Player of the Year as a freshman at Cowley
• Hit .502 with 19 home runs and 97 RBIs to go along with 26 doubles and four triples
• Collected 103 hits and 15 stolen bases while recording a .946 slugging percentage and .601 on-base percentage for a team that went 54-5
• Selected in the 22nd round of the 2015 MLB Draft by Cleveland
Andrew Rosa, 6-2, 188, R/R
• Redshirt sophomore who can play any infield position
• Has played in 30 career games with nine starts
• Career .261 hitter (12-for-46) with two homers and eight RBIs
• Played in nine games in 2015 before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery
• Was 3-for-9 at the plate in 2015 with a homer, double and two RBIs
• A 30th round pick of Boston in the 2013 MLB Draft
J.R. Davis, 5-9, 187, R/R
• Junior in the mix for playing time at second and third base
• Did not play last season while at Seminole State
• Spent two seasons at Contra Costa College in California
• Hit .288 with 10 RBIs and 13 stolen bases as a sophomore in 2014
David Petrino, 5-10, 198, R/R
• Senior who is in the mix for playing time at second and third base
• Played in 38 games for the Cowboys last season, starting 13 — nine at third base and four at DH
• Hit .257 with a pair of doubles, a triple and nine RBIs
• A 39th-round pick of the Chicago Cubs in the 2014 MLB Draft
Nick Gallo, 5-10, 181, R/R
• Versatility allows to play second base, third base or shortstop
• JUCO transfer who spent two seasons at Palm Beach State College
• Hit .320 with 24 RBIs in 52 games as a sophomore and was named first-team all-conference
Mason O'Brien, 6-0, 193, L/L
• Sophomore first baseman
• Played in 17 games as a freshman and was 2-for-22 with an RBI
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Cowboy Baseball
INF
/ Cowboy Baseball
INF
/ Cowboy Baseball
INF
/ Cowboy Baseball
1B
/ Cowboy Baseball
INF
/ Cowboy Baseball
INF
/ Cowboy Baseball
INF
/ Cowboy Baseball
1B
/ Cowboy BaseballFriday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
