Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Missouri State
Cowboys Face Midweek Test At Missouri State
March 07, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball
at #12 Missouri State (9-1)
Hammons Field (8,000)
Springfield, Mo.
Tues., March 8: Noon
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Oklahoma State
    Oklahoma State returns to midweek action with a road contest Tuesday at 12th-ranked Missouri State; the two teams are set to square off at noon at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo. The 22nd-ranked Cowboys are 6-6 on the season after going 4-1 last week in winning series against Incarnate Word and Indiana State.
    Led by Donnie Walton and his .372 batting average, the Cowboys are hitting a collective .242 while the pitching staff owns a 2.45 ERA.
    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 was 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 Holliday, who compiled a 127-57 record in his first three seasons at his alma mater.
About The Bears
    Missouri State is riding a six-game winning streak and is 9-1 on the season, with the Bears' lone loss coming to UConn on Feb. 26. Led by sophomore Jake Burger (.419, 5 HR, 15 RBI), MSU is hitting .318 as a team while the pitching staff sports a collective 3.24 ERA.
    Expected to start on the mound for Missouri State is senior left-hander Andy Cheray, who is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two appearances this season.
    Oklahoma State is 11-6 all time against Missouri State. The Cowboys have won each of the last five meetings in the series, all under Holliday, including a 7-2 victory last season in Stillwater. The Bears' last win in the series came in 2012 in Springfield.
Watch, Listen, Follow
    Tuesday's game will stream live online at www.missouristatebears.com/collegesportslive -- there is a subscription fee involved to watch.
    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 okstate.com/watch.
    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.
In The Polls
    OSU is ranked as high as No. 22 in this week's national polls, earning that spot from Baseball America. The Cowboys are also ranked 23rd by Perfect Game, 25th by D1Baseball.com and 26th in the NCBWA poll.
    OSU has been ranked in at least one national poll for 55 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 spent 16 weeks in the Top 10 and been ranked as high as No. 3 (by the NCBWA in 2014). 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.
Big 12's Best
    Oklahoma State's .690 winning percentage (127-57) from 2013-15 marked the highest in the Big 12 Conference during that span. TCU came 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 62 games in Holliday's three seasons, notching 18 comeback wins in 2013, 28 in 2014 and 15 a year ago.
Close Calls
    OSU is 28-18 in one-run games since 2013, and five of the Cowboys' six losses this season are by a single run, including four walk-off defeats. Under head coach Josh Holliday (2013-pres.), 39 of the Cowboys' 63 losses have come by two runs or less. In 2015, 14 of OSU's 20 losses were by two runs or less.Â
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 172 career games, the switch hitter owns a .311 batting average to go along with nine home runs, 98 RBIs, 33 doubles and an OSU-record 53 sacrifice bunts (which ranks 10th on the NCAA's all-time list).
    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).
    Spending the majority of the time as the Cowboys' leadoff hitter this season, Hassel owns a .286 batting average to go along with a .415 on-base percentage and four stolen bases.
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.
    Cobb was the starter in OSU's season opener but has since been used in relief. In six appearances, he has a 2.89 ERA and two saves to go along with nine strikeouts in 9.1 innings of work.
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.
    Costello is second on the Cowboys with nine RBIs on the season and has a team-leading four multi-RBI games.
The Candyman Can
    Tyler Buffett was a reliable performer on the mound in his first two seasons in Stillwater but nearly a month into the 2016 season, he appears on the verge of a starring role.
    In a team-high seven appearances, all in relief, the junior right-hander is 2-1 and ranks second in the Big 12 in ERA (0.93), opponent batting average (.161) and appearances. His 19 strikeouts are tied for the third most in the league, while he also ranks fourth with 19.1 innings pitched.
    Buffett was named the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 7 following a week that saw him take the mound in three games and go 2-0 with 10 strikeouts in 6.1 scoreless innings.
Building A Winner
    In the first three seasons as head coach at his alma mater (2013-15), Josh Holliday has built quite a resume. Just a few of the highlights:
    • OSU's .690 winning percentage was 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).
