Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Texas Tech
Showdown In Stillwater Pits Cowboys Against Texas Tech
April 07, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball
#16 Oklahoma State (19-9, 4-2)
vs. #19 Texas Tech (21-9, 8-1)
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium (4,000)
Stillwater, Okla.
Fri., April 8: 6 p.m.
Sat., April 9: 3 p.m.
Sun., April 10: 1 p.m.
Oklahoma State
This weekend marks Oklahoma State's first Big 12 Conference series at home in 2016 as the Cowboys host league-leader Texas Tech in a showdown of nationally ranked teams at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The 16th-ranked Cowboys enter the weekend with a 19-9 record and are tied with TCU for second in the Big 12 standings with a 4-2 league mark. Friday's series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m., with Saturday's game at 3 p.m. and Sunday's finale set for 1 p.m.
Led by Donnie Walton and his .330 batting average, the Cowboys are hitting a collective .241 while the pitching staff ranks fifth nationally with a Big 12-best 2.33 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 marks OSU's fourth under Holliday, who compiled a 127-57 record in his first three seasons at his alma mater.
About The Red Raiders
Texas Tech is 21-9 on the season, and 19th-ranked Red Raiders sit atop the Big 12 standings with an 8-1 mark. Led by senior first baseman Eric Gutierrez (.349, 5 HR, 31 RBI), TTU is hitting .292, while the pitching staff sports a 4.11 ERA.
Expected to start on the mound for TTU are:
Friday - RHP Davis Martin (4-0, 1.65) Saturday - LHP Steven Gingery (3-1, 2.96)
Sunday - RHP Ty Harpenau (0-0, 5.91)
OSU is 39-28 all time against Texas Tech and has won four-straight series against the Red Raiders. The Cowboys are 6-3 vs. TTU in three seasons under Josh Holliday.
Watch, Listen, Follow
Both the Friday and Sunday games vs. Texas Tech will be televised live on the FOX Sports family of networks, with Dave Hunziker and Cowboy Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Holliday on the call. Friday's game airs of FOX Sports Plus and Sunday's on FOX College Sports. Saturday's game will be online at okstate.com/live and also be televised in Oklahoma City and Tulsa on Cox Cable channel 703/HD 1333 in OKC and 1003/HD 1333 in Tulsa
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. 16 in this week's national polls, earning that spot from Baseball America. The Cowboys are also ranked 17th by Perfect Game, 19th by the NCBWA, 23rd by D1Baseball.com and 25th in the USA Today coaches poll.
OSU has been ranked in at least one national poll for 59 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.
2,500 Club
Oklahoma State entered 2016 as one of only 18 programs in Division I history to reach 2,500 victories, beginning the year 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.
Home Sweet Home
Allie P. Reynolds Stadium has been home to Oklahoma State baseball since April 4, 1981, and in those 35 seasons, the Cowboys have been nearly unbeatable on their home field.
OSU is 890-210 (.809) all time at Reynolds Stadium and has lost more than two consecutive games on its home turf only five times (six in a row in 2007; three straight in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014).
The Cowboys are 10-2 on their home field in 2016.
On The Road Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and...
As has become commonplace, OSU opened Big 12 Conference play on the road in 2016.
The Cowboys have begun league play at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium only twice since 2003 (in 2005 and 2013), and this season OSU opened at Kansas State.
The trend will continue in the near future as the conference office has set schedules for 2017 and 2018, and in each of those seasons, OSU opens Big 12 action away from Stillwater.
Since 2004 and spanning through 2018, OSU will have opened conference play on the road 13 times and only two times at home. Since Big 12 baseball began play in 1997, the Cowboys will have opened league play on the road 16 times and just six times in Stillwater.
It's Been Awhile
OSU has not lost a three-game Big 12 Conference series at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium since 2012 when it was swept by Texas A&M on the final weekend of the season. Over the last three seasons, the Cowboys have won nine consecutive three-game league series on their home field following a split in a rain-shortened two-game series with Baylor to open league play in 2013. (In 2015 OSU lost its only game vs. West Virginia in Stillwater — the final two games of the series were canceled due to weather).
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 65 games in Holliday's four seasons, notching 18 comeback wins in 2013, 28 in 2014 and 15 a year ago.
Close Calls
OSU is 35-20 in one-run games since 2013, including a 9-7 mark this season. After losing their first five one-run games this season, including four via walk-off, the Cowboys won nine in a row before dropping two at West Virginia last weekend. Under head coach Josh Holliday (2013-pres.), 36 of the Cowboys' 66 losses have come by two runs or less.
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 and has racked up an OSU career-record 54 sacrifice bunts, a total which ranks ninth on the NCAA's all-time list.
Last season, OSU led the NCAA with 81 sacrifice bunts, and four different Cowboys had at least 10 sac bunts.
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).
Dealing
OSU ranks fifth nationally with a 2.33 team ERA, and three Cowboys rank in the top 10 in the Big 12 in ERA – Tyler Buffett (third at 1.69), Jensen Elliott (fourth at 1.82) and Thomas Hatch (fifth at 1.84).
OSU's .222 opponent batting average and 10 saves also lead the conference, while its 238 strikeouts rank third.
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 188 career games, the switch hitter owns a .310 batting average to go along with nine home runs, 110 RBIs, 37 doubles and an OSU-record 54 sacrifice bunts (which ranks ninth 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).
One of two Cowboys to start all 28 games this season, Hassel is hitting .284 to go along with a .395 on-base percentage, seven stolen bases and a team-high 10 doubles.
The Candyman Can
Tyler Buffett was a reliable performer on the mound in his first two seasons in Stillwater, but he has taken on a starring role in 2016.
In a team-high 16 appearances, 15 of those in relief, the junior right-hander is 4-1 with four saves and a 1.69 ERA, with the four wins and four saves already marking career highs. He is tied for second in the Big 12 lead in saves and ranks third in the league in opponent batting average (.183), wins, ERA and appearances. He's also among the conference leaders in strikeouts (38) and innings pitched (37.1).
In the month of March, Buffett appeared in 11 of OSU's 18 games and went 4-0 with four saves and a 1.54 ERA to go along with 27 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings. He was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week twice (March 7th and 28th).
Deep Threat
Dustin Williams tied for the OSU lead with six home runs last season — and in 15 games this year, he'd already equaled his long ball total of a year ago.
The Cowboys' junior first baseman currently leads the Big 12 with eight homers while ranking ninth with 24 RBIs.
The left-handed hitting Williams was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on March 14 following a three-game stretch that saw him go 5-for-11 (.455) at the plate with four home runs, seven RBIs, 17 total bases and a 1.545 slugging percentage. He homered in all three games — including twice in one of them — and also drove in multiple runs in each contest.
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 has made 11 appearances this season, five of those as a starter, and is 3-4 with two saves and a 2.78 ERA. He also ranks fourth in the Big 12 with a team-high 43 strikeouts in 35.2 innings, including 13 in six innings of work in a win against 18th-ranked Michigan.
The opening day starter for the Cowboys vs. UT Arlington, Cobb's next six appearances came in relief before he re-joined the weekend starting rotation March 14 against Abilene Christian.
Hit Man
Garrett Benge put up video game numbers at the junior college level last season, and he's proving to be a valuable hitter in his first season in an OSU uniform.
As a freshman at Cowley County CC, Benge was the 2015 NJCAA Division I Player of the Year after hitting .502 with 19 home runs, 97 RBIs, 26 doubles and four triples. In 59 games, he collected 103 hits and a .946 slugging percentage.
Now manning the hot corner in Stillwater, Benge is has swung a consistent bat for the Cowboys as he leads the club with a .516 slugging percentage and ranks second in batting average (.305), doubles (7) and RBIs (20).
Injuries Take A Toll
Several key Cowboys have missed signficant time this season due to injury. A shoulder issue kept Garrett Williams out of action until a relief appearance on March 25, while Conor Costello (hamate) missed 14 games. Ryan Sluder (thumb) missed nine games, and Colin Simpson (hamate) was out of action for 15 — both returned to action off the bench at Wichita State.
After fouling a ball off his foot against Arkansas on March 29, Donnie Walton had to leave the game and was limited to pinch hitting and DH duties in the series at West Virginia.
Building A Winner
In the first three seasons as head coach at his alma mater (2013-15), Josh Holliday has built quite an impressive 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).
The Cyclist
J.R. Davis made history in the series finale at West Virginia when he joined Josh Fields (2003) and Zach Johnson (2011) as the only OSU players to hit for the cycle during the Big 12 era (since 1997). The Cowboy second baseman is also one of just 18 Big 12 players to ever hit for the cycle.
After leading off Sunday's game vs. WVU with a walk, Davis delivered an RBI triple in the third and a leadoff single in the sixth. In the eighth, he hit his first-career home run, a two-run shot, and then in the ninth he recorded an RBI double to complete the cycle. He finished the historic day 4-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs and three runs scored.
Davis, a JUCO transfer who had not played since 2014 prior to joining OSU this season, appeared in just one of the Cowboys' first nine games this season but was inserted in the starting lineup at second base March 1 vs. Indiana State and has not left since. He's hitting .324 in 20 games, and the Cowboys are 12-2 with Davis batting in the leadoff spot.
Fantastic Freshman
OSU's pitching staff is arguably the best in the Big 12, and Jensen Elliott is a big reason why. The freshman right-hander has been in the Cowboys' weekend starting rotation throughout the year, making seven starts and compiling a 3-1 record and 1.82 ERA.
Elliott won his first-career start on Feb. 20 at UT Arlington with five shutout innings, and in the series finale at West Virginia he became the first OSU freshman since Matt Smith in 1998 to throw a complete game. In that game, he threw 133 pitches and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out four in a performance that earned him Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors.
Elliott has recorded at least four strikeouts in each of his outings this season, including racking up a career-high eight against No. 18 Michigan.
Sluder's Surge
One of the Cowboys breakout stars last season 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, who was named to the 2016 Perfect Game Preseason All-America Third Team, has played in just 17 games this season due to injury.
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 his first two seasons in an OSU uniform, he 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 appeared in 10 of the Cowboys' first 12 games this season as the DH before a broken hamate bone suffered on March 6 caused him to miss OSU's next 14 contests. He returned to action and made his first pitching appearance of the season with an inning of relief in the Saturday game at West Virginia.
A Month Of Accolades
OSU has had a Big 12 weekly award winner for four consecutive weeks. Tyler Buffett was named the league's pitcher of the week on March 7 and March 28, Dustin Williams was the player of the week on March 14 and Trey Cobb garnered pitcher of the week honors on March 21. On April 4, Jensen Elliott was named the league's pitcher of the week, while J.R. Davis took home newcomer of the week honors.
Elliott's award also marks only the second time in Big 12 history a school has captured three-straight Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors. The first to do it was Baylor in 2014.
Short Hops
In the first official NCAA RPI for 2016, which was released Tuesday, OSU is No. 19 ... OSU has turned 31 double plays this season, which ranks 11th nationally ... OSU has an identical 2.33 ERA for the season and in Big 12 play ... The Cowboys rank third in the Big 12 with a .971 fielding percentage.
