Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys & Sun Devils: Two Of College Baseball’s Elite
March 02, 2018 | Cowboy Baseball
Oklahoma State is set to take on Arizona State in a three-game weekend series beginning tonight in Phoenix in a matchup of two of the most storied and tradition-rich programs in college baseball history.
Consider these impressive numbers from two programs that are both in their 107th seasons of competition:
Cowboys vs. Sun Devils
The Cowboys and Sun Devils have faced each other on the diamond 27 times, with ASU owning a 15-12 record in the all-time series.
Seven of the meetings have come at the College World Series, with ASU owning a 4-3 advantage in those matchups.
Holliday & ASU
OSU is 5-3 against the Sun Devils under head coach Josh Holliday, who also has ties to Arizona State as he spent two seasons as an assistant in Tempe during the 2008-09 seasons. Holliday helped bring ASU the nation's top recruiting class in 2008, a group instrumental in leading ASU to Omaha in '09.
As a player for the Cowboys from 1996-99, Holliday faced ASU three times. In 1997, OSU was a 9-3 winner in Tempe, and the two teams squared off in a pair of games at the 1998 Midwest Regional in Wichita, Kan. The Pokes won the first of those matchups, 13-8, before falling the next day by a 13-5 margin.
The last time the two teams met came in a midweek game last season. In that game, OSU racked up 22 hits, its most ever in a game under Holliday, en route to an 18-4 victory. Cameron Dobbs and Jon Littell both had big games, combining for eight hits and six RBIs; Jonathan Heasley got the start and threw five scoreless innings for his first career win as a Cowboy.
Consider these impressive numbers from two programs that are both in their 107th seasons of competition:
- In terms of winning percentage entering the 2018 season, Arizona State ranked fourth in NCAA history at .667 while Oklahoma State was fifth at .663
- The two programs have combined for 5,431 wins – 2,840 for ASU, 2,591 for OSU.
- OSU's 43 NCAA Regional appearances ranks fourth all time, while ASU is sixth with 39.
- The Sun Devils' are third in NCAA history with 22 College World Series appearances, while the Cowboys rank sixth with 20. ASU also ranks third in CWS wins (61), and OSU is sixth (40).
- OSU claims 32 conference championships, while ASU has 21.
- The Sun Devils have produced 123 All-Americans, while 118 Cowboys have achieved that status.
- ASU has 10 members in the College Baseball Hall of Fame, while OSU has four who have earned that distinction.
Cowboys vs. Sun Devils
The Cowboys and Sun Devils have faced each other on the diamond 27 times, with ASU owning a 15-12 record in the all-time series.
Seven of the meetings have come at the College World Series, with ASU owning a 4-3 advantage in those matchups.
- 1967 CWS – ASU 7, OSU 2
- 1981 CWS – OSU defeated ASU 11-10 in 13 innings on June 5, but the Sun Devils would get revenge in the NCAA championship game three days later with a 7-4 victory over the Cowboys.
- 1983 CWS – ASU 6, OSU 5
- 1984 CWS – ASU 23, OSU 12
- 1987 CWS – OSU 8, ASU 3
- 1993 CWS – OSU 5, ASU 3
Holliday & ASU
OSU is 5-3 against the Sun Devils under head coach Josh Holliday, who also has ties to Arizona State as he spent two seasons as an assistant in Tempe during the 2008-09 seasons. Holliday helped bring ASU the nation's top recruiting class in 2008, a group instrumental in leading ASU to Omaha in '09.
As a player for the Cowboys from 1996-99, Holliday faced ASU three times. In 1997, OSU was a 9-3 winner in Tempe, and the two teams squared off in a pair of games at the 1998 Midwest Regional in Wichita, Kan. The Pokes won the first of those matchups, 13-8, before falling the next day by a 13-5 margin.
The last time the two teams met came in a midweek game last season. In that game, OSU racked up 22 hits, its most ever in a game under Holliday, en route to an 18-4 victory. Cameron Dobbs and Jon Littell both had big games, combining for eight hits and six RBIs; Jonathan Heasley got the start and threw five scoreless innings for his first career win as a Cowboy.
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