Game Notes

#2-seed Oklahoma State (35-17-1)

at the NCAA Tucson Regional
Hi Corbett Field • Tucson, Ariz.
Fri., Jun. 4-Mon., June 7

Video/TV: ESPN3 (Roxy Bernstein & Wes Clements)
Radio: KSPI 93.7 FM (Rex Holt & Matt Davis)
   stillwaterradio.net
Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com
Twitter In-Game Updates: @OSUBaseball

About Oklahoma State
   • The Cowboys are the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tucson Regional and enter the tourney with a 35-17-1 record. OSU finished fourth in the Big 12 standings with a 12-12 league mark and advanced to the title game of the Big 12 Baseball Championship last week.
   • The Cowboys are coming off a 13-5 showing in 2020, a season that was cut short in early March due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
   • OSU returns the majority of its 2020 roster in 2021, along with a talented group of newcomers in a recruiting class ranked in the top 25 nationally. Seven position players that started at least 13 games a year ago are back, and the Cowboys' entire starting weekend rotation also returns.
   • The 2021 season is OSU's ninth under head coach Josh Holliday, who is 319-175-2 at his alma mater.

Cowboys At The NCAA Baseball Championship
   • Oklahoma State is making its 46th appearance in the NCAA Baseball Championship, which ranks as fourth most all time, and the Cowboys own a 153-98 (.610) record in the tourney, with the 153 wins sixth on the all-time list. The Cowboys' 20 College World Series appearances are tied for sixth all time.
   • The Cowboys are seeking to advance to the sixth NCAA Super Regional in program history (1999, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2019). Should the Cowboys advance out of the Tucson Regional, they will face the winner of the NCAA Oxford (Ole Miss) Regional in a Super Regional.
   • OSU has made an NCAA Regional each season under ninth-year head coach Josh Holliday. It is the Cowboys' eighth NCAA appearance under his direction — there was no NCAA tourney in 2020 after the remainder of the season was cancelled in March due to the COVID-19 global pandemic
   • The Pokes are 19-15 in NCAA tourney play under Holliday — 14-9 in Regionals, 3-4 in Super Regionals and 2-2 at the College World Series. During his tenure, the Cowboys have made five NCAA Regional finals appearances and earned three Super Regional berths, and in 2016, Holliday led his alma mater to the 20th College World Series in program history.
   • This year marks the second under Holliday that the Cowboys have been a No. 2 seed; they previously achieved that status in 2016. OSU was a No. 1 seed in 2014, 2015 and 2019, and Holliday-coached OSU teams have been a No. 3 seed three times (2013, 2017 and 2018).

In The Polls
   OSU has appeared in the national polls in all 16 weeks of the season and is currently ranked as high as 19th in the NCBWA poll. The Cowboys are also ranked 20th by Collegiate Baseball, 22nd by Baseball America and 23rd in the USA Today coaches and D1Baseball.com polls. The Pokes' highest ranking in 2021 is No. 9, which they reached on March 8 (USA Today) and again on March 15 (Collegiate Baseball).
   The Cowboys spent three weeks of the 2020 season in the national polls and peaked at No. 16 in the Baseball America rankings.
   From March 4, 2013 to April 3, 2017, OSU was ranked in at least one national poll, a streak of 77 consecutive weeks. During that time, the Cowboys spent 18 weeks in the Top 10 and were ranked as high as No. 3 (by the NCBWA in 2014). They have finished in the top 10 in the final national polls twice in the last six seasons — 10th in 2014 and fourth in 2016.

High Five
Oklahoma State entered the 2021 season as the fifth-winningest team in NCAA baseball history in terms of winning percentage at .661.

2,657 & Counting
   Oklahoma State began the 2021 season 14th on the NCAA's all-time Division I wins list with 2,670. The Cowboys are one of only 25 programs in Division I history to reach 2,600 victories, and of those, only four — Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Florida and Fresno State — have played fewer seasons than OSU's 109.

Building A Winner
   In nine seasons as head coach at his alma mater, Josh Holliday has built a sparkling resume. Among the highlights:
   • The Cowboys have earned eight NCAA Regional berths, advanced to three Super Regionals and played in the College World Series for the first time since Holliday was a senior for the Cowboys in 1999.
   • OSU finished first or second in the Big 12 Conference standings five times, claiming the program's first-ever regular season Big 12 title in 2014 and finishing second in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
   • The Cowboys finished in the top 10 in the national rankings in 2014 (10th) and 2016 (4th) after ending the 2013 season ranked as high as No. 19. In 2019, they were ranked as high as 11th in the final polls.
   • The Pokes have added three Big 12 championships to the program's total. In 2014, OSU won its first-ever Big 12 Conference regular season championship, and the 2017 club captured the second Big 12 Championship title in program history. The Cowboys also claimed the conference tourney title in 2019.
   • OSU hosted NCAA Regionals in 2014 and 2015 and was the top-seeded team both times. The Cowboys were also awarded a No. 9 national seed and host and top-seed status of the NCAA Oklahoma City Regional in 2019.
   • Holliday has coached 71 All-Big 12 performers, seven All-Americans, two Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honorees, two Big 12 Newcomer of the Year winners and a Big 12 Player of the Year.

300 Club
   Josh Holliday recorded his 300th career win as a head coach when he led his alma mater to a 5-4 win over Bedlam-rival Oklahoma on March 30 in Stillwater.
   Holliday is one of four coaches to reach the 300-win milestone with the Cowboys, joining Gary Ward (953), Frank Anderson (329) and Toby Greene (318), and now ranks third on the all-time wins list with 319.

Armed & Dangerous
   In nine seasons under Rob Walton's direction, OSU's pitching staff has posted impressive numbers.
   The Cowboys' success under Walton includes 26 All-Big 12 pitchers, two consensus first-team All-Americans, two Big 12 Pitcher of the Year winners and 22 MLB Draft picks, including a first rounder.
   Here's just a sampling of how the Cowboys have performed under Walton, who was named the 2016 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year:
   • Four of OSU's pitching staffs under Walton recorded an ERA of 3.29 or lower.
   • In 2016, the Cowboys led the Big 12 with 574 strikeouts, 10 shutouts and 21 saves, totals that each ranked as the second highest in a single season in school history.
   • 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 2013, 2014 and 2019 and again this season, and the Pokes had 10 in 2016, the second most in a single season in program history. Those totals also mark five of only eight times in program history the Cowboys have tallied seven shutouts or more in a season; in the 26 seasons prior to 2013, OSU reached seven shutouts only once.
   • Jason Hursh was a first-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, Brendan McCurry (2014) and Michael Freeman (2015) were first-team All-Americans and Freeman (2015) and Thomas Hatch (2016) were named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year.
   • 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).

Award Tour
   OSU's Christian Encarnacion-Strand was named the 2021 Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year and highlighted 10 Cowboys to earn All-Big 12 honors.
   Encarnacion-Strand is the fourth player in program history to be named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, joining Tyler Mach (2006), Zach Johnson (2011) and Matt Kroon (2018). The Cowboys' third baseman was also a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team as an infielder.
   Joining Encarnacion-Strand on the All-Big 12 First Team is Justin Campbell, the Cowboys' two-way standout who was named a first-team performer as both a utility player and a pitcher. He is the second player in OSU history to earn All-Big 12 honors at two different positions in the same season, joining Jordy Mercer on that list. He is the first Cowboy to earn first-team accolades at two positions as Mercer was named to the first team as a utility player and made the second team as a shortstop in 2008.
   OSU pitcher Brett Standlee collected All-Big 12 Second Team plaudits, while the Cowboys had six players earn honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition — Cade Cabbiness, Max Hewitt, Carson McCusker, Parker Scott, Jake Thompson and Caeden Trenkle.
   Save for Carson McCusker, who was a Big 12 honorable mention selection in 2018 and 2019, the all-conference recognition was the first for each of the nine Cowboys.
   Rounding out OSU's list of honorees is Trevor Martin; the Cowboys' right-handed pitcher was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.

No-No
   Justin Campbell joined an elite group by tossing a no-hitter against Kansas on May 8.
   Campbell's historic day marked only the third nine-inning no-hitter by an OSU pitcher in the 110-year history of the program and the first since 1968. It was the ninth no-hitter by an individual in program history, with five of those coming in seven-inning games and one in a five-inning contest.
   Campbell needed just 99 pitches to secure the no-hitter as he struck out 11 and improved to 5-1 with his first-career shutout. He issued just one walk, which came with one out in the eighth inning and was the only thing that kept him from a perfect game.
   The no-hitter was the first for OSU since 1993 when four Cowboy hurlers combined for the feat. The Pokes also had one other combined no-hitter, that coming in a seven-inning game in 1989.
   Campbell's no-hitter was the 19th in Big 12 history and the 12th by an individual.

Back On The Bump
   Parker Scott is back for a fifth season with the Cowboys, and the southpaw is expected to lead OSU's starting rotation. He is ranked No. 69 on D1Baseball.com's Preseason Power Rankings: Top 150 Starting Pitchers for college baseball in 2021.
   Scott struggled with injuries that cost him the majority of his first two seasons in Stillwater but showed what he could do when healthy over the last two seasons.
   Scott pitched in six games as a freshman in 2017, starting twice, before an arm injury ended his season. He suffered another setback when he underwent Tommy John Surgery that November that caused him to redshirt in 2018.
   After two years between appearances (March 12, 2017-March 10, 2019), Scott made 15 appearances in 2019, eight as a starter, and go 3-1 with a 2.18 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. He led the Big 12 in conference-only games with a 1.11 ERA while racking up 31 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings of work.
   In four starts in 2020, Scott was 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA and tallied 31 strikeouts in 25 innings.
   Scott is 7-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 54.0 innings in his 11 outings this season. He missed over a month with an injury — following his start at TCU on April 16, he did not return to the mound until an inning of relief vs. New Orleans on May 21.

The Cyclist
   Christian Encarnacion-Strand joined rare company when he hit for the cycle against UAPB on April 21 as he became just the fifth OSU player in the Big 12 Conference-era to achieve the feat and first since 2017.
   Encarnacion-Strand went 5-for-5 in the game against the Golden Lions. He homered in his first at-bat before reeling off a double, single, another homer and a triple in his final AB in the seventh inning.
   The Cowboy third baseman joins Josh Fields (2003), Zach Johnson (2011), J.R. Davis (2016) and Garrett Benge (2017) as OSU players to hit for the cycle in the Big 12-era (1997-present). The feat has been achieved 22 times in conference history.

They're Watching You
   Justin Campbell is one of five finalists for the College Baseball Foundation's 2021 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, and he is also one of 45 players on the midseason watch list for USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award, which is given to the top amateur player in the country.
   Christian Encarnacion-Strand is one of 42 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is awarded to college baseball's top player.

Fear The Beard
   Regardless of his role, Brett Standlee has solidified himself as one of OSU's top arms in 2021.
   In 22 appearances, the bearded one is 4-1 with four saves and a 3.00 ERA. In 30.0 innings, the right-hander has posted 44 strikeouts.
   Standlee's first 17 appearances were out of the bullpen as OSU's closer, but he was forced into a starting role in the series finale against Texas due to injuries. He delivered with a six-inning gem in which he struck out 10 on 117 pitches, both career highs, while allowing just two runs on three hits to get the win.
   Forced to redshirt the 2018 season after being declared academically ineligible, Standlee made his collegiate debut in 2019 and served roles as both a starter and reliever en route to earning a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He appeared in 19 games, 12 as a starter, and was 3-2 with a save and a 4.26 ERA while ranking second on the team in strikeouts (55) and innings pitched (72 2/3).
   In the Big 12 Championship title game, Standlee worked a career-high seven innings and allowed just one run while striking out three against West Virginia to earn the win in OSU's 5-2 victory.
   Last season, Standlee was again used as a starter and reliever and went 1-0 with a save, a 1.83 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings over a team-high seven appearances.

Bombs Away
   In less than two full seasons at Yavapai JC, where he played in a wood bat league, Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit 33 home runs in 81 games, and he's continued that power surge in his first season at OSU.
   Encarnacion-Strand, who has started all 53 games for the Cowboys at third base, has smacked a team-high 15 home runs and also tops the Pokes with 66 RBIs. He ranks second in the NCAA this season in RBIs and is seventh nationally in total bases with 146.
   With Encarnacion-Strand leading the way, the Cowboys have tallied 70 home runs to rank 22nd in the NCAA this season, and 14 different players have gone deep. Cade Cabbiness ranks second on OSU with eight seven round trippers, while Brock Mathis, Nolan McLean Carson McCusker each has seven.

Mound Menaces
   • OSU's seven shutouts this season ranks eighth in the NCAA.
   • OSU's pitching staff leads the Big 12 and is eighth nationally with 572 strikeouts (in 466.0 innings), and their 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings also leads the league and is eighth in the NCAA.
   • Justin Campbell ranks second in the Big 12 with a 2.08 ERA, while Parker Scott is fourth at 2.50.
   • Campbell recorded a streak of 28 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run that stretched from the fourth inning of his first start vs. LR on Feb. 24 to the sixth inning of his start vs. WVU on April 2.
   • Campbell posted a career-high 14 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings against Oral Roberts on March 9. The 14 strikeouts were just two shy of the OSU single-game record held by Derek Brandow.
   • In that game against ORU, Campbell teamed with Mitchell Stone, Kale Davis and Brett Standlee to strike out 19; the 19 strikeouts are one shy of the OSU and Big 12 record for a nine-inning game.

Showering April With Hits
   Christian Encarnacion-Strand was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association National Player of the Month for April following a scorching month at the plate as he hit .458 (27-for-59) in 15 games while tallying seven home runs, seven doubles, two triples and 30 RBIs.
   Encarnacion-Strand led the Big 12 in batting average, RBIs and slugging percentage (1.000) in April, ranked second in homers and triples and was third in total bases (59) and on-base percentage (.542).
   The hot-hitting Pokes' slugger reached base safely in all 15 games, and he extended a hitting streak that reached 19 games, the longest by an OSU player since 2013 and the ninth longest in program history.
   Encarnacion-Strand also made history on April 21 against UAPB as he became only the fifth OSU player in the Big 12 era to hit for the cycle and the first since 2017 as he went 5-for-5 with a pair of homers.
   Following his torrid April, Encarnacion-Strand ranks in the top five nationally in home runs (15) and total bases (121) and is in the top 10 in RBIs (52) and slugging percentage (.761).

100 K Klub
   Justin Campbell has reached the century mark in strikeouts in 2021 which marks the 18th time an OSU pitcher has recorded 100 strikeouts in a season. He is the 15th different Cowboy hurler to achieve the feat and the first since Thomas Hatch (112) and Trey Cobb (100) in 2016.

One Last Ride
   Due to the 2020 season being cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA granted eligibility for '20 seniors wishing to return and play in 2021. Five Cowboys took advantage of the opportunity, with Cade Cabbiness, Alix Garcia, Max Hewitt, Carson McCusker and C.J. Varela opting to return this season.
   That group gives OSU a strong veteran presence, with Cabbiness and Varela returning for their fifth years in the program and Hewitt and McCusker their fourth; entering the '21 season, the group of Cabbiness, Garcia, Hewitt and McCusker has combined to play in 414 games for the Cowboys.

Cowboy Baseball Heads West For NCAA Regional

Game Notes

#2-seed Oklahoma State (35-17-1)

at the NCAA Tucson Regional
Hi Corbett Field • Tucson, Ariz.
Fri., Jun. 4-Mon., June 7

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cade Cabbiness

Justin Campbell

Kale Davis

Christian Encarnacion-Strand

Alix Garcia

Max Hewitt

Trevor Martin

Brock Mathis

Carson McCusker

Nolan McLean

Parker Scott

Brett Standlee

Mitchell Stone

Jake Thompson

Caeden Trenkle

C.J. Varela

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Cowboy Baseball Heads West For NCAA Regional

Game Notes

#2-seed Oklahoma State (35-17-1)

at the NCAA Tucson Regional Hi Corbett Field • Tucson, Ariz. Fri., Jun. 4-Mon., June 7

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cade Cabbiness

Justin Campbell

Kale Davis

Christian Encarnacion-Strand

Alix Garcia

Max Hewitt

Trevor Martin

Brock Mathis

Carson McCusker

Nolan McLean

Parker Scott

Brett Standlee

Mitchell Stone

Jake Thompson

Caeden Trenkle

C.J. Varela

Related Videos

at the NCAA Tucson Regional
Hi Corbett Field • Tucson, Ariz.
Fri., Jun. 4-Mon., June 7