Oklahoma State University Athletics
Joel Horlen
Cowboy Baseball Hall Of Famer Horlen Passes Away
April 11, 2022 | Cowboy Baseball
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State baseball great Joel Horlen passed away at the age of 84 last weekend.
Horlen was a standout pitcher for the Cowboys in 1958 and 1959 who led OSU to the 1959 NCAA championship and was inducted into the Cowboy Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.
A right-hander from San Antonio, Texas, Horlen posted a career record of 15-4 and a 2.26 ERA and tallied 128 strikeouts in 143 1/3 innings. He ranks 15th on OSU's all-time list with 15 complete games.
In 1958, Horlen was 6-3 with a 2.28 ERA and led the Cowboys in wins, strikeouts (52), innings pitched (66 2/3) and complete games (7).
Horlen capped his collegiate career with a storybook 1959 season in which he went 9-1 with a 2.23 ERA and once again led the team in wins, strikeouts and complete games. He collected All-America Second Team honors and was a first-team All-Big Eight selection.
The winning pitcher in the NCAA District V game against Bradley that sent OSU to the College World Series, Horlen opened the Cowboys' stay in Omaha with a complete game five-hitter in a win over Michigan in which he struck out nine.
With OSU facing elimination after a loss to Arizona, Horlen came back and tossed another complete game to get a win against Penn State. He struck out nine in the contest and also went 2-for-4 at the plate.
Horlen was named to the CWS All-Tournament Team as he went 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA and a tourney-best 18 strikeouts.
Following OSU's championship season, Horlen signed with the Chicago White Sox. He would pitch 12 seasons in Major League Baseball for the White Sox and Oakland Athletics, finishing with 116 wins and a 3.11 ERA in 361 appearances.
In 1967, Horlen was selected to play in the MLB All-Star Game. He went 19-7 with an American League leading 2.06 ERA for the White Sox, and he tied for the league lead with six shutouts. The highlight of his season came when he tossed a no-hitter against Detroit.
In 1972, Horlen won a World Series championship with Oakland; he went 3-4 with a 3.00 ERA and a save in 32 appearances that season, the last of his career.
Horlen was a standout pitcher for the Cowboys in 1958 and 1959 who led OSU to the 1959 NCAA championship and was inducted into the Cowboy Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.
A right-hander from San Antonio, Texas, Horlen posted a career record of 15-4 and a 2.26 ERA and tallied 128 strikeouts in 143 1/3 innings. He ranks 15th on OSU's all-time list with 15 complete games.
In 1958, Horlen was 6-3 with a 2.28 ERA and led the Cowboys in wins, strikeouts (52), innings pitched (66 2/3) and complete games (7).
Horlen capped his collegiate career with a storybook 1959 season in which he went 9-1 with a 2.23 ERA and once again led the team in wins, strikeouts and complete games. He collected All-America Second Team honors and was a first-team All-Big Eight selection.
The winning pitcher in the NCAA District V game against Bradley that sent OSU to the College World Series, Horlen opened the Cowboys' stay in Omaha with a complete game five-hitter in a win over Michigan in which he struck out nine.
With OSU facing elimination after a loss to Arizona, Horlen came back and tossed another complete game to get a win against Penn State. He struck out nine in the contest and also went 2-for-4 at the plate.
Horlen was named to the CWS All-Tournament Team as he went 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA and a tourney-best 18 strikeouts.
Following OSU's championship season, Horlen signed with the Chicago White Sox. He would pitch 12 seasons in Major League Baseball for the White Sox and Oakland Athletics, finishing with 116 wins and a 3.11 ERA in 361 appearances.
In 1967, Horlen was selected to play in the MLB All-Star Game. He went 19-7 with an American League leading 2.06 ERA for the White Sox, and he tied for the league lead with six shutouts. The highlight of his season came when he tossed a no-hitter against Detroit.
In 1972, Horlen won a World Series championship with Oakland; he went 3-4 with a 3.00 ERA and a save in 32 appearances that season, the last of his career.
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