Oklahoma State University Athletics
Pair Of Cowboys Named Semifinalists For Two-Way Player Award
May 16, 2023 | Cowboy Baseball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Oklahoma State has two of the 12 semifinalists for the College Baseball Foundation's 2023 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award as Cowboys Carson Benge and Nolan McLean made the list.
The Olerud Award is named for the former Washington State standout and College Baseball Hall of Famer who achieved success as both a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s.
Benge has been a constant in the OSU lineup as both a right-fielder and DH, and he sports a .348 batting average to go along with seven homers, 16 doubles and 38 RBIs. He is the Pokes' second-leading hitter in Big 12 play with a .365 batting average, and he has four homers, eight doubles and 17 RBIs in league games.
On the mound, Benge has made nine starts and is 2-1 with 34 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings. The redshirt freshman earned the first win of his career in a midweek outing against Wichita State in which he allowed just one run and struck out five in five innings of work, and he racked up a career-high nine Ks in a May game vs. ORU.
McLean, who was also a semifinalist for the Olerud Award in 2022, was enjoying another productive season before suffering a knee injury on April 1 against Texas that caused him to miss 18 games before returning to action this month.
Primarily an outfielder before the injury, the junior is hitting .284 with nine homers and 26 RBIs in 30 games.
As the Cowboys' closer prior to his injury, McLean was among the NCAA leaders with six saves. In 10 appearances on the mound, he is 1-1 with a 1.65 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings.
The five finalists for the Olerud Award will be announced May 30.
The Olerud Award is named for the former Washington State standout and College Baseball Hall of Famer who achieved success as both a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s.
Benge has been a constant in the OSU lineup as both a right-fielder and DH, and he sports a .348 batting average to go along with seven homers, 16 doubles and 38 RBIs. He is the Pokes' second-leading hitter in Big 12 play with a .365 batting average, and he has four homers, eight doubles and 17 RBIs in league games.
On the mound, Benge has made nine starts and is 2-1 with 34 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings. The redshirt freshman earned the first win of his career in a midweek outing against Wichita State in which he allowed just one run and struck out five in five innings of work, and he racked up a career-high nine Ks in a May game vs. ORU.
McLean, who was also a semifinalist for the Olerud Award in 2022, was enjoying another productive season before suffering a knee injury on April 1 against Texas that caused him to miss 18 games before returning to action this month.
Primarily an outfielder before the injury, the junior is hitting .284 with nine homers and 26 RBIs in 30 games.
As the Cowboys' closer prior to his injury, McLean was among the NCAA leaders with six saves. In 10 appearances on the mound, he is 1-1 with a 1.65 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings.
The five finalists for the Olerud Award will be announced May 30.
Players Mentioned
OF/RHP
/ Cowboy Baseball
OF/INF/RHP
/ Cowboy BaseballDoug Meacham Previews Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech - Cowboy Football News Conference (10-20-2025)
Tuesday, October 21
Steve Lutz on OSU Win Over Auburn and What's Next For Cowboy Hoops - 10-20-25 News Conference
Monday, October 20
Doug Meacham Previews Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State - Cowboy Football News Conference (11-24-2025)
Monday, October 20
Doug Meacham Previews Oklahoma State vs. UCF - Cowboy Football News Conference (11-17-2025)
Monday, October 20
