Cowboy Baseball Concludes Regular Season At Houston

#17 Oklahoma State (34-16, 17-9) at Houston (26-26, 7-19)

Thurs., May 16 • 6:30 p.m. / Fri., May 17 • 6:30 p.m. / Sat., May 18 • 1 p.m.
Schroeder Park (3,500) • Houston, Texas

Video/TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
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Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com
X In-Game Scoreboard/Updates: @OSUBaseball

About Oklahoma State

     • The Cowboys are 34-16 overall and second in the Big 12 standings at 17-9 in conference play. OSU concludes the regular season at Houston with a Thursday-Saturday series.
     • OSU finished 41-20 in 2023 and earned its 10th consecutive NCAA Regional bid. It was the second-straight 40-win season for the Pokes and the sixth under head coach Josh Holliday.
     • The Cowboys shared the Big 12 regular season championship with Texas and West Virginia after finishing 15-9 in conference play.
     • OSU returns six position starters, four of those All-Big 12 performers, from a year ago.
     • A total of 23 newcomers joined the OSU program for the 2024 season. The Cowboys brought in 15 players from the high school ranks, while adding six Division I transfers and a pair of JUCO products.
     • The 2024 season is OSU's 12th under head coach Josh Holliday, who is 437-235-2 at his alma mater. The Cowboys have earned an NCAA Regional berth each year under his watch.

About Houston

     • Houston is 26-26 and 12th in the Big 12 standings at 7-19.
     • Todd Whitting is in his 14th season coaching his alma mater and owns a 444-336-1 career record.
     • OSU is 44-41-1 all time against Houston. The last meeting came in 2012 in Stillwater, with the Cougars claiming the three-game series by winning the final two games.
     • UH's starting pitching rotation vs. the Cowboys is expected to be:

     Thursday: RHP Cade Citelli — 4-2, 3.29 ERA in 15 appearances (five starts); 52 K, 12 BB in 41.0 IP
     Friday: LHP Antoine Jean — 3-2, 5.46 ERA in 13 starts; 65 K, 26 BB in 59.1 IP
     Saturday: TBA

And We're Back

     OSU re-entered the national rankings on April 8 for the first time since the preseason and remained in the polls for a fourth-straight week. The Cowboys are as high as No. 17 in the USA Today poll and are ranked 19th by D1Baseball.com, Baseball America and Perfect Game and 20th by the NCBWA.
     The Pokes had a streak of being nationally ranked end after 55 consecutive weeks end on Feb. 19; they had appeared in the polls during a stretch dating back to the 2021 preseason rankings.
     Under Josh Holliday, the Cowboys have peaked at No. 2 in the polls, reaching that mark twice in 2022.
     OSU has finished in the top 10 in the final polls twice under Holliday — 10th in 2014 and fourth in 2016.

RPI Talk

Oklahoma State entered the weekend No. 17 in the official NCAA RPI; Houston is 102nd.

Elite Company

OSU is one of only three teams who have finished in the top 25 of the NCAA RPI in each of the last four seasons and who are currently in the top 25 of the RPI. Also in the group are Arkansas and Tennessee.

Streakers

With 10 consecutive NCAA Regional appearances, OSU owns the nation's fourth-longest current streak behind only Vanderbilt (17), Florida (15) and LSU (11).

Clutch

OSU is hitting .316 with runners in scoring position this season. Aidan Meola (19-for-55), Ian Daugherty (11-for-30), Kollin Ritchie (12-for-32), Zach Ehrhard (18-for-50), Colin Brueggemann (20-for-53) and Tyler Wulfert (10-for-29) are among the top Cowboy hitters with RISP.

Strong Armed

OSU leads the Big 12 and is 17th nationally with a 4.30 team ERA; six Cowboys own an ERA of 3.71 or under, with Brian Holiday (3.43) and Sam Garcia (3.71) ranking in the top 10 in the conference.
The Cowboys' staff has tossed three shutouts and is third nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.32) and 13th in WHIP (1.29).

Rob Walton's Punchout

     The Cowboys' pitching staff under Rob Walton is again putting up big strikeout numbers in 2024.
     OSU has recorded 555 strikeouts in 445.1 innings through 54 games; the Cowboys' rank fifth in the NCAA in strikeouts and are sixth nationally with 11.2 Ks per nine innings. Brian Holiday (97) and Sam Garcia (95) rank second and third in the Big 12 in strikeouts and are in the top 20 nationally.
     The Pokes have reached double digits in strikeouts in 31 games and 24 of the last 34 outings.

Happy Holiday

     After two years at the junior college level, Brian Holiday has adjusted well to life in Division I baseball.
     OSU's Saturday starter, the righty is 4-3 and third in the Big 12 with a 3.43 ERA, and opponents are hitting just .208 against Holiday, which ranks fourth in the league. He has a conference-high 86 2/3 innings pitched and has lasted at least six innings in 12 of his 13 starts.
     He ranks 12th nationally in WHIP (0.96) and 15th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.71).
     Holiday is also second in the Big 12 with 97 strikeouts and has posted four games reaching double digits. He turned in a complete game, 14-strikeout performance in a win over No. 18 TCU in which he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. That came on the heels of an 11-strikeout effort in eight innings of work against UCF.
    Random Fact: Holiday was named the 2023 NJCAA JUCO World Series Most Outstanding Pitcher after helping lead Central Florida to the NJCAA national championship as a sophomore.

Change Of Scenery

     A move to Stillwater is paying off for Sam Garcia.
     After graduating from High Point in three years, Garcia transferred to OSU and has established himself as the Cowboys' Friday night starter. In 13 outings, the southpaw is 5-3 with a 3.71 ERA, and he ranks third in the Big 12 with 95 strikeouts; he is ninth nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 6.79. He has struck out six or more batters in 10 of his starts, including a season-high 11 in a win at West Virginia and 10 in a victory against Texas Tech.
     Garcia struggled to a 1-8 record and 7.57 ERA in 18 outings last season at HPU, but as a sophomore in 2022 he won five games and had a 1.64 ERA in 16 appearances to earn All-Big South First Team honors.
     Random Fact: Garcia graduated from E.A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, which is also the alma mater of NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Two-Way Talent

     As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Carson Benge earned Freshman All-America honors, was a semifinalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award and was an All-Big 12 First Team selection.
     After missing 2022 following Tommy John surgery, Benge posted a team-high .345 batting average to go along with seven home runs, 17 doubles and 43 RBIs. Spending most of his time in right field, he also recorded a .468 on-base percentage and drew 42 walks as opposed to striking out just 32 times in nearly 200 at-bats. On the mound, he made 10 starts and was 2-2 with 35 strikeouts in 35.0 innings.
     This season, Benge is hitting .328 and leads OSU in nine offensive categories, including homers (15), doubles (20), RBIs (57), walks (43) and total bases (135). In 16 appearances, 14 of those in relief, he has posted a 2.45 ERA and is 2-1 with three saves and 30 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.
     Benge has once again been named a semifinalist for the Olerud Award in 2024.
     Random Fact: Carson's older brother, Garrett, was a two-time All-Big 12 infielder for OSU in 2016-17; he was the starting third baseman on the Cowboys' 2016 College World Series team.

Hit The Ground Hitting

     In his first collegiate season, Nolan Schubart earned All-America and Freshman All-America honors and was also named the Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year and an All-Big 12 First Team performer.
     A starter in 59 games, Schubart hit .338 with 17 home runs, 20 doubles and 74 RBIs and turned in a .667 slugging percentage. His 74 RBIs was the most by a Cowboy since 2007.
     Among all NCAA Division I freshmen in 2023, Schubart ranked second in RBIs, third in doubles, sixth in total bases (144), walks (43) and slugging percentage and seventh in home runs.
     Schubart missed 12 games this season after suffering an injury against DBU on Feb. 27; since his return to the lineup vs. Missouri State, he is 39-for-107 (.364) with 13 homers and 37 RBIs in 30 games.
     Random Fact: Schubart originally committed to Michigan before a coaching change there led to him signing with the Cowboys.

March On

     Zach Ehrhard went on a tear at the plate in the month of March.
     In 20 games, the Cowboy outfielder hit .405 (32-for-79) with 10 doubles, and he posted 10 multi-hit performances. In doing so, he raised his batting average from .200 to .349.
     He's continued his hot hitting, owning a .325 batting average and leading the Cowboys with 58 runs, and he ranks second on OSU in hits (64), doubles (17) and walks (38). His 11 homers are more than his output from his first two seasons combined as he hit three as both a freshman and sophomore.
     Ehrhard is hitting a conference-best .414 in Big 12 play with seven homers, 10 doubles and 24 RBIs.
     Random Fact: At Wharton High School, Ehrhard was coached by MLB Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, who was a volunteer coach for the baseball team.

Tommy Boy

     With a 6-2 record in 16 relief appearances, Tommy Molsky leads the Cowboys and ranks sixth in the Big 12 in wins. Four of those wins have come in conference play as the right-hander picked up a victory in each of OSU's first three league series and against BYU.
     Following a career-high eight strikeouts against Oklahoma on March 12, Molsky was electric out of the bullpen over his next four outings. During that span, which included games against UCF, TCU, West Virginia and Oral Roberts, he tossed 9 2/3 shutout innings and struck out 15 while allowing just three hits, all singles, and he earned a win in each appearance.
     Random Fact: In 2022 and 2023, Molsky played for the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League. The Anglers were managed by former OSU head coach and current ESPN+ analyst Tom Holliday.

Swinging A Hot Bat

     After splitting time early, Ian Daugherty has established himself as OSU's starting backstop and has been thriving in that role.
     Over his last 13 games, Daugherty is hitting .296 (16-for-54) with six homers, three doubles and 17 RBIs. He has hit safely in nine of those contests and raised his batting average 36 points from .226 to .262.
     The junior's seven homers and 24 RBIs are both career highs.
     Random Fact: Both Daugherty's parents, Derek and Micah, and his brother, Cole, are OSU graduates.

Hit Man

     Injuries limited Aidan Meola's playing time over his first two collegiate seasons, and he has battled them again in 2024. But the junior has played in a career-high 36 games this season and established himself as one of OSU's top hitters.
     Meola has reached base safely in 31 games, collecting hits in 27 of those, and posted 15 multi-hit efforts. He owns a .336 batting average to go along with career highs in homers (8) and RBIs (39).
     He's also showcased a knack for the clutch hit as he's 19-for-55 (.345) with runners in scoring position.
     Random Fact: Meola's dad, Tony, played goalie for the U.S. Men's National Team in the 1990, 1994 and 2002 World Cups, and he was inducted into the United States Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.

Powering His Way Into The Record Books

     In a program known for slugging prowess, Nolan Schubart put his name at the top of a pair of lists with a historic performance against Wichita State on April 30.
     Schubart set OSU's single-game home run record and tied the Big 12 mark with four bombs against the Shockers, and he also set Big 12 and program records with 18 total bases. He was 5-for-5 with four homers, a double and seven RBIs in the contest.
     After a two-RBI double in his first at-bat in the first inning, Schubart smashed a solo homer later in the opening frame, delivered another solo shot in the third, then a two-run blast in the fifth. He set the record by going deep in the sixth with another solo bomb.
     Prior to Schubart's record-setting effort, OSU had 18 three-homer games in program history, with 14 different Cowboys achieving that feat. Schubart, who homered three times in a game last season against East Tennessee State, also became the fourth Poke to hit three or more homers in a game multiple times, joining Roy York, Adam Carr and Trevor Boone.
     Schubart became only the second Big 12 player to homer four times in a game, joining Missouri's Jacob Priday (2008).

Century Mark

     With 99 home runs on the season, a total that ranks 17th nationally, the Cowboys are on the brink of becoming the 12th team in program history to reach 100 homers in a season.
     The Cowboys have homered five or more times in a game five times, including a season-high nine against Wichita State, and they have smashed 69 round trippers at O'Brate Stadium.
     OSU smacked 103 homers last season, its first time in triple digits since 1999. If the Cowboys reach the century mark this season, it would mark the fourth time in program history they have hit 100 in consecutive seasons.
     The Pokes hit 100-plus homers each year from 1985-88, did it again in 1991-92 and then went three-straight years achieving the feat from 1995-97.
     In 1988, OSU set a program record with 154 round trippers.

SeeKing 100

     OSU is on the verge of a rare pitching feat.
     Sixteen different Cowboy pitchers have recorded 100 strikeouts in a season, and that feat has been accomplished 20 times in program history.
     Entering the final series of the regular season, Brian Holiday has recorded 97 strikeouts while Sam Garcia has 95.
     If that duo reaches the century mark, it would be the fifth time in school history and first time since 2016 that two Cowboys have achieved the feat in the same season.
     Seasons with two Cowboy pitchers recording 100+ strikeouts:

     1983 – Dennis Livingston (180) and Gary Kanwisher (127)
     1994 – Jason Bell (140) and Jake Benz (106)
     1996 – Sean McClellan (125) and Ryan Graves (104)
     2016 – Thomas Hatch (112) and Trey Cobb (100)

#17 Oklahoma State (34-16, 17-9) at Houston (26-26, 7-19)

Thurs., May 16 • 6:30 p.m. / Fri., May 17 • 6:30 p.m. / Sat., May 18 • 1 p.m.
Schroeder Park (3,500) • Houston, Texas

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Players Mentioned

Carson Benge

Colin Brueggemann

Ian Daugherty

Zach Ehrhard

Sam Garcia

Brian Holiday

Aidan Meola

Tommy Molsky

Kollin Ritchie

Nolan Schubart

Tyler Wulfert

Oklahoma State University Athletics