Oklahoma State University Athletics
Brian Holiday
Photo by: Oklahoma State University Athletics
Five Cowboys Selected On Day Two Of MLB Draft
July 15, 2024 | Cowboy Baseball
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State had five players picked in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft Monday as Brian Holiday, Zach Ehrhard, Janzen Keisel, Robert Cranz and Sam Garcia had their names called.
Holiday was a third-round selection of the St. Louis Cardinals with the 80th overall pick, while Ehrhard was taken in the fourth round (pick 115) by the Boston Red Sox. Keisel was drafted in the sixth round (pick 186) by the Tampa Bay Rays, and Cranz was pick 200 in the seventh round by the Washington Nationals. Garcia went in the eighth round to the Milwaukee Brewers with pick 245.
The selections of Holiday and Ehrhard, along with first-round pick Carson Benge, mark just the fourth time in program history and first time since 2007 that three OSU players were taken in the first five rounds. A program-record five Cowboys were selected in the top five rounds of the 1984 draft, while the Pokes also had three top-five round picks in 1967 and 1983.
With six selections through the draft's first two days, this also marks the second-most top-10 round picks in program history behind the record seven in 2022. It's the third consecutive year and sixth time in history that Cowboy Baseball had five or more draft picks in the first 10 rounds.
A right-handed pitcher, Holiday put up impressive numbers in his first season in Stillwater in 2024 as the junior went 7-3 and led the Big 12 Conference with 128 strikeouts, the eighth most in a season in OSU history; the strikeout total also ranked seventh nationally.
Holiday made 16 starts for the Cowboys and also led the Big 12 with 113 innings pitched while ranking second with a 2.95 ERA and three complete games. Opponents hit just .199 against him, which ranked fourth in the league.
A JUCO transfer from College of Central Florida Holiday pitched at least six innings in 15 of his 16 appearances and recorded five double-digit strikeout performances, including a pair of 14-strikeout efforts.
Holiday ranked in the top 10 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (seventh at 6.74) and WHIP (eighth at 0.89).
An All-Big 12 First Team performer, Holiday collected All-America Second Team honors from the NCBWA, D1Baseball and Baseball America and was tabbed a third-team All-American by the ABCA/Rawlings.
An outfielder, Ehrhard has played in 161 games in his three seasons for the Cowboys and owns a .310 batting average to go along with 39 doubles, 20 home runs and 101 RBIs. He's also recorded 36 stolen bases and a .429 on-base percentage.
Ehrhard enjoyed his best season as a junior in 2024 as he played in all 61 games and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors after hitting .330 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs. He led the Big 12 with 75 runs scored, a total that ranked 19th nationally, and ranked second with 25 doubles and 54 walks.
Ehrhard's 25 doubles tied for the eighth most in a season in program history and ranked seventh in the NCAA this season.
In Big 12 play, Ehrhard posted a .404 batting average, the second highest in the league this season, to go along with 13 doubles, eight homers and 30 RBIs in 28 games.
Keisel spent the last two seasons in an OSU uniform and made 20 appearances, including 12 starts. The right-hander posted a 2-1 record and 4.92 ERA and had 74 strikeouts in 53 innings of work.
A transfer from BYU, Keisel is coming off a junior season in which he made eight starts and was 2-1 with a 3.37 ERA. He tallied 40 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings.
Cranz came to OSU in 2024 following two seasons at Wichita State, and the righty was a star out of the Cowboys' bullpen.
In a team-high 30 appearances, all in relief, Cranz was 2-1 with a pair of saves and a 1.63 ERA. An All-Big 12 Second Team performer, he racked up 59 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings.
After spending his first three collegiate seasons at High Point, Garcia enjoyed a standout senior season in Stillwater.
A southpaw, Garcia made 16 starts and was 7-3 with a 3.65 ERA while tallying 115 strikeouts in 89 innings.
Garcia ranked sixth in the Big 12 in ERA, and he was in the top 20 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (11th at 6.05) and strikeouts (18th).
2024 Major Leage Baseball Draft – Oklahoma State selections
Carson Benge, OF Round 1, Pick 19 New York Mets
Brian Holiday, RHP Round 3, Pick 80 St. Louis Cardinals
Zach Ehrhard, OF Round 4, Pick 115 Boston Red Sox
Janzen Keisel, RHP Round 6, Pick 186 Tampa Bay Rays
Robert Cranz, RHP Round 7, Pick 200 Washington Nationals
Sam Garcia, LHP Round 8, Pick 245 Milwaukee Brewers
Holiday was a third-round selection of the St. Louis Cardinals with the 80th overall pick, while Ehrhard was taken in the fourth round (pick 115) by the Boston Red Sox. Keisel was drafted in the sixth round (pick 186) by the Tampa Bay Rays, and Cranz was pick 200 in the seventh round by the Washington Nationals. Garcia went in the eighth round to the Milwaukee Brewers with pick 245.
The selections of Holiday and Ehrhard, along with first-round pick Carson Benge, mark just the fourth time in program history and first time since 2007 that three OSU players were taken in the first five rounds. A program-record five Cowboys were selected in the top five rounds of the 1984 draft, while the Pokes also had three top-five round picks in 1967 and 1983.
With six selections through the draft's first two days, this also marks the second-most top-10 round picks in program history behind the record seven in 2022. It's the third consecutive year and sixth time in history that Cowboy Baseball had five or more draft picks in the first 10 rounds.
A right-handed pitcher, Holiday put up impressive numbers in his first season in Stillwater in 2024 as the junior went 7-3 and led the Big 12 Conference with 128 strikeouts, the eighth most in a season in OSU history; the strikeout total also ranked seventh nationally.
Holiday made 16 starts for the Cowboys and also led the Big 12 with 113 innings pitched while ranking second with a 2.95 ERA and three complete games. Opponents hit just .199 against him, which ranked fourth in the league.
A JUCO transfer from College of Central Florida Holiday pitched at least six innings in 15 of his 16 appearances and recorded five double-digit strikeout performances, including a pair of 14-strikeout efforts.
Holiday ranked in the top 10 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (seventh at 6.74) and WHIP (eighth at 0.89).
An All-Big 12 First Team performer, Holiday collected All-America Second Team honors from the NCBWA, D1Baseball and Baseball America and was tabbed a third-team All-American by the ABCA/Rawlings.
An outfielder, Ehrhard has played in 161 games in his three seasons for the Cowboys and owns a .310 batting average to go along with 39 doubles, 20 home runs and 101 RBIs. He's also recorded 36 stolen bases and a .429 on-base percentage.
Ehrhard enjoyed his best season as a junior in 2024 as he played in all 61 games and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors after hitting .330 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs. He led the Big 12 with 75 runs scored, a total that ranked 19th nationally, and ranked second with 25 doubles and 54 walks.
Ehrhard's 25 doubles tied for the eighth most in a season in program history and ranked seventh in the NCAA this season.
In Big 12 play, Ehrhard posted a .404 batting average, the second highest in the league this season, to go along with 13 doubles, eight homers and 30 RBIs in 28 games.
Keisel spent the last two seasons in an OSU uniform and made 20 appearances, including 12 starts. The right-hander posted a 2-1 record and 4.92 ERA and had 74 strikeouts in 53 innings of work.
A transfer from BYU, Keisel is coming off a junior season in which he made eight starts and was 2-1 with a 3.37 ERA. He tallied 40 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings.
Cranz came to OSU in 2024 following two seasons at Wichita State, and the righty was a star out of the Cowboys' bullpen.
In a team-high 30 appearances, all in relief, Cranz was 2-1 with a pair of saves and a 1.63 ERA. An All-Big 12 Second Team performer, he racked up 59 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings.
After spending his first three collegiate seasons at High Point, Garcia enjoyed a standout senior season in Stillwater.
A southpaw, Garcia made 16 starts and was 7-3 with a 3.65 ERA while tallying 115 strikeouts in 89 innings.
Garcia ranked sixth in the Big 12 in ERA, and he was in the top 20 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (11th at 6.05) and strikeouts (18th).
2024 Major Leage Baseball Draft – Oklahoma State selections
Carson Benge, OF Round 1, Pick 19 New York Mets
Brian Holiday, RHP Round 3, Pick 80 St. Louis Cardinals
Zach Ehrhard, OF Round 4, Pick 115 Boston Red Sox
Janzen Keisel, RHP Round 6, Pick 186 Tampa Bay Rays
Robert Cranz, RHP Round 7, Pick 200 Washington Nationals
Sam Garcia, LHP Round 8, Pick 245 Milwaukee Brewers
Players Mentioned
OF/RHP
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RHP
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LHP
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RHP
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