The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma State
Baseball preview: at Oklahoma State [April 28-30]
04.27.2017 | Baseball
The Longhorns and Cowboys will play a doubleheader on Friday night and face off in game three on Saturday.
TEXAS (28-16) at OKLAHOMA STATE (23-16)
April 28-30, 2017
Where: Stillwater, Okla.
Time: Friday (DH)—2:30 p.m.; Saturday—6 p.m.
TV: Friday (DH)—FOX College Sports; Saturday—ESPNU
Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn/1260 AM—Craig Way (Play-by-Play), Roger Wallace (Analyst)
All-time series: Texas leads, 51-48
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
FRIDAY (G1)—Oklahoma State RHP Joe Lienhard (2-0, 4.00) vs. Texas RHP Nolan Kingham (6-3, 1.98)
FRIDAY (G2)—Oklahoma State RHP Tyler Buffett (5-3, 4.45) vs. Texas RHP Morgan Cooper (5-2, 1.61)
SATURDAY—Oklahoma State RHP Blake Battenfield (2-2, 4.85) vs. Texas RHP Kyle Johnston (2-1, 3.26)
GAME NOTES
THE MATCHUP—Texas and Oklahoma State meet for the 99th time in history on Friday afternoon…last season, the Cowboys swept the regular season series before splitting a game apiece in the Big 12 Conference tournament.
A LOOK AT THE COWBOYS—Oklahoma State enters the series with a 23-16 record and a 6-9 mark in Big 12 action…the Cowboys are led by Garrett McCain's .372 average, which is tops in the Big 12…Colin Simpson leads the team with 9 homers while Garrett Benge has 43 RBI…Carson Teel leads the Cowboys out of the bullpen with a 3.61 ERA in 16 apps…RHP Tyler Buffett has a team-best 5 wins.
A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS—Texas dropped its Tuesday night matchup against No. 24 Louisiana at Constellation Field in Sugar Land…the Longhorns fell 8-1 to the Ragin' Cajuns thanks in part to a six-run second inning that including a grand slam off reliever Jon Malmin…the Longhorns avoided their first shutout of the season with a ninth-inning RBI single from Tyler Rand…Kacy Clemens leads the Longhorns with a .297 average, eight homers and 33 RBI…this is the first time this season that his average has dropped below .300…Travis Jones leads Texas with a .426 OBP…RHP Morgan Cooper is 5-2 this year with a 1.61 ERA, good for 22nd-best in the nation…he is tops on the team with 75 strikeouts, second-most in the Big 12…out of the bullpen, Beau Ridgeway has made 25 appearances and has amassed nine saves and a 1.30 ERA.
NEXT UP—Texas hosts UT-Arlington on Tuesday night at UFCU Disch-Field Field.
ONE-RUN WOES—With two one-run wins last weekend against New Orleans, the Longhorns improved to 6-11 in one-run ballgames, although six of those one-run losses have come in conference action.
GOLDEN SPIKES—Texas right-handers Morgan Cooper and Nolan Kingham were both named to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, announced by USA Baseball on April 12…Cooper and Kingham have compiled 1.61 and 1.98 ERAs, respectively, so far this season and lead the Longhorns staff.…the duo is among 40 players selected to the watch list which honors the nation's top amateur player… Texas is one of just six (Auburn, LSU, North Carolina, Oregon State, and Virginia) to land two athletes on the midseason watch list…the Longhorns have never had a Golden Spikes Award winner.
STOPPER—Sophomore RHP Beau Ridgeway was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Midseason Watch List on Wednesday afternoon.
DEEEEFENSE—The Longhorns' defense has been sturdy so far this season…Texas is fielding at a .983 clip, good for fifth-best in the nation…the Horns have also turned 47 double plays, good for second-most in the country.
TEAM ERA—The Longhorns pitching staff has compiled a 2.95 team ERA, good for eighth-best in the nation and best in the Big 12…the Longhorns have also registered six shutouts on the season, most in the conference and tied for 10th-most in the country.
SENIOR LEADER—Senior 1B Kacy Clemens has been a stalwart at first base for the Longhorns so far this season…he had reached base safely in 21 straight games before his ejection on April 9 vs. Oklahoma…he leads the team in BA (.297) and SLG (.541)…he hit his eighth homer of the season last Friday, a season-high for the Houston native after he hit five last season…he is tops on the team with 33 RBI.
#MOREOFTHOSE—Through 44 games, nine different Longhorns have gone deep giving Texas 33 total homers, one fewer than all of last season…both Travis Jones and Kacy Clemens homered on Friday night vs. New Orleans…Patrick Mathis homered in his first start in almost a month April 11 vs. Texas State…Kacy and Kody Clemens both homered on April 8, the second consecutive season that they both homered on April 8…Kody's tied the ballgame while Kacy's home run was a grand slam to break the game open…Ryan Reynolds hit two at Kansas…Tate Shaw hit a grand slam and Cantu homered in his hometown of Corpus Christi on March 28…Kacy Clemens hit a pair of homers on Feb 24 vs. UConn.
SNEAKY WHEELS CLUB—Michael McCann and Kacy Clemens have both added stolen bases to their respective resumes…combined, they're a perfect 10-for-10 on the basepaths, six for Kacy and four for McCann.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE—As a team, Texas has amassed 221 walks, good for eighth-most in the country…Kacy Clemens and Travis Jones have each walked 27 times and four other players have at least 20 BBs.
HOME SWEET HOME—Overall, Texas plays just 20 of its 54 games away from UFCU Disch-Falk Field…among those 20 games was March 28 against TAMU-CC at Whataburger Field in Corpus and an April 25 game at Constellation Field.
