#1-seed Oklahoma State (40-17) at the
NCAA Stillwater Regional
Fri., May 31-Mon., June 3
O'Brate Stadium (8,000) • Stillwater, Okla.
Video/TV: ESPN+ (Tom Hart & Kyle Peterson)
Radio: KSPI 93.7 FM (Rex Holt & Matt Davis)
The Varsity Network - okla.st/GetVarsity
Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com
X In-Game Scoreboard/Updates: @OSUBaseball
About Oklahoma State
• The Cowboys are 40-17 overall and earned the Big 12's automatic NCAA bid by winning the Big 12 Championship. OSU finished second in the conference's regular season standings at 19-9.
• OSU had nine players earn All-Big 12 honors, led by first-team outfielders Carson Benge and Zach Ehrhard and first-team starting pitcher Brian Holiday.
• 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 443-236-2 at his alma mater. The Cowboys have earned an NCAA Regional berth each year under his watch.
Cowboys At The NCAA Baseball Championship
• Oklahoma State is making its 49th appearance in the NCAA Baseball Championship, which is tied for the third most all time with Miami (FL) and is behind only Texas (63) and Florida State (60).
• OSU owns a 157-104 (.602) record in the NCAA tourney, with the 157 wins sixth on the all-time list. The Cowboys’ 20 College World Series appearances are tied for sixth all time.
• The Cowboys are seeking to advance to the sixth NCAA Super Regional in program history (1999, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2019). Should the Cowboys advance out of the Stillwater Regional, they will face the winner of the NCAA Clemson Regional in a Super Regional.
• OSU has made an NCAA Regional each season under 12th-year head coach Josh Holliday. It is the Cowboys’ 11th NCAA appearance under his direction — there was no NCAA tourney in 2020 after the remainder of the season was cancelled in March due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
• The Pokes are 23-21 in NCAA tourney play under Holliday — 18-15 in Regionals, 3-4 in Super Regionals and 2-2 at the College World Series. During his tenure, the Cowboys have made six NCAA Regional finals appearances and earned three Super Regional berths. In 2016, Holliday led his alma mater to the 20th College World Series in program history.
• OSU is the No. 11 national seed. This year amarks the sixth under Holliday that the Pokes are a No. 1 seed; they previously achieved that status in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2023. OSU was a No. 2 seed in 2016 and 2021, and Holliday-coached OSU teams have been a No. 3 seed three times (2013, 2017 & 2018).
And We're Back
OSU re-entered the national rankings on April 8 for the first time since the preseason and remains in the polls for an eighth-straight week. The Cowboys are as high as No. 12 in the NCBWA poll and are ranked 14th by USA Today, 16th by D1Baseball.com and Baseball America and 20th by Perfect Game.
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 is No. 11 in the official NCAA RPI. OSU is one of only four 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, Vanderbilt and Tennessee
Party Of One
OSU is the only program in the country to host an NCAA Regional each of the last three years.
Streakers
With 11 consecutive NCAA Regional appearances, OSU owns the nation's fourth-longest current streak behind only Vanderbilt (18), Florida (16) and LSU (12).
Conference Crowns
OSU's 2024 Big 12 Championship title marked the program's sixth Big 12 championship (four tournament, two regular season) and is the 35th conference crown in school history (24 Big Eight, 6 Big 12, 5 Missouri Valley).
Clutch
OSU is hitting .316 with runners in scoring position this season. Zach Ehrhard (22-for-58), Aidan Meola (20-for-61), Nolan Schubart (23-for-58), Ian Daugherty (11-for-32), Colin Brueggemann (22-for-61) and Kollin Ritchie (12-for-35) are among the top Cowboy hitters with RISP.
MOP
Carson Benge was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Big 12 Championship as he showcased his two-way talents in leading the Cowboys to the title.
In the tourney opener vs. Texas Tech, Benge struck out a career-high 10 and allowed only one earned run in 6 1/3 innings to earn the win; he also served as the Pokes' DH and went 3-for-5.
Benge was OSU's leading hitter in the tourney at .478 (11-for-23) and had two homers, a double, five RBIs and 18 total bases.
Man On Fire
There are not many hotter hitters than Nolan Schubart, who is putting up video game numbers of late.
Over OSU's last 17 games, during which OSU is 14-3, Schubart is 30-for-63 (.476) with 13 home runs, five doubles, a triple and 39 RBIs. He's also racked up 76 total bases and posted a 1.813 OPS.
Strong Armed
OSU leads the Big 12 and is 11th nationally with a 4.06 team ERA; five Cowboys own an ERA of 3.37 or under, with Brian Holiday (3.12) and Sam Garcia (3.27) ranking in the top 10 in the conference.
The Cowboys' staff has tossed four shutouts and is third nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.34) and ninth in WHIP (1.26).
Rob Walton's Punchout
The Cowboys' pitching staff under Rob Walton is again putting up big strikeout numbers in 2024.
OSU has recorded 625 strikeouts in 509.1 innings through 57 games; the Cowboys' rank fourth in the NCAA in strikeouts and are sixth nationally with 11.0 Ks per nine innings. Brian Holiday (118) and Sam Garcia (110) rank second and third in the Big 12 in strikeouts; Holiday is 12th nationally and Garcia 17th.
The Pokes have reached double digits in strikeouts in 35 games and 28 of the last 41 outings.
K Kounter
In the first 110 seasons of Cowboy Baseball, no OSU pitching staff recorded 600 strikeouts in a season, but the Pokes have now reached that mark in three consecutive seasons.
In 2022, the Cowboys shattered the program record for strikeouts in a season with 679, besting the previous mark by 91. The total ranked fifth nationally, and OSU was seventh in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings at 10.7.
Last season, the Cowboys led the Big 12 and ranked ninth in the NCAA with 607 strikeouts. OSU's 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings was tops in the Big 12 and seventh nationally.
The eight pitchers returning to the staff in 2024 combined for 199 strikeouts a year ago. Janzen Keisel is OSU's returning strikeout leader; the right-hander had 40 punchouts in 25 innings as a sophomore.
Big 12's Best
Robert Cranz was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on April 15 after making a pair of relief appearances to help lead the Cowboys to a series sweep of Cincinnati.
In the series opener, Cranz picked up the win with a career effort as he worked four shutout innings and posted a career-best eight strikeouts, doubling his previous high. He also pitched in Sunday’s series finale, entering in the eighth inning and retiring both batters he faced to help preserve OSU’s lead.
In a team-high 29 appearances this season, Cranz is 2-1 with two saves and a 1.55 ERA, and he has tallied 57 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings of work. He was named an All-Big 12 Second Team relief pitcher.
Happy Holiday
After two years at the junior college level, Brian Holiday has adjusted well to life in Division I baseball and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors in his first season in Stillwater.
OSU's Saturday starter, the righty is 6-3 and third in the Big 12 with a 3.12 ERA, and opponents are hitting just .209 against Holiday, which ranks fifth in the league. He has a conference-high 104 innings pitched and has lasted at least six innings in 14 of his 15 starts, including tossing complete games against TCU and Texas Tech.
Nationally, he ranks 10th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.56) and 12th in strikeouts (111) and WHIP (0.94).
Holiday is also second in the Big 12 in strikeouts and has posted five 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. He tied his career high with 14 punchouts in the regular season finale at Houston.
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 15 outings, the southpaw is 7-3 with a 3.27 ERA, and he ranks third in the Big 12 and 17th nationally with 110 strikeouts; he is 12th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 6.11.
Named to the All-Big 12 Second Team, Garcia has struck out six or more batters in 12 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 .342 and leads OSU in five offensive categories, including hits (79), runs (69), doubles (23) and total bases (157). In 17 appearances, 14 of those in relief, he has posted a 2.25 ERA and is 3-1 with three saves and 40 strikeouts in 32 innings.
Benge was named an All-Big 12 First Team outfielder, and he is once again a semifinalist for the Olerud Award while also earning semifinalist status for the Dick Howser Trophy.
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 50-for-131 (.382) with 18 homers and 55 RBIs in 39 games.
An All-Big 12 Second Team outfielder, Schubart leads OSU in batting average (.355), home runs (20) and RBIs (63), and he tops the conference in slugging percentage (.813) and on-base percentage (.510), good for a 1.323 OPS.
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 .321 batting average and leading the Cowboys with 51 walks, and he ranks second on OSU in hits (70), doubles (20) and runs (68). His 12 homers are more than his output from his first two seasons combined as he hit three as both a freshman and sophomore.
Named an All-Big 12 First Team outfielder, Ehrhard hit .404 in conference play, ranking second, with eight homers, 13 doubles and 30 RBIs. He also led the Big 12 in league-only games with 40 runs and a .500 on-base percentage.
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 17 appearances, 16 of those in relief, Tommy Molsky is second on the Cowboys in wins. Four of those wins came 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.
The junior ranks third on the Cowboys with 63 strikeouts in 38 innings of work.
Molsky, who transferred to OSU after two seasons at Penn State, earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades.
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.
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 40 games this season and established himself as one of OSU's top hitters en route to being named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
Meola has reached base safely in 34 games, collecting hits in 29 of those, and posted 15 multi-hit efforts. He owns a .316 batting average to go along with career highs in homers (9) and RBIs (42).
He's also showcased a knack for the clutch hit as he's 20-for-61 (.328) 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.
Heating Up
Lane Forsythe is the Cowboys' second leading hitter in May with a .390 batting average (16-for-41), and he also owns a .528 on-base percentage during those 12 games.
The senior shortstop, who transferred to OSU after three seasons at Mississippi State, was a career .247 hitter in 145 games (130 starts) with the Bulldogs, but he currently owns a .303 average in 55 games with the Cowboys.
Random Fact: Forsythe was Mississippi State's starting shortstop on its 2021 national championship team and was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team.
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 is only the second Big 12 player to homer four times in a game, joining Missouri's Jacob Priday (2008).
Century Mark
OSU has smashed 111 home runs on the season, giving it back-to-back 100-homer seasons for the first time since 1996-97; the Pokes had 108 round trippers last season, their first time in triple digits since 1999.
The Cowboys rank 15th nationally in homers and have homered five or more times in a game five times, including a season-high nine against Wichita State. OSU has 69 round trippers at O'Brate Stadium.
It's the 12th time in program history the Cowboys have reached 100 home runs in a season and the fourth time 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; this season's 111 currently ranks as the eighth most in school history.
100 K
OSU has achieved a rare feat this season, with two pitchers reaching triple digits in strikeouts.
The latest Pokes to add their names to the 100 K list are Brian Holiday and Sam Garcia; Holiday has 118 punchouts on the season, while Garcia has posted 110.
Eighteen different Cowboy pitchers have now recorded 100 strikeouts in a season, and that feat has been accomplished 22 times in program history.
It marks 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)
2024 – Brian Holiday (118) and Sam Garcia (110)
Short Hops
• With 20 home runs on the season, Nolan Schubart is the first Cowboy to reach that mark since Trevor Boone had 21 in 2019.
• Nolan Schubart's .813 slugging percentage ranks as the sixth highest in program history at this point.
• Carson Benge's 23 doubles are tied for the 11th most in a season in program history. The school and Big 12 record is 32 by Jeff Guiel in 1997.
• In their three starts at the Big 12 Championship, OSU's Carson Benge, Sam Garcia and Brian Holiday combined to work 23 1/3 innings and did not issue a walk while posting 25 strikeouts.
