STILLWATER – Warm weather is back in Oklahoma, which means that baseball is back at O’Brate Stadium.
Oklahoma State beat Central Arkansas 14-3 in seven innings on Tuesday in its home opener. The Cowboys have now won back-to-back games in run-rule fashion. The Cowboys improved to 5-3 on the season after early road trips to Arlington and Phoenix.
“It was awesome to be at home after two weeks on the road,” coach Josh Holliday said. “It was nice to be here. Ballpark was beautiful. Our grounds crew is the best. It was what opening day at home is supposed to look like.”
Junior Kollin Ritchie continued his hot start to the season with a two-run home run in the first inning to open the scoring for the Cowboys. The shot over the right field wall was Ritchie’s sixth of the season. He followed the long ball with two consecutive walks as the Bears seemingly pitched around him to try to minimize his ability to impact the game from the plate.
“I started seeing the ball really well at the end of last season and it’s just something that has carried over,” Richie said. “I just worked on a few little adjustments with the off-speed stuff from right handers and I think it’s going really well.”
The Cowboy offense chased UCA starter Jacob Pannell off the mound before the third inning. Pannell walked three Cowboys and gave up three runs in two innings of work. He narrowly avoided a much more lopsided ledger as Aidan Meola popped out to short with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second.
“We were really close early in the game,” Richie said. “We were on balls and just barely missing. But we were moving on the right pitches.”
T.P. Wentwoth started on the mound for the Cowboys. It was his first start and second appearance on the bump in an Oklahoma State uniform. The Clemson transfer has also made appearances in the outfield so far this season. He pitched two innings for the Pokes before handing the ball to senior Mario Pesca.
The Bears hit the ball hard off Wentworth but to minimal results on the scoreboard. In two innings Wentworth gave up one run and walked two Bears hitters to go along with two strikeouts.
“We like TP’s potential on the mound,” Holliday said. “Obviously he is already a part of our offense but we figured Tuesday was a good chance to get him sound mound time.”
His battery-mate, Campbell Smithwich also made his debut in front of the O’Brate crowd. Smithwick caught UCA second baseman Parker Gwyn stealing in the top of the second to ingratiate himself to his new home fans. Smithwick followed that by scoring a run of his own in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from Brock Thompson. He also swiped a bag of his own and scored another run in the third.
The duo which I have affectionately nicknamed “The Law Firm” are two of several newcomers to Holliday’s squad who have had immediate expectations placed on them.
“Those are guys who belonged here,” Holliday said. “We recruited TP heavily out of high school and after a year at Clemson I think he realized he wanted to be here. Campbell is a really smart baseball player and he also belonged here. We were lucky that our paths crossed with him.”
While the law firm are both transfers from power programs, freshmen Sebastian Norman and Terrence Bowen also continued the impactful start to their college careers. The pair combined for five RBI in the fourth inning to extend the Cowboy lead to 9-2. Norman now has five RBI in six games and is hitting over .350 while Bowen now has four RBI in six games and is also hitting over .300.
Not to be outdone, fellow freshman Danny Wallace then stepped to the plate and doubled down the left field line to score Bowen and pick up his second RBI of the season. His extra base hit also chased Luke Lorence from the ballgame. Lorence gave up three runs without recording an out.
“They are really hard working kids,” Richie said. “They show up before everybody and they are in there working before and after.”
Meola loudly capped off the 10-run barrage in the fourth with a two-run homer over the seats behind the Cowboy bullpen in left field. It was his fifth of the season and scored Ritchie who doubled off the wall in left-center to bring Meola to the plate.
“Getting on base is important and the guys at the top of the lineup are getting on base,” Holliday said. “Pitchers have to be careful pitching around Ritchie because there is a really dangerous hitter in Meola behind him protecting the five spot in the lineup.”
Strikeouts have been the major setback for the Cowboy offense so far this season. Tuesday was an improvement for the Pokes who only struck out six times while also drawing seven walks.
“Our two strike hitting is getting better. It’s not good enough but it’s better,” Holliday said. “Growth is all you can ever chase to get better at something. The first week it was not good enough. Part of that was our opponents and part of it was us.”
Including Wentworth and Pesca, five Cowboy pitchers appeared against the Bears. These midweek games are often a good opportunity for pitching coaches, especially those like Blake Hawksworth who is in his first season in Stillwater, to solidify their rotations and get their bullpen pieces valuable game reps.
“We intended for TP to throw two and Mario to throw one to get some work and try to find his rhythm,” Holliday said. “Obviously we did not have the eighth or ninth tonight but we had guys scheduled there as well.”
The Cowboys have now won four straight games and have the next eight at home. Sam Houston visits O’Brate Stadium this weekend for a three-game series.
“We just have to keep getting better,” Holliday said. “That’s the focus. Win the day you’re in, take a break and do it again the next day.”
