Cowboy Baseball Ranked Preseason No. 2 in the Big 12, Place Several on Preseason Team
STILLWATER – The 2022 baseball season looks quite promising for Oklahoma State baseball as the Cowboys rank No. 2 in the Big 12 preseason poll, as well as place multiple on the preseason team.
Big 12 preseason poll
- Texas (8)
- Oklahoma State (1)
- Texas Tech
- TCU
- Baylor
- Oklahoma
- Kansas State
- West Virginia
- Kansas
Parentheses = first place votes
When it comes to the preseason All-Big 12 team, the Cowboys have three on the team, as well as two preseason favorites. Right-hander Victor Mederos was tabbed the Preseason Newcomer of the Year and infielder Roc Riggio was tabbed the Preseason Freshman of the Year.
As for the All-Big 12 Preseason team, utility Nolan McLean, utility Jake Thompson and SP/utility Justin Campbell all earned nods.
Campbell was also tabbed a Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Nolan McLean, the power hitter out of Willow Springs, NC, is back and Pokes Report has been told he looks really good. He started in 39 games last season, 17 at DH, 12 at second base, eight at first base and two in right field. He finished the year with a .263 average with 36 hits, eight home runs and 20 RBIs. In the field, he finished with a .953 average with 62 putouts and just four errors.
Campbell led the way last year as he was tabbed a Second Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings. Baseball America all tabbed him third team and he was an ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region Second Team performer. He became just the 15th pitcher in OSU history to record 100 strikeouts in a season, finishing the year with 102 to just 27 walks and a 2.57 ERA. On the other side of things, he hit .269 with 18 hits and 10 RBIs.
Freshman Roc Riggio comes into the season with a lot of hype surrounding him and he was ranked the No. 67 ranked player in the 2021 class by Baseball America. An infielder/outfielder out of Thousand Oaks HS in Simi Valley, CA, Riggio set school records his senior season with 12 home runs, 45 walks and 52 runs while leading Thousand Oaks to a CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship. He chose to come to Oklahoma State after being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round o the 2021 MLB Draft.
Mederos is a 6-2 freshman transfer out of the University of Miami, where he made 12 appearances last season, eight of which were as a starter, and went 2-3 with a 5.11 ERA. During his time on the mound, he recorded 35 strikeouts in 44 innings.
Thompson returns this season as an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer during the 2021 season. He played in 45 games, while starting in 44, 23 coming at first base, 16 in left field and five at the DH spot. He was second on the team with a .342 batting average, as well as leading the Big 12 with a .393 average in conference games. Following the season, he was named to the 2021 Cape Cod Baseball League All-League Team.