Josh Holliday Talks Season Opening Series at Vandy
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State will get a lot of attention this weekend as the college baseball season opens. Part of it is that the Cowboys with a squad of some talented veterans and holdovers also features some very talented newcomers in the form of transfers and part of a highly regarded recruiting class. The Cowboys are ranked as high as No. 7 by D1 Baseball and Collegiate Baseball. Vanderbilt is ranked No. 1 by Perfect Game, but are recognized by more sources as the No. 2 team behind Texas by Baseball America, D1 Baseball, and Collegiate Baseball polls. Either way this is the premier match-up of the opening weekend of the season as the Cowboys travel to Nashville to return the trip the Commodores made to O’Brate Stadium last season to celebrate its’ inaugural spring.
“The intra-squads have served their purpose and it has helped being outside more. I always believe being outside and seeing live pitching and playing in live situations helps the most,” Oklahoma State head coach Josh Holliday said of the preseason. “It is time for us to get on a plane and go play somebody else.”
That somebody else is Vandy and their head coach Tim Corbin. Holliday worked for Corbin at Vanderbilt from 2010-12 and learned a lot as it led him to coming home and taking over the Cowboys in 2013.
“Playing a series like this with Vanderbilt against elite competition will get us where we know more about ourselves,” Holliday added.
What the Cowboys need to learn is who is ready between holdovers and newcomers.
“You will have more of a set line-up when you return a ton of guys,” Holliday said. “We have a number of newcomers that need a chance to play. They’ve earned it.”
Two of those are transfers and one is first baseman Griffin Doersching, who had 47 career home runs at Northern Kentucky. He is a past college home run hitting contest winner. Last season he hit .316 with 20 home runs and 48 RBI.
Another transfer is catcher Chase Adkison from Boise State and he is competing with Ian Daugherty, the freshman out of Kingfisher for the duty behind the plate.
“They are both good communicators and they both have good work ethic,” Holliday said of his catchers. “They have both earned the opportunity to play this weekend.”
The rest of the infield will have dependable veteran Hueston Morrill at second base or shortstop. Talented freshman Roc Riggio, who was picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 11th round of the MLB Draft last summer, will take the spot that Morrill doesn’t. Marcus Brown is back and he will be at third. He hit .364 last season.
Preseason All-American Nolan McLean will in rightfield and will pitch some. McLean has given up football and quarterbacking as he is all baseball returning from a season where he hit .263 with eight home runs and 20 RBI.
Speedy Caeden Trinkle will patrol centerfield and Jake Thompson returns in leftfield with his .342 avg. and four home runs with 32 RBI.
The designated hitter could be interesting with either red-shirt John Bay or George Mason transfer Lyle Miller-Green earning that spot. Both will get opportunities over the weekend.
Holliday believes his line-up will face a couple of right-handers that major in sliders and a lefty with a strong fastball on Sunday. No matter what, it cannot be as tough as facing first-round draft picks Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter last season.
The Cowboys will pitch a lot of arms but the starts will go to Justin Campbell (Friday), Miami, Fla. transfer Victor Mederos (Sat.) and Jenks, Okla. native Bryce Osmond (Sun.).
“We will have guys on a pitch count and we will see how far these guys can go on 75 pitches,” Holliday said. He threw out names like lefty Dillon Marsh and veteran Kale Davis as pitchers that would be up on Friday. Holliday also mentioned that Trevor Martin and Roman Phansalker had earned prominent roles to start the season.