Oklahoma State Cowboy Baseball Victorious In Season Opener

ARLINGTON, Texas – Oklahoma Stated opened the 2023 season with a 5-3 win over Missouri Friday in the College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field.

A five-run second inning helped carry the eighth-ranked Cowboys to victory, and OSU used five different pitchers to keep Mizzou at bay.

Drew Blake picked up the win in his first-career appearance as the redshirt freshman southpaw tossed two scoreless innings in relief of starter Juaron Watts-Brown. Nolan McLean worked the ninth to secure the win and earn a save.

Offensively, six different Cowboys recorded OSU's six hits, and Roc Riggio's two-RBI day led the attack.

OSU's first run came on the first-career hit from Nolan Schubart, who chopped an infield single over the pitcher's head with the bases loaded. Up next, Ian Daugherty walked to bring home the Cowboys' second run.

Leading 2-0 with two outs, Riggio stepped to the plate and delivered a two-RBI single up the middle before Carson Benge's first-career hit and RBI, a single to left field, extended the OSU advantage to five.

The Tigers would get on the scoreboard in the third, getting a one-out double by Luke Mann before Ross Lovich brought him home with a single. Mizzou added a second run on a bases-loaded walk before Watts-Brown escaped further damage with a strikeout to keep the score at 5-2.

Watts-Brown, a Freshman All-American at Long Beach State last season, posted six strikeouts in his OSU debut, which lasted four innings and saw him allow three runs on seven hits.

Over the final five innings, the OSU bullpen kept its 5-3 lead intact.

Brant Hogue followed Blake by recording both batters he faced in the seventh before yielding to Evan O'Toole, who struck out two over 1 1/3 shutout frames.

McLean came on in the ninth and surrendered a single to the first batter he faced to bring the tying run to the plate, but he settled in to record a pair of strikeouts and a fly out to end the game.

The Cowboys return to action Saturday against No. 6 Vanderbilt.