O'Brate Stadium Finally Gets It's Opening, Even if it is Unofficial
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State Cowboy baseball comes home following a successful season opening series in Wichita, Kansas to open O’Brate Stadium. The stadium opening is considered unofficial with an official opening set to take place in 2022 or as soon as the stadium can host a game at full capacity and all of the proper individuals can be there to enjoy it.
There is precedence for that from the opening of Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The stadium was first used in the 1981 and then officialy celebrated the next season when Allie Reynolds and some of his former New York Yankees teammates could be there, including Commerce, Okla. Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle.
The cost on O’Brate Stadium is somewhere north of $60-million according to sources in the Oklahoma State athletic department that communicated with Pokes Report thoughout the process including head coach Josh Holliday.
Back in the summer and fall, multiple sources in the athletic department informed Pokes Report that the O’Brate Stadium project had been partially paid for with athletic department funds and other contributions while the department waits on full payment of the pledge from the stadium’s naming donors Cecil and Francis O’Brate. The stadium was built on the $35-million pledge from the O’Brates along with significant pledges from Oklahoma State supporters.
O’Brate Stadium has 3,500 fixed seats with the ability to raise capacity to close to 8,000. There are 11 suites and 400 premium seats in dedicated club and suite areas. Player amenitiies feature an indoor facility, a pitching lab, and an artificial turf infield that allows for practices to take place year-round regardless of the weather. That turf infield should help to minimize wear and tear on the ballpark’s natural grass surface. There is a 7,400-square-foot clubhouse and player lounge, along with a nutrition center and a tiered-seating classroom. Another amenity is an operations center that includes a sports medicine area, additional training space, and a baseball-specific laundry center and equipment room.
As far as the early season record goes, Oklahoma State is the only unbeaten team in the Big 12 at 2-0. The Cowboys took care of business with a 3-1 win on opening day Sunday as Parker Scott got the win and Brett Standlee came on to impressively strike out the side in the ninth inning to close out the game. On Monday, a much different game, as Oklahoma State dominated the Shockers 14-6 with third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand going three-for-five with three RBI and his first career home run and a double. Brock Mathis got the start at catcher and went three-for-four. Max Hewitt came on late and went two-for-two including a home run. Freshman right-hander Trevor Martin came on in relief and pitched well.
Little Rock is the opponent at 4 p.m. on Wednesday for the first game on the home schedulte. Little Rock this past weekend split their opening series with Oral Roberts. The Trojans beat ORU 4-3 and then lost t o Little Rock 7-3. That game will be on ESPN Plus and on the Cowboy Radio Network.
The Cowboys follow up the single game with a home series with Illinois State this weekend with games on Friday and Saturday at 4 p.m. and a 1 p.m. game on Sunday.