Cowboys Set To Open Play Against Niagara in Stillwater Regional Play
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State is looking to go 1-0 to start the NCAA Stillwater Regional on Friday as they’ll face Niagara with first pitch at 6 p.m. CT.
Robert Allen did a deep dive into each of the three programs in Stillwater this weekend, the Pokes’ first opponent in Niagara, and Florida and Nebraska, an article which you can read here.
But Josh Holliday and select players met with the media Thursday morning following a scheduled practice to talk all things game one, which included Holliday’s first thoughts on the Purple Hawks.
“Well, obviously, they’ve won 38 games, so they’re a competitive bunch of ball players, they’ve got some good arms on the mound and they’re coming off winning a tournament, which any team that wins a tournament feels a sense of momentum and confidence about how they’re playing,” OSU head coach Josh Holliday said of Niagara. “We know they’ll be a good opponent; the guy going against us is a big left hander with a good arm. So, exactly what I thought it would be, a group of guys kind of trailblazing for their program right now and they’ve had some success and it’ll be a tough ball game in game one.”
The Purple Hawks are 38-15 up to this point in the season, having won the MAAC Tournament, and went 20-4 in conference play.
They’re led by first baseman Eric Rataczak, who’s the lone hitter over .400 on the season, hitting .402 with 16 home runs, 14 doubles and a triple, with 23 strikeouts and 30 walks.
On the mound, they’re led by Zack Cameron, a right-handed grad pitcher out of Hamilton, ON, Canada. He’s 8-1 on the season with a 2.95 ERA through 55.0 innings. He’s allowed 42 hits with 54 strikeouts and just 19 walks.
“Being in this facility and being in front of our fans is always something we cherish,” Holliday said. “We’ve worked hard and had a successful season and a body of work to earn that. These opportunities to play at home and host Regionals are earned; they’re earned on the field of play by the players and earned over the course of a 14-week season and a conference tournament. A great compliment to the young men that have played on these teams the past three years.