Mathis Talks About Tight-Knit Baseball Cowboys

STILLWATER – Good spirits and good teammates lead to happy baseball players and success on the diamond. Do you believe that? The Oklahoma State Cowboys start would lead one to believe it. With the continuation of the most challenging week so far as the Cowboys move on after a 5-0 win over state rival Oral Roberts to No. 3 Vanderbilt and top pitchers Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter on the weekend starting on Friday.

The Cowboys are off to a 10-0-1 start with a rare tie Sunday as Oklahoma State and Grand Canyon were 4-4 when a travel curfew for Grand Canyon to get home flying out of Tulsa came up after the ninth. The game had to be called in a deadlock. It’s okay because even in a tie the Cowboys had some positive mojo with catcher Brock Mathis hammering a line drive home run over the 402 foot sign left of the batter’s eye when he was down to his last strike with two outs guaranteeing the Cowboys the tie.

Oklahoma State Athletics

Mathis celebrating after home run to tie Grand Canyon.

Mathis had a good weekend to jump closer to the top of the Pokes most productive hitters. He also hit a tape measure home run on Saturday that complete cleared the batter’s eye in center and left the ballpark, probably about 470-foot home run. Mathis talks team as his motivating factor.

There is no game plan for what is going on this season. Oklahoma State has a roster of 46 players. The stop of the eligibility clock has allowed more players than ever, yet there are still just 10 places on the line-up card with the designated hitter. Easy for old guys not playing to be frustrated or for young guys expecting to play right away to do the same.

“I think there is something to be said that we didn’t get a lot of opportunity to hang out outside of this place (because of COVID-19),” Mathis said of the team that is a big diversity of young and old. “You watch us how we interact in the dugout. Honestly, to sum this team up we just have a lot of fun. You know I think that is going to take us a long way. The mold that is coming together right now and the snowball effect that is happening I can’t be more happy for our team and how we are doing. I just think we need to stay humble and keep going.”

Mathis has also had a chance to catch midweek starter Justin Campbell, who in 14 innings the past two Tuesdays has 26 strike outs. Campbell has to be in the running into moving to serious work, whether as a starter or multiple situation reliever on the weekend. It all shows the continuation of talent and baseball maturity this 46-man roster has. It can make for some tough decisions.

“It helps to have great mature players on your team, older players that have a great deal of respect for the program and for each other and realize that there was someone here to welcome them into the program four or five years ago and showed them the love and the acceptance that is so important for anyone to feel when they join a team or a program,” added head coach Josh Holliday.

Mathis knows all about these numbers both the hitters and the Cowboys pitchers. Oklahoma State is ranked everywhere from No. 9 to No. 19.

This week Oklahoma State’s pitchers will get to match-up with two of the top pitchers, maybe the top two in all of college baseball, in Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter.

“Every single guy that comes out you feel is hitting 90 (mph) plus (fastball) and (Zach) Cable hit 100 (mph) yesterday,” Mathis said. “You know like you said about Al’s picks (scoops at first base) outside the walls the guys is such a great guy and such a great teammate. When he does things like that it is just a reflection of who he is. He is such a great teammate and a great guy to be around. A lot of energy given off that guy.”

Mathis talking about first baseman Alix Garcia and Garcia’s glove scooping up short hops at first base is valuable, but he also may be the most popular teammate on the Oklahoma State team. Garcia sets a tone, a tone of respect and inclusion that is helping this Cowboys team everyday.

It is really an outstanding situation, new stadium, still plenty of old players, talented new ones joining up, and everybody finding a way to get along really well. Winning all the time helps.