No. 13 Oklahoma State Baseball Loses Tight Opener to No. 8 Clemson in Arlington
(This story was originated by Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations and written by Wade WcWhorter.)
ARLINGTON, Texas – Oklahoma State dropped its 2025 season opener to No. 8 Clemson Friday by a 6-5 score at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. With the loss, the 13th-ranked Cowboys are now 6-7 all time in season openers under head coach Josh Holliday.
Offensively, OSU got home runs from Avery Ortiz and Donovan LaSalle, while Nolan Schubart and Ian Daugherty also collected RBIs.
Gabe Davis started on the mound and turned in a solid performance. The junior right-hander struck out six and allowed three runs on three hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. OSU used four pitchers out of the bullpen, two of those freshmen, and Noah Wech took the loss after allowing two runs on one hit in 1/3 of an inning.
The Tigers struck first in the second inning. After loading the bases with one out, a ground ball to third base resulted in a throw to the plate, but the umpire ruled that catcher Ian Daugherty’s foot was not touching the plate when he received the ball, which allowed a run to score.
OSU was not down long as the Pokes answered with a two-out rally in their next at bat. Ortiz got things started with a solo home run to left field, and following a walk and a single, Schubart delivered a two-run double just inside the right-field line to put the Cowboys up, 3-1.
In the fourth, OSU increased its lead with another round tripper as LaSalle smashed a solo shot into the seats in left field to make the score 4-1.
Clemson cut into the lead in the fifth, drawing a pair of bases loaded walks off reliever Ethan Lund before the freshman southpaw got a strikeout to end the inning and maintain a 4-3 lead for the Cowboys.
OSU got a run back in the sixth as back-to-back doubles by Brock Thompson and Daugherty with two outs made the score 5-3.
CU pulled to within a run in the sixth, then rallied for two in the seventh to provide the final 6-5 score. In that decisive frame, the Tigers took advantage of an error, scoring the tying run on a groundout before what proved to be the winning run came home on a wild pitch.
OSU returns to tourney action Saturday against Louisville at 3 p.m. before closing out the weekend by facing 13th-ranked Texas at 6:30 p.m.