Oklahoma State Readies for President Bush to "Loosen up the Arm"

STILLWATER – We are right around 24 hours away from seeing the 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush walk out on the luscious green turf of O’Brate Stadium and throw out the first pitch before the Cowboy finish their first season in the new palatial home of Oklahoma State baseball. Bush, who served our country as two terms as President, is there to honor and celebrate an old friend in Cecil O’Brate, who is giving the major donation that got the facility built.

Stillwater and Oklahoma State is buzzing over the trip by the President. In fact, some people in Oklahoma City thought it started today when Air Force One, one of the jumbo jets that serves as Air Force One landed at Tinker Air Force Base for maintenance. Bush will fly into Stillwater on Thursday.

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O’Brate Stadium should be full Thursday night.

The advance team of two Secret Service agents have been in Stillwater, on the Oklahoma State campus, and spending a lot of time at O’Brate Stadium this week.

“Seeing Secret Service walk through the ballpark is definitely a first, and it’s probably the only thing that has impacted us is meeting a couple of nice men that have been here all week checking the place out,” Cowboys baseball head coach Josh Holliday said. “They’ve done a lot of work on this already, facilities, Oklahoma State and President Bush’s team. We haven’t had a lot to do with it, but we are excited we are included as part of it. We get to meet President Bush. He is going to take some time to speak to our team before the game, which is awesome. I think he is going to take some time to speak to the opponent as well, to give those young men and their team an experience they won’t forget either. It sounds as this is a really inclusive trip for him and he is really sharing himself and his love for baseball with all of us.”

You have to remember that the Oklahoma State players were in preschool and grade school during the second term of the Bush presidency, so their memories of him in the Oval Office are sketchy.

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Campbell could help the President with his pitching mechanics if he needs it.

“It’s going to be awesome, President Bush he ran this country really well. He did for our country the things we needed to stay free and four our people to do the things they wanted and be who they are,” pitcher Justin Campbell said.

Asked what he is hoping to hear from President Bush when he speaks with the team, Campbell wasn’t picky.

“I just want to meet him. I don’t know if I have any expectations of what he is going to say to us. I hope I get to shake his hand,” Campbell said.

If the President is needing any help on his pitching form, Campbell should be the one he asks. Campbell is on fire this season. He is 6-1 with a 2.23 ERA in 72 innings pitched. He has struck out 93 batters and only walked 23.

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Carson McCusker (12) is an elder statesman on the team.

Leftfield Carson McCusker is one of the older Cowboy players, back for a fourth season after a season in junior college to start his college clock. He is a COVID senior, and this is one of the reasons he came back.

“I think it’s going to be pretty awesome. It’s going to be packed out and a ton of people coming to see a person of that status here,” McCusker said. “It’s motivation and there will be ton of people to see him, but also for the game and we want to put on a good show.”

The head coach agreed. The pomp and ceremony are going to be awesome! A flyover along with a Presidential first pitch and fireworks after, so a win will make the night and event exactly what Holliday wants.

“We’re getting ready to play well on Thursday,” added Holliday. “That is our job as coaches and players and then everybody else will be part of the experience.”

Bush has been to Stillwater before and spoke at a commencement in 2006. His father, the 41^st President of the United States spoke at OSU previously and mentioned his fondness for “cheese fries” at Eskimo Joes. I’m wondering this time if President Bush will indulge in a “dirty curdy” a popular chilidog with cream cheese on it that is available on the first base side of O’Brate Stadium. Speaking of first base, President should recognize the volunteer and graduate assistant coaches that share the responsibility of coaching first base as Matt Holliday is a former MLB All-Star and so is Robin Ventura, who played against the team Bush co-owned in the Texas Rangers.