Oklahoma State’s Seven-Homer Barrage Overwhelms Arizona State as Cowboys Continue Big 12 Surge
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The Cowboys continued their torrid late-season offensive stretch Saturday night, blasting seven home runs and overpowering the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball 13-6 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The victory pushed Oklahoma State to 33-17 overall and 16-10 in Big 12 play, moving the Pokes into a tie for 3rd place with Arizona State, but now holds the tiebreaker against the Sun Devils with the series win. ASU dropped to 33-17 overall and 16-10 in Conference play following the loss.
OSU finished with 14 hits, 13 runs, and seven home runs while continuing a recent trend of overwhelming opponents with power throughout the lineup.
The Cowboys have now scored double-digit runs in 5 of their last 10 games, and have scored at least 9 runs in 9 of their last 13 games. This offense continues to be one of the hottest in college baseball entering the final weeks of the regular season.
A Slow Start Before the Offensive Explosion
The opening innings suggested a tightly contested matchup.
Arizona State looked like they were poised to start the game with a crooked number when they loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first, but then popped up and hit into a double play and came away empty-handed. And that was a sign of things to come for the Sun Devils on a hot Saturday night.
ASU did strike in the bottom of the second inning on a leadoff home run from their big 1st baseman, Dominic Smaldino, but, despite the one run, the inning ended in more frustration for the home team. After the home run, they got back-to-back singles from Sam Myers and Brody Briggs, and after Beckett Zavorek sacrificed them over, they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with just one out and the top of their lineup coming up. OSU intentionally walked Landon Hairston, then got a double play off the bat of Nuu Contrades, and that ended the inning with Arizona State scoring just the one run.
The home run gave the Sun Devils an early 1-0 lead, but it could, or maybe should have been much more, and you could feel that sending more and more momentum into the OSU dugout.
Stormy Rhodes, the starting pitcher for the Cowboys, found himself in crisis moments all night, and, as he does, he handled them like a pro. The Cowboy pitchers were escape artists from start to finish, and Rhodes that tone, one that showed how competitive these guys are, and their ability to make THE big pitch.
After ASU had squandered two great chances to take control of the game in the first two innings, OSU flipped that script on them in the 3rd. Unlike the Sun Devils, the Pokes took advantage of their opportunity by putting up 2 in the 3rd and 6 in the 4th. Answering back after the other team scores and putting up crooked numbers is what this offense for OSU has been doing a lot lately, and it’s at the forefront of “winning baseball plays”.
In the top of the 3rd, Garrett Shull led the inning off with a strikeout, one of five for him on the night, but then Colin Brueggemann singled, and Danny Wallace doubled into the left-field corner, Brock Thompson delivered a clutch two-run double down the left-field line to give the Cowboys a 2-1 lead. Thompson’s hit continued a strong offensive stretch for the Oklahoma State shortstop, where he has 3 multi-hit games in his last 4, and he’s 6 for his last 16 with three doubles and a home run in that stretch.
Arizona State answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning.
Garrett Michel singled before Smaldino struck again, hammering his second two-run homer of the night, his 11th of the season, this one to the opposite field. ASU reclaimed the lead at 3-2.
At that point, it appeared the game could turn into a back-and-forth slugfest.
Then Oklahoma State completely took over.
The Fourth Inning Avalanche
The defining moment of the game came in the fourth inning when Oklahoma State unleashed one of its most devastating offensive innings of the season.
After Avery Ortiz singled to open the frame, Brueggemann demolished a 423-foot two-run homer to straightaway center field to give the Cowboys a 4-3 lead. The blast was Brueggemann’s 13th homer of the season and, as we always say about him, when he makes an impact offensively, OSU wins.
But the Cowboys weren’t finished.
Two batters later, Alex Conover crushed a 414-foot solo shot to deep right field. Moments later, Thompson followed with a 395-foot homer of his own to nearly the same spot.
Then came the knockout blow.
After Kollin Ritchie worked a walk, Aidan Meola launched a towering two-run homer 405 feet to left field, extending the Oklahoma State lead to 8-3 and completing a stunning six-run inning. Meola’s home run was a towering shot that didn’t look like a home run off the bat. But, he’s so strong that the ball kept carrying, and eventually cleared the wall.
In a matter of minutes, the Cowboys transformed a one-run deficit into complete control. Well, kind of. You’re never in complete control against the offense of Arizona State, especially when playing at their place.
The inning showcased the depth Oklahoma State’s lineup currently possesses. Every portion of the batting order is contributing, and multiple hitters are swinging with confidence and authority, doing damage.
Stormy Rhodes Battles Through Five Innings
While the offense stole headlines, Stormy Rhodes delivered an important outing on the mound.
The Oklahoma State starter worked through traffic nearly all evening, allowing 3 earned runs on 10 hits over 5 innings, walking two and striking out two on 77 pitches.
Rhodes did not dominate, but he consistently made pitches in key moments and benefited from clutch defense behind him, including three double plays turned by the Cowboys.
Arizona State threatened repeatedly. The Sun Devils collected 14 hits overall and routinely put runners on base, but Rhodes limited the damage and prevented the game from spiraling during the middle innings.
The first two innings, and how he navigated those land mines, highlighted his composure, and set THAT tone for the rest of the staff.
That ability to minimize damage has become an increasingly important trend for the Cowboys’ pitching staff lately. Oklahoma State’s starters have not always been overpowering, but they have consistently kept games manageable long enough for the offense to take over.
Bullpen Stabilizes the Game
Following Rhodes’ exit, Oklahoma State’s bullpen pieced together another effective performance.
Kai Fyke delivered a clean sixth inning despite issuing a leadoff walk. Noah Wech handled the seventh and eighth innings, though Arizona State scratched across three runs during his appearance, including a massive 427-foot homer from Nu’u Contrades in the eighth inning.
Still, Wech avoided a larger rally and kept the game comfortably in Oklahoma State’s favor.
Mario Pesca closed the game with a perfect ninth inning, continuing to be a highly dependable late-game high-leverage reliever, assuming that role due to the blister issues on his right hand.
The bullpen’s ability to limit big innings continues to be one of the most encouraging developments for Oklahoma State as the regular season winds down. And, it’s been “all hands on deck”, and as Barrett, Wech, and Mario have become more available, crossing the finish line has become a much better bet.
Offensive Trends Continue to Point Upward
The biggest storyline surrounding Oklahoma State right now remains the offense.
The Cowboys continue to hammer opposing pitching staffs with elite power production throughout the lineup. Saturday’s seven-home-run performance was the latest example of an offense that has become increasingly dangerous over the past several weeks.
Oklahoma State struck out 17 times, but the swing decisions improved in key moments, and the Cowboys consistently capitalized when Arizona State fell behind in counts.
Several hitters continue trending upward simultaneously.
Brueggemann delivered arguably his best game of the season, finishing 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs, three runs scored, and a walk, raising his season home run total to 14.
Conover went 2-for-4 with two homers, two RBIs, and three runs scored, giving him 10 home runs on the year.
Meola continued his breakout offensive stretch, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs, increasing his season total to 15 home runs.
Thompson added another huge performance, going 2-for-5 with a double, home run, and 3 RBIs, while Wallace chipped in 2 hits, including his fourth homer of the season.
Even without recording a hit, Kollin Ritchie remained impactful, drawing two walks and scoring twice while continuing to pressure Arizona State pitching throughout the game.
The depth of the lineup has been overwhelming for opponents as Oklahoma State is no longer relying on one or two stars offensively, whoever that may be for the day. Nearly every hitter in the order is producing quality at-bats and poses the ability to change the game.
Josh Holliday Praises Team’s Offensive Identity
Following the game, Oklahoma State head coach Josh Holliday joined Micach Beutell and praised the maturity and confidence his team is playing with offensively.
“Our guys are playing really confident baseball right now. The lineup is dangerous top to bottom, and they’re competing every pitch.”
Holliday also emphasized the toughness of the pitching staff despite Arizona State consistently threatening offensively.
“Stormy battled. He didn’t have his easiest stuff tonight, but he competed, made pitches when he had to, and our bullpen kept the game under control.”
Holliday also pointed toward the team’s overall momentum entering the stretch run of conference play.
“This team is growing up. They believe in each other, and they’re starting to understand what winning baseball looks like this time of year.”
Looking Ahead
Oklahoma State looks to sweep today against Arizona State as the Cowboys continue their push towards increasing their standing in the Big 12.
The Cowboys have sent Brennan Phillips to the mound as the Sunday starter the last two weekends, but last Sunday went sideways pretty fast, so we’ll see who gets the ball today. Needless to say, if you have an arm and you’re available, you’d better be ready. The Pokes are looking to improve upon their 33-17 overall record and 16-10 conference mark.
With the offense producing at an elite level and the pitching staff continuing to stabilize, Oklahoma State has rapidly become one of the hottest teams in College Baseball, so let’s hope that trend continues.
