Oklahoma State Explodes Late to Defeat UCF 12-6, Advances in Big 12 Tournament Behind Offensive Depth and Bullpen Response
Surprise, Arizona —
OSU won their first Round of the Big 12 Tournament and advanced to the Semifinals, all in one game. Hudson Barrett was a sight for sore eyes, starting on the bump and going 5. Dude is a game-changer if he can start games and set the tone for this team. Speaking of setting the tone, Alex Conover did THAT again, and the Pokes scored 12 runs with NO home runs.
The Cowboys will play again on today at 6:30 against Kansas, who walked off Baylor today, and likely ended their season.
Oklahoma State was relentless on offense, stringing hits together, got a good start from Barrett, a very good bullpen outing from Mario, then got to the finish line with Noah Wech.
Cowboys Strike First in Opening Frame
Alex Conover opened the game with an opposite field parachute, Brock Thompson followed with a walk, then Campbell Smithwick delivered a two out RBI single to give OSU a 1-0 lead. Is it just me, or is EVERY hit that Soup gets a game-changer?
Smithwick entered the game hitting .273 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs.
UCF answered immediately in the bottom half.
Cayden Gaskin doubled into left field, then came around to score on Javier Crespo’s RBI fielder’s choice, tying the game at 1-1 despite Hudson Barrett escaping a bases-loaded threat.
Barrett Settles In After Early Traffic
After a stressful 1st Barrett found a rhythm and dominated the next 3 innings.
He retired the Knights in order in the second inning and worked around defensive issues in the third. Garrett Shull committed a throwing error, but Barrett was able to strand a pair of runners to work around it..
Though he allowed five runs across five innings, only one of those runs was earned because of Oklahoma State’s defensive miscues behind him. So, he did his job, plus some, and put his team in a position to win the game, something they were able to do.
His final line:
5.0 innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts on 94 pitches.
Oklahoma State Builds Lead
The Cowboys began pulling away in the fourth inning with another collection of quality situational at-bats. And, wow, is that a sight for sore eyes. I love the home runs, they’re automatic runs, and they produce crooked numbers, but the rallies when the Cowboys string hits together are super fun to watch too.
Colin Brueggemann opened the inning by ripping a double into right field before Garrett Shull followed with an RBI single to right-center to give Oklahoma State a 2-1 lead. Good on Shull to make up for his error, and, because Barrett worked around it, he was actually plus 1 in the game after his RBI.
After Remo Indomenico advanced Shull with a sacrifice bunt, Brock Thompson beat out an infield single to score another run and extend the lead to 3-1. Thompson is such a good player. Shortstops like him that are tough, reliable, and good on both sides are very hard to find. We’re glad he’s on our side.
Oklahoma State added two more runs in the fifth inning, when, this time it was UCFs turn to make the defensive mistake.
Aidan Meola and Campbell Smithwick drew walks to lead the inning off, then Avery Ortiz dropped down a bunt that turned into a single, then it turned into a disaster for UCF after a throwing error allowed Meola to score while moving Smithwick to third and Ortiz into scoring position. Small Ball Baby!
Brueggemann followed with a sacrifice fly to left field, and when the dust settled, OSU had a 5-1 lead.
At that point, you were kind of hoping we could make the game boring to the finish line. But, if you’ve followed this team, you knew better, and so away we went headfirst towards another exciting finish. Nothing comes easy for this team, but they are some battlin’ sumbucks!
UCF Ties Game
The game changed for the worse in the bottom of the fifth.
Garrett Shull committed his second error of the game, which extended the inning, and being at the bottom of the gas tank, it was too much for Hudson Barrett to work around. Zak Skinner doubled home a run, then Crespo crushed a three-run homer 380 feet to tie the game at 5-5.
All four runs in the inning were unearned.
A lesser group of kids, a group that hasn’t “gone through it” like this group has, might have folded. But not this team, so away they went to regain the lead and win another close game late.
Mario Pesca Changes the Game Out of the Bullpen
The most important pitching performance of the afternoon may have belonged to Mario Pesca.
Entering in the sixth inning immediately after the game became tied, Pesca delivered three innings of stabilizing relief and kept UCF from continuing to gain momentum.
The Italian Stallion retired the side in order in the sixth inning, striking out two, then stranded a runner in scoring position in the seventh before limiting damage to one run in the eighth despite working around traffic.
Pesca’s final line:
3.0 innings pitched, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts.
The outing earned Pesca his sixth victory of the season. If I had to pick anyone on the team I’d want in a dark alley, he’d be it. Dude is tough as hell!
Noah Wech handled the ninth inning and escaped a bases-loaded jam by inducing a game-ending double play after allowing two singles and a walk.
Cowboys Break Game Open With Five-Run Eighth
Oklahoma State’s offense delivered the knockout punch in the eighth inning.
After Deacon Pomeroy opened the inning with a walk, Conover reached on a fielder’s choice before Thompson ripped a double through the right side, moving the runners to second and third.
Following an intentional walk to Kollin Ritchie, another one, Aidan Meola TOOK HIS WALK, and it gave OSU a 6-5 lead. Taking walks has been a positive theme for this team lately, getting runners on in front of the big hits.
Campbell Smithwick then added a sacrifice fly before Ortiz drew another walk to reload the bases. Again, TAKE YOUR WALKS!
Colin Brueggemann, who seemingly ALWAYS comes through, delivered the biggest hit of the game when he lined a bases-clearing double into right-center field, scoring Ritchie, Meola, and Ortiz to blow the game open at 10-5.
Brueggemann finished 2-for-3 with a double, 4 RBIs, a sacrifice fly, and a hit-by-pitch.
He now has 60 RBIs…WOW!
Conover, Thompson, and Meola Continue Offensive Surge
Alex Conover scored three times and finished 2-for-6 with a triple and an RBI, and is now hitting .389 with 14 home runs and a 1.185 OPS.
Brock Thompson went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a walk while scoring another run. He’s hitting .303 with 10 home runs, 45 RBIs, and a .441 on-base percentage.
Meola finished 1-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, and two walks. Meola has been the designated hitter to preserve his body, so we don’t lose him altogether. He has been awesome, protecting Kollin Ritchie, hitting 17 home runs and 69 RBIs while maintaining a .316 average.
Smithwick added two RBIs and reached base three times, while Garrett Shull finished 2-for-5 with a triple and an RBI despite the two defensive errors.
Avery Ortiz is a sight for sore eyes and delivered one of his best all-around games of the year, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.
Cowboys Showing Offensive Evolution at Perfect Time
Earlier in the season, the Cowboys often relied heavily on home runs to generate scoring bursts. Over the final several weeks, however, Oklahoma State has increasingly demonstrated the ability to manufacture offense through walks, situational hitting, bunts, and stringing rallies together.
Thursday’s win over UCF illustrated that evolution perfectly.
The Cowboys scored 12 runs despite not hitting a single home run while forcing UCF pitchers to throw 190 pitches. OSU drew eight walks, collected 12 hits, and repeatedly had quality at-bats in leverage situations.
That balance makes the lineup significantly harder to navigate in tournament basebal where the margins are so much thinner.
Looking Ahead
OSU advanced to the Semifinals and will play Kansas tonight at 6:30.
