ESPN Analyst Tabs Oklahoma State as Possible Cinderella Team

The Cowboys are looking to make a statement in the postseason.

Oklahoma State coach Josh Holiday talks with Brayden Smith, right, and Drew Culbertson during a college Bedlam baseball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at O'Brate Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Tuesday, April 15, 2025. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State has one more chance to prove itself this season.

This season has been a roller coaster for the Cowboys, but they still have an opportunity to turn things around on their biggest stage of the year. After flaming out in the Stillwater Regional multiple times over the past few seasons, it would be an inspiring story for the Cowboys to make their first Super Regional since 2019 by winning a Regional away from home.

The Athens Regional will be incredibly difficult for OSU to win as the third seed. While the Cowboys haven’t been the most consistent team throughout the season, that might not matter much in the postseason.

In a recent ESPN article, a group of experts gave its opinion on the college baseball tournament and what to expect. The panel tabbed teams it expects to compete for a national title, make deep runs and even make some surprise runs.

While many coming into this season anticipated OSU would be a lock for one of those first two categories, it will have to settle for a spot in the underdog tier. Needing to beat Duke and Georgia to make their way to a Super Regional, the Cowboys have some tough work ahead, but it could be doable.

One of ESPN’s experts, Mike Rooney, sees the Cowboys in a similar situation to fellow Big 12 squad Arizona State. Rooney explained that both the Cowboys and Sun Devils are historic baseball brands and enter the tournament as No. 3 seeds in their Regionals.

Most importantly, Rooney noted that both teams could still have their best baseball of the season ahead of them. OSU swept the Sun Devils in the teams’ final series of the regular season to extend the Cowboys’ season-ending momentum.

While OSU split its two matchups in the Big 12 Tournament, it finished the regular season winning nine of its last 10 games to go from an under .500 disappointment to a tournament team that has a legitimate chance to make some noise.

The Cowboys will get their first opportunity to make some noise when they face Duke in their first game of the Athens Regional at 5 p.m. on Friday.

---