Oklahoma State Starting Pitchers and Lineup for Regional Game Against USC Upstate
The time has arrived for the Oklahoma State Cowboys as the Tuscaloosa Regional begins on Friday.
The Cowboys (37-20) open the regional as the No. 2 seed and will face No. 3 seed USC Upstate at 1 p.m. CT Friday on ESPN+. The Cowboys got into the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection from the Big 12. The Spartans (33-28) received the automatic bid as the Big South Conference Tournament champions.
The two teams have never met. USC Upstate has a combined record of 1-7 against power conference teams this season. Oklahoma State has won 11 of its last 14 games, including the Big 12 Tournament.
It’s the first game of what the Cowboys hope will be a three-day tournament that sees them win each game and get out of regionals for the first time since 2019 and advance to super regionals. That path will likely require them to beat No. 1 seed Alabama at least once. The tournament could go until Monday, depending upon how the tournament develops.
Below is everything you need to get ready for Friday’s game. Information will be updated as it is provided by each team as they set their starting pitchers and lineups for the game. Oklahoma State On SI’s Baseball Regional Central has Cowboys fans covered for the entire tournament.
Starting Pitchers
Oklahoma State: TBA
USC Upstate: TBA
Lineups
Oklahoma State
TBA
USC Upstate
TBA
How to Watch, Listen
TV: ESPN+ (Derek Jones & Jared Mitchell on the call). NOTE: TV is subject to change without notice. Game times and TV for games played after Friday will be announced.
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network & The Varsity Network App/93.7 KSPI-FM or okla.state/GetVarsity (Rex Holt on the call)
Oklahoma State's Keys to Game
The Cowboys need to take control of the game early. The best way to do that is to create traffic on the basepaths and get to the Spartans’ starting pitcher early. The Cowboys are one of the best home-run hitting teams in baseball and a long ball early would go a long way toward taking control of the game.
On the mound, the Cowboys need to limit crooked numbers, especially early in the game. USC Upstate enters the contest having won 14 of their last 16 games and brimming with confidence after winning the Big South Conference Tournament. A couple of runs early in the game would give the Spartans hope they can stay in the game. OSU needs to put zeroes on the board on the mound.
Weather Impact
Per weather.com the high in Tuscaloosa is expected to be 82 degrees. There is a 22% chance of rain. The Cowboys and the Spartans will deal with winds between 5-10 mph out of the south.
Schedule and Scores
Tuscaloosa Regional
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. Venue: Sewell-Thomas Stadium (5,867).
Friday’s Games
Game 1: USC Upstate vs. Oklahoma State, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Game 2: Alabama State vs. Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Saturday’s Games
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, TBA (elimination game)
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, TBA (advances to Sunday’s final)
Sunday’s Games
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 (elimination game)
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5
Monday’s Game
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)
(Times subject to change for TV purposes)
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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