Stay Alive: Oklahoma State Baseball Faces Elimination in Regional Tournament

The Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team led off the Tuscaloosa Regional on Friday against USC Upstate.

The Cowboys will do the same thing again on Saturday, playing the first of two games at the University of Alabama, this time against Alabama State. But, this time, the stakes are so much higher.

It’s elimination time at Sewell-Thomas Stadium as the Cowboys (37-21) must beat the Hornets (34-22) to keep their dream of advancing to super regionals alive. The road doesn’t get any easier after that. But first things first — OSU needs a win on Saturday.

Oklahoma State in Desperation Mode

Oklahoma State batter Kollin Ritchie swings through a pitch. — Oklahoma State batter Kollin Ritchie. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In many ways, the Cowboys did it to themselves during an 8-5 loss to USC Upstate on Friday. It was the first meeting between the two teams, and it was the Spartans’ first win in an NCAA Baseball Tournament game in just their second appearance.

The Cowboys committed three errors on defense. Starter Ethan Lund loaded the bases in the first inning with three straight walks, and the Spartans scored three runs without a hit. They scored those runs on a wild pitch, a passed ball and a ground ball double play.

The lineup sputtered at times, especially at the top. Alex Conover, Brock Thompson and Kollin Ritchie batted in the first three spots and went a combined 1-for-13. Oklahoma State fell behind 4-0 but tied the game in the second with a four-run inning, punctuated by Reno Indomenico’s three-run home run. But one the Spartans got the lead back in the third, they never gave it up.

Oklahoma State left the bases loaded in both the eighth and the ninth innings, opportunities lost for a team that has hit more home runs than any other team in college baseball except Georgia. They went 0-for-3 with the bases loaded in those two innings.

Alabama State showed no fear against Alabama in the nightcap on Friday. The in-state rivals, who faced each other during the regular season, played a tight game early in the contest before the Crimson Tide blew the Hornets out to set up a matchup with USC Upstate in the night game on Saturday.

Alabama State’s Miguel Orope hit a home run and drove in two runs for Alabama State, while Trey Callawa hit a home run. But, the Tide too control of the game with a six-run fourth inning that pushed their lead from 3-2 to 9-2 as Alabama cruised away to a 21-3 victory.

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