Why Aidan Meola Isn’t in Oklahoma State’s Lineup Against Alabama State

It was one of the strangest sights of the first day of the Tuscaloosa Regional. Aidan Meola was on the bench.

Evan Saunders played third base and batted eighth for the Okahoma State Cowboys on Friday against the USC Upstate Spartans. Meola will be on the bench again on Saturday against Alabama State as the Cowboys (37-21) try to stay alive in the regional.

Meola being out of the lineup on Friday was a surprise to many. There was no indication leading up the release of the lineup before the USC Upstate game. But, during the televison broadcast, Cowboys fans learned why Meola didn’t play — and won’t play for the foreseeable future.

Why Aidan Meola is Out for Saturday’s Game

During the broadcast on Friday, it was reported that Meola was out for the game with a broken wrist. The Stillwegian’s Daniel Allen, who is covering the tournament, confirmed the report on X (formerly Twitter). He also said that sources told him that Meola isn’t expected to play on Saturday and is not anticipated to return this weekend. He didn’t report the severity of the injury.

Oklahoma State coach Josh Holliday wouldn't discuss Meola's availability after Friday's game, though he did seem to confirm the injury did happen in practice.

“I’m not going to discuss an injury of a player in practice,” Holliday said to 247Sports.com. “He wasn’t able to play.”

Meola is a significant loss for the Cowboys. Entering the regional he was the third-best hitter on the team by average (.320) with 17 home runs and 69 RBI. His departure from the lineup robs it of a significant power source. It’s also a bad break for the senior, who is in his fifth year of college baseball, and his career is likely over after this season.

Saunders entered the regional with a .232 average with four home runs and 14 RBI. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Oklahoma State is attempting to get to super regionals for the first time since 2019 and the Cowboys will have to do it the hard way. OSU will need to win Saturday’s game to set up another elimination game on Sunday, which will be against the loser of the Alabama-USC Upstate game that will be played after the OSU-ASU game.

It’s possible the Cowboys will get another shot at the Spartans, who won their first NCAA Tournament game by beating Oklahoma State. OSU would need to win that game to set up another game on Sunday against the Alabama-USC Upstate winner in the regional final. The Cowboys would then need to win that game to set up a winner-take-all game on Monday.

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