After Win Over Clemson, Sunday Is a Big Day For OSU Baseball

After knocking off Nebraska in the regional opener, Oklahoma State had the tough task of facing Clemson on its home field. The Cowboys were going up against one of the best offenses in the country, but they were the ones who hit the ball all over the yard. With the 12-2 victory OSU is just one win away from its first super regional appearance since 2014.

.@OSUBaseball takes care of @ClemsonBaseball 12-2, and guess what? @Big12Conference is now 6-0 in regional play. Very impressive.

— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 5, 2016

The Cowboys scored early and often in this game, but the breakthrough came in the third inning. Already up 3-0, Ryan Sluder and Collin Theroux each hit RBI doubles as a part of a five-run inning to put OSU 8-0. Clemson had to have been absolutely stunned at this point being on the other side of an offensive explosion.

After his second consecutive three-hit game Conor Costello is now 6-for-8 with five RBIs and well on his way to being the regional MVP. Costello is continuing to show that he can carry an entire offense when he is healthy.

The most incredible thing about the win is that every player in the lineup had at least one hit and one RBI. OSU totaled 17 hits on its way to scoring 12 runs against the ACC tournament champions.

I’ve been critical of Tyler Buffett’s recent performances in the closer role, but I have to give credit where credit is due. Buffett put together a gutsy performance on Saturday going seven innings and giving up just one run against a team that scored 42 runs in its last two games.

Just as gutsy as Buffett’s performance was the decision made by Holliday to start him. Switching the roles of Buffett and Trey Cobb was a huge risk that has already paid off.

“Tyler did an outstanding job, and he’s been outstanding all year,” said Holliday. “He’s been in a lot of big moments, and he handled the stage and the setting beautifully… Tyler has been so valuable all year long. He’s pitched in just about every role possible, and it’s because he’s a winner. We’ve used him all year to win.”

The Cowboys now have a capable starter in Jensen Elliott ready to pitch against the winner of the Clemson/Nebraska game on Sunday. Whoever wins that matchup will have already burned through its weekend rotation while the OSU will be trotting its leader in wins (8).

OSU doesn’t have an incredibly deep bullpen, but the fact that it has only had to throw four innings to this point bodes well for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys were a team that didn’t live up to expectations in the regular season, finishing last in the conference in team batting avg. (.266). However, this team showed its true offensive potential in the win over Clemson. A lineup anchored by seniors Costello and Walton playing at their peak could take this team very far.

With a probably rematch with Clemson slated for 6 p.m., Sunday will be a very big day for OSU baseball.