It’s hard to miss OSU’s McCain
Oklahoma State outfielder Garrett McCain makes the type of plays that keep him in the spotlight. He is The Oklahoman’s Big 12 Baseball Player of the Year.
STILLWATER — Garrett McCain sprinted to his left and took flight Saturday night, laying out for a horizontal dive in the gap, hauling in a line shot off the bat of Oklahoma’s Jack Flansburg. Inning over. Rally halted, with one run in, another about to score and Flansburg headed for at least second base.
Lead preserved in an eventual 5-2 win that was mandatory for Oklahoma State to extend its season to the Big 12 Tournament.
And still, McCain reflected first on his play not made moments earlier, a difficult sliding attempt of a looping liner that fell in for a single and allowed a run to score, cutting the Cowboys’ lead to 4-2.
“I kind of felt like I should have got to that one,” said McCain, who has enjoyed a breakout junior season. “I kind of slow-played it, was a little hesitant. Coming in, it was a hip-slide and those are tougher than laying out on your chest.
“I was just glad that I got another chance to redeem myself. It ended up being in a pivotal moment, and I was just glad I got the chance to help out the team.”
That’s McCain, hesitant in the spotlight, although he can hardly avoid it.
In an OSU season of struggle, McCain plays on to the fullest, performing at a premium level. Leading the Big 12 in batting, hits, on-base percentage, ranking second in runs and triples and running perfect at 19-for-19 in stolen base tries — all while providing elite outfield defense — McCain is The Oklahoman’s Big 12 Player of the Year.
The Cowboys may not have won the league, or even threatened to win it, yet in a state where Russell Westbrook’s stat-stuffing puts him at the forefront of NBA Most Valuable Player conversations, McCain’s all-around game commands attention.
“He’s been fantastic,” Cowboys coach Josh Holliday said. “He’s been a sensational player.”
Further evidence of McCain’s superb play: as good as he’s been overall, batting a Big 12-best .395 — and OSU’s best in 10 years — he’s been better in league play, hitting at a .434 clip, 45 points higher than TCU’s outstanding Austen Wade.
On Big 12 Friday nights, where aces roam the mounds, McCain batted .571 (20-for-35), with three doubles, a home run, 10 runs scored and nine batted in, with four stolen bases in nine games.
“He’s been really fun to watch,” Holliday said. “And he’s a great student, a really outstanding kid. I can’t say enough about him.”