Catching duo key to success
A big part of Oklahoma State’s success this baseball season? The catching duo of Colin Simpson and Jake Taylor.
STILLWATER — Colin Simpson feels like a kid again.
As a 21-year-old, Simpson is not too far removed from his Little League days, but the games Oklahoma State’s junior catcher has spent in the outfield have thrust him into youthful memories.
“It literally takes me back to being a Little Leaguer and your dad’s hitting you pop flies,” Simpson said. “You tell him to hit one as high as he can just to see if you can catch it.”
OSU coach Josh Holliday has started Simpson in left field on occasion not only to save his legs from the wear of catching, but also to get Jake Taylor into the lineup.
Taylor, a freshman from Shawnee, has split time behind the plate with Simpson.
Through 27 games, Taylor has made
10 starts at catcher, while Simpson has started there the other 17 contests.
Taylor has also made six appearances at designated hitter.
Simpson joins Jon Littell and Matt Kroon as the only Cowboys to start every game, having made six starts in left and four at DH.
In OSU’s sweep of TCU last weekend, Taylor caught 11 innings in an extra-innings victory to start the series, delivering a walk-off single. With Taylor having suffered a right hand injury in the process, Simpson was forced to catch all 18 innings of a doubleheader the next day.
“Certainly, both guys are a big part of our team,” Holliday said. “Colin Simpson is about as strong, durable, tough, powerful a kid as I’ve ever coached . ... Jake is mature. He’s gotten better as we’ve gone each and every day.”
Simpson leads the Cowboys with eight home runs, 28 RBIs and a .602 slugging percentage. Taylor has posted a .270 average in his freshman campaign, with five of his 17 hits going for extra bases.
Simpson has done his best to mentor Taylor.
Knowing the jump from high school to college after he went through it coming to OSU from Edmond Memorial, Simpson has tried to help Taylor adjust to handling heavy sinkers and sharp sliders that most high school pitchers don’t have in their arsenals.
Having worked with several of OSU’s pitchers over the past couple of seasons, Simpson has passed on information to Taylor, telling him where to set up for certain pitchers or how their pitches break. Taylor’s improvement has left Simpson and pitchers impressed.
“That kid, he’s a bulldog back there,” sophomore left-hander Brady Basso said. “He does everything we ask him to do, and he’s just having fun. We know we can count on him.”
Taylor shined at Shawnee, hitting .519 with nine homers as a senior, and chose to come to OSU after the Atlanta Braves took him in the 25th round of this summer’s MLB Draft.
With playing time coming right away, Taylor is backing up that decision.
“I’m really thankful for the opportunities that I’ve been given,” Taylor said. “Josh, you can tell he believes in me, and I’m thankful for that. When he gives me an opportunity, I just try to make the most of it.”