PLAY BALL!
The college baseball season begins Friday for both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State
STILLWATER — As an undrafted free agent, Oklahoma State righthander Jensen Elliott heard from plenty of major-league organizations throughout the summer. But it was a text that Elliott sent, not received, that sticks most with Cowboy coach Josh Holliday.
“Coach, I'm not signing,” Elliott texted Holliday. “We have unfinished business.”
Elliott will start Friday when OSU opens its 2019 season at Texas-Rio Grande Valley, beginning a quest to return to the College World Series. A freshman AllAmerican in 2016 when the Cowboys made their most recent trip to Omaha, Elliott missed most of the past two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he'll serve as OSU's Friday night starter for the program's final season at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
“We're gonna try to go out on top,” Elliott said. “Host a regional, host a super regional and go to the College World Series, back where we belong.”
The Cowboys finished second in the Big 12 last season, making their sixth regional in six seasons under Holliday, despite their possible weekend rotation missing most of the year with injury. Elliott pitched in only four games, while left-hander Parker Scott missed the full season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, as well. After making a start in OSU's first two series, lefty Mitchell Stone suffered a broken foot after stepping in a sprinkler hole at Arizona State and was out for the year.
All three are healthy for 2019, with junior college product Logan Gragg inserted between Elliott and Stone in the weekend rotation.
“Last year, we had to pivot quite often,” Holliday said. “Having Jensen back is a huge shot in the arm to our team. Getting him back is — my gosh, that's a huge kid to get back.”
In 2016, Elliott was second among Cowboys with 17 starts, behind only Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Thomas Hatch, and went 9-3 with a 3.50 ERA. He rose up the rotation as a sophomore, but a torn ligament in his right elbow ended his season before conference play.
Knowing Elliott is one of only four players left from that 2016 team, Holliday is hopeful they can pass along “the DNA” of a College World Series team.
“The know-how is in there,” Holliday said, “and you want to make sure that it never goes a generation without getting passed on.”
Elliott wants the same. After pitching in only eight games the past two seasons, he realized “how much passion I have for this game.”
“This is definitely the best I've ever felt in my entire life,” Elliott said. “I have no arm problems at all. My mental health's at a good place right now, so I'm very happy with where I am.”
THREE STORYLINES
Oklahoma State opens what is expected to be its 39th and final season at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium on Friday at TexasRio Grande Valley, with the Cowboys' home opener coming Tuesday against Little Rock. Here are three things to know for OSU's 2019 season:
One last ride
Allie P. opened in 1981, a season that marked the first of seven straight College World Series berths for OSU. The Cowboys would like to close it out with another before heading to O'Brate Stadium in 2020. “We always talk about how we need to leave our legacy here,” catcher Colin Simpson said. Every OSU home game features a promotion of some sort, including clothing, baseball cards and an Allie P. Reynolds bobblehead.
Catching depth
The past two seasons have ended with Simpson catching practically every pitch. Coach Josh Holliday is confident that won't need to be the case this season.
The Cowboys added Bryce Carter, a Stanford graduate transfer and Tulsa native, while sophomore Jake Taylor, out of Shawnee, will see time at catcher and first. The priority is keeping Simpson, OSU's 2018 leader in home runs, fresh. “The catching position's a tough one on your body,” Holliday said. “And that kid never complains.”
New-look infield
Two of the Cowboys' 2018 starting infielders have transferred, while shortstop Matt Kroon passed on his final year of eligibility to begin his professional career after being the Big 12's top newcomer. That leaves three openings in OSU's infield, with Christian Funk likely to play first.
Freshman Hueston Morrill, junior college products Alix Garcia and Andrew Navigato, and inexperienced returners Max Hewitt and Dylan Gardner will compete for the other spots in the season's early games. “No one really knew where Matty (Kroon) would be last year at this time,” Holliday said. “He blossomed and had a great year, so we gotta continue to just believe in these kids and give them their opportunities, and I'm confident that guys will take those opportunities and run with them.”