Cowboys carry momentum from College World Series run
STILLWATER — Josh Holliday prefers not to look back, only ahead, focused on new goals and the new challenges lined up in the weeks and months ahead.
Still, everything the Cowboys desire in 2017 can be recognized nearby in the rearview mirror: the College World Series.
Under Holliday, Oklahoma State is back.
Back in the NCAA Tournament, with appearances in each of his four seasons. Back as a national contender, advancing to the Super Regional round twice in the last three years.
And back on the biggest stage, last season ending a 17-year absence from Omaha, making a run that ended one win shy of the championship series.
Now it’s about getting back, a quest that begins Friday in Phoenix with the beginning of a threegame series against Grand Canyon, followed by a single game with traditional power Arizona State that concludes the trip on Tuesday.
“I sense a focus in all the kids, that’s for sure,” Holliday said. “I think when one season ends and the journey for the next season begins, you don’t’ spend a whole lot of time reflecting back on the previous season.
“I think what you do is you dive into what we need to accomplish today. And I see players working on making adjustments to their swings and adding new pitches and getting stronger and becoming more durable — all those things that I think one great season teaches you.”
The Cowboys lost several key components from a hard-charging squad that finished 43-22.
Gone is the cornerstone of the Holliday era, shortstop Donnie Walton, who provided production and the program’s heartbeat for four
years.
Gone, too, are ace Thomas Hatch, the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and third-round pick of the Chicago Cubs; regulars in second baseman J.R. Davis and outfielders Corey Hassel and Conor Costello; and relievers Remey Reed, Michael Mertz and Garrett Williams. So key voids must be addressed.
Yet much returns, including two-thirds of the rotation in Tyler Buffett and Jensen Elliott, along with closer Trey Cobb, third baseman Garrett Benge, first baseman Dustin Williams and outfielders Jon Littell and Ryan Sluder.
And Holliday kept his coaching staff intact, despite serious tugs from other schools, returning assistants Rob Walton and James Vilade.
Expectations remain high, accompanied by a pick for second in the Big 12 — behind national favorite TCU — and a ranking as high as No. 11, although the aim is higher; much higher.
So the Cowboys find much to look forward to, while also leaning on looking back.
“I feel like we’ve got a bunch of guys who are more confident,” said Buffett, who went 9-3 with nine saves and a 2.81 earned run average in a versatile role as a junior.
“We lost a lot of good teammates, a lot of good friends. But the freshmen this year and the new guys we got from junior colleges and stuff, they fit right in, just like they do every year.
“So it’s a new team, but it feels like a good team. We’re excited.”