Blanchard’s Stephens, Stillwater’s Gardner change course to OSU
TULSA — Spots were open, and Oklahoma State needed some players. Turns out, a few local players weren’t satisfied with their college selections.
Blanchard’s Cade Stephens and Stillwater’s Dylan Gardner recently announced they are joining the Cowboys after initially signing elsewhere.
“I got (to) thinking it wasn’t the right fit for me over there,” Stephens said. “It wasn’t home there. This opened up. I went on a visit and fell in love with it. It was a surreal moment.”
Both played in Tuesday’s annual Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State games at Oral Roberts, and played a big factor.
Gardner drove in two runs, including the tying run for the Large East in a comeback 8-3 victory. Stephens tripled, which ended with a nice belly flop into third base, for the West.
Stephens had originally signed with Arkansas-Little Rock, but the two coaches who had spent significant time recruiting him left. Then OSU coach Josh Holliday called.
It was the direct result of a breakout season in which Stephens set a school record with 19 home runs.
“I was thinking all of my hard work finally paid off,” Stephens said.
Gardner had signed with Hutchinson Community College but announced this week he was staying home. A talented infielder, he batted .373 with six homers.
Small East uses big inning for win
Calera first baseman Shawn Harper looked at the opposing West roster and believed the game would be competitive. That made his two-run single that much sweeter.
Harper, a Seminole State signee, delivered the knockout blow in a five-run second inning to propel East to an 8-4 victory in the small-school game.
“We felt pretty confident after we took the lead,” Harper said. “The West was pretty good this year. They looked about like us and then we came out on them pretty good.”
The East scored six runs off Navajo’s Curtis Goodson, chasing him after batting around in the second.
The West was able to get back in the game with a three-run fifth. But it was too late.