2019 Super Regionals Game 1 Preview: Oklahoma State at Texas Tech
The Big 12 Conference will have representation at the College World Series in Omaha for the sixth consecutive season. The only thing we don’t know is which of the conference’s two remaining teams will represent in Omaha. The NCAA Selection Committee felt Oklahoma State and Texas Tech produced results so close to one another, they placed them at No.8 and No.9 respectively. Thus, the two regionals were paired up and now we have an all-Big 12 Super Regionals series.
This exact series has already been played once this season. Oklahoma State traveled to Lubbock and it wasn’t pretty. The Cowboys entered the series on a four-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 42-15. All of those were home games, and three of them came against a Texas team that failed to qualify for the conference tournament. The Red Raiders destroyed the Cowboys 27-8 during a three-game sweep. Tech notched 33 hits during the onslaught. Oklahoma State hitters struck out 46 times. It was a disaster.
As ugly as it was for the Cowboys, it may have just been what the doctor ordered. The next weekend, Oklahoma State flew up to one of the most hostile college baseball environments and swept the defending National Champion Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis. The Cowboys are 14-3 since their most recent trip to Lubbock. Josh Holliday’s crew won the Big 12 Conference Tournament, earned the automatic bid and scored a regional hosting berth.
The first game of that three-game set featured the same exact pitching matchup. Jensen Elliott lasted two innings, allowing seven earned runs on five hits and two walks. The Red Raiders placed up six runs before an out was recorded in the third inning. It won’t be the end of the world if this happens again, but you have to believe Josh Holliday would prefer to have Peyton Battenfield for the rest of the series rather than throwing six innings during a game one blowout.
Now the question is, was it a fluke? Does Texas Tech really just own Oklahoma State? Are the Red Raiders that much better? Or did Oklahoma State’s alarm go off and spark a complete 180 the rest of the season? We will find out this weekend.
No.9 Oklahoma State (39-19) at No.8 Texas Tech (42-17)
Super Regionals Game 1, 2 p.m.
Rip Griffin Park at Dan Law Field, Lubbock, Texas
Television: ESPN2
Oklahoma State Radio: KSPI 93.7 FM in Stillwater (Found on TuneIn Radio app)
Texas Tech Radio: Texas Tech Sports Network (Found on TuneIn Radio app and 97.3 FM in Lubbock)
Probables
Head Coaches
Oklahoma State: Josh Holliday (245-138-1 in 6 seasons)
Texas Tech: Tim Tadlock (281-149 in 7 seasons)
Oklahoma State: Jr. RHP Jensen Elliott: 10-3, 3.33 ERA, 94.2 IP, 60 K, 33 BB
Texas Tech: Fr. RHP Micah Dallas: 6-0, 3.36 ERA, 67.0 IP, 73 K, 25 BB
Closers
Oklahoma State: Ben Leeper: 7 saves, 3.77 ERA, 3-3, 26 appearances, 28.2 IP, 40 K, 20 BB
Texas Tech: Clayton Beeter: 8 saves, 2.79 ERA, 0-2, 19 appearances, 19.1 IP, 38 K, 18 BB
Oklahoma State Projected Lineup:
1.Hueston Morrill, 2B (.274 avg., 1 HR, 17 RBIs)
2. Christian Funk, 3B (.233 avg., 12 HR, 40 RBIs)
3. Colin Simpson, C (.241 avg., 15 HR, 52 RBIs)
4. Andrew Navigato, SS (.296 avg., 12 HR, 42 RBIs)
5. Trevor Boone, CF (.292 avg., 20 HR, 55 RBIs)
6. Carson McCusker, LF (.312 avg., 6 HR, 39 RBIs)
7. Bryce Carter, DH (.265 avg., 4 HR, 29 RBIs)
8: Alix Garcia, 1B (.301 avg., 7 HR, 23 RBIs)
9: Cade Cabbiness, RF (.237 avg., 7 HR, 26 RBIs)
Texas Tech Projected Lineup:
1.Gabe Holt, RF (.324 avg., 3 HR, 34 RBIs)
2. Dylan Neuse, CF (.298 avg., 8 HR, 48 RBIs)
3. Brian Klein, 2B (.317 avg., 1 HR, 51 RBIs)
4. Josh Jung, SS (.340 avg., 11 HR, 53 RBIs)
5. Cameron Warren, 1B (.367 avg., 17 HR, 75 RBIs)
6. Cody Masters, DH (.298 avg., 4 HR, 26 RBIs)
7. Kurt Wilson, LF (.238 avg., 3 HR, 13 RBIs)
8. Easton Murrell, 3B (.214 avg., 0 HR, 1 RBI)
9. Braxton Fulford, C (.280 avg., 3 HR, 31 RBIs)
MLB Draft Picks
Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Tech, 1st round, 8th overall pick, Texas Rangers
Gabe Holt, CF, Texas Tech, 7th round, 223rd overall pick, Milwaukee Brewers
Caleb Killian, P, Texas Tech, 8th round, 236th overall pick, San Francisco Giants
Logan Gragg, P, Oklahoma State, 8th round, 245th overall pick, St. Louis Cardinals
Payton Battenfield, P, Oklahoma State, 9th round, 286th overall pick, Houston Astros
Taylor Floyd, P, Texas Tech, 10th round, 313th overall pick, Milwaukee Brewers
John McMillon, OF, Texas Tech, 11th round, 322nd overall pick, Detroit Tigers
Caleb Freeman, P, Texas Tech, 15th round, 440th overall pick, Chicago White Sox
Brady Basso, P, Oklahoma State, 16th round, 494th overall pick, Oakland Athletics
Trevor Boone, OF, Oklahoma State, 18th round, 549th overall pick, Colorado Rockies
Jensen Elliott, P, Oklahoma State, 19th round, 558th overall pick, Baltimore Orioles
Andrew Navigato, SS, Oklahoma State, 20th round, 592nd overall pick, Detroit Tigers
Jake Lyons, P, Oklahoma State, 22nd round, 648th overall pick, Baltimore Orioles
Cameron Warren, 1B, Texas Tech, 22nd round, 654th overall pick, Cincinnati Reds
Colin Simpson, C, Oklahoma State, 29th round, 879th overall pick, Colorado Rockies
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