Game 13: No. 4 Oklahoma State 5, No. 1 Texas
Box Score - Notes - Quotes - Photos
OKLAHOMA CITY – No. 4-seed Oklahoma State advances to the finals for a second-consecutive time in a nail-biting 5-4 upset victory over No. 1-seed Texas at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship on Saturday.
The Cowboys (35-16-1) are making their sixth Championship Final appearance and fifth since 2014. OSU is defending its Championship title after winning the event in 2019.
Caeden Trenkle jumpstarted the Cowboy offense on the first play with a triple to left field. Just an at-bat later, Max Hewitt’s double to right center scored Trenkle before an out was recorded.
After a hit by pitch to Jake Thompson, the Longhorn’s starting pitcher, Kolby Kubichek, settled in and retired 12 of the next 14 Cowboy batters over the next four innings.
Cowboy starting pitcher, Mitchell Stone, retired 11 of the first 13 Longhorns at the plate excluding a couple of singles from Zach Zubia and DJ Petrinsky.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Cam Williams sparked a Texas rally with a single through the left side and stole second base. Douglas Hodo III doubled down the left-field line scoring Williams for the Longhorn’s first run of the game.
The Cowboys added three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take the lead, but the Longhorns answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs tying the game at 4-4.
After three scoreless innings for both teams and a diving catch in right field from Cade Cabbiness robbing Hodo III of extra bases, it was down to the ninth inning. On the line for Cowboys was a berth in the finals and Texas was trying to avoid elimination.
With two outs, the Longhorns closer Aaron Nixon walked the bases loaded and then walked Jake Thompson to bring in the go ahead run for Oklahoma State.
In the Texas half of the inning, Petrinsky smoked a hard ground ball to Cowboy shortstop Matt Golda who made a backhanded snag and quick throw to first base for the first out of the inning. Oklahoma State’s Brett Standlee retired the next two batters for an OSU victory and his fourth save of the season. Kale Davis (2-3) earned the win after he relieved Mitchell in the fifth. He gave up just a hit in four innings.
UT’s Nixon was tagged with the loss, as he fell to 3-3 on the season.
Oklahoma State will play the winner of the TCU-Kansas State elimination game in a 5 p.m. CT title matchup on Sunday. The contest is televised on ESPN2.