Cowboys Picked Third in Preseason Big 12 Baseball Poll
Spring is getting closer and closer, which means baseball season is nearly upon us. The Big 12 recently released its preseason poll, where the Cowboys were ranked third, with TCU and Texas being the only other teams ranked ahead of the Pokes at first and second respectively.
The #Big12BSB stage is set ⏳ pic.twitter.com/pHnumQaE1m
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) January 25, 2024
There are some pretty high expectations for Oklahoma State this season. They return some quality position players this year, including one of their best hitters last season in Nolan Schubart. The talented outfielder batted .338 last season with 17 homers. He had more RBIs than anyone else on the team last year as well with 74.
Four returning Cowboys appeared in over 40 games last year and maintained an average of .300 or better. That is a big deal, and I expect that to translate to a lot of success.
Even with the loss of superstar infielder Roc Riggio to the MLB Draft, I expect the offense to perform at a high level this season. However, the pitching staff could be a concern. The Pokes lost their three most utilized pitchers from last year's staff, and the pitching was certainly not a strength of the team last year nor the year prior.
Still, the Pokes were able to land several pitchers via the transfer portal over the offseason, so whether or not an improvement will be made is to be seen.
Last season obviously did not end the way many Cowboy fans wanted, but there is plenty of reason for optimism heading into this year. I expect the Pokes to make a deep run in the conference tourney. Only time will tell, but this should be another good year for Oklahoma State baseball.
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