All winning streaks are bound to come to an end, but a walk-off walk to your in-state rival has to be a rough way to see it go.

Oklahoma State fell to Oklahoma 7-6 at ONEOK Field Tuesday night, a game that snapped the Cowboys’ 11-game winning streak. The Cowboys carried a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth before things went sideways.

Trevor Martin has had an outstanding season to this point on the bump, but Tuesday wasn’t his night. Martin, OSU’s closer, has seven saves on the season, but he couldn’t get it going in T-Town. Martin hit Peyton Graham with a pitch to start the frame, and two wild pitches moved Graham to third. Blake Robertson brought Graham home with a single to right, tying the game at six.

Martin then walked Diego Muniz before a sacrifice bunt moved a pair of runners into scoring position. Martin intentionally walked Tanner Tredway with the open base, but then he not-so-intentionally walked Sebastian Orduno to end the game.

The loss moves Josh Holliday’s record to 28-10 against the Sooners.

The teams traded blows in the second inning to start the scoring.

OSU got things started that frame when Hueston Morrill hit a double down the left-field line, scoring David Mendham. Since returning from injury, Morrill has recorded a hit in six of the seven games he has played in. True freshman Aidan Meola brought Morrill in with a single to right. After Roc Riggio, another true freshman, was hit by a pitch, Zach Ehrhard, another freshman, brought his classmates in with a double, capping the Cowboys four-run frame.

But the Sooners answered.

OU started the bottom of the second with back-to-back singles. Cade Horton then hit a one-out double to right that scored a run, and another Sooner scored on a fielder’s choice. Jackson Nicklaus made it a three-run inning for OU with an infield single that scored Horton.

OSU added to its lead in the fifth when Mendham hit a single that scored Ehrhard.

OU knotted it up at 5 in the sixth when Nicklaus hit a two-RBI double.

Mendham’s third hit of the evening gave the Cowboys a lead in the eight. He hit a home run, his third of the season, to left field in the minor league stadium before the wheels fell off in the ninth. Mendham was 3-for-4 on the night with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Tuesday’s game was a nonconference meeting between the Bedlam rivals. The loss knocks OSU to 18-7 on the season. The Cowboys have a three-game series with Kansas State in Manhattan this weekend. First pitch for Friday’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the series will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Scores

Baseball: Oklahoma 7, Cowboys 6

OSU Bullets

• Insightful piece looking at Mike Gundy’s transfer portal philosophy – show loyalty to your guys and only bring in guys to play right away (TulsaWorld)

• Picking Jaden Bray as OSU’s breakout player for the fall makes too much sense – assuming you had to pick an offensive player (247)

• Great nugget here (in a solid piece outlining Big 12 offensive lines for 2022) on Caleb Etienne and how the line likely hinges on his play this fall:

Etienne was hoped to be an answer at tackle last year but he was too big and raw, he’s now slimmed down to 325 pounds (from 350 or some absurd size) and is starting to sound like the next Teven Jenkins. 

[InsideTexas]

• Mike Boynton has reached out to a couple of transfers (one with a familiar name but isn’t that guy) (PFB)

• Gundy and some players gave updates on spring camp (PFB)

• Miranda Elish is killing it from the plate and the mound:

• Cade put up a career-high 34 against the Brooklyn Nets last night – flashes of the franchise player assumed to be:

Non-OSU Bullets

• These illustrations on productivity were good
• “Duties become delights when we do them all heartily as for the Lord.” (faith-based)

For specific advice, find someone a step or two ahead of you. For general advice, find someone older who can put things in perspective.

Farnam Street

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Oklahoma State made the cut for one of the top ball carriers in the 2023 cycle on Tuesday, when Kaleb Jackson put out a Top 10 via his Twitter account. That list included the Cowboys along with a number of household names like Alabama, Michigan, Georgia and in-state LSU.

Who is he?

Jackson hails from Liberty Magnet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He would be another in a long list of Cowboys to come out of the Pelican State. OSU already has a 2023 pledge from Oak Grove defensive back Kam Franklin in the class. But geographical location is the least of what excites Cowboys coaches about him.

Jackson is bona fide playmaker when he has the ball in his hands and even the semblance of a hole. He’s got the strength to break tackles on the reg and the wheels to pay it off with a home run play.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound rusher looks ready to step onto a campus and compete for reps this spring, but he’s still got a senior year of high school to go. He just took home Running Back MVP honors from a local Rivals camp on Monday.

According to 247Sports, Jackson rushed for 2,031 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2021. His per-carry average was 14.7 (!!). He also reeled in 21 catches for 394 yards and four receiving scores.

A two-sport athlete, Jackson placed fourth at the Louisiana 4A state meet last year with a 10.66 in the 100 meters. He also recorded a 22.28 in the 200 meters earlier in the the spring of 2021.

Others Involved

Top 10: Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Florida State, Tennessee, Baylor, Oklahoma State

Jackson’s offer list includes 19 schools but, as of Tuesday, the number of suitors has been cut in half. The Cowboys join a smattering of bluebloods and brand names to make the first cut for his services. The Cowboys represented his ninth offer back in December.

In the Rankings

Jackson is a consensus four-star prospect. Rivals ranks him currently as the No. 3 running back in the class. He’s the No. 10 RB in the class, according to 247Sports, and ranked seventh in the position in the Composite rankings. He’s a Top 10 player in the state on all three platforms.

Based on his current Composite score of 0.9418, if Jackson were to sign with OSU, he would be the 14th-highest signee to ink with Oklahoma State and the second-highest RB behind only Tatum Bell. (Tyreek Hill came to Stillwater as an all-purpose back with a score of 0.9397.)

It’s early, but the Cowboys’ 2023 class currently sits at fourth in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally. Adding Jackson today would move that mark to third and 17th, respectively.

2021 Highlights

Check out Jackson’s regular season highlights from his junior season.

The post Cowboys Make Top 10 for Four-Star RB Kaleb Jackson appeared first on Pistols Firing.

STILLWATER — The Cowboys have been in spring camp for a week, and they went full pads for the first time Monday.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy met with reporters at the Sherman Smith Training Center before Monday’s practice, and Jason Taylor, Brennan Presley, Sione Asi and Braden Cassity talked with the media after.

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In his search for a facilitator and more 3-point shooting, Mike Boynton has reportedly inquired about a pair of players who can help in those aspects.

Murray State’s Justice Hill (a different Justice Hill) and West Virginia’s Sean McNeil entered the transfer portal Monday, and both have reportedly already heard from Oklahoma State. Hill received an OSU offer already, according to Stock Riser’s Jake Weingarten.

A 6-foot point guard from Little Rock, Arkansas, Hill averaged 13.4 points and 5.1 assists a game for a Murray State team that won a game in the NCAA Tournament. Hill also shot 36% from 3 last season on 176 attempts.

Hill has had to work his way up in the college basketball ranks, starting at Salt Lake Community College, where he was an NJCAA All-American. Before that, Hill was a multisport star for Little Rock Christian. He was Arkansas’ 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year for football when he led Little Rock Christian to a state title and threw for 3,084 yards and 37 touchdowns. Because of the pandemic, Hill should have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

McNeil might be a name familiar to OSU fans who follow basketball recruiting. Oklahoma State offered McNeil coming out of Sinclair College. McNeil ended up going to West Virginia, where he has spent the past three seasons. A sharpshooter, McNeil hit 37% of his 421 3-point attempts as a Mountaineer, while averaging 10.1 points a game. McNeil should have just one season of eligibility remaining.

OSU’s scholarship situation is cloudy because of NCAA sanctions put on the program dating to the FBI investigation involving former assistant coach Lamont Evans. Normally, Division-I basketball teams can have 13 scholarship players on their rosters. As part of the sanctions, OSU will lose three scholarships over the next three seasons.

As things stand, OSU has 11 scholarship players (possibly 12 if Isaac Likekele makes a surprise return for a super senior season) on its roster.

OSU has reportedly reached out to a handful of transfer portal guys to this point, including Princeton’s Jaelin Llewellyn, West Virginia’s Jalen Bridges and Longwood’s Justin Hill.

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Lots of news for the offseason of basketball and football – let’s get to it.

OSU Bullets

• Cowboy Football is getting a substantial eight-figure investment in their stadium – here’s what Mike Gundy had to say about it and more (PFB)

• OSU landed a transfer offensive lineman last night – an FCS champion from Sam Houston State that completes the Desmond Jackson trade. Missed this on Sunday night – the Pokes added two transfer offensive linemen from the portal (USC’s Casey Collier and Vanderbilt’s Jason Brooks) (PFB)

• Five-star Anthony Black committed to Arkansas over the Pokes last night

• What John Smith could be evaluating after a tough season – No.2, NIL, seems paramount (PFB)

Fun read from last week about how the OSU players were supported by their families at Pro Day (TulsaWorld)

• Previewing the Cowboys’ special teams – note to opponents: don’t kick to Presley (PFB)

• ESPN’s draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. spoke highly of former Cowboy Jelani Woods:

“I thought he made some remarkable plays this year,” ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. said last Wednesday. “Adjusts to the poorly-thrown ball well. He’s got a little more agility and quickness than you think. I think he could go in the fifth or sixth round, maybe as high as the fourth …

[TulsaWorld]

• The Pokes are just outside the top-five in the D1Baseball rankings:

Non-OSU Bullets

• Southwest Airlines came out with a new level of fare
• Where Americans moved in 2021
• The five parents you’ll meet at a kid’s birthday party

The post Daily Bullets (Mar. 29): Three Linemen In, Black Out appeared first on Pistols Firing.

The transfer portal had been a one-way street for the Cowboys this offseason, but not anymore.

Prince Pines, an offensive line transfer from Sam Houston, announced a commitment to Oklahoma State on Monday, becoming the third lineman in the past two days to commit to OSU. Listed at 6-foot-5, 340 pounds, Pines was an All-American at the FCS level in 2021, according to Phil Steele. He was a member of the Bearkats’ 2020-21 national championship team, as well.

Pines started his college career at Baylor. A member of the 2018 recruiting class, Pines picked Baylor over offers from Arkansas, Texas Tech, TCU, Ole Miss, Missouri, Mississippi State and others. After redshirting in 2018, Pines played in all 14 of the Bears’ 2019 games before transferring to Sam Houston and starting every game available at left guard.

After entering the transfer portal, Pines announced offers from OSU, Mississippi State, Colorado and others.

OSU lost starting left guard Josh Sills and starting center Danny Godlevske to graduation. Four scholarship linemen have also entered the portal, making the Cowboys thin along the offensive line this offseason. Pines should certainly help with that.

Pines is part of a group of transfers set to help shore up things along OSU’s offensive front. USC transfer Casey Collier and Vanderbilt transfer Jason Brooks committed to OSU on Sunday.

The post Sam Houston Offensive Line Transfer Prince Pines Commits to Oklahoma State appeared first on Pistols Firing.

STILLWATER — Spring camp is finally starting to feel like spring camp for the Cowboys, both weather-wise and because the pads are on.

Oklahoma State continued his 15-practice spring schedule Monday, and Devin Wilber was on-hand to capture some of the action.

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STILLWATER — The Cowboys strapped pads on for the first time this spring.

Oklahoma State is in the midst of its spring camp and turned things up a bit Monday. Here are some takeaways from player interviews after the first day of full pads.

DB-Centric DC

The Cowboys’ past few defensive coordinators have specialized in coaching linebackers, but Derek Mason is a little different.

Mason, Oklahoma State’s new defensive coordinator, spent his time as a defensive position coach coaching defensive backs. He coached DBs at Bucknell, the Minnesota Vikings and at Stanford. Jim Knowles and Glenn Spencer, OSU’s previous defensive coordinators, doubled as linebackers coaches on the OSU staff.

“It’s like a different mindset,” junior corner Korie Black said last week. “It’s the same mindset, but it’s different with him because he brings the energy. Coach Mason Brings the energy, that DB mentality, that killer instinct. I like it.”

It’s not that Mason spends his practice time solely watching over the corners and safeties. Tim Duffie and Dan Hammerschmidt have that covered. OSU coach Mike Gundy referred to Mason and Knowles as “walk-around coordinators.” Despite holding the linebacker coach title last season, Knowles wasn’t the full-time position coach. Gundy said Koy McFarland, who left with Knowles to Ohio State, spent most of the time coaching the linebackers.

“Coach Mason kind of walks around the same way as Coach Knowles did,” senior safety Jason Taylor said. “He’s in our rooms a lot more, so it’s a little different. I think I like it.”

Taylor, Cassity Adjusting to Life as the Old Guy

Jason Taylor and Braden Cassity will have new roles in 2022 as elder statesmen of their position groups.

Taylor is the lone remaining starter in the Cowboys’ defensive backfield after Kolby Harvell-Peel, Tre Sterling, Tanner McCalister, Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Christian Holmes have all moved on. Taylor is one of three redshirt senior defensive backs on OSU’s spring roster, but he is the only one with starting experience.

“It’s a little weird,” Taylor said. “Before the Pro Day, all of the guys, Devin (Harper), all those guys, came in here messing with me, telling me, ‘Vet, look at the vet.’ It’s great.”

With Austin Jarrard in the transfer portal, there are four Cowboy Backs taking part in OSU’s spring practices: Cassity, redshirt sophomore Quinton Stewart, redshirt freshman Luke McEndoo and true freshman Tabry Shettron.

Cassity gained experience last season as Logan Carter dealt with a back injury. Cassity was primarily used as a blocker, but he did have five catches for 66 yards. He is the only Cowboy Back on OSU’s roster with a college catch.

“It is weird being the old guy,” Cassity said. “Coming on Year 5, Season 5, I feel like I just got here the other day. Started out as a D end and here we are, about to be five years deep. … I feel like the leadership role is definitely starting to pick up more. I’m not a super vocal guy, unless I need to be, and I’m trying to become more of a vocal guy this year, encouraging more guys, meeting with the younger guys if they need to learn something, things like that.”

Ollie Gordon Stands Out to Sione Asi

It’s not too often a defensive lineman points to a running back as a young guy who has stood out after the first day of full pads.

Super senior defensive tackle Sione Asi singled out early enrollee freshman Ollie Gordon after Monday’s practice as a guy he was impressed with. Listed at 6-foot-1, 211 pounds, Gordon came to OSU as a highly touted four-star prospect, turning down a late Texas offer to join the Pokes.

Gordon ran for 5,240 yards and 74 touchdowns in his three seasons of high school football. With OSU losing Jaylen Warren, LD Brown and Dezmon Jackson from last season’s roster, Gordon see some action early in his college career.

“That running back, Ollie Gordon, he’s impressed me, too,” Asi said. “He’s pretty good for how young he is, his little one-cut moves that he’s got going. I’m sure he’ll get better as the time goes on. When we first got out here, he was moving like he’s been out here for a couple years. I was impressed by him.”

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