Freeman Pitches OSU to Series Sweep of Texas

By Tim Ahrens

CollegeBaseballInsider.com

 

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State pitcher Michael Freeman admitted after Sunday’s game against Texas he wasn’t as sharp as he’d been in his previous two outings.

 

Considering his previous two outings were both complete games, the margin for error was pretty slim to begin with.

 

Freeman earned his sixth win behind an eight-inning outing Sunday in the Cowboys’ 8-3 victory against the Longhorns at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

 

The 6-foot-8 senior gave up two runs on four hits and three walks but struck out seven Longhorns, who have now lost seven straight.

 

After eight frames, Freeman had thrown 106 pitches and had a six-run cushion. However, OSU (22-9, 7-2 Big 12) chose to go to Trey Cobb in the bullpen to close out the game.

 

“(You) always want to go the whole way, but it wasn’t in the cards today,” Freeman said. “I only went eight, had a good outing and we won the game. That’s what really matters.”

 

When Freeman said “only eight innings,” he might as well have made quotation marks in the air with his hands. That’s how good he’s been in 2015.

 

The victory puts Freeman at 6-0 on the year with a 1.46 ERA, a year after coming out of the bullpen and posting a 6.28 ERA in nine relief appearances and one start.

 

His revolution was apparent Sunday; the Cowboys trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the third before a three-run third gave OSU the lead again, and Texas’ (17-15, 5-4) motivation seemed to shrivel away.

 

According to OSU coach Josh Holliday, it wasn’t the Cowboys’ bats that caused it -- it was Freeman.

 

“Sometimes in each game, the competitive spirit is affected by the pitcher,” Holliday said. “Mike, I think sometimes when a hitter goes back to the dugout, he’s puzzled. You don’t see very often a pitcher that can make the ball do that. Guys don’t know how to solve that, and it’s a little defeating sometimes.

 

“You see the hitter kinda go, ‘I’m not sure what I’m trying to do with this guy. Am I trying to pull in? Am I trying to hit it the other way? Am I trying to hit a grounder?’ I think energy and confidence is determined by the pitcher. If Mike hadn’t come out and pitched that well, they might’ve jumped right on him early on.”

 

Texas scored two runs in the top of the third on a single from Ben Johnson that left fielder Gage Green couldn’t hold on to on a diving attempt. But OSU exploded for seven runs in the third and fourth innings to put it out of reach behind Dustin Williams’ 2-for-4, 5-RBI effort.

 

The Cowboys clinched the series in a 3-1 win Saturday behind catcher Bryan Case’s two-run home run in the fourth inning, his first start since breaking his thumb on March 11 against Alcorn State.

 

“I dove into second base head-first, which you’re not supposed to do,” Case said. “The dude stepped in front of the bag and I jammed it on his foot.”

 

The sweep of Texas was OSU’s first since 2008 and its 10th consecutive Big 12 series victory, setting a program record. The Cowboys now have sole possession of first place in the Big 12, a game ahead of TCU and Oklahoma.