Oklahoma State came back to beat Arizona State 9-6 on Friday night in Tempe thanks to a ninth-inning rally.

The Cowboys went into the frame down 6-3 before ripping off six runs within their final two outs

It started with a Colin Brueggemann one-out double. Brady Francisco came on as a pinch runner and was able to advance to third on a wild pitch. Francisco scored when Avery Ortiz grounded into a fielder’s choice. The throw was errant, and Ortiz finished the play on second.

Remo Indomenico came on as Ortiz’s pinch runner and moved to third on an infield single from Alex Conover.

Idomenico scored on a Brock Thompson sac fly to left to cut Arizona State’s lead to 6-5.

That brought up white hot Kollin Ritchie, who the Sun Devils promptly intentionally walked, but that brought up almost an equally hot Aidan Meola.

Meola drilled the second pitch he saw off the wall in left, scoring Conover to tie the game.

Then Campbell Smithwick turned the tie into a lead with a three-run shot to straightaway center. It was his eighth homer of the year.

POKES ON TOP!!!

Soup delivers in the desert#GoPokes | @campbellrsoup pic.twitter.com/DLRnnaFp4o

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 9, 2026

Mario Pesca came on to close things out in the bottom of the frame. Then things got a little dicey.

Pesca got back-to-back popups for the first two outs before Dean Toigo singled. Austen Roellig then chopped a ball into no-man’s land between Pesca, second baseman Garrett Shull and shortstop Brock Thompson. Thompson got to it first but fired wide of first-base substitute Evan Saunders. Toigo advanced to third, and Roellig was safe at first.

That brought the tying run to the plate in Dominic Smaldino, who was a home run shy of the cycle. But Pesca got the out he needed, striking Smaldino out to give the Cowboys their seventh straight Big 12 win.

The Cowboys are up to 32-17 on the season and 15-10 in the league. It’s been quite the turnaround as OSU has navigated all sorts of injuries to go from the NCAA Tournament bubble to surely being in the field at this point.

OSU’s series with the Sun Devils continues at 8 p.m. (Central) Saturday. It’ll be televised on ESPN2.

Oklahoma State dropped its Big 12 Tournament semifinal to Arizona State on Friday night 11-7. The Cowgirls’ All-American ace drew the start but lasted just 1 1/3 innings before exiting having given up six runs (five earned) on six hits.

All six of those runs came in the second inning. With two runners on, Brooklyn Ulrich singled to center, scoring the game’s first run before a Tiare Ho-Ching single scored another.

Tanya Windle took the inning from bad to worse for the Cowgirls with a three-run home run to center to make it 5-0. Then a few errors later, it was 6-0 and Meylan headed to the dugout.

If anyone can be forgiven for having such an outing, it’s Meylan. The Cowgirls had won the past 16 games she had thrown in, with most of those being the full game. It’s the most runs she’s given up in an outing since allowing seven against Arizona on April 17. OSU won that game in 10 innings.

RyLee Crandall came out of the Cowgirls’ bullpen and initially held things steady, allowing OSU to creep back into the ball game, but then ASU started making solid contact on her, as well.

The fifth inning saw ASU plate four more runs and take a 10-2 lead.

But then the Cowgirls started truly fighting back. OSU matched the Sun Devils’ four runs in the fifth with RBIs from Karli Godwin, Lexi McDonald and Amanda Hasler (x2).

McDonald was good all evening, as the former Silo standout finished 3-for-4 at the dish with a run scored and an RBI. Godwin, Hasler and Audrey Schneidmiller each had two hits.

The Cowgirls entered the bottom of the seventh down 11-6 when Rosie Davis led the frame off with a solo shot, her 14th home run of the season.

Rosie’s 1⃣4⃣th long ball of the year gets one more back for the Pokes #GoPokes | @_RoseDavis2023 https://t.co/DW3rXtswOY pic.twitter.com/1vtPGzpZpE

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 9, 2026

But that’d be all the Cowgirls got in the inning.

OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said after Thursday’s game he felt the Cowgirls had done enough over recent weeks to earn one of the 16 hosting spots in the NCAA Regional round. We’ll learn if Gajewksi is right in his assumption on Sunday when the selection show airs at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

In case you missed it last week, the Big 12 approved a five-year agreement with RedBird Capital Partners, becoming the first conference to have a league-wide, private capital deal.

The deal provides the Big 12 with a $12.5 million capital infusion while the league’s institutions have the opportunity to opt into a $30 million credit line that would have to be paid back with a “double-digit” interest rate, according to ESPN.

It doesn’t sound like many (if any) schools will take RedBird up on that deal, and that includes Oklahoma State. OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg spoke with Dave Hunziker in a podcast that released Friday, where Weiberg cleared things up from the OSU side of things.

“First of all, I give commissioner (Brett) Yormark a lot of credit for providing opportunities to the schools to look at,” Weiberg said. “He is an innovator. He pushes the envelope. He’s not afraid of trying new things to better the conference and all the member institutions. So, I think there’s a little bit of a misconception on this. This isn’t a private equity deal. There’s no ownership stake or control in the conference they’re taking. It’s more of a private investment opportunity. RedBird is a huge global entity. They’ve got a lot of partnerships. The conference office will get out of it some money to be able to invest in some other business entities, take an investment in those to try to grow revenues from a different revenue stream. I think that’s something that’s worth exploring in this time that we’re in. And then the schools have the option to opt into a line of credit through that, and that’s up to each institution. It doesn’t effect the deal with the conference itself.

“As of right now, that is something that Oklahoma State will not do at this point. Should we need something like that, we believe we have other avenues or levers we could pull first before that. But again, I applaud the commissioner for making those options available to us.”

Weiberg and Hunziker also got into some other financial matters, like the report last week that the Big Ten distributed a record $1.37 billion to its 18 members in the 2024-25 fiscal year — a jump of about $500 million. The SEC announced in February that it had distributed more than $1 billion to its 16 members for the fiscal year.

So, dividing that up, that’s about $76 million on average for each Big Ten school and about $62.5 million for each SEC school.

The Big 12 hasn’t announced its allocations yet, but Weiberg said he expects the average Big 12 distribution to come in “north of $35 million.”

“That’s a wide discrepancy,” Weiberg said. “It’s a wider discrepancy than we’ve ever seen in the history of college athletics.”

To try to level that playing field as much as possible, Weiberg said OSU has asked all of its programs to cut expenses by 10%, OSU has increased ticket prices and the Boys From Oklahoma concerts have also helped with that.

It’s an uphill battle, but Weiberg noted that OSU has had to compete with the likes of Texas, one of the highest-funded athletic departments in the country, for years.

“There’s a bigger discrepancy now between what some conferences are getting and what others are than there ever has been before,” Weiberg said. “So, that presents unique challenges in terms of just the level playing field. At the end of the day, when you’re in a competition, part of what makes the competition interesting is when you’re trying to compete on a level playing field. Now, I say that acknowledging that there’s never an exactly level playing field — I don’t care if its the NFL or Major League Baseball or whatever, there’s not that. But I think to keep it interesting, there needs to be some version of a level playing field, and that’s getting very tilted in this environment.

“We’ve competed before. We’ve never been the highest-resourced institution in our conference or in the country or anything like that, and we’ve competed at a very high level in all of our sports, from football through all the other sports. Obviously the 55 national championships are a great indicator of that.”

The Detroit Pistons defeated Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead to Cleveland. It’s the first time the Pistons have held such a lead in a playoff series since 2008.

After scoring 23 points and dishing out seven assists in his team’s Game 1 win over the Cavs on Tuesday, Cade dropped 25 and 10 (including a dozen in the fourth quarter) to help the Pistons take a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

One of the biggest plays of the week came on this step-back 3-pointer to put Detroit up nine with just over two minutes to go.

CADE CUNNINGHAM IS A BAD MAN 🥶 pic.twitter.com/ML7aJPrFnO

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) May 8, 2026

This comes after Cade led Detroit to a first round series win over the Orlando Magic in the first round, the Pistons’ first time to move on in the postseason also since 2008 (also against the Magic). This time the Pistons fell behind 3-1 to the Magic before rattling off three-straight wins to take it in seven. That included a Pistons record 45 points from Cade in Game 5.

Checkout his full game highlights.

Cade Cunningham 25 PTS, 10 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 7/14 FG, 3/6 3FG, 8/8 FT, 71.3% TS vs Cavs https://t.co/MIVzXiaOiK pic.twitter.com/g0qu4bcljj

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) May 8, 2026

The Pistons and Cavs will meet for Game 3 at 2 p.m. CST Saturday in Cleveland. The game will be televised on NBC.

OSU Bullets

• Cowgirls took out Utah in their first Big 12 tournament game last night, 7-0 – Kenny Gajewski went after the Big 12 about his ace sharing an award (PFB)

• OSU’s home-and-home with Alabama is being replaced by a home-and-home with a Big Ten foe, Michigan State (PFB)

• Really solid two sentences explaining the football situation in Stillwater – and a reality we didn’t know six months ago.

It was unclear what exactly the NIL situation was in Stillwater, and if they would be able to compete with some of the top-tier programs, but based on this off-season haul, it looks like that is not going to be an issue. And with winning will come more resources. [HCS]

• Six of Cowboy Wrestling’s 2026 recruits are in the top ten of the class (PFB)

• Cade Cunningham had an awesome game, led the Pistons to a 2-0 lead on the Cavs (ESPN)

•  What a fun concept for All-Americans – it’s like the wrestling version of Cowboy Football bowl captains getting a badge on their jersey: 

Every cowboy needs a hat! Wild Spade fitted each of our 8 All-Americans with a custom hat today.🤠#stillyboys pic.twitter.com/Dp11tg5tC0

— stillyboys (@stillyboys_) May 7, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

•  A major hurdle was cleared to move us closer to a 76-team NCAA Tournament 

• Sign me up for most any of these airline seat innovations

While quote-tweeting the Big 12’s graphic that named Oklahoma State’s Ruby Meylan and Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady Co-Big 12 Pitchers of the Year, Gajewski wrote “Can we makes the Coaches’ vote public? May find out there is a different result!”

Can we make the Coaches’ vote public?May find out there is a different result! https://t.co/0kKgteYYmg

— Kenny Gajewski (@OSUcoachG) May 6, 2026

The Oklahoman‘s Scott Wright asked Gajewski after the Cowgirls’ Big 12 Tournament win against Utah if he wanted to provide some more context on that tweet. Boy, did he.

Gajewski opened his comment by saying he doesn’t want this to come off as him attacking Canady or Texas Tech but rather as a critique on the voting process — or maybe more clearly that the vote didn’t hold, according to him.

“We received an email on Wednesday, or Tuesday I think it was,” Gajewski said. “It listed all the winners. Ruby was the outright pitcher. Then I got an email from my SID, Serg, that there’s now a co-pitcher. That’s not right. I don’t appreciate it. It’s not the way we should be doing our business here. When I asked the question why, I got an answer ‘We looked at it holistically.’ You’re gonna have to explain to everybody out there what that means. It’s not right. ‘Holistically’ wasn’t on my voting sheet. It asked who the best pitcher was. I voted for NiJa because I can’t vote for (Meylan). And that’s why I said ‘Make this public.’”

“I have a lot of coaches in this league. I didn’t have to call them. They called me. They’re not happy. I’m not happy. It’s not right, and it’s nothing against NiJa or Texas Tech. It’s what the coaches voted for. So make them public. I think we’re probably not wanting to do that, to be very honest.

“I don’t have any sour grapes about ‘co.’ I have sour grapes that my kid was told that she was outright and then we changed that, for whatever reason. You guys can write about that. But it’s not right. It’s not fair to her. It wouldn’t be fair if it was NiJa and then they changed that. A vote is a vote. Why did my staff spend an hour-and-a-half voting if our vote doesn’t matter? And that’s what I’m being told. Your vote doesn’t matter.”

Gajewski concluded the news conference by saying he’s not sure where this lands him with the conference but that he is there supporting his team. He said he won’t comment anymore on the matter before standing and exiting the news conference.

Meylan was three outs from a no-hitter and led the Cowgirls to a 7-0 win against Utah in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.

Meylan finally gave up a hit to start the seventh inning, but that was all the Utes got. The Cowgirl ace didn’t have a ton of strikeouts, but she was efficient, with her pitches.

She threw 92 total pitches Thursday. In a six-appearance stretch from the Bedlam game threw the Baylor series, Meylan averaged 118.7 pitches an outing. She hasn’t thrown north of 100 pitches in her past four outings now, averaging 92.5 pitches per outing.

“I don’t know how many pitches I threw, but it didn’t feel like very many,” Meylan said.

“Nintey-two,” said Kenny Gajewski next to her.

“Which is low for me,” Meylan said. “I love to have a high pitch count, so whenever I can keep that pitch count low and pitch to contact and they just do their jobs and I do mine, it makes it pretty easy.”

The Cowgirls finally started the game’s scoring in the fifth.

Rosie Davis got to the dish with runners on first and second when she sent a ball back up the middle, scoring Jayelle Austin from second.

Queen. Of. Clutch.

Rosie comes through to put us on the board! #GoPokes | @_RoseDavis2023 pic.twitter.com/GbkSiSWTNe

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 7, 2026

After Lexi McDonald walked to load the bases, Amanda Hasler pulled a ball down the third-base line that cleared the bags and ended up with a triple. The Utah left fielder tried calling time, signaling the ball was stuck under the fence, but she ended up being able to grab it and throw it back in.

CLEAR THOSE BASES MANDO 🚨 #GoPokes | @amandahasler3 pic.twitter.com/hSgGZWMYMz

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 7, 2026

Then white hot redshirt freshman Madison Hoffman sent a ball back up the middle, scoring Hasler. After 4.5 scoreless innings, the Cowgirls all of a sudden had a 5-0 lead.

Hoff’s heater continues 🔥

Make it a 5⃣ run fifth 🤠#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/CFVyYAhCYw

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 7, 2026

It’s not that the Cowgirls didn’t have scoring opportunities before that. They left five on base in the first two innings. Then in the fourth, Hoffman was momentarily 60 feet from home, but she was called out for leaving second base early on what ended up being a wild pitch.

In her return from an ACL injury, Hoffman has primarily been used as a pinch hitter this season but drew a start in right field Thursday because Tia Warsop got banged up in a recent practice. Hoffman didn’t play there the whole game but went 2-for-3 at the plate with and RBI. It’s just the third game this season she has had multiple at-bats in. She’s now hitting an even .500 on the season — not shabby.

“She just has these big at-bats,” Gajewski said. “She hits the ball hard. She’s playing with nothing to lose. She’s a freshman. She looks like she’s playing like she’s 8. … Madison is a pretty awesome kid, and obviously she’s really hot right now.

“Tia hasn’t done anything wrong, she’s just banged up. That’s what (Hoffman) got the chances, and every time she gets the chances, she’s doing good stuff.”

Karli Godwin added to the Cowgirl lead in the sixth when she launched a home run to straightaway center. The two-run shot was Godwin’s seventh home run of the season and made it 7-0.

We have liftoff in OKC 🚀#GoPokes | @karligodwin2 https://t.co/9CVCMBCaFZ pic.twitter.com/sn4jDZtL2a

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 8, 2026

Godwin, Davis and Hoffman all finished with multiple (two, to be exact) hits.

This marks the Cowgirls first win in OKC since winning the tournament in 2022. They’ve gone 0-1 at this event the past three seasons.

OSU will play an Arizona team in Friday night’s semifinal, as the Cowgirls await the winner of Arizona and Arizona State. Those teams play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

“My seniors just reminded me that this was their first Big 12 (tournament) win,” Gajewski said. “My juniors told me the same thing, which means we’ve sucked the last three years. So, hats off to this team for making that happen. Lot of good stuff. This is a real team that we get production up and down the lineup. It’s just cool to coach them. It’s a lot of fun.”

Saylor, operator of MatScouts, has six Oklahoma State signees in his final Top 10 for the 2026 class: No. 1 Jax Forrest, No. 4 Dreshaun Ross, No. 5 Jordyn Raney, No. 6 Jayden Raney, No. 8 Rocklin Zinkin and No. 9 Michael White.

I was interested to see where Forrest would fall in various final rankings given he enrolled early, in some ways joining the 2025 class. Given he’s already won an NCAA title while the rest of the 2026 class is waiting for high school graduation, his spot atop the 2026 throne makes sense.

As of now, it looks as if Ross could be the Cowboys’ heavyweight starter next season, and one of the Raneys could find their way into the starting lineup depending on what weight Forrest and Sergio Vega man next season. As a projected 184-pounder, White could also compete for a spot in the lineup as early as next season, given the shoulder injury Zack Ryder suffered at the end of last season. I wrote a way-too-early lineup predictions post earlier this week that fleshes some of those ideas out a little more.

Forrest, Ross and the Raneys were long considered some of the top prospects in this cycle, but Zinkin and White made major gains over the past year or so.

In April of 2025, Flo (a different ranking that Saylor’s), had Zinkin as the No. 100 prospect in the class while the outlet had White at No. 40. When those rankings updated this past November, Zinkin was up to No. 11 while White actually fell to No. 55.

Zinkin made his rise off what was a great senior year with wins at Fargo and Super 32 while going 1-1 at Who’s Number One. White is still relatively new to wrestling, having only started in high school. He won an Indiana state title this year, finishing 47-0.

Oklahoma State announced Thursday that a home-and-home series with Michigan State has been scheduled for 2028 (Stillwater) and 2029 (East Lansing), which has replaced the Cowboys’ scheduled nonconference games against Alabama. On3’s Brett McMurphy first reported the news.

This news comes largely because of the SEC’s move to a nine-game league season.

The Cowboys and Spartans haven’t met on the gridiron. Michigan State hired Pat Fitzgerald this offseason. After going 11-2 under Mel Tucker in 2021, the Spartans haven’t had a winning season, going 5-7 twice and 4-8 twice.

When the Spartans come to Stillwater on Sept. 16, 2028, it’ll mark the first longstanding Big Ten member to play in Boone Pickens Stadium.

Although the Cowboys haven’t played in East Lansing, they’ve played 11 games in Michigan, but only two of those have been played since 1955 — a 1992 game at Michigan and a 2015 game at Central Michigan.

Although it’s a little disappointing that we won’t get to see Alabama funnel into those tight BPS sidelines, there are still a lot of fun nonconference foes on the horizon for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys host Oregon this season, with the Ducks returning the trip from last year’s meeting in Eugene. Then OSU also has series set with Arkansas (2027, 2032 and 2033) and Nebraska (2034 and 2035).

PFB+ Sale: ⁠PFB+ subscriptions are 25% off when using this link

OSU Bullets

• The Cowgirls are looking to reverse a negative trend when they take on Utah at dinner time in Oklahoma City today.

Since winning the Big 12 Tournament in 2022, it’s been a quick trip to Oklahoma City for the Cowgirls the past three seasons. Oklahoma State has gone 0-1 at the Big 12 Tournament the past three years, but they’ll look to turn their fortunes this week when the 2-seed Cowgirls take on 7 seed Utah in the opening round at 5 p.m. Thursday. [PFB]

• Five Cowgirls brought home All-Conference honors to go with pitcher of the year (PFB)

• Cowboy Golf was named the top seed at the Marana, Arizona Regional coming up from 5/18-5/20, a big opportunity for the Pokes to defend the title:

Oklahoma State will be defending its national title, with the Cowboys now tied third for most championships in men’s golf history. [Golf Channel]

• Cowboy corner LaDanian Fields has the “lowest catch percentage allowed of returning cornerbacks this fall” (X)

• I don’t know about this guy Steve’s credibility, but picking the championship game last year is impressive – and he’s high on the Cowboys:

Steve Palazzolo’s model has really good early indicators for Texas Tech (with or without Sorsby), Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. Last year, No. 1 and No. 2 in his preseason model? Indiana and Miami. pic.twitter.com/3l30HNkHvs

— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) May 6, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Why beef prices won’t drop anytime soon

• Pulitzer Prize winners for 2025 were announced

Despite the ending being as gross as it was, there is no arguing that Gundy led the Oklahoma State program through its best era in history. Maybe some day that obviousness of that will be lost to the sands of time, but what won’t is the record book.

The Gundy Era is all over OSU’s record book. With the era being over, here’s a look at some of the major statistical categories Gundy-led players sit atop of. It’s the new standard the Eric Morris Era players will try to run down.

Rushing TDs (Game)

Two Cowboys have scored five rushing touchdowns in a singular game: Barry Sanders (x3) and Ollie Gordon.

That came when Gordon almost singlehandedly pushed the Cowboys past BYU on Nov. 25, 2023. It was a monstrous game regardless of the circumstance, but it was also huge in the fact that it was OSU’s regular season finale and clinched the Cowboys’ spot in the Big 12 title game.

Gordon finished with 166 yards on the ground along with those five TDs. He also had four catches for another 10 receiving yards.

Passing Yards (Game)

There have been 26 games in Oklahoma State’s history where the Cowboy quarterback threw for at least 400 yards. Mike Gundy coached 25 of those quarterbacks, and he is the other quarterback.

Mason Rudolph has the program record following the Gundy Era. Rudolph threw for 540 yards in that weather-delayed game against Pitt in 2016.

Rudolph went 26-for-46 in this contest and threw two TDs.

Receptions (Game)

It had been 74 years since an OSU player had more than 15 catches in a single game when Brennan Presley brought in 16 in the Texas Bowl in 2023. That tied him with Alex Loyd (1949) for the most catches in a game.

Even with all of those catches, Presley finished that game second on the team in receiving yards with 152. Rashod Owens actually took home Offensive MVP honors for catching 10 passes for 164 yards and two scores.

Receiving Yards (Game)

This is one of the trivia questions that, I think, a lot of Cowboy fans would get right. Adarius Bowman’s performance against Kansas in 2006 was legendary, as he finished with 300 receiving yards.

OSU was down 17-0 in the second half of this contest before Bowman essentially backpacked the Cowboys to a victory. With Bobby Reid playing quarterback, Bowman caught 13 balls for those 300 yards. Four of those receptions were touchdowns.

Side note: There were single-game records set in 2006 and 2016 — what does that mean for 2026?

Tackles for Loss (Game)

Emmanuel Ogbah would be a standout on a Gundy Era All-Defensive squad.

As a sophomore in 2014, Ogbah made 5.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage against Kansas. The game will probably best be remembered for Tyreek Hill’s late-game heroics, scoring a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth on a 99-yard kick return, but Ogbah was a menace, finishing with 10 tackles, two sacks and the 5.5 tackles for loss.

Passing Yards and Touchdowns (Season)

The top seven seasons in terms of passing yards in OSU’s history were all Gundy-coached quarterbacks. Mason Rudolph accounted for three of those, including the top season, while Brandon Weeden had two, Taylor Cornelius had one and Alan Bowman had one.

Rudolph threw for 4,904 yards and 37 touchdowns — both OSU records — as a senior in 2017. The touchdown mark is tied with Weeden’s 2011 season.

Rudolph threw for at least 200 yards in all 13 of OSU’s games that season. He threw for at least 300 yards in 11 of those games and at least 400 yards in five of them. There was only one game that year where Rudolph didn’t throw a touchdown (Texas, a game OSU still won). He had multiple TD passes in every other game.

Receiving Yards and Touchdowns (Season)

Justin Blackmon’s OSU legacy is tied much closer to the Cowboys’ 2011 season, but in 2010, he set the program’s record for receiving yards in a season with 1,782 — surpassing Rashaun Woods’ 2022 season.

Blackmon also accounted for 20 touchdown catches that year, surpassing Dez Bryant’s then-record of 19.

Blackmon had at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown in every game that season — a ridiculous baseline to have. His best game in terms of yardage that year was a 10-catch, 207-yard performance against Texas Tech. His best TD game came against Tulsa, when he had 174 yards and three TDs on just six catches.

Passing Yards and Touchdowns (Career)

Rudolph is back. He closed his career with 13,618 passing yards and 92 passing touchdowns — both school records.

The top five quarterbacks in OSU’s history for career passings yards and touchdowns are four Gundy-coach QBs and Gundy himself.

Rudolph threw for less than 200 passing yards just four times in his career. Meanwhile he threw for at least 300 yards in 23 games and at least 400 yards 10 times. So when Rudolph took the field, the Cowboys had twice as good of a shot of him throwing for 400 yards than him throwing for less than 200.

Receptions (Career)*

This one comes with an asterisk because Brennan Presley took five years to climb atop this list, but still, getting ahead of Rashaun Woods on any list is a big deal.

Presley closed his career with 315 catches. After catching seven balls as a freshman, Presley would catch at least 50 in each of his remaining seasons, including 101 in 2023 and 90 in 2024.

Receiving Yards (Career)

With as many yards as Rudolph threw for, it would make sense that his primary target sits atop OSU’s career receiving yards list.

James Washington had 4,472 receiving yards on 19.8 yards a reception (also a school record) in his time as a Cowboy. Washington had 21 games of at least 100 receiving yards in his career and three games north of 200.

Oklahoma State has gone 0-1 at the Big 12 Tournament the past three years, but they’ll look to turn their fortunes this week when the 2-seed Cowgirls take on 7 seed Utah in the opening round at 5 p.m. Thursday.

The league’s top eight teams made the tournament field, meaning three Big 12 squads saw their season end this past weekend. Of the eight teams that will be in Oklahoma City, four weren’t even in the conference the last time the Cowgirls won it.

Newer Big 12 squads Arizona (3 seed), UCF (4), Arizona State (6) and Utah (7) join longstanding Big 12 members Texas Tech (1), OSU (2), Kansas (5) and Baylor (8) in the tournament. Although it’s hard to argue that the losses of OU and Texas were notable, Gajewski said this week that he likes what this new-look Big 12 has developed into.

“You start looking around, the people we brought in are the people who are getting in, as well as the teams that have been getting in,” Gajewski said. “The league RPI is the second in the country, so SEC and then us. So, we’re doing something right. I think it’s been a good league. We miss a little of the star power, but we’re really good in the middle. The top is good and the middle is better than it’s ever been. It’s been a good league. Very happy with what’s transpired.”

The Cowgirls enter the tournament sitting at No. 14 in the RPI as they look to put a bow on their NCAA Tournament resume. It feels like the Cowgirls are in a good spot to host an NCAA Regional, but getting into those top eight seeds feels like a long shot at this point, which would see the Cowgirls host a would-be Super.

Gajewski said Tuesday that All-American ace Ruby Meylan will throw the Cowgirls’ Big 12 tournament opener. She’s been all that and then some for OSU this season, with the Cowgirls winning the past 15 games Meylan has pitched in.

The topic of load management with her has been brought up a lot in Gajewski’s media availabilities because of how much she is throwing. She’s thrown 213 2/3 innings and 3,355 total pitches thus far this season.

While Gajewski clearly recognizes Meylan does need rest, he joked with the media Tuesday that they sounded more worried about it than he is. He also noted this is how it used to be in softball. For reference, Meylan’s 213 2/3 innings pitched isn’t even in the top 10 in seasons in program history. Back in 2004, Jessica Hoppock threw 307 innings for the Cowgirls.

“I’m gonna protect her this week — like we have in the league,” Gajewski said. “I don’t think we can be a top eight (seed). I think losing to Kansas (on Saturday) took any outside chance of that out. I thought there was maybe an outside chance if we swept, and then we could run the table in the conference tournament, which would be hard to do. But we’d be on, like, a huge winning streak playing probably as good of softball as anybody in the country. Then if some other things happened, maybe you slip into an 8 — maybe.

“I think we lost that chance. So, I think right now you just go in there and say, OK, we’re gonna try to win the first game, and we’ll do whatever it takes. Then we’ll evaluate that, that night in my room with the staff over some food and talk about that and figure out what’s next best. There’s no need to get ahead of ourselves yet.”

Ruby Meylan shared Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors with Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canaday. Meylan was also on the league’s First Team along with OSU third baseman Rosie Davis. Aubrey Jones and Jayelle Austin made the league’s All-Freshman team, while catcher Audrey Schneidmiller was included on the All-Defensive Team.

No one in the Big 12 has shouldered more of a workload than Meylan. Her 213 2/3 innings pitched leads the league by a full 69 innings. Even with that workload, Meylan’s 2.03 ERA is good for third in the league, while she has a Big 12 best 26 wins and ranks second with 201 strikeouts.

A junior, Davis is hitting .323 entering this weekend’s Big 12 Tournament. She has a team-best 53 hits, 11 doubles and 13 home runs. After playing second base in her first two years in Stillwater, Davis has made the transition to the hot corner and has a career-best fielding percentage of .968.

Jones is hitting .326 in her freshman season and has started every game the Cowgirls have played this year. Her 42 hits thus far ranks fifth on the team, trailing only upperclassmen, meanwhile her nine doubles are tied for second among Cowgirls.

Austin hit .257 in her freshman regular season. She’s got a knack for finding her way on base. Here .429 on-base percentage ties Karli Godwin for second on the team among Cowgirls who have at least two plate appearances in 75% of OSU’s games. Austin has drawn a team-high 30 walks. She’s also made more than a handful of highlight plays in center field.

There aren’t many stories better than that of Schneidmiller’s. A senior, Schneidmiller had ample opportunity to look for playing time elsewhere over the years but just kept showing up and putting the work in to the point it was hard for Kenny Gajewski to keep her off the field. She’s hitting .320 entering the Big 12 Tournament and has been a rock behind the plate for the Cowgirls. She has a perfect fielding percentage.

If you’re looking for slights, there was probably a strong argument for Tia Warsop and/or Claire Timm making a team. Warsop’s .349 batting average is tops among Cowgirls with at least 35 at-bats. She’s second among Cowgirls with 37 runs scored. Timm is right behind Warsop with a .348 batting average. Timm has 30 RBIs and 18 extra-base hits.

The Cowgirls open their Big 12 Tournament run with a game against Utah at 5 p.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City.

OSU Bullets

Oklahoma State’s deepest room is their receiver room. That looked like the safest bet this winter and is even more true now. The combination of returning receivers, transfers, high school signees and a couple of walk-ons gives the Cowboys plenty of room to rotate talent in and not miss too much of a beat. [GoPokes 247]

Dez Bryant highlights?@DezBryant highlights. pic.twitter.com/b3cFoMpV7f

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) May 5, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

Life rarely changes in a positive way without an increase in responsibility. That can mean taking ownership of your health or committing to a relationship or starting a business. Whatever it is, if you want the trajectory to change, the amount of responsibility usually has to change. James Clear

Madison Hoffman tore her ACL last school year, meaning she missed her freshman year on the field, but late in her return season, Hoffman has been on a tear. Since OSU’s big win against Texas on April 22, Hoffman is 5-for-8 (.625) at the plate with nine RBIs and four home runs. Her only non-home run in that stretch was a triple.

“She’s an amazing kid — I don’t even know what else to say,” Gajewski said. “She’s a worker. We talk about Lexi McDonald being The Cowgirl Way, Madison Hoffman will take those reigns over. She’s right on Lexi right now. They’re great friends. I see (Hoffman) following (McDonald). When I start talking about (The Cowgirl Way) next, it’ll be about her.

“We used to not travel kids who were hurt. Last year, I was like, how could I not travel her? When we’re home, she’s doing everything right. When we’re home, she’s the best worker. She’s been the best worker this whole year. Starting to really open our eyes in practice, being more consistent. You saw flashes of brilliance, but it was a flash. Now it’s not a flash — she’s doing it.”

Gajewski said he tells his true freshmen to follow what Hoffman does.

And it’s not just the coaching staff that notices the extra work Hoffman puts in. Junior third baseman Rosie Davis said Hoffman hits early “every single day” and is always asking for advice. Davis called Hoffman “probably the best teammate I’ve also ever met.”

“She’s just a dog,” Davis said. “She’s always been a dog. She’s the hardest worker I’ve ever met. She outworks everyone by 100 miles. It’s so cool to just go out there and just see her execute and all the hard work pay off for her. There’s a lot more to come Hoffy. She’s amazing.”

Hoffman said her work ethic comes from her parents. She said at one point when she was young, it felt like her mom was dragging her to pitching lessons but around the fifth grade it flipped to where she was dragging her mom to the field.

She didn’t initially realize her ACL was torn when it happened in a practice last school year. The injury forced Hoffman, a noted hard worker, off the softball field for an extended period of time for the first time in her life.

But because of how she handles herself, Gajewski made it a point to bring her on the road trips regardless of the fact that she couldn’t contribute on the field. Heck, there were a few games last season that Gajewski had Hoffman as the Cowgirls’ first-base coach.

Her willingness to be a good teammate has continued now that she is able to contribute on the field.

“I always just tell myself as long as our team is winning, I really don’t care what I’m doing,” Hoffman said. “I just want to win really bad. Obviously being able to contribute on the field just makes it 10 times better. But just waiting my turn, our coaches always tell us the season is really long, so just trusting that my work is gonna pay off eventually, is just what goes through my mind.”

Hoffman has primarily been used as a pinch hitter of late, a spot that Gajewski said takes a special kind of person with a special mentality. Hoffman said pinch hitting can be stressful, but it’s been working.

When recalling her favorite moments of the season thus far, Hoffman noted that her home run against Texas was “pretty awesome.” Not only was it a big game, but it marked her first college home run and came in a win against the defending national champs.

What a time for your first career homer, Hoff 👏

📺 ESPN2 #GoPokes https://t.co/R8X6tIQBQ4 pic.twitter.com/Bt3XcY13en

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 23, 2026

Hoffman had a relatively quiet Baylor series that next weekend, stepping to the plate in every game, but going 0-for-1 with two walks drawn.

That next midweek game saw the Cowgirls host Tulsa, and Hoffman’s fingerprints were all over the Cowgirls’ 5-0 win. She hit a three-run home run in the fourth, an RBI triple in the sixth and scored in that sixth inning off an Aubrey Jones single. So, Hoffman drove in four runs and scored the other.

That bark had a lot of bite. #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/2joQAg8JOw

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 30, 2026

Then she took three at-bats against Kansas this past weekend. Two of those plate appearances ended with the ball over the fence.

Hoff’s last three ABs: HR, 3B, HR 🔥

Chat, is that good? #GoPokes https://t.co/qPoHtwzuIK pic.twitter.com/VUgj75RC2n

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 2, 2026

HOFF = HEATER

Her third home run in her last five ABs 🔥#GoPokes https://t.co/YNNxxnBfpL pic.twitter.com/q09LxdaJF4

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 3, 2026

“I believe that people get what they oughta get, and I’ll just leave it at that,” Gajewski said.

On Monday, Stilly Boys released a behind-the-scenes documentary of the Cowboy RTC’s journey at last month’s U.S. Open.

There were ups — like Wyatt Hendrickson and Landon Robideau dominating their brackets. But there were also some down.

Wearing a compression sleeve on his knee, 2025 NCAA champ Dean Hamiti dropped his quarterfinal bout in the 79 kg bracket, which out of context was a somewhat surprising loss. But with the context of that documentary, that sleeve wasn’t there for good looks.

“DJ kinda tweaked his knee — I don’t know what it’s been — maybe a month and a half ago,” Taylor said. “Wasn’t thinking much about it, went and got it looked at and realized his ACL is torn and had been torn for a long time. So, really likely that he won the nationals on a torn ACL a year ago. It’s always bugged him but never really thought much about it.”

Taylor is a big believer in wrestling the backside of brackets. It’s something he not only preaches but practiced. Taylor wrestled at the 2024 World Championships when he was somewhat already retired having taken the OSU job. He got matched up against six-time world champ and two-time Olympic champ Abdulrashid Sadulaev in the first round and fell 3-1. But Taylor still wrestled the backside of that bracket and left with a bronze medal.

All that is to say that Taylor is big on finishing out a tournament, but with Hamiti clearly being compromised with that knee, Taylor made it clear to Hamiti that he didn’t have to keep wrestling.

“I would never tell somebody to medical out of a tournament,” Taylor said. “It’s just not something we believe in, but you’re thinking about the long-term future there. There was no real upside. There was no team that he could make at that point. It’s just the way it was.”

But Hamiti wanted to finish on the podium, so he went out for one more match at the Open, pinned his foe and took eighth.

It’s impossible to know when the tear occurred, but if Hamiti did, in fact, win that 2025 NCAA title minus an ACL, it makes the already impressive feat all the more impressive.

To get to that title, Hamiti beat Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy in the quarters. Kennedy would go on to finish fourth and took third this most recent season.

Then the Cowboy matched up with Penn State’s Levi Haines in the semis. Haines finished third that year. He just wrapped up his college career with a second national title — going second, first, third, first in his four NCAA Championships.

Hamiti won his final against Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole. O’Toole was also quite banged up in that match, so shoutout to his toughness, as well. But O’Toole wrestled at five NCAA Tournaments and went third, first, first, third, second.

That’s an incredible run from Hamiti regardless of circumstance, but it turns out, it might’ve been even more incredible than we initially thought.

OSU Bullets

• Dez Bryant, Jr. got an offer from Oklahoma State yesterday (PFB)

• Predicting OSU’s 2026-27 wrestling starting lineup (PFB)

• D1 Baseball has the Pokes as a postseason lock after sweeping TCU over the weekend (D1Baseball.com)

• Cade Cunningham took a step, carrying the Pistons through the first round (CBS Sports)

•  Gundy would consistently talk about how he’s glad he set a new expectation by winning so many games – it’s wild living up to your own success: 

One more observation:

Oklahoma State (25) has more wins than Auburn, Florida, FSU, Miami, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC. The guy responsible for all those wins (at his alma mater) was pushed out the door last year after losing 11 straight to FBS foes. https://t.co/Sa8VnVuscj

— Chris Low (@Clowfb) May 5, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Spirit Airlines shut down • 62 gifts for a recent college grad

So, let’s take an early stab at what the Cowboys’ lineup could look like next season, as Taylor brought in another elite recruiting class to pair with his already outstanding team.

Quick note: the NCAA is pushing for a five-for-five eligibility model. That means athletes would have five seasons to compete but eliminate traditional redshirts. I think that could be a big deal in wrestling, as it would no longer make sense for an already good guy to sit for a year and develop. For what it’s worth, Taylor has already proven he isn’t afraid to throw young guys right into things.

125

Weight Overview: Taylor’s first team had a lot of experienced guys on it. His second was filled with exciting youth. But Troy Spratley was a constant in both.

After taking second at NCAAs in Taylor’s first year, Spratley battled to a fifth-place finish at the always-chaotic weight this past season.

Spratley will be entering his senior year, though. The Cowboys are adding stud freshman lightweight Rocklin Zinkin, who just added his third California state title in a highly anticipated bout against a previously unbeaten wrestler. He’s also been a winner at Fargo and Super 32.

With as stacked as the Cowboys are in the lighter weights right now, I’ve also wondered if it’s possible that a guy like Ronnie Ramirez is capable of a cut down from 133 to 125. I don’t know that we’ll need to know the answer to that question this season, but something to think about once Spratley is done.

Prediction: Troy Spratley

133

Weight Overview: This is where things get complicated.

And maybe it shouldn’t be. There’s a world where the answer is simply Jax Forrest, the reigning national champion at the weight. While there is no doubt Forrest will be in the Cowboys’ lineup next season, there’s a question as to whether it’ll be back at 133 or perhaps a jump up to 141.

If his natural growth doesn’t make it a necessity, Forrest will at some point in the next few years have to make the ascent up to 65 kg (about 143 pounds) for the Olympics, as the 61 kg (about 134 pounds) that he’s wrestled freestyle at the past two years isn’t an Olympic weight. For what it’s worth, Forrest is still wrestling 61 kg this freestyle season, so maybe that move up doesn’t happen this year.

Should he make the move up, there are plenty of contenders for this spot.

It starts with Ramirez, who went 11-3 while redshirting this season and looked ready to step into the lineup had it not been for Forrest’s early arrival.

Cael Hughes had some success at the weight in 2024-25, going 8-1, but 133 might be a tough cut for him at this point. He went 140-0 as a high schooler and is a four-time Oklahoma state champ, but has dealt with injuries to start his college career.

And twins Jayden and Jordyn Raney are incoming — two Top 10 recruits in the 2026 class. Jordyn has wrestled heavier than Jayden, with Jordyn winning his sixth Kentucky state title this year at 150 pounds. Wrestling at 144, Jayden won his fifth state title. Jayden won Who’s Number One last year at 132 pounds.

Prediction: Jayden Raney

This tells you where I have Forrest and Sergio Vega going, but man, I really have no clue when it comes to 133 and 141.

141

Weight Overview: This weight is in almost the exact same spot with returning national champ Sergio Vega, but it sounds as if Vega might not be long for the weight and could be on his way up.

Many of the same depth pieces at 133 would be in play here, as well. You also wonder whether it’s possible for Tagen Jamison to get back down to 141 if its his best shot in the lineup. Jamison missed this past season with an injury but was already viewed as a big 141 in Taylor’s first year.

Prediction: Jax Forrest

The predictions at 133 and 141 were the toughest because it feels like they can go about five different ways. They were the last two weights I filled in, and even as I’m typing this, I don’t feel confident.

As good as we already know Forrest and Vega are, this segment of the lineup could come down to who Taylor thinks has the most points-scoring potential among the other options. If Ramirez is the best guy for this season among those others, perhaps he gets the 133 spot and Forrest bumps up. If one of the Raneys are the better option, perhaps Forrest stays down and one them gets the 141 spot. It’s a great problem to have if your Taylor, but as someone trying to predict it, I have no clue.

149

Weight Overview: Well, if I didn’t have Vega at 141, where do you think I have him going?

This was a spot manned by Casey Swiderski this past season. Swiderski’s fire felt like a big deal for this young team, with Vega in particular crediting him with a lot following his national title. That’s why this stinks for Swiderski should this be the way things are headed, but Vega won a national title as a freshman without getting taken down — if he can’t make 141 anymore, you’ve obviously still have to keep him in the lineup.

If a Raney also wants to scrap for this spot, it’d likely be Jordyn. These lower/middle weights are so stacked.

Prediction: Sergio Vega

157

Weight Overview: It’s Landon Robideau.

Prediction: Landon Robideau

165

Weight Overview: Dee Lockett had a disappointing end to an otherwise solid freshman season, and I’m excited to see how he uses that disappointment to motivate him this offseason.

Prediction: Dee Lockett

174

Weight Overview: It felt like Alex Facundo was on the precipice of having a true breakout year, but he hit stumbled late.

The answer at 174 could be as simple as Facundo running it back now having gone through the rigors of a full season, but this could also be a spot up for grabs.

I was super impressed with Kody Routledge‘s redshirt year at 165 pounds. He went 6-2 with his losses being to national qualifier Braeden Scoles in the Cougar Clash final and a 10-9 decision to Big 12 champ/fourth-place NCAA finisher Nicco Ruiz. Routledge is going to be a tough to keep out of the lineup much longer.

Some have also wondered whether 174 would be the best weight for Zack Ryder. Ryder was the Cowboys’ 184 pounder last season and finished eighth while battling through injury.

Along with whatever happens at 133/141, this feels like the most hotly contested weight.

 Prediction: Kody Routledge

It honestly feels like a three-sided coin flip. If I knew Ryder would be healthy, I think that’s where I’d lean. But for now, give me the Edmond North product.

184

Weight Overview: Zack Ryder’s run to the podium despite his shoulder dislocating basically every match was one of the better stories of OSU’s postseason.

Will he be able to recover from that in time to be ready to go for next season? That’s the question.

This is the lone spot OSU hit the portal for this offseason, brining in South Dakota State transfer Bennett Berge. Berge finished fourth at the weight in 2024. He wrestled up at 197 pounds this past season, losing to Cody Merrill in the Big 12 tournament. The prevailing thought is that Berge will be headed back down with this move to Stillwater.

Mikey White is another name to watch out for here. White will be a freshman this season. He hasn’t been wrestling all that long, but his potential is evident, finishing his high school senior year at 47-0 with an Indiana state title. He’s the No. 1 190-pound prospect in the country, per Flo.

Prediction: Bennett Berge

197

Weight Overview: Fan-favorite Cody Merrill was thought to be in contention for a podium finish going into nationals this past season, and he more than outkicked that expectation with a second-place finish as a redshirt freshman.

I’ll give a shoutout to Austin Johnson here, as well. Johnson had a great redshirt year, going 8-3 with a win at the Cyclone Open.

Prediction: Cody Merrill

HWT

Weight Overview: This is the only weight where the Cowboys’ starter from this past season ran out of eligibility, but luckily for the Pokes, they have a blue-chipper coming in.

Dreshaun Ross is the top-ranked heavyweight prospect in the 2026 class. He is a four-time Iowa state champ and won at Fargo in July.

Heavyweight is a tough weight to get thrown into as a freshman, but the weight is losing its top four placers from last season.

Prediction: Dreshaun Ross

On Monday, Bryant’s son, Dez Bryant Jr., announced he has been offered to play football at Oklahoma State.

Blessed to receive an offer from OSU! All glory to God. More work to do. Grateful, focused, just getting started. #AGTG @leemunn87 @CoachRazloznik @CoachL_OBrien @coachwetzel_ @__CoachMorris @drobalwayzopen @SLC_Recruiting @CarrollDragonFB pic.twitter.com/qtPTTJfIBS

— DezJr (@DezJrx) May 4, 2026

The younger Dez is a wide receiver prospect in the 2028 recruiting class out of Southlake Carroll (TX), having previously spent time at Colleyville Heritage (TX). He’s also received offers to play at Texas A&M, SMU and Kentucky.

He’s listed at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds and was credited with a 4.46 40-yard dash at a recent Under Armour event.

It’s still early days when it comes to prospects in the 2028 class, and thus, Bryant Jr. isn’t ranked as of yet, but certainly will be with a starting offer sheet like that.

If you’ve been living under a rock, the elder Dez was a standout in Stillwater.

He played in 28 games (thanks, NCAA), where he caught 147 passes for 2,425 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was also a standout in the return game, housing three punts as a Cowboy.

Bryant was a consensus All-American in 2008 after catching 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns. That season ranks second in OSU’s history in touchdown receptions, trailing only the 20 Justin Blackmon caught in 2010. Despite his college career being cut short, Bryant still ranks fifth in program history in career touchdown receptions.

The Dallas Cowboys ended up taking Bryant with the 24th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and he’d go on to become one of the better NFL players OSU has produced. In eight seasons in Dallas, Bryant caught 537 passes for 7,506 yards and 75 touchdowns. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and a First Team All-Pro selection.

OSU Bullets

“I think it definitely creates more pressure, as we move towards more of these power conferences,” said OSU men’s coach Steve Lutz. “If they’re taking more teams, and you’re not able to make the tournament, especially if your university has invested into your program…” Lutz said. “You’re already starting to see people let go after three years, whereas you used to get four or five years.” [TulsaWorld]

.@cowgirlsb is 1-1 vs. Nebraska this season and 1-0 vs. OU. Huskers won the Big 10, and OU won the SEC. #okstate #gopokes @OSUAthletics

— Kevin Klintworth (@KKlintworth) May 3, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

Oklahoma State swept TCU this weekend with an 11-10 win on Sunday. But it didn’t always look as if the Cowboys would win this game.

OSU trailed 8-1 going into the bottom of the third inning, with the Horned Frogs battering the Pokes with a seven-run second inning that saw three balls leave the yard.

But then slowly and surely, the Pokes started chipping away.

OSU pulled two back in the bottom of third when Aidan Meola homered to left.

Bye bye baseball 👋#GoPokes | @aidanmeola1 pic.twitter.com/UFpAAlPA21

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 3, 2026

The two-run shot momentarily cut TCU’s lead to five, but then the Horned Frogs got one back with a bases-loaded walk in the top of the fourth. But the home half of that inning was really where the Cowboys started showing life.

OSU plated three in the inning, all coming off a two-out rally. Freshman Danny Wallace, who has been playing well, singled to start the rally and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Alex Conover, who homered in the first, walked.

That brought up Brock Thompson, who took a 2-2 count to right, singling and scoring Wallace.

Then superstar Kollin Ritchie had an infield single that saw Conover score from third before a Meola single scored Thompson. All of a sudden, it was 9-6.

It’d stay that way until the sixth when the Cowboys would get the lead back.

Ritchie homered for the 26th time this season. The two-run shot made it 9-8. Ritchie’s 26th homer ties Tal Light (1995) and Robin Ventura (1988) for sixth on OSU’s single season record list.

Just Kollin doing Kollin things 💪

His fourth 💣 of the series puts the Cowboys within one#GoPokes | @RitchieKollin pic.twitter.com/XwAIHJZ9Qq

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 3, 2026

Then Meola tied it in the next at-bat, taking an 0-2 count to center.

WE’RE TIED ‼️

Pokes comeback from down seven #GoPokes | @aidanmeola1 pic.twitter.com/lGMlqBtWpa

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 3, 2026

And then with the next at-bat, Campbell Smithwick gave the Pokes the lead on a full count.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK ✖️3⃣

Soup hits the 3rd straight BOMB for the Cowboys to take the lead#GoPokes | @campbellrsoup pic.twitter.com/6GQlg3dvkF

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 3, 2026

OSU would score again in the eighth on a fielder’s choice to add what ended up being some much-needed insurance before Noah Wech put the Frogs to bed … after a bit of a scare.

Leadoff man Cole Cramer reached on a fielding error and advanced to second on a ground out.

After another groundout meant the game was an out away from ending, Wech walked Nolan Traeger before Rob Liddington Jr. doubled. One run scored, and the tying run was 90 feet from home plate. But then Wech forced a full-count flyout to secure the sweep.

After a no-fun start from Brennan Phillips on the mound and a not-ideal initial relief outing from Kai Fyke, the Cowboy bullpen did an excellent job finding a way to get it done. The quartet of Zane Burns, Jake Kennedy, Drew Blake and Wech combined to throw six innings where they have up three hits and the ninth-inning run. Wech was the only one of that group to give up a hit.

Don’t look now, but the Cowboys are 31-17 and 14-10 in Big 12 play. It’s their second straight Big 12 sweep after going 3-0 in Lubbock last weekend. They’re off in the midweek and return to action next weekend when they travel to Arizona State for a three-game series.

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As always, we appreciate our sponsor Chris’ University Spirit and Echo Contracting.

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Oklahoma State beat Kansas 7-0 in Cowgirl Stadium. The win plus Arizona’s loss to Utah means the Cowgirls secured the 2 seed in this week’s Big 12 Tournament.

After the Cowgirls were clobbered without Meylan on Saturday, the Cowgirl ace returned to the circle and added to a little history.

Meylan threw the whole seven, giving up a hit while walking none and striking out seven.

She’s up to 201 strikeouts on the season and now boats a 26-6 record. Meylan becomes the fourth Cowgirl with multiple 20-win/200-strikeout seasons — joining Michele Smith, Melanie Roche and Kim Ward. Not bad company.

The only baserunner the Jayhawks had Sunday came via an OSU error in the fourth. OSU had a shift on. Right fielder Claire Timm was essentially playing shortstop and couldn’t quite get ahold of a hard-hit ball in time to throw Presley Limbaugh out at first.

Meylan had a no-hitter going into the sixth when Ava Wallace sent a ball to the gap in right-center, but after a review, she was tagged out while popping up from her slide at second, quickly putting an end to any momentum the Jayhawks thought they had.

It wasn’t just that the Cowgirls were without Meylan on Saturday — their offense had a bad day. But that group got back on track Sunday, scoring runs in four of the six innings the Cowgirls batted in.

Gajewski said there might be something to the offense playing better in days Meylan pitches.

“The way I would say it is when you look at her and you’re playing behind her, if you don’t think you can win, you’ve lost your mind,” Gajewski said. “We can beat anybody. We’ve shown that. When she throws, we’re as good as anybody in the country.”

It was another solid day of softball for Rosie Davis. The junior third baseman scored a run and drove in three. She hit a two-run home run in the third. It marked her third home run of the series and 13th of the year.

It was her 30th career homer, putting her alone in sixth on OSU’s all-time list.

Make it a baker’s dozen on the year for 2⃣6⃣#GoPokes | @_RoseDavis2023 https://t.co/HAr23CDm2I pic.twitter.com/7386epbYPD

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 3, 2026

Davis’ homer was one of three the Cowgirls hit Saturday.

Redshirt freshman Madison Hoffman is absolutely scorching. She homered again on Sunday, this one a two-run shot in the fifth. It’s her third home run in the past four games and fourth since crushing one at Texas on April 22. She’s hit three home runs and a triple in her past five at-bats.

HOFF = HEATER

Her third home run in her last five ABs 🔥#GoPokes https://t.co/YNNxxnBfpL pic.twitter.com/q09LxdaJF4

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 3, 2026

Returning from a knee injury, Hoffman has primarily been used as a pinch hitter. She’s now taken 19 at-bats this season and is hitting .474.

“It’s wild,” Gajewski said. “I don’t wanna talk about it. I’m just gonna keep putting her in there. She’s the hardest worker. It’s crazy to see. She flashes power every day. So, it’s not a shock. It’s not a lucky thing. She’s got crazy pop.”

Senior catcher Audrey Schneidmiller got the home run party started in the second, sending a two-run shot to left. It was her fourth of the season.

OSU enters the Big 12 Tournament having won 20 of their past 24 games. OSU closes the regular season at 37-14 and 16-8 in Big 12 play. Regardless of what happens in OKC, the Cowgirls should be in a good spot to host an NCAA Regional with how they’ve closed the year.

“I do (feel comfortable about being a host), but I’ve seen some wild stuff,” Gajewski said. “We’ll take whatever comes our way and we’ll go anywhere to play. We can win anywhere, but I think we’ve done what we need to to be a top 16 host.”

OSU will play Utah at 5 p.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City. The game will be on ESPN+.

OSU Bullets

• A day after taking Game 1 over Kansas 8-1, the Cowgirls got run-ruled 10-1 by the Jayhawks. The rubber match is set for Sunday. [PFB]

• At the other diamond in Stilly, the Cowboys took care of business and earned a nice series win over TCU. They’ll look to sweep on Sunday. [PFB]

• During that game, TCU’s head coach got ejected for arguing a call and took a very deliberate stroll through the outfield.

Clipped from the game broadcast on my phone.

The brief case exit was iconic. https://t.co/iccpL0HUrU pic.twitter.com/2vP1NAm9Fi — Daniel Allen (@bydanielallen25) May 3, 2026

The rules might be to post only one picture, but sometimes we just can’t help ourselves. pic.twitter.com/OWx94MIuzD

— No Context College BSB 2.0 (@NoContextBSB) May 3, 2026

• McLean is filthy.

Nolan McLean has struck out four through three innings 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JogvIIXLb9

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 3, 2026

• Berry Tramel talks NCAA Tournament expansion,

Non-OSU Bullets

• Quick preview of Thunder-Lakers. [The Athletic]

• Wild thang.

New Dolphins QB Malik Willis threw out the first pitch Friday night: pic.twitter.com/5UuWB2jW3M

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 2, 2026

The Cowboys secured a statement series win in a game that produced an iconic ejection by TCU’s head coach.

Oklahoma State defeated TCU 9-2 to earn the Cowboys’ fourth Big 12 series win. The Cowboys poured it on late, but it was a defensive battle for more than half of the evening.

Both teams were scoreless through five before things finally broke loose. The Horned Frogs scored on a two-RBI double by Chase Brunson. The Cowboys countered with runs of their own in the sixth off sac-fly’s by Campbell Smithwick and Avery Ortiz, who played in his first game in about a month.

The Cowboys kept scoring, but the Frogs didn’t. OSU scored three runs in the seventh and four in the eighth.

A day after Kollin Ritchie made history with his 23rd, 24th and 25th home runs of the season (including the walk-off game-winner), the Frogs were resigned to leave him be. Ritchie was 1-for-1 and was walked four times. But two of those walks resulted in runs, including a run in the seventh when he scored from first base on an Aidan Meola double.

While TCU pitched around Ritchie, they couldn’t avoid all the Pokes’ bats. Five Cowboys drove in runs including a solo home run from Ortiz in the eighth and a two-run homer by Garrett Shull later in that inning, his 12th bomb of the year.

Stormy Rhodes got the start from the mound and lasted 5 2/3 innings. He allowed those two runs in the sixth but struck out six batters. Mario Pesca picked up the win, moving to 5-3 on the season. In 3 1/3 innings he allowed just one hit, walked two Frogs and struck out six.

In a peculiar turn of events, TCU head coach Kirk Saarloos was ejected for arguing an overturned call that saw Danny Wallace ruled safe after originally being called out at third. Saarloos made sure the officials understood his point of view and then, after he was ejected, he went back to the first-base dugout, grabbed his leather briefcase and then took a very long stroll across the field.

TCU manager Kirk Saarloos got ejected and proceeded to grab his leather briefcase then take over a minute to walk across the field before leaving pic.twitter.com/cIqFVVz8ex

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 3, 2026

With the win, the Cowboys improve to 30-17 on the year and 19-5 in conference play. The Pokes will go for the sweep at 1 p.m. Sunday at O’Brate Stadium.

The Cowgirls did the butt-kicking on Friday night but were on the other end of things on Saturday.

No. 16 Oklahoma State fell to Kansas 10-1 in five innings. The Jayhawks hit the ground running and didn’t look back.

Freshman Preslee Downing got the start for the Cowgirls but took her first L of the season. She’s 5-1 on the year, but the Jayhawks had her number on Saturday.

Downing gave up five total runs while facing just five total Jayhawk batters. After a lead-off single and then a double put her in a jam, the next three Jayhawks batted in a run, and the Cowgirls made a pitching change.

RyLee Crandall came in and did get OSU out of the inning but not before KU’s Aynslee Linduff sent the fourth and fifth runs across the plate. She would finish out the game, allowing five runs on 11 hits while walking three with three strikeouts.

The Cowgirls scored their only run in the bottom of the first on a Rosie Davis solo home run, her 12th bomb of the season.

Rosie’s 12th dinger of the year!#GoPokes | @_RoseDavis2023 https://t.co/eBHHL5AosL pic.twitter.com/7vYdPiqMfJ

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 2, 2026

Kansas added a run in the second, three in the third and another in the fourth to go up 10-1. A scoreless fifth for both squads resulted in the mercy rule.

The loss ends a seven-game winning streak for the Cowgirls and ties the weekend series at 1-1 after OSU topped Kansas 8-1 on Friday. The Cowgirls are 36-14 and 15-8 in Big 12 play. The rubber match is set for 1 p.m. Sunday at Cowgirl Stadium.

Three Thoughts

• OSU landed a commitment from an Oklahoma point guard, an OSU legacy through his dad who played quarterback for the Pokes in the 2000s (PFB)

• The Cowgirls continue to cruise after an 8-1 win over Kansas, while the Pokes saw a program record for home runs tied in a walkoff win over the Frogs (PFB)  

• Steve Lutz and his crew went full-on offense last year; they’re going for a more balanced look with the transfer portal class this year (TulsaWorld)

Two Quotes

• Update on Gundy’s ideology in retirement: 

What I took from Gundy on Cowherd:

– first words were “they deserve to be paid”
– still not a portal fan
– thinks 8 is the perfect playoff number, and would have playoff right after the season
– Mahomes is the best college QB he coached against
– portal changed hard coaching

— Dan Lindblad (@DanLindbladTV) April 30, 2026

• Kollin Ritchie – the homerun king of the 2020s:

With his second home run of the night, Kollin Ritchie makes a lil history. pic.twitter.com/BiAi0oGc2k

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) May 2, 2026

One Question

• Great question here – what’s your realistic win/loss prediction for football this fall? 

Oklahoma State fans… what’s your realistic football record prediction next season?
I don’t want optimism, I want honesty. 😭
Drop it 👇

— CGA Tour 🎙️ (@TheCGATour) April 29, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Big 12’s private capital agreement puts them in position for new TV deal

• Denver’s first-round exit clears paths for OKC

Having already sent two out of the ballpark, Ritchie said he wasn’t sure he was he was going to get a pitch to hit. But the Horned Frogs still went at him. Ritchie belted the second pitch he saw into the Stillwater’s neon black skies, giving the Cowboys a 7-6 win in their series opener against TCU.

HOMER x3

Kollin Ritchie ends the night with his third home run of the game#GoPokes | @RitchieKollin pic.twitter.com/VdmODyP3Og

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 2, 2026

“He’s uniquely strong — that’s real strong,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said. “He was like that when he got here. He got like that his senior year of high school. He became a man two years before most kids. A lot of guys, by the time they’re sophomores, they start to get man strength. His senior year (of high school), he was man strong. …

“As time has gone on, he has gained a greater working knowledge of the art of hitting. He’s now become a two-sided hitter. He can hit both to the left and right, you saw that on display tonight. He’s also become a multispeed hitter. He can now hit both hard and soft pitches, and he’s learned how to be a focal point, meaning people are really trying to keep him from beating them and yet he’s still finding ways to not miss the pitch he gets. And he might only get one an at-bat. So, it’s a lot of things — it’s all of those things together.”

From Atoka, Ritchie went 4-for-4 Friday night with the three round-trippers and a double. They were home runs No. 23, 24 and 25 of the season for him. The 23rd tied Nolan Schubert for the most in an OSU season since 2000. Then 24 broke that record, and 25 put some distance between him in the field.

It would take some doing for Ritchie to get to Pete Incaviglia’s season record of 48, but with seven regular season games to go along with the postseason, just about anything else is within reach. Lamont Matthews (1999) and Monty Fariss (1988) are tied with the second-most home runs in an OSU season with 30. If Ritchie hits one more home run, he’ll tie Robin Ventura’s best home-run hitting season as a Cowboy, for further reference.

“When you play baseball at OSU, to do anything that’s the most of anything, you gotta be pretty good because the dudes before us set a standard I’m not sure anyone will ever touch,” Holliday said. “Whether it’s what Pete did, or what Robin did, or what the guys on this wall did, or what many, many others did, that’s our history. We cherish it. So, we celebrate when somebody does something special.”

It was a back and forth game to get to that point.

Ethan Lund got the start on the bump and got himself in and out of a sticky situation right off the rip.

He walked TCU leadoff man Jack Arthur before Arthur stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw. Then Lund walked two-hole hitter Cole Cramer, putting runners on the corners with no outs just minutes into the game.

But then Lund answered with two straight strikeouts before Cramer took off for second and momentarily got caught in a run down before OSU shortstop Brock Thompson fired home, throwing out Arthur at the plate to get the Cowboys out of the frame.

Lund gave up a two-run shot early in the fourth and then got in further trouble in the sixth, giving up a three-run home run that saw TCU take it’s first lead of the game at 5-3.

Lund went 4 2/3 innings in the Friday start, giving up five runs on five hits while walking five and striking out 10. He hit 100 strikeouts on the season Friday, becoming the 20th Cowboy to hit the mark in a season.

Noah Wech would come on with two outs in the fifth and give up a solo shot on his first pitch, giving TCU a 6-3 lead. He gave up a hit in the sixth, but kept the Horned Frogs off the plate.

Behind Wech, Drew Blake, Kai Fyke and Hudson Barrett combined to through three really good innings, as that trio didn’t allow a hit, walked one and struck out six.

The Cowboys ended up plating the game’s first three runs.

Aidan Meola started the game’s scoring in the bottom of the first. With Brock Thompson and Ritchie is scoring position, Meola roped a ball to right-center that was initially ruled a three-run home run. TCU challenged, though, and it was determined the ball didn’t go out, sending Meola back to second while the two runners scored.

While it wasn’t a homer, Aidan Meola brings in two with an RBI double#GoPokes |@aidanmeola1 pic.twitter.com/Woa13STJ4p

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 1, 2026

Ritchie would add to the lead in the third, hitting his 23rd home run of the season. This one was also a solo shot to right field.

No doubt about this one ⚾️

Kollin Ritchie blasts a solo shot to push the lead to three#GoPokes | @RitchieKollin pic.twitter.com/llii4S0aiW

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 2, 2026

After the Horned Frogs scored six unanswered to take a 6-3 lead, freshman outfielder Danny Wallace homered to right-center in the fifth. The solo shot was his third career home run.

After drawing a walk, Ritchie would score in the fifth, as well, going from first to home after a throwing error from the pitcher on a Meola single, cutting TCU’s lead to 6-5.

Ritchie tied it in the seventh with his second home run of the night. He sent this one the other way to left-center.

We told y’all he was just getting started 🫢

Kollin Ritchie ties the game in the seventh with his second homer of the night!#GoPokes | @RitchieKollin pic.twitter.com/L37tFautFP

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 2, 2026

The Cowboys squandered a golden opportunity for a go-ahead run in the eighth. They had the bases loaded with one out before back-to-back strikeouts got TCU out of the jam. But luckily for the Cowboys, Ritchie didn’t let that missed opportunity linger with his ninth-inning heroics.

OSU-TCU Game 2

When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: O’Brate Stadium
Watch: ESPN+

Josh Holliday’s Postgame News Conference

Kollin Ritchie’s Postgame News Conference

Oklahoma State opened its series against Kansas with a 8-1 W on Friday night at Cowgirl Stadium. Warsop cracked the game open in the fourth with a base-loaded single that scored Rosie Davis and a pinch-running Gabby Castillo.

You already know what time it is.

T TIME 🚨#GoPokes | @tia_warsop pic.twitter.com/CNp1UNc2Ww

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 2, 2026

That draw-breaking hit came after a third inning where Warsop made a sliding catch in left field before hosing down a runner at the plate.

WHAT A PLAY FROM WARSOP 🚫

Tia makes the snag and guns the runner at the plate to keep the Jayhawks off the board! #GoPokes | @tia_warsop pic.twitter.com/LRfUrXCodU

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 1, 2026

In the Cowgirls’ past 10 games, Warsop is hitting .367 (against some tough competition) with seven runs scored and nine RBIs.

Those first two runs would be all Ruby Meylan needed — though she did get more. Meylan threw six innings — the first game she has played in since March that she didn’t pitch the full game. She gave up the one run off four hits while walking none and striking out eight.

RyLee Crandall came in and threw the final inning, allowing one hit before forcing a game-ending double-play.

Once Warsop broke the seal in that fourth inning, the runs started flowing for the Cowgirls. Warsop and Macy Graf scored on an Audrey Schneidmiller single in next at-bat in that fourth inning to make it 4-0.

Aud adds on 👏

It’s a 4⃣run fourth for the Pokes 📈#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/zG2yI52iRa

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 2, 2026

Then in the fifth, Claire Timm and Rosie Davis each hit solo shots to push the lead to 6-0. It was Timm’s eighth of the season and Davis’ sixth.

We don’t need any dents in that, Claire 😳 #GoPokes https://t.co/yhigMrlf6b pic.twitter.com/otmB9Goojl

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 2, 2026

We don’t need any dents in that, Claire 😳 #GoPokes https://t.co/yhigMrlf6b pic.twitter.com/otmB9Goojl

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 2, 2026

The Jayhawks plated their run in the top of the sixth before the Cowgirls quickly covered that up with back-to-back jacks in the home half of the inning.

The first came via redshirt freshman Madison Hoffman, who is on fire right now. It was her third home run of the season, all of which have come since April 22. She enters Saturday hitting .471 on the season.

Hoff’s last three ABs: HR, 3B, HR 🔥

Chat, is that good? #GoPokes https://t.co/qPoHtwzuIK pic.twitter.com/VUgj75RC2n

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 2, 2026

Then freshman shortstop Aubrey Jones hit her fourth round-tripper of the year two pitches later, giving the Cowgirls the 8-1 lead.

Awesome Sauce 😉 #GoPokes | @AubreyJones2025 https://t.co/SfIr34FUFI pic.twitter.com/or7qClsxsA

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 2, 2026

The Cowgirls’ series against the Jayhawks continues at 2 p.m. Saturday. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Tyson Pogi, the son of former Oklahoma State quarterback Aso Pogi, announced his commitment to play basketball at Oklahoma State. Out of Southmoore, Pogi is the No. 143 player in the 2027 class, per 247Sports, which lists him as the No. 29 point guard and No. 2 Oklahoman in the cycle.

Pogi = 🧡🖤 #committed pic.twitter.com/jaavCgKcmC

— Tyson Pogi (@pogi_tyson) May 1, 2026

Pogi, listed at 6-1, was his district’s offensive player of the year as a junior this past season after averaging 27.7 points, 4.1 assists and 6.3 rebounds a game. Oklahoma State offered back last August.

“It meant a lot to me just because that’s where my dad played football,” Tyson told PFB after the offer. “And then just from them recruiting me for such a long time throughout like eighth grade all the way up to the point right now. They’ve been loyal to me, is what I would say. So, it meant a lot to know that they put that trust in me to officially throw the offer.”

Pogi had a big Peach Jam last summer, averaging 17.2 points across six games playing in the E16 division with MoKan while shooting 57% (!!) from 3.

Here’s how Tyson’s dad explained Pogi’s game to PFB:

“He’s a high-IQ, savvy point guard, can play off the pick-and-roll,” Aso said. “He does a great job of reading space, occupying space off the dribble or with the pass, occupying space with his vision. Does a good job of manipulating and getting advantages for his teammates as well as himself. I think he’s just a really good leader. He’s not a guy that doesn’t know things – he’s extremely intelligent when it comes to offensive systems, just what a head coach is trying to get done.”

Aso threw for 3,673 yards and 18 touchdowns in the early 2000s from the Cowboys while running for another nine scores. Early in his high school career, it looked like Tyson might follow in his father’s football footsteps. He was the quarterback at Mustang and took some trips up to Stillwater as a football prospect. But rather than playing on Lewis Field like he’s dad, Tyson will be playing slightly east of there on Eddie Sutton Court.

“Obviously for me, being a former OSU Cowboy, just really enjoyed my time there, but I was just more happy for him, just a goal that he set and something that he loves to do,” Aso said after Tyson’s offer. “Cool, cool experience. …

“They’ve been scouting Tyson for a long time. Keiton Page, to his credit, has built a really strong relationship with Tyson and just has watched him develop and has followed his path. So they did a wonderful job of building an individual relationship with him and not with me.”

Pogi becomes OSU’s first commitment in the 2027 class.

OSU Bullets

• Drew Mestemaker is appearing in way-too-early mock drafts – clearly one of the top-five quarterbacks for the 2027 class (PFB + PFF)

• Mike Gundy came on Collin Cowherd’s show yesterday – talked about the best player he ever coached against (X)

Mike Gundy on Colin Cowherd’s show — talking Patrick Mahomes and some of the best players he ever coached or coached against pic.twitter.com/nOWEDSyEQZ

— Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) April 30, 2026

• Short but insightful piece on how OSU landed Drew Mestemaker – easily the most influential transfer portal add in program history.

Teams began circling Mestemaker early in the 2025 season. Multiple Power Four programs messaged CBS Sports in Week 2, gushing over Mestemaker’s tape. Early on, it was programs like UCF that were most interested. By midseason, those like LSU began to circle the redshirt freshman quarterback. By mid-December, Indiana and Oregon, among others, were extremely interested in Mestemaker. But the reality is Oklahoma State loomed as the favorite when Mestemaker announced his decision to enter the portal on Dec. 29. [CBS Sports]

• Gosh, it would be fun for the Pokes to land Dez Bryant’s son (Rivals)

• This was a super helpful explainer on the Big 12’s new private capital deal announced earlier this week:

It’s easy to get private capital and private equity confused, but they’re not exactly the same thing, and the differences are pretty important in this specific example. The Big 12, and Big 12 member institutions, aren’t actually giving up any equity, ownership or direct control to RedBird or any other institutional investor. Think of this as a relationship much closer to a loan than say, selling an ownership stake. [ExtraPoints]

Non-OSU Bullets

• Wow – the Denver Nuggets got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, what a help for the Thunder

• The more I look at the lottery reform proposal, the fewer holes it has in it.

The NBA’s proposed lottery odds reform, visualized ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rXm7FuK4oP

— Lev Akabas (@LevAkabas) April 29, 2026

“One of the things that I love is focusing on the process over the prize.”

Rory McIlroy

OSU enters May with one 2027 pledge — Iowa Colony (TX) quarterback Carson White.

Here’s a look at four guys who have announced official visits for the month of May.

Brennan Lacey, RB

Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman announced announced Thursday that Frisco running back Brennen Lacey will visit Stillwater May 28 before also visiting LSU (June 5), Miami (June 12) and Notre Dame (June 19) — not bad company for the Pokes.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Lacey is the No. 596 player in the 247Sports Composite ranking for the class, which makes him the No. 41 running back and No. 87 Texan in the cycle. Along with offers to those schools he is visiting, he’s also accumulated offers to Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Texas Tech and others.

The Cowboys were in early on Lacey’s potential, as the Pokes were his second Division-I offer back in February, trailing only Oregon State. He then visited Stillwater unofficially in March.

According to MaxPreps, Lacey had 537 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 59 carries across nine games as a junior. He also caught 10 passes for another 160 yards and two more scores.

Lacey also excels on the track, with MileSplit crediting him with a 10.91 100 meters and 22.73 200 meters last year. He had a 6-foot high jump and a 22-4 long jump.

Javian Jones-Priest, RB

Jones-Priest is a 5-foot-10, 194-pound back from Arlington-Martin High School. He posted back in March that he’ll visit Stillwater from May 29-31.

The Rivals Industry Ranking and 247Sports Composite Ranking consider him a four-star prospect with that 247 ranking listing Jones-Priest as the No. 27 running back in the cycle and the No. 49 player from Texas.

He’s also announced offers to Oregon, Baylor, Kansas State, SMU and others.

Jones-Priest carried 144 times as a junior, according to MaxPreps, for 1,154 yards and 12 touchdowns while catching seven passes for another 37 yards. He’s also a track star, being credited with a 10.71 100-meter dash last year and has already been clocked at 21.68 in the 200 this year.

Noah Gillespie, CB

An in-state standout out of Broken Arrow, Gillespie is a 5-11, 180-pound defensive back who will be in Stillwater from May 29-31.

He’s the No. 724 player in the 247Sporst Composite ranking. Gillespie also has visits scheduled to Kansas State, UCLA and Iowa State and other offers to Arizona, Auburn, TCU, Missouri, SMU and others.

He ran a 10.89 100-meter dash earlier this month and was credited with 31 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pair of picks in seven games in his junior season (looks like MaxPreps didn’t have the full year’s stats for Broken Arrow).

Braxton Daniel, TE

A basketball-playing tight end from Jenks, Daniel is set to be in Stillwater at the end of the month, as well.

He’s unranked by the major services to this point, but it’s only a matter of time if you look at his offer sheet with also includes SMU, Duke, Arizona, Baylor, Utah, West Virginia, Iowa State and others.

He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and was an absolute weapon for the Trojans as a junior.

Oklahoma State could have its second first-round QB on campus, especially if you’re a consumer of way-too-early mock drafts. With the NFL’s Draft taking place last weekend, myriads of early look-aheads to next year’s draft dropped this week, and some of those feature new OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker going in the first round.

ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo all released mocks that have Mestemaker being taken on Day 1.

The draft order means nothing at this point (you could argue none of this means anything at this point) because no one has played any games, but for what it’s worth, ESPN and Sports Illustrated each had Mestemaker going 14th overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Funnily enough, the Steelers were the last to draft an OSU QB, taking Mason Rudolph in the third round back in 2018.

Yahoo’s was more of a “top prospects” list than a typical mock draft, and that outlet had him as a Top 30 NFL prospect going into next season.

This week brought news that, in an indirect way, probably helped Mestemaker’s chances of being a first-round pick. Texas Tech quaterback Brendan Sorsby was the No. 8 pick in a CBS mock draft that released Sunday. On Monday, news broke that Sorsby was checking into a program for gambling addiction, putting his football future very much up in the air.

As far as other quarterbacks mentioned in the mocks, Arch Manning (Texas) and Dante Moore (Oregon) appear to be the two surefire QB selections in next year’s first round with all but Yahoo having both of those guys go within the first three picks. Yahoo had Moore going 10th overall.

Other quarterbacks who appeared in those mocks were LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), Drake Lindsey (Minnesota) and CJ Carr (Notre Dame). So, as you’re looking to see where OSU’s quarterback stacks up among the best in the country next season, that’s the competition for now.

It’s not a do-or-die year as it pertains to the draft for Mestemaker, as he’ll only be entering his redshirt sophomore season, meaning he could still technically play three more seasons of college football.

If he does end up going into the draft next season, it would mean Eric Morris and Co. would have to hit an early reset button on the most important position in the sport, but it’d also mean OSU probably had a really special year.

OSU has had three quarterbacks drafted since 2000: Zac Robinson (seventh round in 2010), Brandon Weeden (first round in 2012) and Rudolph (third round in 2018). And if you ask OSU fans who the Cowboys’ best three QBs have been since the turn of the century, they probably list those three guys fairly quickly.

So, while it might be a little scary for OSU fans to think about losing a stud QB (the likes of which the fanbase hasn’t had in some time) after just one season, the joy that one season would provide would almost certainly be worth the tradeoff.

OSU Bullets

•  Cowboy Golf clinched back-to-back Big 12 titles yesterday while Preston Stout won his third consecutive individual title (PFB)

• The Cowgirls shut out Tulsa, 5-0, yesterday (PFB)

• More teams are (very likely)  being added to the NCAA Tournament, and power conference teams (like OSU) are likely to be the beneficiaries:

College basketball is expected to undergo a seismic shift during the 2026-27 season amid the anticipation of likely NCAA Tournament expansion. The 68-team format that American sports fans came to know and love is on the way out, and a 76-team format featuring a beefed up “opening round” is on the way in. [CBS Sports]

• Sources are reporting the Big 12 has secured an optional private equity deal teams can take advantage of (Yahoo Sports)

• Cade Cunningham had a career playoff game, fending off the Magic from eliminating his Pistons

CADE CUNNINGHAM IS CLUTCH 💰 pic.twitter.com/uFFVKGs9Zz

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 30, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Long story short – Saudi Arabia is pulling its investment in LIV golf, players in the league won’t be automatically let back into PGA Tour

• Redeem the time, per Ben Sasse (faith-based)

Detroit beat Orlando 116-109 in Game 5 of the teams’ first round series, pulling the Pistons within 3-2. Cunningham scored 45 points, a Pistons playoff record, in 44 minutes on the floor.

He hit a big bucket with about 30 seconds to play to put a dagger in the Magic. A 2-point, step-back jumper made it 114-109.

CADE CUNNINGHAM IS CLUTCH 💰 pic.twitter.com/uFFVKGs9Zz

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 30, 2026

The game turned into a battle between Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Cunningham: 45 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Banchero: 45 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists

Cunningham has had some turnover woes in this series, but he’s been asked to be Superman and then some for the Pistons. He’s averaging 32.6 points, 5.8 boards and 7.0 rebounds a game in the series.

Now in his fifth season in the NBA, Cunningham averaged 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists a game during the regular season while leading the once-hapless Pistons to the 1 seed in the East.

The series heads back to Orlando for Game 6 on Friday. For Cunningham and the Pistons, lose and the season is over, or win and get Game 7 back in Detroit.

“I don’t want the season to end, gotta put it all on the line.” 😤

Cade Cunningham talks about his mindset of wanting to stay away from elimination tonight. pic.twitter.com/CpBHKrEAKC

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 30, 2026

Oklahoma State beat Tulsa 5-0 on Wednesday night in Cowgirl Stadium. Meylan was excellent again, throwing the complete game in 98 pitches while giving up one hit, walking four and striking out nine.

It was a stalemate going into the bottom of the fourth when redshirt freshman Madison Hoffman hit a three-run shot to center. The clutch hit came on the first pitch of her at-bat with two outs.

That bark had a lot of bite. #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/2joQAg8JOw

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 30, 2026

Hoffman returned to the plate in the sixth and added to the lead she gave the No. 13 Cowgirls. She hit an RBI triple down the right-field line to make it 4-0.

Oh baby, a triple 🗣️

Hoff drives in her fourth run of the night with a three-bagger down the first base line!#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/suGL1XffMg

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 30, 2026

Hoffman missed last season with an injury but has started to step into the spotlight of late.

She had a big homer to give the Cowgirls some insurance last week in OSU’s win against No. 6 Texas. After going 2-for-3 at the plate Wednesday, she’s 7-for-16 (.438) this season.

Freshman shortstop Aubrey Jones brought Hoffman home on the next at-bat with a single.

Some insurance brought to you by Sauce 🔥

Aubrey brings home Hoff and makes it a five-run contest!#GoPokes | @AubreyJones2025 pic.twitter.com/hOLnUUPgly

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 30, 2026

The only trouble Meylan found herself in came in the third when Tulsa loaded the bases with one out thanks to three walks. But then Meylan got a force out at home and a groundout to end the inning. She’d give up one base runner the rest of the game.

The Cowgirls are 35-13 entering this weekend’s regular season finale against Kansas. OSU hosts the Jayhawks in a three-game series, starting at 6 p.m. Friday.

OSU and KU enter the weekend at third and fourth, respectively, in the Big 12 standings. Texas Tech is going to win the league’s regular season title. The difference in third and fourth is a would-be semifinal against the Red Raiders in the Big 12 Tournament.

“I should be bringing up that Ruby’s not Pitcher of the Week,” Gajewski told a group of media over Zoom on the bus ride. “That may be the most absurd thing I’ve seen this whole year. We’re in a world where everything has to be fair, so we gotta give it to somebody else, I guess. That’s an absurd thing I’ve seen this week.”

A week removed from that, and there aren’t many softball accolades that have come out without Meylan’s name on them.

On Tuesday, Meylan was named Pitcher of the Week by the Big 12, D1Softball, Softball America and USA Softball. On Wednesday, she was named a USA Softball Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist.

After the week (or month depending on how far back you want to go) Meylan has had, it’s hard to argue against the flowers she is receiving.

The Cowgirls’ ace started last week with a complete game shutout of No. 4 Texas in Austin, allowing the hot-hitting Horns just two hits while striking out four.

Then she threw complete games against Baylor on Friday and Sunday, allowing a combined two earned runs while doing so.

Meylan sits fifth nationally in innings pitched this season with 193 2/3. She has a 2.20 ERA on the year, and her 179 strikeouts rank 14th nationally. She’s 23-6 on the year with those 23 wins tying for fifth nationally.

OSU has won the past dozen games Meylan has pitched in entering the Cowgirls’ game against Tulsa on Wednesday night.

“I think the last two Wednesdays (OU and Texas) have probably been two of the better games I’ve seen her pitch,” Gajewski said Tuesday. “When you face elite, elite offenses, the hitters don’t stop. The numbers you just see keep running up on the scoreboard, you just quit watching. It’s like, ‘How are they hitting .480? How are they hitting .440? How do they have 20, 30, 20, 20, 20 home runs?’ It’s just like what in the world is going on here. And to watch them swing and miss and not hit a lot of balls hard, I think it tells you all you need to know about her and what she’s doing.

“Not only are they swinging and missing, they swung and missed with some very uncharacteristic swings, which tells me they’re guessing and they’re in between, which tells me all the things we worked on with the rise and the change are real pitches that have real movement and deception. It’s been really cool to watch. It’s gotta be way up there. It’s gotta be at the very top.”

Stout earned his third straight individual Big 12 title on Wednesday at Prairie Dunes, making him the conference’s first ever three-time individual champion. The Cowboys won their second consecutive team title.

At about the midway point of the final round, Stout looked to be in a battle against BYU freshman Kihei Akina, but Stout separated himself late, birdieing 11, 13 and 17 en route to his title. His birdie on 11 was the prettiest.

FROM WAAAAAAAY DOWNTOWN 🤑@preston_stout8 cashes in another birdie on this 40-footer!#golfschool | #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/tZksFcESRp

— OSU Cowboy Golf (@OSUCowboyGolf) April 29, 2026

Stout finished three shots ahead of the field and was the only golfer at the event who didn’t shoot over par in any round, with his worst round being Wednesday’s final (everyone had a harder time Wednesday) with an even-par 70.

As a team, the Cowboys paced the field by eight strokes. The tournament sort of felt like a formality from a team perspective after the second round, where the Cowboys went 13-under as a group, which was five shots better than any other team in that round and opened up a big lead they wouldn’t squander.

The individual leaderboard was 73 players long until you got to guys who subbed in for a round or two during the tournament. Alan Bratton rolled with the same five guys for every round, and they all finished in the top half of that group of 73, with Ethan Fang finishing eighth, Gaven Lane tying for 14th, Eric Lee tying for 19th and Filip Falhberg-Johnsson tying for 29th.

It’s OSU’s 13th Big 12 title and Bratton’s fourth as the Pokes’ coach. The Cowboys also won 36 Big Eight titles and nine titles in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Up next for the Pokes will be NCAA Regional action on May 18. Should they advance as expected from there, they’d look for a second consecutive national title from May 29-June 3 at the NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California.

OSU’s Big 12 Individual Finishes

Big 12 Team Scores

PFB+ Sale: ⁠PFB+ subscriptions are 25% off when using this link

OSU Bullets

Oklahoma State in the Transfer Portal.@OKStateRivals

How we feeling about the Pokes? 👀 PG Jacob Walker SG Luka Bogavac SG Kashie Natt PF Andrija Grbovic C Julius Halaifonua https://t.co/zWOTGQLCcO — Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) April 28, 2026

Big 12 Weekly Honors | 4.28.26 🥎 Ruby Meylan | Pitcher of the Week#Big12SB | @cowgirlsb pic.twitter.com/QhlZ980fYO

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) April 28, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

The first trailer for ‘TED LASSO’ Season 4 has been released.

The new season follows Ted Lasso as he returns to coach a women’s football team. Releasing August 5 on Apple TV. pic.twitter.com/txFnwinWS1 — DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 28, 2026

“I remember after my visit, I was talking to Coach G (Kenny Gajewski), like I think I’m gonna commit,” Meylan said. “And he was like, ‘I think we’re gonna get Hasler, too.’ And I was like, ‘No, we’re not. She did not like it here. She didn’t say one word.’ He was like, ‘No, trust me, we’re gonna get her.'”

Meylan announced her commitment to OSU on the evening of June 7, 2024. The next day, Hasler announced she would also be a Cowgirl.

Gajewski was in Gainesville, Florida recruiting when Meylan called and told him she was going to OSU. Meylan made her social media post, and “within like 10 minutes” Gajewski’s phone started ringing. It was Hasler.

“I walked outside, and I was like, hmm — I didn’t have a great feel yet (whether Hasler would commit),” Gajewski said. “I thought we were in a great spot, but you just don’t know. And she asked me. She goes, ‘Hey, did Ruby commit? I just heard that.’

“I said, ‘Yeah,’ and she goes, ‘I’m in.'”

So what happened? How could no one get a read on Hasler during the visit and then boom, she and Meylan felt like a package deal?

On Tuesday, the two laughed while remembering their first interaction.

“I was just so nervous,” Hasler said. “Like, I’m just a very nervous person. I’m very introverted. We didn’t really talk much, but it’s not like I didn’t like her. I was just nervous. I wanted her to like me, but I didn’t know what to say.”

Meylan and Hasler started talking and texting more after they committed and roomed together in their first year in Stillwater. But they agreed it still took a while for Hasler to break out of her shell.

“Even when we lived together the first fall, I was like, dude — we’d invite her to stuff, and she’d just be in her room.”

“Yeah, it was bad,” Hasler admitted.

“‘Amanda, do you wanna go eat? — No'” Meylan said. “Once she started to hang out with us more, it was easy. The relationship started to flow a little bit.”

Fast forward nearly two years and Hasler and Meylan are coming up on their Senior Day this weekend when the Cowgirls host Kansas.

Meylan has been a rockstar in her two seasons with the Cowgirls, earning All-America honors last season and looking well on track to do so again in 2026.

She has a 2.20 ERA while throwing 193 2/3 innings to this point in the year. She led OSU to wins against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 16 Arizona (x2) and No. 4 Texas over the span of a week. She’s pitched a complete game in the past eight contests she has played in, and OSU has won the past 12 games she has taken part in.

True to being an introvert, Hasler has perhaps quietly been a consistent force in OSU’s lineup. She was an All-Big 12 First Team selection last season, finishing the year hitting .303 with a team-best 16 home runs and 38 RBIs, which ranked second on the team. She’s hitting .302 this season with 12 homers and 53 RBIs, which both lead the team.

Despite having played just two seasons at OSU, her 23 home runs as a Cowgirl is tied for 14th in program history. Her career .693 slugging percentage would finish second in program history to only Alysen Febrey. Her career on-base percentage of .418 would rank 15th in program history.

In terms of this season, her 53 RBIs is already tied for ninth most in a season in program history. Her dozen home runs is already tied for 16th.

Spend any time at all around Cowgirl Stadium, and you’ll know this OSU team has some personalities on it.

With someone singing loudly in the hallway behind her, Hasler said the team’s extroverts have helped bring her out of her shell. And when it comes to Senior Day, Hasler said she’s a part of a special, tight-knit group.

“I feel like I can go to any one of these seniors and tell them anything and not be judged,” Hasler said. “I might be made fun of a little bit, but I mean, these girls are just so awesome. I can’t imagine the end and leaving them because they’re just, they’re my sisters.”

Oklahoma State announced the hiring of Katarina Adamovic on Tuesday. Pending board approval, she’ll be the program’s seventh head coach.

“Coming back to Oklahoma State means everything to me,” Adamovic said in OSU’s release. “This program and this university helped shape who I am, and it’s an honor to return and lead the team that gave me so much. I want to thank Chad Weiberg, Jason Lewis, Karen Hancock and Dustin Taylor for their belief and trust in me.”

Adamovic has been a head coach for the past four seasons — two at Grand Canyon and the most recent two at Houston.

After GCU went 8-10 the previous year, Adamovic’s first GCU team in 2023 finished 15-10, which was good for third in the WAC. Then the next season, the Lopes went 22-3 and unbeaten in WAC competition. They also won the WAC tournament and made the NCAA field for a second straight season. She was the WAC’s Coach of the Year in 2024.

Houston went 2-19 in the year before Adamovic’s arrival. The Cougars went 4-16 in her first year before she took the program on a complete 180 this season, with the Houston finishing 17-6 and sixth in the Big 12.

Adamovic was an All-American at OSU in 2016, the same year she was named the NCAA Championship’s Most Outstanding Player. She was an All-Big 12 selection in 2015, 2017 and 2017. She compiled a 75-42 record in singles as a Cowgirl while going 91-23 in doubles.

Adamovic is such an athlete that she actually spent a year on the Cowgirl basketball team under Jim Littell, playing three games in the 2017-18 season.

After graduating from OSU, Adamovic started coaching, spending time as an assistant as Cincinnati and Missouri.

It was a rough year for an otherwise nationally prominent Cowgirl Tennis program. OSU fired Chris Young last July following an NCAA investigation that had to do with concerns of pre-portal tampering. Then OSU was forced to forfeit their final four meets of the season because of a lack of players.

But aside from this year, the program had turned into a proven winner. Since 2016, the Cowgirls have won five Big 12 titles (three regular seasons and two conference tournaments), including the regular season crown in 2025. OSU finished second at the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Cowgirls won an ITA indoor national title in 2024.

Since that appearance in the national final, OSU made the NCAA Elite Eight in 2025,and 2017 and the Sweet 16 in 2024, 2022 and 2019.

“Oklahoma State has a powerful legacy, and I have great respect for the standard that’s been built here,” Adamovic said. “It’s an honor to carry that forward and build on what so many have created before me. I’m excited to come back, raise the standard even further and build a program that competes for championships at the highest level.

“I can’t wait to get to Stillwater and get to work.”

OSU Bullets

• The Cowboys landed their center – a big man from New Zealand by way of the Big East (PFB)

The Cowboys’ newest big man pic.twitter.com/0aC0c0dxEz

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) April 27, 2026

• Texas Tech has been projected to win the league – until yesterday, Tech’s multi-millionaire quarterback entered rehab for a gambling problem (PFB)

• Cowgirl Basketball is climbing the charts for basketball expectations with recent stars landed in the portal:

The Cowgirls have hardly been a perennial powerhouse in women’s basketball, so it was surprising to see them land such big names. However, Hoyt has had the program on the upswing in recent years, and this month she landed the talent that should have the team firmly in contention for the Big 12 title next season. [CBS Sports]

• OSU’s offensive coordinator talked about why they recruit production over potential (PFB)

• North Texas played with plenty of pace last season:

Tempo matters, but the 2025 CFB data makes one thing clear: Tempo is not the offense. The fastest team in the study, West Virginia, played at 19.3 seconds left on the play clock but finished 4-8 at 4.5 yards per play. On the other side, Vanderbilt snapped it at 8.3 seconds and… pic.twitter.com/6HVZZUA68w

— Nate Longshore (@mrlongshore) April 26, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Ten most walkable cities in the world • You’re busy because you’re lazy (faith-based)

“You must be willing to let go of the last action and pour yourself fully into the next action.” James Clear

Brophy had spent time as a quality control assistant and graduate assistant under Morris the previous two seasons at Incarnate Word and Washington State, but the move to UNT was Brophy’s first full-time college coaching job as the Mean Green’s QBs coach.

Back when he was recruiting West Texas for the Mean Green, Brophy would fly into Amarillo and would go out to high schools in Bushland, Amarillo, Plainview, Lubbock, Odessa, Midland and even made a trip out to Crane, a town of about 3,000.

“We’re not a lazy recruiting staff,” Brophy said. “We’re not just gonna go and circle 45 minutes on the airport and hit those schools. And that’s not to call anybody out specifically, but we’re gonna go and turn over every leaf that we can.”

Brophy was on The Left Hash Call podcast on Monday, where he discussed myriad things about his new job as Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator. One of the things that got brought up was the new OSU’s staff’s views on high school recruiting, an element of the sport that has seen its role diminished with the implementation of the transfer portal. But — in lockstep with Morris — Brophy said the Cowboys are still going to take recruiting high schoolers seriously.

“I don’t think we ever want to be in a situation where we sign 60 or 70 transfers — however many it was,” Brophy said. “I don’t think that that’s sustainable. I don’t think it’s the way you want to build your program, but it was necessary. I think Coach Morris has made that pretty evident. …

“I think the blueprint going forward is going to be to continue to recruit high school kids. And you hear a lot of people say it. I think the method of you really just want to utilize the portal to add the pieces that leave, the older guys that leave. Maybe some place you have a deficiency, but the foundation needs to be laid through high school recruiting and bringing these kids in and developing them from the start.”

Texas has always been and will always be an important place as it pertains to the Oklahoma State football roster. There are 35 players on OSU’s current roster who played their high school ball in the Lone Star State. Morris and his staff have deep ties to that state, but the group also has ties to the state of Oklahoma.

“We’re not gonna not do our due diligence on every part of (Texas), and then the same thing goes in Oklahoma, as well,” Brophy said. “There’s a lot of really good football in Oklahoma, and there’s a buncha guys on our staff with Oklahoma connections — Coach (Patrick) Cobbs, our running back’s coach, is from Oklahoma, Robbie Gordon, our assistant linebackers coach, Julian Wilson, who played at OU, is from Oklahoma, G-Rich (Greg Richmond), who played at OSU, is from OKC — so we’re gonna go to all these schools and knock on all these doors and evaluate all these kids and just truly find the kids who love ball.

“We’ve gotta find the kids that want to be here and love football and want to compete and they’ve got a high competitive character and competitive drive to want to be the best because the guys that aren’t like that, they’re just not gonna fit here. That’s just not who we are. That’s not who our program’s about.”

Brophy said the plan is to take 20 to 25 high schoolers each year, saying it’s something Morris believes in. Brophy recalls that the staff might’ve overdone high school recruiting a bit early at North Texas.

The Mean Green started the 2024 season hot at 5-1 with their only loss coming to Texas Tech, but when a season’s natural attrition started to set in, a lot of UNT’s depth were freshmen after signing 31 high schoolers in the 2024 recruiting class (all but two of whom were from Texas). Those growing pains saw UNT finish the season at 6-7, but those growing pains also provided … well, growth. Guys like Wyatt Young and Miles Coleman were freshmen that year and used the 2024 season as a jumping off point to a big 2025.

Although the OSU staff seems to value high school recruiting more than what might be considered normal in 2026, that doesn’t mean the coaches are anti-portal. But OSU’s portal strategy might also be a bit unique.

Morris has harped since he arrived in Stillwater how much he values in-game experience — no matter the level.

“I think that we’re more of a production over potential kind of crew when it comes to attacking the portal,” Brophy said. “So we’re gonna try to go out there and find those kids that were productive, whether it’s D-II, D-III, FCS, whatever it is, lower level G5, over the potential of a kid who’s maybe coming from a place with a big logo on his chest.

“Because the reality is, unless you’re a quarterback or a kicker is that if you can’t play at a lot of those big schools, you can’t play for us or here or North Texas or wherever. A couple positions are different, but if you can’t even make it on the field in special teams, what’s to say you could play for us? And there’s always circumstances and one-offs, but we’re gonna attack production over potential and continue to build through the high school ranks.”

Listen to Brophy’s full interview here

Having a Kiwi center worked well for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and now the Cowboys are giving it a try.

Georgetown transfer 7-footer Julius Halaifonua (huh-LIFE-uh-noo-uh) committed to Oklahoma State on Monday. Out of Auckland, New Zealand, Halaifonua averaged 9.5 points, 4.4 boards and 1.3 assists a game last season for the Hoyas, his second with the program.

“Julius gives us a different dimension with his size, skill and feel for the game,” Steve Lutz said in OSU’s release. “You don’t find many 7-footers who can score that efficiently, make good decisions and play with the kind of poise he does at his age. He’s still just scratching the surface physically, but his instincts and touch are already at a high level. We’re excited about what he can become in our system and how he’ll impact both ends of the floor.”

Halaifonua made his way to the states by way of the NBA Global Academy in Australia. 247Sports considered him the No. 60 player in all of the 2024 recruiting class.

He’s represented New Zealand at various age-level events. He took part in the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, averaging 10.5 pints, 5.4 boards, two assists and 1.6 blocks across seven games. Halaifonua and the Kiwis took silver at the 2023 U17 Oceania Championship, where he averaged nine points and five boards. He earned a bronze medal at the 2022 U16 Asia Championship, putting up 12.8 points and 9.5 boards a contest. At the 2022 U17 World Cup, Halaifonua averaged 12 points and 7.5 rebounds a game.

He was injured in his first season with the Hoyas after just six games, where he averaged three points and two boards in about 13 minutes a contest before breaking out as a sophomore.

He started 28 of the 32 games he played in this past season. He scored in double figures 13 times including four games in the 20s.

He scored a career-high 22 points in a game against Saint Peters, a game he also ripped down nine boards and stuffed two shots in.

He had a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double against Villanova in a win at the Big East Tournament, and in a game at Marquette in December, Halaifonua had 21 points, six rebounds and four assists.

From an advanced analytic perspective, Halaifonua ranked 61st nationally in KenPom’s Offensive Rating/Possession Usage (ORtg). A ORtg of 100 is about the average, but Halaifonua’s was 130 this past season, per KenPom. He also ranked in the Top 100 nationally in 2-point percentage, hitting 65.2% of his 2-point shots.

Halaifonua becomes the fifth player the Cowboys have grabbed out of the portal joining 6-6 combo guard Luke Bogavac (North Carolina), C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Kashie Natt (Sam Houston), promising young point guard Jacob Walker (Sam Houston) and stretch forward Andrija Grbovic (Arizona State).

Halaifonua fills roster spot No. 13 of 15 for the Cowboys.

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is checking into a treatment program for gambling addiction, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Sorsby transferred from Cincinnati to Tech this offseason, with 247Sports labeling him as the No. 2 player in all of the transfer portal.

According to Thamel’s reporting, Sorsby seeking treatment came after it was discovered he made thousands of online bets on a variety of sports, jeopardizing his eligibility in Lubbock.

Sorsby bet on Indiana while he was redshirting with the Hoosiers in 2022, according to Thamel, with the bet reportedly being on Indiana to win and none came in a game Sorsby played in. According to amended NCAA guidelines that came out in 2023, “student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools” face “permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.”

The NCAA is investigating, according to Thamel.

It’s a sad deal that has unfortunately become more prominent as gambling laws have loosened and advertising for different methods have skyrocketed.

“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire told ESPN. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health.”

The Red Raiders were (and potentially still will be) the favorites to win a second consecutive Big 12 title, but with Sorsby’s future up in the air, it definitely opens up that race a bit more. ESPN reported that Sorsby was set to make more than $5 million this season at Texas Tech.

After redshirting as a Hoosier in 2022, Sorsby played 10 games for Indiana in 2023, completing 57% of his passes for 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns and five picks.

He then transferred to Cincy, starting two seasons for the Bearcats. In those two seasons, he completed 63% of his passes for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 INTs.

With no second portal window, if Sorsby isn’t able to play next season, Tech’s starting role would likely fall to redshirt sophomore Will Hammond. Hammond tore his ACL in October, but while filling in for an injured Behren Morton as a freshman, Hammond completed 63% of his 109 pass attempts for 680 yards, seven scored and three INTs.

OSU Bullets

• The Cowboys completed their sweep of Texas Tech in Lubbock, really a must-sweep series as they fight for postseason – unsurprisingly, the Cowgirls kept rolling and swept Baylor (PFB)

• Landon Robideau continued his great year, winning the U20 US Open (PFB)

• The Cowboys were shut out of the NFL Draft (assuming you give zero credit for De’Zhaun Stribling) but got plenty of invites as undrafted free agents (TulsaWorld)

• ICYMI – the new wrestling center will be named after John Smith (OKState.com)

• All-time draft picks – surprised by how close OSU/TU are:

All-Time NFL Draft Picks for Each FBS Team 🏈 pic.twitter.com/GDpdy0RySI

— CFB Tracker (@MatchupTracker) April 26, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• The world’s most lucrative “baby race” • The European island investing $45m to get tourists back

This a fun question:

If you lived in a world where everyone made the exact same salary, what would you choose to do for work? James Clear

A month after winning an NCAA title as a true freshman, Robideau won the U20 U.S. Open on Sunday at 70 kg. He beat Seth Mendoza 8-2 in the final. Mendoza redshirted at Missouri this past college season.

Outside of that final, Robideau won with five techs and a medical forfeit.

The win means Robideau advances to the U20 World Team Trials finals, which is a best-of-three series against the winner of the U20 World Team Trials bracket next month. If he wins that series, he earns the spot on the United States’ U20 World Team.

Incoming OSU freshman heavyweight Dreshaun Ross was in the 125 kg final but dropped the bout to Coby Merrill, OSU wrestler Cody Merrill’s younger brother, 8-6. The younger Merrill will be a freshman at Iowa State next season.

Merrill won the bout by repeatedly pushing Ross out of the circle, which is worth a point in freestyle. Ross got a few takedowns late in the bout but couldn’t quite get the one more that would’ve given him the result.

Merrill moves to the World Trials finals, but Ross will be the favorite to get to him through the bracket. And you feel good about how Ross finished that match as he tried to figure out how to avoid all the pushouts.

Two other Cowboys placed at the event, with Ronnie Ramirez taking fourth at 61 kg and Kody Routledge taking fifth at 74 kg. Both of those guys took a redshirt this past season.

OSU commits Ladd Holman (third at 92 kg) and Tanner Hodgins (eighth at 92 kg) also placed. Those two wrestled each other on the backside of the bracket, with Holman winning 12-0.

Oklahoma State beat Baylor 8-1 on Sunday, taking all three games against the Bears in Waco this weekend. The Cowgirls scored six runs in the seventh inning to pull away late.

The inning started with Karli Godwin drawing a walk before Rosie Davis and Lexi McDonald hit back-to-back singles to load the bases.

After an Amanda Hasler pop out, Tia Warsop stepped to the plate and hit an infield single, scoring a run and keeping the bases loaded.

Big time insurance from Tia 👊#GoPokes | @tia_warsop pic.twitter.com/biKMnjnavE

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 26, 2026

Freshman Montgomery Henderson stepped in as a pinch hitter in the next at-bat and put a ball into centerfield to score another run.

The Texas native comes through 😮‍💨#GoPokes | @MontgomeryHend8 pic.twitter.com/e1NQ0IWgid

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 26, 2026

Then freshman shortstop Aubrey Jones really busted the game open with a double that scored a pair, making it 6-1 Cowgirls.

Give her all the Sauce. #GoPokes | @AubreyJones2025 pic.twitter.com/4VM8qVhWxF

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 26, 2026

For good measure, Claire Timm singled later in the inning to score another two.

The Timm Reaper™️#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/n64OoWF9Cp

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 26, 2026

It turns out the Cowgirls didn’t need any of those seventh-inning runs because Ruby Meylan is really good at softball. After getting Saturday off, Meylan returned to the circle Sunday and threw the complete game in 110 pitches, allowing the lone run off five hits while walking one and striking out three.

McDonald was probably the offensive MVP of the game, as she went 4-for-4 at the plate. Timm, Warsop and Jones all finished with multiple RBIs.

OSU is straight up rolling right now, having won five in a row and eight of its past nine. The Cowgirls still ought to finish strong, but at 34-13 (14-7 Big 12), they’re looking more and more like an NCAA Regional host.

Next week marks the end of the regular season. OSU hosts Tulsa on Wednesday before welcoming Kansas to town next weekend for a three-game series.

Oklahoma State beat Texas Tech 11-2 on Sunday to complete a Big 12 series sweep.

The series-ending win for the Cowboys came with a handful of outstanding performances, but we’ll start with the Cowboys’ leadoff man.

Junior outfielder Alex Conover went 4-for-6 at the dish Sunday with three runs scored, an RBI, two doubles, a home run and two stolen bases.

He got things going early, starting the game with his 335-foot home run to left. It came on a 2-2 pitch and was Conover’s seventh homer of the season and second in as many days.

Strait out of the gate

Leadoff 💣 for @AlexConover36 #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/sKk2BRozBj

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 26, 2026

The Red Raiders will be glad to get Conover back to Stillwater. In the three games this weekend, Conover was 10-for-15 (.667) with eight runs scored and three RBIs.

Brennan Phillips was fantastic on the bump for the Pokes on Sunday, throwing 120 pitches across 8 1/3 innings where he allowed the two runs on seven hits while walking one, hitting one and striking out six. Kai Fyke came on and got the final two outs.

Kollin Ritchie proved he’s more than just a home run hitter, as he went 3-for-4 at the plate on Sunday with and RBI and a run scored. He had a double and two singles.

OSU hit three other home runs, the first of which came off Garrett Shull’s bat in the second inning. The solo shot was Shull’s 10th of the season.

And when the good times roll, let ’em roll

10th 💣 of the season for @gshull_8 doubles our lead#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/XqNeBcvVHR

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 26, 2026

Next came Sebastian Norman in the fourth — another solo shot. It was Norman’s fifth in his freshman season.

He’d like to have that one back@14sebastiann crushes a pitch over the LF wall#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/koOUIj3ztG

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 26, 2026

Collin Brueggemann closed the home run festivities in the sixth with a solo shot to center that went 435 feet from home plate. It makes a dozen home runs on the year for Brueggemann.

Living and Living Well

A dozen 💣💣 for Bruegge#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/65WOTQzdHf

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 26, 2026

OSU led 6-2 going into the ninth when it just got gross for the Red Raiders. OSU scored five runs in the frame. The first came off a Ritchie single. The other four came either from a bases-loaded walk or a bases-loaded hit by pitch.

This was an outstanding weekend for the Cowboys’ NCAA Tournament hopes. OSU is now 28-16 on the season and 11-10 in Big 12 play. This is the first time this season OSU is above .500 in the league.

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OSU Bullets

• The Cowgirls run-ruled the Bears to secure their fifth Big 12 series win. [PFB]

• The Pokes also picked up a series win on the road, topping Texas Tech in peculiar fashion. [PFB]

• Bill Haisten provides some context on apparent dysfunction within OSU’s athletic program. 

So, Oklahoma State really does or really does not want the 54-year-old Weiberg to continue as its athletic director?

He did get a new four-year contract, but at $750,000 annually Weiberg remains the Big 12’s lowest-paid athletic director. A coach can have a .500 season and get a raise. As an athletic director with a nice track record on hiring coaches, why hasn’t Weiberg gotten a raise? [Tulsa World]

• Several former Cowboys signed UDFA deals following the NFL Draft. [PFB]

• John Smith to follow in the footsteps of other great OSU coaches like Eddie Sutton and Ed Gallagher. [PFB]

• Captain America reigns.

Wyatt Hendrickson ends the night with a bang.

Hendrickson pins Demetrius Thomas in 30 seconds to win the U.S. Open title at 125 kg.

An electric finish from Wyatt, closing out the finals with one of the biggest statements of the night. pic.twitter.com/nxgPQhh2l3

— Saturday Night Lights (@WrestlingSNL) April 26, 2026

• A nice look at new Cowgirl commit Yuting Deng. [PFB]

Non-OSU Bullets

• Some of the #DraftDog captions are pretty good.

That dog went for the open couch space!!! 🤣😂 #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/bwA5afiAxx

— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) April 25, 2026

Although Oklahoma State didn’t have a player drafted, there were some Cowboys who signed post-draft deals.

Here’s a recap that we’ll add to if a few more announcements trickle out on Sunday.

Wes Pahl — Cleveland Browns

Fortunately for the Cowboys, they had a really good punter in 2025. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they had to use him quite a bit.

Pahl inked a deal with the Cleveland Browns and new head coach/former OSU OC Todd Monken.

Pahl’s 46.5-yard average was second in the Big 12 in 2025, while his 23 punts of 50 or more yards led the conference by six. He also forced a Big 12-best 26 fair catches.

Parker Robertson — Denver Broncos

There couldn’t have been many better stories in college football this past season than that of Parker Robertson.

Starting his career as an undersized walk-on, Robertson closed his career by leading the Cowboys in tackles with 77 this past season. He finished second on the team in tackles for loss with 8.5 and tied for the team lead with a pair of interceptions.

Robertson had a great Pro Day, running a 4.47 40-yard dash while repping 225 pounds 17 times on bench.

The Broncos took safety Miles Scott (Illinois) in the seventh round, as well.

Terrill Davis — Baltimore Ravens

There must be something about an OSU receiver rocking No. 2 that leads to them getting picked up by the Ravens, with Davis following in Tylan Wallace’s footsteps.

For myriad reasons, the OSU passing game was anemic in 2025, but Davis finished second among Cowboys with 373 receiving yards on 29 catches.

This past season was Davis’ first as a Cowboy after he was a Division-II All-American at UCO in 2025.

The Ravens took a pair of receivers in the draft, taking Ja’Kobi White (USC) in the third round and Elijah Sarratt (Indiana) in the fourth.

Kenneth Harris — New England Patriots

Kenneth Harris battled through not getting to play a lot in his first few seasons after transferring from Arkansas State to becoming an impact player on defense this past season for the Cowboys.

He finished the year with 33 tackles, which ranked sixth on the team. He had two tackles for loss, a sack and a team-best six pass breakups.

Harris ran a 4.48 at OSU’s Pro Day and had 22 bench reps.

The Pats took one defensive back in the draft — fifth-round pick Karon Prunty (Wake Forest).

Old Friends

A pair of former Cowboys did get drafted this weekend.

Wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling transferred to Ole Miss this past season. The San Francisco 49ers took Stribling with the first pick of the second round.

Kendal Daniels crossed Bedlam battle lines going from OSU to OU. He was taken in the fourth round by the Atlanta Falcons.

Wyatt Hendrickson won the U.S. Open at 125 kg on Saturday night in Las Vegas. He pinned his finals opponent in just 27 seconds.

He took on Demetrius Thomas in Sunday night’s final, taking the former Pitt Panther down at the whistle, flipping him to his back and pinning him.

It marks the second straight year Hendrickson has won the U.S. Open. The result books his ticket to Final X, where he’ll take on the winner of the World Team Trails in a best-of-three series. The winner of that series will represent the United States at the World Championships.

Hendrickson was one of three Cowboy RTC finalists but the only to win.

Four-time OSU All-American Dustin Plott dropped a close final to Michael Macchiavello at 92 kg, losing 4-3. Plott scored on a chest wrap turn late in the match and kept that chest wrap in search of a some match-winning exposure points, but the clock ran out before he could get the second roll through.

Unfortunately for Plott, there isn’t a World Team Trail at 92 kg because Trent Hidlay took gold at last year’s Worlds, which means he auto-qualifies for Final X.

Joey McKenna was the other Cowboy RTC wrestler in the finals, but he dropped his match to high school phenom Bo Bassett 10-0 at 65 kg. McKenna injured his knee on Bassett’s first takedown, and it seemed to progressively get worse with some ensuing takedowns.

There will be no World Team Trials at this weight either, with Real Woods earning bronze at the World Championships last year.

Jax Forrest wrestled back for third at 61 kg, taking out Iowa’s Austin DeSanto in the third-place bout.

He’ll have to go through the trials to get back on the world team. Penn State’s Marcus Blaze beat Ohio State’s Ben Davino in the final after Davino beat Forrest on Friday. Those three freshmen came in first (Forrest), second (Davino) and fourth (Blaze) at the NCAA Championships last month, so this freestyle battle will only add to their budding rivalry.

Cowboy RTC Senior Placements: 

Wyatt Hendrickson (125 kg) — 1st
Dustin Plott (92 kg) — 2nd
Joey McKenna (65 kg) — 2nd
Jax Forrest (61 kg) — 3rd
Cameron Amine (74 kg) — 5th
Cody Merrill (92 kg) — 7th
Dean Hamiti (79 kg) — 8th
Caleb Fish (74 kg) — DNP

U20s Get Started

The Cowboys are also well represented in the U20 U.S. Open brackets, which started Saturday.

I think I have everyone accounted for, but there are so many guys in these brackets that it feels like picking needles out of a haystack. Here’s how each guy did:

Luke Hamiti* (79 kg) — 1-2
Beau Hickman (70 kg) — 3-2
Tanner Hodgins# (92 kg) — 2-0
Ladd Holman# (92 kg) — 2-0
Ronnie Ramirez (61 kg) — 4-0
Landon Robideau (70 kg) — 4-0
Michael Romero# (70 kg) — 3-2
Dreshaun Ross* — (125 kg) — 2-0
Kody Routledge — (74 kg) — 4-0

*Notes Class of 2026 Signee
#Notes 2027 commit

Oklahoma State announced Saturday night that it will name the new Cowboy wrestling facility after John Smith — a long time Oklahoma State coach and two-time NCAA champion. The new facility will be on the north side of Gallagher-Iba Arena.

“It is nearly impossible to overstate what John Smith has meant to Cowboy Wrestling and the sport of wrestling around the world,” OSU AD Chad Weiberg said in OSU’s release. “There is not a more appropriate way to celebrate all he has done for Oklahoma State than to have his name on the building that future generations of OSU wrestlers will walk into every day.”

As a wrestler, Smith won six straight world championships from 1987 to 1992, which included gold medals at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics. He finished 100-5 in international competition and was 77-3 in domestic freestyle bouts.

He was a three-time Big Eight champ and a two-time NCAA champ, standing atop the national podium in 1987 and 1988. He went 152-8-2 as a Cowboy.

He was a two-time Oklahoma state champ as a high schooler at Del City, going 105-5 in his high school career.

So, if you’re keeping up, Smith competed 458 among high school, college and freestyle and won 436 of those matches.

But he didn’t stop there. Smith was the Cowboys’ coach for 33 years, winning five NCAA team titles and leading 33 individuals to national titles. He had 490 dual wins, coached 153 All-Americans, won 23 team conference titles, had 132 individual conference champs and two Hodge Trophy winners.

The Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents approved construction for the training center in December. The project is “not expected to exceed $16 million,” all of which will be from private donors. Here’s the mockup OSU released back in 2023 with the OSU Vision Plan:

The new facility will feature a 16,000-square-foot practice gym with six mats, a dedicated training area and grandstand seating. It’ll also feature a 2,000-square-feet space for the existing coaches’ locker room and includes the the transformation of Lot 4 into a landscaped plaza. It’s expected to be 62,000 square feet in total.

Back in December, it was said that construction will begin when the funds were fully committed.

“The sooner the better, of course, because it takes a while to build,” OSU President Jim Hess told PFB after a December Board of Regents meeting. “You’re probably looking at a 12-to-18-month build time — at least 18 months, probably. But the sooner we can secure all the private money, the $16 million, some of which has already been received. But we have pledges for all of it. As soon as the money’s in, they’ll start construction.

“Given our long-standing traditions in wrestling, it was important for us to make capital improvements to invest in wrestling. Our coach, as you all know, is phenomenal — I think the best wrestling coach in the United States, or anywhere. We wanted to support wrestling and the coaching effort. This will help do it.”

The Cowboys got a much-needed series win in West Texas.

Oklahoma State defeated Texas Tech 9-8 on the road to secure its third Big 12 series win, despite trailing 6-3 after six and being out-hit 14-12.

The Red Raiders struck first on a Tracer Lopez two-RBI double, but the Cowboys took the lead with a three-run third inning.

Tech added a run in the fifth and then opened up a 6-3 lead with three more in the bottom of the sixth, including a Kyeler Thompson homer.

Stormy Rhodes got the start on the bump for the Cowboys, allowing nine hits and five runs while walking four and striking out three. After that Thompson home run, OSU went to Drew Blake, but he only lasted two batters (a walk and a strikeout) before Jake Kennedy entered the fray and gave up a two-run double.

A returning Noah Wech got some burn in the seventh and eighth before Hudson Barrett came in to earn the W, though it wasn’t all smooth sailing.

The Pokes regained the lead with a pair of RBI doubles by Campbell Smithwick and Colin Brueggemann following Alex Conover’s solo home run to start the seventh inning.

Think he hit this one out of the blue clear sky 🚀#GoPokes | @AlexConover36 https://t.co/apPXaDxaib pic.twitter.com/TCB9lOGj4K

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 25, 2026

Kollin Ritchie drilled a two-run bomb deep over the left field wall to push OSU’s lead to 9-6 in the top of the eighth.

It’s in the trees 🌳

Ritchie’s third hit of the day is a 2-run 💣#GoPokes | @RitchieKollin pic.twitter.com/4Px27ZZTsa

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 25, 2026

But the Red Raiders weren’t going down without a fight.

In the bottom of the eighth, Tech’s Jace Souza and Logan Hughes each added RBIs against Barrett to pull within 9-8. But Barrett turned around and retired the next two, stranding two Red Raiders (the leading run).

Tech went with Jorden Espinoza to try to keep things close, and he was good for a 1-2-3 ninth inning, leaving it up to Barrett to close it out. But things started to look dicey for the Cowboys.

Tech’s Matt Quintanar drilled a lead-off single to center field. Then Barrett walked the next Red Raider in four pitches to put the winning run on base with no outs. But Barrett struck out Ryan Coleman on a bunt before things got weird.

Tech’s Kyeler Thompson was back at the plate with a chance to walk it off, but an interference call on Quintanar ended the game somewhat unceremoniously.

The Red Raiders catcher slid past third taking out the legs of Aidan Meola who took exception. The two were separated by coaches and officials. The play was reviewed and, by rule, not only was Quintanar out at third, his interference resulted in an automatic out of Thompson and ended the game.

With the win, the Cowboys earn their third Big 12 series win. They’re 27-16 on the year and 10-10 in conference play. The series finale was pushed up to 11 a.m. Sunday in Lubbock, with inclement weather expected.

A pair of Cowgirls were responsible for most of the scoring as OSU secured its fifth Big 12 series win of the season.

No. 16 Oklahoma State defeated Baylor 9-1 by mercy rule in six innings.

Amanda Hasler and Karli Godwin were at the plate for the Cowgirls’ first eight runs, including a dramatic start.

The Cowgirls got off to a hot start thanks to Hasler’s grand slam to put OSU up 4-0 in the first. It was her 12th home run of the season, a team lead.

Into the wind? No problem for Karli 🚀#GoPokes | @karligodwin2 https://t.co/4ZZS4ReQCe pic.twitter.com/WTNdQVk5KW

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 25, 2026

In the second, Godwin hit her sixth homer of the year, a solo bomb to make it 5-0.

Into the wind? No problem for Karli 🚀#GoPokes | @karligodwin2 https://t.co/4ZZS4ReQCe pic.twitter.com/WTNdQVk5KW

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 25, 2026

But that pair wasn’t done. Hasler added an RBI double in the fifth. In the sixth, Godwin doubled to deep left sending Libby Jaques from first to third before Jaques ran home on a wild pitch by Baylor pitch Sadie Ross.

Jayden Jones was the only other Cowgirl credited with a RBI. She pushed the lead to 9-1 in the top of the sixth, grounding out to send Godwin across home plate.

Preslee Downing (now 5-0) got the start and pitched three scoreless innings before getting into a jam. In the fourth, Baylor scored on an error leaving two runners on base.

RyLee Crandall, who formerly played at Baylor, came in and struck out the final Bear looking to end the inning with just one Baylor run. She would close it out in the fifth and sixth, allowing three hits and striking out three Bears.

With the win, the Cowgirls take the series and improve to 33-13 and 11-6 in the Big 12. OSU has won six of seven including ranked wins over Oklahoma, Arizona (2-1) and Texas. They’ll go for the sweep at 1 p.m. Sunday in Waco.

Oklahoma State announced the addition of Baylor transfer Yuting Deng on Saturday morning. Listed as a 6-foot-2 guard, Deng averaged 6.6 points, 1.9 boards and 0.9 assists a game for the Bears last season while shooting 37% from 3.

𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞 ✔️
𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 ✔️
𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫 ✔️
𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞 ✔️
𝐂𝐨𝐰𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 ✔️#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/PtXWEtZ9P5

— OSU Cowgirl Basketball (@OSUWBB) April 25, 2026

Deng is a native of the Hunan Province in China.

She started her college career at Auburn, playing in a dozen games and making eight starts late in the 2024-25 season. She averaged 11.8 points and 2.5 boards as a Tiger while shooting 37% from deep. She scored in double figures in eight of those contests, including a 27-point outburst against Vanderbilt where she was 4-for-10 from 3 and also ripped down nine boards.

She had seven double-digit scoring outings at Baylor this past season, dropping 22 on Texas Tech in December in a game she went 4-for-5 from 3 in.

Deng joins a star-studded transfer class that Jacie Hoyt has assembled. The transfer hauls includes the portal’s top two players in Audi Crooks (Iowa State) and Liv McGill (Florida). Hoyt has also added Division-II Player of the Year Talexa Weeter, Okie sharpshooter Ellie Brueggemann, former five-star prospect LA Sneed, Rutgers breakout Nene Ndiaye and Missouri State transfer Zoe Canfield.

Three Thoughts

• Is OSU catching up to Texas Tech with resources? It’s held that boosters were withholding during late Mike Gundy era – could the amount held back really be enough to catch Tech? (Open for Business)

• Gold-star Friday night for diamond sports – Cowgirls fought back to open the series with a win over Baylor, Cowboys blasted Texas Tech (PFB)

• How fascinating – one of Chad Weiberg’s contract stipulations is revenue increases annually: 

Weiberg must operate the athletic department not only with a balanced sheet, but he must also increase total revenue available each fiscal year relative to the immediately preceding fiscal year. [TulsaWorld]

Two Quotes

• So. Many. Yards. 

The top returning passers in 2026! pic.twitter.com/poJgDwnTOG

— College Football Zone (@CollegeFBonX) April 23, 2026

• It’s hard to find OSU-relevant datapoints around this NFL Draft – but De’Zhaun Stribling fills that void as an OSU-ex drafted at the start of Round Two by the 49ers: 

So, why were the 49ers so enamored with Stribling?

Because he checks about every box they look for in a wide receiver. [Niners  Wire]

One Question

• Would anyone pick stripe-out over blackout?

Stripe out or blackout? You can only pick one.

Poll in the comments pic.twitter.com/ALGxHfAARD

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) April 23, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• How a trade 19 years ago is helping OKC compete for a title  

• Don’t just read the Bible, study it (faith-based)

Ruby Meylan did that thing where she pitched the whole game and led her team to a win again, and her offense woke up just in time.

Oklahoma State started its series against Baylor with a 4-2 win on Friday night in Waco.

All of the Cowgirls’ runs came in the top of the seventh inning, as they trailed 2-0 going into the final frame.

Rosie Davis got to the plate with one out and the bases loaded when she singled off the wall in right-center. It looked for a second like the fielder might catch the ball, which led to just one run scoring.

There’s one 👀#GoPokes | @_RoseDavis2023 pic.twitter.com/Ijd3mc8xR5

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 25, 2026

But then Lexi McDonald kept it going with a sacrifice fly that scored Macy Graf and tied the game at 2.

Then Amanda Hasler gave the Cowgirls their first lead with a two-RBI triple to right that nearly got out. It was certainly a clutch piece of hitting with two outs.

JUST. LIKE. THAT.

COWGIRLS LEAD 🤠#GoPokes | @amandahasler3 pic.twitter.com/VqSaRByD52

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 25, 2026

Meylan then slammed the door in the bottom of the seventh, using just nine pitches in the inning to get the three outs she needed. She did get some help by way of this web gem from freshman center fielder Jayelle Austin:

FULL STRETCH JAYELLE #GoPokes | @austin_jayelle pic.twitter.com/CEP2DNfL4Q

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 25, 2026

Meylan moved to 22-6 on the year after throwing 103 pitches against the Bears, where she gave up the two runs (one earned) on five hits while walking two and striking out four.

This is the 11th game the Cowgirls have won in a row when Meylan pitches. She’s thrown complete games in her past seven outings.

The Cowgirls are 31-13 this season and looking more and more like an NCAA Regional host as the regular season dwindles. OSU has a shot at clinching the Baylor series Saturday. First pitch is at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

Wyatt Hendrickson, Dustin Plott and Joey McKenna made the U.S. Open finals on Friday.

Starting with Captain America, Hendrickson teched his way through the 125 kg semis. He beat four-time NCAA All-American and former U23 world champ Tony Cassioppi 12-2 in the quarters before beating former NCAA champ Greg Kerkvliet 11-1 in the semis.

Hendrickson will get Demetrius Thomas in Saturday night’s final. Thomas beat Coby Merrill, the younger brother of OSU NCAA finalist Cody Merrill, in the semis. Mason Parris earned the top seed in the bracket, but fell to Merrill 8-1 in the quarters.

Plott also teched his way into the finals at 92 kg. He beat Bucknell’s Dillon Bechtold 12-2 in the semis. Bechtold was a NCAA qualifier the past two seasons.

Plott, a four-time All-American while at OSU, will wrestle Michael Macchiavello in the final after Macchiavello beat reigning 197-pound NCAA champ Josh Barr 4-1 in the quarters. Macchiavello wrestled at NC State, with his final year coming in 2019 when he won his first NCAA title.

McKenna did his college wrestling at Stanford but trains in Stillwater at the Cowboy RTC. He made the 65 kg final by beating Jesse Mendez 3-2 in the semis. Mendez was who Sergio Vega beat in the NCAA final this year. Mendez was a two-time NCAA champ.

McKenna will wrestle superstar high schooler Bo Bassett in the final. Bassett won a wild bout against reigning 149-pound NCAA champ Aden Valencia in the quarters before teching former Penn State wrestler Beau Bartlett 10-0 in the battle of Bo(eau)s.

A win in the finals for those three would move them on to Final X where they’d wrestle in a best-of-three series. Win that series, and they’d represent the United States at the Senior World Championships.

Elsewhere

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the orange-clad contingent, though.

Jax Forrest dropped an NCAA finals rematch against Ohio State’s Ben Davino in the 61 kg semifinal, falling 8-4. Forrest still has a shot at third on Saturday.

Former Cowboy Cam Amine got what might be the biggest win of his wrestling career in the quarterfinals at 74 kg when he beat David Carr 6-3. Carr was a two-time national champ at Iowa State and a U20 World champ. He wrestled at the Senior World Championships last year and was right there with the best guys in the world.

Amine couldn’t get past James Green in the semis, though, with Green winning 2-1. Green took silver at the Senior World Championships in 2017.

Cowboy national champ Dean Hamiti dropped his quarterfinal bout to Muhamed McBryde.

Cody Merrill was on the opposite side of Plott’s bracket and fell to Macchiavello 2-1 in the quarters.

Saturday’s Schedule

The consolation rounds and medal matches will resume at noon (Central) on Saturday.

The championship finals will be at 8 p.m.

The event is streamed on Flo.

Oklahoma State beat Texas Tech 16-6 in seven innings on Friday afternoon.

The Cowboys separated from the Red Raiders in the third and didn’t look back.

It was a nine-run inning that started with Kollin Ritchie drawing a walk in an impressive at-bat that saw him foul off the first two pitches before taking four straight balls. He then advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third when Aidan Meola singled through the left side.

That brought up Campbell Smithwick, who singled, scoring Ritchie.

Then freshman Sebastian Norman ripped a homer to left, the three run shot made it 7-1.

NO. DOUBT. NORMAN. 💪

This baseball is still in orbit btw#GoPokes | @14sebastiann pic.twitter.com/vb9UP35Wfz

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 24, 2026

Unfortunately for the Red Raiders, the Cowboys weren’t done there.

Garrett Shull walked, Alex Conover singled and Brock Thompson walked to load the bases. Ritchie then got back up for his second AB of the inning, where he got a ball through the right side to score a run.

Then Meola clobbered a ball to left-center. The grand slam was his 11th home run of the season. It gave OSU a 12-1 lead.

Write this down ✍️

Aidan Meola with the grand slam for his 11th bomb of the season#GoPokes | @aidanmeola1 pic.twitter.com/QnhCFJTwAy

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 24, 2026

Tech would fight back in the home half of the inning, plating three runs before the teams traded runs in the fourth, making it 13-5 Cowboys.

It stayed that way until the seventh when the Cowboys scored three more. One run came off a Meola single. The other two came off a Smithwick double.

Easy come, easy go 🤠

A couple more RBIs for @aidanmeola1 and @campbellrsoup #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/kr6CQea4uY

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 24, 2026

Tech got one back in the bottom of the inning, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the mercy rule.

There were standout performances up and down the Cowboy lineup, but it’s hard to argue anyone had a better day than Meola. Again battling through injuries, Meola went 4-for-5 at the dish Friday with six RBIs and two runs scored.

Conover and Norman each had three hits, with Conover going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI from the leadoff spot, while Norman, a freshman, went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

It was good to get the game over early for the Cowboys’ banged up pitching staff. Sophomore Ethan Lund got the start and threw six innings where he allowed five runs off 10 hits while walking four and striking out four. Kai Fyke threw the final frame, allowing a run off two hits while walking one and striking out two.

The Cowboys advance to 26-16 on the year and are on the bubble in terms of making the NCAA Tournament, but they’re on a decent stretch of form having run-ruled Wichita State and now Tech in consecutive games.

OSU will look to clinch the series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Lubbock. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Technically, anything more than one win would be an improvement. But let’s focus on the positive and lean into a little hype — that’s what OSU would have you do on a Friday in April.

With the Pokes having recently wrapped up Spring practice, we’ve got a long way until we find out what Eric Morris can do with his revamped roster and rebuilt coaching staff. There’s plenty reason for optimism.

The Cowboys boast the Big 12’s top-ranked transfer portal class led by the nation’s top passer last season in Drew Mestemaker, a top 10 rusher in Caleb Hawkins and a plethora of other skill and impact players.

Here’s a nice promo of where they’ll call homefield this fall, followed by a roundup of what has been an eventful spring for OSU football.

No place like Stillwater, no home like BPS 🤠#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/qwn1F7dYFr

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) April 24, 2026

Now that your appetite for Cowboy football has been whetted, here’s a roundup of this last week of spring football content to indulge in as we head into the dog days of summer.

• Marshall’s 10 Thoughts on the Spring Game

• Eric Morris brings a nice mix of old- and new-school coaching

• More reasons to be hyped by Cowboy receiver Chris Barnes.

• Former UNT linebacker Ethan Wesloski talks about the leadership he brings and what it’s like to be in Stillwater

• The final episode of our Spring Football Schedule preview takes a look at the Cowboys’ season finale against Kansas

Be sure to check out the rest of our previews for this fall: Noncon | WVU | UCF | Houston | Colorado | Iowa State | Kansas State | Texas Tech | Arizona State

Week 12: Kansas | Nov. 28 | Stillwater, Okla.

Series history: 42-31-2

The Cowboys are coming off a loss to KU for the just third time since 1995. It’s also the first time OSU has lost two of the last three to Kansas since that same year.

Last meeting: The Cowboys were competitive in the first half in Lawrence last Nov. 1 and even held a 7-3 lead after the first quarter. But early success was short-lived and the Jayhawks never punted, scoring a touchdown on every possession after their opening-drive FG.

It made for the seventh time (out of eight losses to that point) that OSU finished at least down three scores. But on the bright side, it was the last time as they finished the year with losses of eight-, three- and seven-point decisions, respectively. These numbers are more notable than they are comforting.

Kansas in 2025: The Jayhawks finished 5-7 for the second-straight year. In five years under Lance Leipold, they’ve had just one winning season, the 9-4 finish in 2023 that ended with a bowl win. After starting 2-1 in conference, Kansas finished losing five of six with their only win coming over the Cowboys.

Kansas in 2026: Kansas will have a revamped offense behind a new starting QB for the first time in six years. Jalon Daniels was taking snaps in KU’s backfield longer than Perry Ellis posted folks up in the Phog. Actually.

It may fall to longtime backup Cole Ballard, who amassed just 445 passing yards over three seasons for Kansas. He’ll have to fight off to transfer Chase Jenkins who wasn’t asked to do much in Rice’s run-centric offense. He had 1,025 passing yards and nine TDs 12 games but did rush for five more and over 500 yards.

The Jayhawks brought in a slew of skill players like former K-State running back Dylan Edwards. He’s been limited due to injury but is explosive when healthy.

Of note: The biggest acquisition of the offseason may be the bringing back of former OC Andy Kotelnicki, who spent the last two seasons calling plays for James Franklin at Penn State. He spent 2021-23 in the booth for Kansas and was a big part of getting Daniels to play to his strengths which helped the Jayhawks score 35.6 points per game in 2022 (2nd in the Big 12) and 34.8 in 2023 (4th). KU brass and fans hope he can bring the Jayhawks offense back.

OSU Bullets

• What will OSU do with its final three roster spots? (PFB)

• Drew Mestemaker got some votes as a top-three quarterback in college football (ESPN)

• The Cowboys brought in an edge rusher from Florida State – here’s a quote from him on Drew Mestemaker:

“He’s the truth. He’s that guy. He deserves every penny. He makes every throw look effortless. You guys saw, he can throw back-shoulder fades on a dime 60 yards down the field. There’s not many guys that can do that. I’ve been around some talented quarterbacks, been around for a little bit, and he’s absolutely the best I’ve ever played with.” [GoPokes 247]

• Cowboy Baseball needs a series win to keep postseason hopes alive (HCS)

• It really feels like the Bullets may end up just being Carson Benge highlights after OSU golf/softball/baseball wrap up:

💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/LAqFn5QfpR

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 24, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Jalen Williams injury update • Six selfish reasons to have kids • Sabbath is more than self-care (faith-based)

What a high character move by these OKC girls:

And then there were three.

With Arizona State transfer Andrija Grbovic committing to Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Steve Lutz is down to three roster spots remaining.

To have a little fun on a Thursday, here’s what archetypes of players I could see the Cowboys going after and a handful of players in the portal who fit those profiles.

1. A Big with Experience

If you read my thoughts following basketball games or listened to The Reload, you’d know there aren’t many people with more Ben Ahmed stock than me. But, given how important the center position has been to the first two seasons of the Steve Lutz Era (Abou Ousmane and Parsa Fallah), I’d be a little concerned if two sophomores were all the Cowboys had down low.

Ahmed is going to be really good — maybe as soon as next season. But, he averaged 5.9 fouls per 40 minutes. I believe Mekhi Ragland could develop into a really fun big, but he averaged eight fouls per 40.

Through two seasons in Stillwater, Lutz seems to like big bodies at center, but you wonder if given the defensive struggles this past season if OSU will opt for a more athletic rim-protector.

So, someone who is experienced, who can help the the defensive effort and can still allow those young guys room to grow.

Four in the portal who fit the profile: 

Jerald Colonel (Stephen F. Austin) — OSU was reportedly in contact with Colonel when the portal opened. He was the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year this past season, averaging five points, 7.3 boards and 2.6 blocks a game. He comes in at 6-9, 200 pounds.

Massamba Diop (Arizona State) — Diop will draw a lot of attention in the portal and might be out of the Pokes’ price range, but as a freshman in Tempe, he averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 boards and 2.1 blocks a game.

Franck Kepnang (Washington) — listed at 6-foot-11, 247 pounds, Kepnang averaged 6.2 points, 6.3 boards and 2.1 blocks a game for the Huskies last season. He’s already taken part in six NCAA seasons (two at Oregon and four at Washington), so he’d likely need a waiver to become eligible).

Chol Machot (Charleston) — Machot isn’t the most experienced, having just finished up his redshirt sophomore season, but the 7-foot, 190-pounder averaged 8.9 points, 5.5 boards and a CAA-leading 2.5 blocks a contest. He was the CAA Defensive Player of the Year.

2. A Long Wing (Or Two?)

A lack of length on the perimeter gave the Cowboys some trouble in Year 1, so I wouldn’t mind a guy with some experience who is a capable defender and 3-point shooter.

I imagine a lot of teams would love to add a long, defensive-minded wing who can shoot the 3, for what it’s worth.

I could be persuaded to pick up two of these guys in place of option No. 3.

Five in the portal who fit the profile: 

Christian Harmon (Arkansas State) — Harmon was an All-Sun Belt Selection this past season after averaging 12.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.9 steals a game. He shot 35% from 3. It was his first year at the Division-I level after spending two seasons in the JUCO ranks.

Dennis Parker (Radford) — Parker was a four-star recruit in the 2023 class who Mike Boynton offered. He played two seasons at NC State before making the move to Radford. He averaged 18.3 points a game this past season to go with 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals a contest while shooting 38% from 3. He’s listed at 6-6.

BJ Omot (Minnesota) — Omot did not play this past season at Minnesota because of injury. He last played at Cal in 2024-25, where he averaged 10.8 points, three rebounds and a steal a game while shooting 35% from 3.

Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (St. Thomas) — After playing in eight games as a freshman at Miami, Johnson-Arigu played this past season at St. Thomas, where he averaged 10.5 points and four boards a game while shooting a respectable 33% from 3 on 80 attempts. His defensive rating of 102.7 would’ve been seconds among Cowboys this season, but the Summit is quite a bit different from the Big 12. He’s 6-7.

Mookie Cook (San Francisco) — Listed at 6-6, Cook started his college career at Oregon. After two seasons where he played sparingly, he transferred to San Fran for this past season and averaged 7.6 points, 4.2 boards and 1.5 assists a game. He has a career defensive rating of 105.4.

3. Maybe Another Point Guard

You can never have too many ball handlers, if you ask me.

Kanye Clary, Jacob Walker (Sam Houston), Luka Bogavac (North Carolina) and Kashie Natt (Sam Houston) are all capable facilitators, so I don’t see this being a must-need. But it might be safe to just get one more guy capable of running the point.

Three-point shooting and/or defensive acumen is always a plus.

Three in the portal who fit the profile: 

Javontae Campbell (Bowling Green) — Campbell is from Muskogee and spent two seasons at NOC-Tonkawa. He was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 18.7 points, 4.5 boards, 5.1 assists and three steals a game this past season. He might need a waiver to get one of the JUCO years back, but I feel like that would be a slam dunk on many fronts.

Christian Jeffrey (Villanova) — Jeffrey was a freshman at Villanova this past year but before that was a four-star recruit who visited Oklahoma State. He played 180 total minutes across 22 games for Villanova, averaging three points, a rebound and an assist a game. He went 5-for-14 (36%) from 3 and had a 103.3 defensive rating.

Jordan Marsh (USC) — Out of North Carolina, Marsh averaged 7.3 points, two rebounds and 1.9 assists at UCS this past season while shooting 36% from 3. He was an All-Big South selection the season before after averaging 18.8 points, 4.2 boards, 3.7 assists and two steals a game at UNC-Asheville.

Let’s take a look at the matchup between Oklahoma State and Arizona State. Be sure to check out our other previews: Noncon | WVU | UCF | Houston | Colorado | Iowa State | Kansas State | Texas Tech

Week 11: Arizona State | Nov. 21 | Tempe, Arizona

Series history: 3-3

Last meeting: Arizona State took the Big 12 by storm in 2024, and OSU was no exception. In their first season in the league, the Sun Devils went 7-2 in the league and finished with 11 wins for the first time in nearly three decades.

The Cowboys hosted then-No. 7 ASU in early November two seasons ago and got smacked around 42-21. Cam Skattebo had 274 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns, including TD catches of 36 and 50 yards.

Arizona State in 2025: The Sun Devils took a step back without some of their key playmakers, as Skattebo was a rookie for the New York Giants last year. Arizona State finished 8-5 with a Sun Bowl loss to Duke.

Arizona State in 2026: The Sun Devils had a nice portal haul this offseason. Arizona State ranks 15th in transfer portal rankings according to 247Sports, behind only OSU and Texas Tech in the conference. They brought in a pair of QBs with starting experience in Cutter Boley (Kentucky) and Mikey Keene, who started at UCF and Fresno State and last played at Michigan.

Add in trio of like wideouts that had started multiple games in Omarion Miller (Colorado), Raiden Vines-Bright (Washington) and Reed Harris (Boston College), and the Sun Devils offense has a chance to be more explosive

Of note: With all the coaching turnover in the Big 12, the median tenure coming into 2026 is less than three years. That puts ASU’s fourth-year head coach in the camp of seasoned vets.

But after going 22-17 including an 11-win season, Kenny Dillingham is considered a hot coaching commodity. After being included in the rumor mill for the Michigan job which ultimately went to former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, Sun Devil fans are back to being excited about a Dillingham-led squad.

OSU Bullets

The past week as seen the Cowgirls beat No. 1 OU, take two of three off No. 16 Arizona and now beat No. 4 Texas in Austin. [PFB]

3️⃣ spots left

What would you like to see the Cowboys add? pic.twitter.com/oAnKs0cXmm — Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) April 23, 2026

(They’ve added) seven players and 123 points per game. I know there’s only one basketball, but, geez. This is talent with the capability of doing what TCU did two years ago — jumping from a solid program to one that can challenge for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. It’s the one thing Hoyt hasn’t done in four seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances. The Cowgirls have won one NCAA Tournament game in her tenure. [HCS]

Gage and I picked up a new rig today! Thanks to the guys at Vicars Powersports. pic.twitter.com/AJcknNznlN

— Mike Gundy (@CoachGundy) April 21, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

Oklahoma State shut out No. 4 Texas 5-0 on Wednesday night in Austin, with the Cowgirl ace throwing the complete game shutout in which she allowed just two hits while walking none and striking out four.

It marks the fifth straight complete game Meylan has thrown, and OSU has won the past nine games Meylan has pitched in. The game’s final out was a grounder back to her. She coolly snagged the ball and tossed to first before her team celebrated around her.

THE COWGIRLS TAKE DOWN THE REIGNING CHAMPS 😤

No. 17 Oklahoma State upsets No. 4 Texas 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BTCMHTZyfd

— espnW (@espnW) April 23, 2026

The game was a pitchers’ duel until the sixth when Rosie Davis smoked a ball to straightaway center to open the scoring. It was a two-run shot and came with a bat flip Sam Show would be proud of.

Ring around the Rosie.

📺 ESPN2#GoPokes | @_RoseDavis2023 https://t.co/1OrHxBhVbw pic.twitter.com/3LJijjgYpy

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 23, 2026

The Cowgirls got some further insurance in the seventh when Aubrey Jones doubled to score pinch runner Kaya Booker.

Redshirt freshman Madison Hoffman then stepped in as a pinch hitter and hit her first career home run to make it 5-0.

What a time for your first career homer, Hoff 👏

📺 ESPN2 #GoPokes https://t.co/R8X6tIQBQ4 pic.twitter.com/Bt3XcY13en

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 23, 2026

The past week as seen the Cowgirls beat No. 1 OU, take two of three off No. 16 Arizona and now beat No. 4 Texas in Austin.

There was a wonder as to whether the Cowgirls could climb into the top 16 to host, and it seems they are well on their way to that given the past seven days. Play like that the remaining seven games of the regular season, and it should be an open and shut case.

OSU is in Waco this weekend with the Cowgirls’ series opener against Baylor starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday on ESPN+.

Cowboy fans ought to get familiar with the country of Montenegro.

Arizona State transfer Andrija Grbovic committed to Oklahoma State on Wednesday, according to Draft Express’ Jordan Givony. Grbovic is a 6-foot-11 forward from Montenegro who played on the same European team as fellow OSU commit Luka Bogavac before coming to the states. Grbovic was listed as a junior at ASU.

With the Sun Devils last season, Grbovic averaged 6.8 points and 2.9 rebounds a game while shooting 35% from 3 on 123 attempts (a similar clip to Kanye Clary this past season, for reference). He scored in double figures eight times as a Sun Devil, scoring a season-high 14 points on two occasions. He played 26 minutes against OSU in February, where he scored 11 points and brought in three rebounds. He hit multiple 3s in 16 games this season.

In 24 games with ABA League (Europe) squad SC Derby during the 2024-25 season, Grbovic averaged 7.9 points while going 34-for-74 (46%) from 3-point range and 82% from the foul line. He was the Adriatic Junior Liga ABA Youth MVP in 2022.

Grbovic represented Montenegro at the FIBA World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers. He’s also been a part of the some youth national teams. At the 2022 FIBA U20 European Championship, Grbovic averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in seven games. At the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championships, he put up 15.6 points and 7.4 boards a game.

He started his professional playing career at just 15 years old with Orange Academy Ratiopharm (Germany).

Grbovic becomes the fourth player OSU has pulled out of the portal thus far — two Montenegrins and two Sam Houston State transfers. He joins Bogavac, Kashie Natt and Jacob Walker.

With Mekhi Ragland announcing his OSU return earlier Wednesday, OSU is up to 12 roster slots filled of a possible 15.

All of Oklahoma State’s 2025-26 basketball roster has been accounted for.

Mekhi Ragland on Wednesday announced that he’ll return to Stillwater for his sophomore season. He was the last player from the most recent OSU team to announce his intentions. He’ll join Kanye Clary, Benjamin Ahmed and Ryan Crotty as returners. Everyone else either exhausted their eligibility or hit the portal.

#gopokes pic.twitter.com/tpzILESY3R

— Mekhi Ragland (@mekhiraglandd) April 22, 2026

Listed at 6-foot-11, 330 pounds, Ragland took part in 14 games during his freshman season, totaling 20 points, 23 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and five steals.

With OSU getting banged up in the front court toward the end of the season, Ragland got some more run late in the year. He played double-digit minutes just once in the regular season but did so in three of OSU’s four postseason games (once in the Big 12 Tournament and twice in the NIT). Those four postseason games accounted for 12 of his points and eight of his rebounds.

Ragland had to get back up to speed while drastically jumping levels of competition. He missed out on his senior year of high school because of a foot injury, meaning it had been a while since he played in an actual game when he checked in for his college debut in November.

He was a three-star prospect, listed as the No. 308 player in the 247Sports Composite Ranking for the class. He also held offers to Mississippi State, East Carolina, Georgia State and others.

With returners, incoming transfers and incoming freshmen, OSU is up to 11 roster spots filled of a possible 15.

A pair of Choctaw standouts took visits up to Stillwater this past weekend for Oklahoma State’s spring game — two of the top 2027 prospects in the state. Here’s a little bit about each guy.

Israel Hammons, LB

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Israel Hammons (@israelhammons0)

Hammons is a four-star prospect per 247Sports and Rivals. The Rivals Industry Ranking lists him as the No. 175 player in all of the 2027 class and the No. 6 player in the state of Oklahoma.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Hammons also has offers to Texas, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Arizona State, Auburn and others.

Hammons’ first Division-I offer came in January of 2025 and was from … North Texas. He credited running backs coach and fellow Oklahoman Patrick Cobbs with that offer, just like he did when he announced his Oklahoma State offer in January of this year.

He posed in one of his visit photos with OSU quarterback commit Carson White, who also took his official this past weekend.

While he projects as a linebacker, Hammons was also used as an H back and played special teams as a junior — throwing vicious blocks, catching passes, returning kicks and blocking field-goal attempts.

Titus Hawk, TE

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by T. Hawk (@titushawk23)

Anytime he can, Eric Morris likes to note his affinity for multisport athletes — a camp Hawk fits into.

A 6-foot-7 tight end, Hawk is also a standout baseball prospect. He also plays basketball.

Hawk’s father, Shane, played baseball at Oklahoma State in the early 2000s before being taken in the fourth round of the 2003 MLB Draft by the New York Mets. Hawk has made it known he wants to play football and baseball as a collegiate, and his photoshoot from this weekend is further proof of that.

White also wants to play football and baseball at the next level. It’s crazy to think that should Hawk pick the Pokes, two of OSU’s first big commits under Morris could also star at O’Brate.

Hawk is a four-star football recruit per the Rivals Industry Ranking and the 247Sports Composite Ranking. That Rivals ranking lists him as the No. 333 player in the class and the No. 8 player from Oklahoma. He also holds offers to Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan, Nebraska, Miami, Texas Tech, Notre Dame and others.

OSU was Hawk’s first offer under the previous regime, coming in January of 2025. North Texas was his third offer, coming later that month.

Like with Hammons, Hawk brings some versatility to the football field. Despite being 6-7, he had a kick return for a touchdown against Lawton-Eisenhower on Halloween. He also has some highlights on the defensive side of the ball. On offense, he’d sometimes get the ball in unique was for a tight end, like tunnel screens and quick pitches.

LA took a 2-0 series lead against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets with a 101-94 win in the City of Angels. Smart, now 32 years old, dropped 25 points in the game, going 5-for-7 from 3-point range while also adding seven assists and five steals — vintage stuff.

“I’m very grateful to be doing this,” Smart said. “I thank God every day because I could’ve been out the league, right, because injuries and things like that. So to be able to be back on this stage again, making the plays that I’m making with these guys, with this team, this organization, I’m just grateful.”

He started early, taking more shots in the first quarter than anyone else on the floor — a floor that also included Durant and LeBron James. But Smart wasn’t just taking, he was making, finishing the opening frame with 14 points on 5-for-7 shootings (3-for-4 from 3).

He also set the tone with his defense, finishing the opening quarter with a pair of steals. Early in the game, he picked up Durant in the backcourt and was able to poke the ball away from him, dive on the floor and secure a possession for his team — a possession that quickly ended in James soaring through the LA sky and throwing down a dunk.

Marcus Smart is a mad man pic.twitter.com/9Vnb3SD3rc

— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) April 22, 2026

Smart hit a big 3 late to give the Lakers an 8-point lead with about two minutes to play, an early dagger.

SMART SINKS HIS 5th THREE 🎯

LAKERS 99
ROCKETS 92

UNDER A MINUTE TO PLAY IN Q4 🍿 pic.twitter.com/cq1MQht074

— NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2026

Tuesday’s game was the 110th NBA Playoff game Smart has played in his career but just the second as anything other than a Celtic. It marked the third-most points Smart has scored in a playoff game, but it was maybe his most impactful outing given the circumstances.

Although the Lakers are the better seed (a 4 to Houston’s 5), the Rockets were favorites in these opening two games with LA being without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But now they head to Houston up 2-0 with those two being closer to being back.

“Everything is heightened, right?” Smart said. “We need guys. My whole life, I’ve been that guy you can just throw in certain spots you need. Like I said before, Swiss Army Knife — that’s me. Filling in the gaps, whatever we need whenever we need it. That’s just who I’ve been. I think that’s what makes me very valuable and very unique.”

A highly touted high school prospect, Smart played two seasons at Oklahoma State. He was a consensus All-American as a freshman and was named the Big 12’s Player of the Year that season after averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and three steals a game. He was again an All-American as a sophomore, averaging 18 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.9 steals a game.

Should LA close this thing out and the Oklahoma City Thunder take care of business against the Suns, Smart would be playing in Oklahoma City in the second round. It’d mark the first time in his career he played playoff basketball in the same state he played in during his college days.

Oklahoma State defeated Wichita State 14-4 in seven innings on Tuesday night, giving head coach Josh Holliday his 500th career victory. Here’s how it went down.

The Cowboys got on the board in the second thanks to an unearned run off a Garrett Shull single. Then the Shockers answered with an RBI single in the top of the third. That’s when the Pokes asserted themselves.

Oklahoma State scored eight runs in the bottom of the third starting (and nearly ending) with Brock Thompson. Thompson kicked things off with his ninth home run of the season, but that would not be his only RBI in the inning.

Sebastian Norman, Colin Brueggemann and Shull each added RBI singles, slicing up newly installed Wichita State reliever Brady Owens. Owens then walked consecutive Cowboys for runs before Thompson came back to the plate and batted in Alex Conover.

Second hit of the INNING for @BrockThompson21 #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/e4POzlKx2f

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 22, 2026

Kollin Ritchie capped the inning with an RBI groundout to make the lead 9-1.

The Shockers were able to score three in the fifth, but a two-run homer by Norman in the sixth put the mercy rule within reach.

No doubt Norman ⁉️#GoPokes | @14sebastiann pic.twitter.com/ThMJtbEYLX

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 22, 2026

Then Deacon Pomeroy was able to get the walk-off for his coach with his second home run of the season.

Deacon 𝓑𝓸𝓶𝓫eroy 💣

His second home run of the season is a walk-off ‼️#GoPokes | @deaconpomeroy24 pic.twitter.com/cQWwcMyV9t

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 22, 2026

Bryce LeBlanc got the start on the mound and pitched two innings, striking out three and allowing just one hit and one walk. Parker Jennings pitched a pair of innings, giving up those three runs in the fifth. Zane Burns earned the win spelling Jennings in the fifth and moved to 2-0 on the season.

With the win, Holliday’s career record improves to 500-279-2 in 14 years and counting. He remains second in all-time wins at OSU behind Hall of Fame coach Gary Ward who went 953-313-1 in 19 seasons.

For his troubles, Holliday also earned a chilly Gatorade shower.

Nothing beats a Gatorade shower! 😎#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/h1hg3sGseQ

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 22, 2026

With their win the Cowboys move to 25-16. They’ll head to Lubbock to resume Big 12 play against Texas Tech this weekend. The series opener is slated for 1 p.m. Friday at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.

OSU Bullets

•  Josh Holliday hit 500 wins last night when the Pokes beat Wichita State 14-4 in Stillwater (Tulsa World + X)

• LIV Golf launched an Oklahoma-centric golf team, led by Cowboy alum Talor Gooch (NewsOK)

• Loved this take on Cowboy Football’s expected growth: 

The best (betting) value in the Big 12 is Oklahoma State. I am not a betting man, but if I were, I would love to take a flyer on the Cowboys. Yes, OSU won just one game last season, but the Cowboys jump-started their program with a top-10 portal class filled with North Texas transfers who already know head coach Eric Morris’ system. There is a growing sentiment this offseason that Oklahoma State is a Big 12 dark horse.  [Open for Business]

• Cowboy Golf’s national championship squad visited the White House, celebrating their title (X)

Cowgirl Basketball landed another transfer, and Cowgirl Softball is ready to take on Texas tonight (PFB) • See the quote above – growing optimism around the Pokes: 

Josh Pate says Oklahoma State has the “highest potential” to be the next program to explode 👀 “I’m hearing some really good things. I’ve already purchased stock privately.” pic.twitter.com/QveNqrScCQ

— Reagan Harris (OSU Mart) (@OKSTMart) April 19, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Newly released video shows Oklahoma high school principal tackling/disarming would-be gunman – bravo principal Moore! Also, does this guy have any eligibility to play linebacker in Stillwater?

• The social dilemma (faith-based)

Then Oklahoma State went 3-1 against the Sooners and the Big 12’s second-best team, Arizona, which earned them a bit of breathing room and a chance to make a real run at hosting in the postseason.

“I learned that we can be ourself in the big moments,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said. “Which should really help us as we get going here and into the postseason and that kind of stuff.

“But like I told our team, this is, it’s not technically postseason right now, but it really is, because you’re every win is moving you closer to things you want to do, and hosting and that kind of stuff. So they’re kind of in that mode.”

On Wednesday night, the Cowgirls face a Texas team (35-7 overall) ranked fourth by ESPN, fifth by D1Softball and first overall according to RPI. For context, the Cowgirls (30-12, 11-7 Big 12) rank 17th and 14th in those polls, but 19th according to RPI.

Only the top sixteen teams following conference tournaments will host in the first round. While it’s possible to host supers with a lower seed, only the top eight control their destiny where that is concerned.

Gajewski said they don’t discuss the big picture with the players regularly, but the coaches also don’t keep them in the dark. So it comes up at times, although he didn’t elaborate to what extent it has been discussed in the last week.

“They’re very aware that when you host, you’re in a better place,” he said. “So I don’t need to really discuss that.”

On Tuesday, Gajewski made it clear Oklahoma State still wants to make a run at a top eight seed.

That might be impossible to do without notching an impressive win over the Longhorns.

“Well, the reason it’s important is you need to know where you stand,” Gajewski said, describing why he schedules tough non-conference games like Texas and the Sooners. “That’s number one. … If you don’t play them, you don’t know where you stand, you can’t beat them. You have nothing to build upon.”

Other than ace Ruby Meylan, no Cowgirl is entering the week quite as hot as Tia Warsop, who the Big 12 named as Co-Player of the Week in the conference after she finished 8-for-14 last week with two doubles and five RBIs in the Cowgirls’ pivotal week.

“I still think there’s a lot more in that tank,” Gajewski said. “She can get better, and it’s been fun to watch her. She’s one of the ones that I had to sit down for three or four games. … So it’s really cool to watch. I’ve had numerous people reach out about her this week, and some of her old coaches, just really thrilled with how she’s getting better here. And I think that makes me really happy for our staff, the people that put the work in with her, and the fact that she’s bought in.”

Warsop has the second-best batting average on the team, hitting .363, although she’s sixth in total bases (54), largely because she has only six doubles and one home run this season. When asked about her potential for growth, Gajewski didn’t hold back.

“Well, I think she is a kid that could easily hit over .400, she could hit mid .400s,” Gajewski said. “I think she could hit 6-10 home runs. I think she could be a better, more consistent bunter. I think she could definitely improve her outfield play. She had a play against OU, okay, hard play. Okay, well, this is a hard game, and this is an elite level, and she has the ability to make that hard play, which we need her to make that hard play, that’s a precious out, right? Those are things that we’ve got to be able to stop.

“So she can improve in every part of her game, every single part I shouldn’t ever have to take Tia out of the lineup. She’s that type of talent, and I think she’s figuring it out.”

Warsop is expected to play Wednesday night assuming her flight from England stays as scheduled. Gajewski said she didn’t travel with the team because she was attending her grandmother’s funeral which was delayed for a few weeks until Warsop could organize travel.

“And I tell you that (about Warsop), because I think it’s important,” Gajewski said. “Like these kids, not just our kids, Texas’ kids, OU’s kids, Baylor’s kids, these teams that we’re playing, they all go through the same stuff, and we don’t, don’t hear that stuff enough.

“They’re normal people that fight the normal things, and it’s just kind of cool to watch them grow. But she’s got a lot of room that she can still grow, and I’m just very proud of her for the way she’s going about it, the way she just keeps digging in.”

Although Warsop’s big week coincided with three huge wins for Oklahoma State, Gajewski made it clear none of it changed his opinion of the team or her.

“I don’t know that I learned anything crazy,” he said. “I think it just validated to me that and to them, you know, it should have validated to them that the stuff that they’re doing is paying off, and that’s why you work.”

Just a few days removed from landing the portal’s top prospect in Audi Crooks, Oklahoma State added Missouri State transfer Zoe Cranfield on Tuesday. She’s played sparingly in her first two seasons at the college level, starting at Kansas before transferring to Missouri State last season.

Beyond blessed!! So grateful and excited for the next chapter with @OSUWBB 🧡🤠 #committed pic.twitter.com/zOJMlkfKHV

— Zoe Canfield (@ZoeCanfield1) April 21, 2026

She shot 50% from 3 in her freshman season as a Jayhawk, nailing eight of her 16 attempts. She finished that season averaging 1.7 points a game, playing in 15 contests and making one start.

In 10 games with Missouri State this past season,  Canfield scored nine points and brought in five rebounds.

Like Hoyt, Canfield is a Kansas girl. She’s from Topeka and won a state titles at Washburn Rural in basketball and volleyball. Being athletic runs in the Canfield family, as Zoe’s brother, Jett, played basketball at Creighton. Dad, Jordan, played basketball at Washburn, and mom, Eileen, played volleyball and softball at Washburn.

Canfield makes seven new Cowgirls Hoyt has pulled out of the portal, with the rising junior joining Crooks, All-SEC guard Liv McGill, former five-star prospect LA Sneed, Rutgers breakout Nene Ndiaye, Division-II Player of the Year Talexa Weeter and Lindenwood sharpshooter Ellie Brueggemann.

His resume as one of the best defenders in the nation (19th to be exact, according to Pro Football Focus), fresh off a 113-tackle season, speaks for itself. None of which stopped him from finishing tied for the team lead in tackles with four on Saturday.

“This is my fourth year in Coach (Eric) Morris’ system,” Wesloski said. “I know every one of his calls. Hey, sorry, coach. I know all your calls.”

What Wesloski didn’t know was what it would feel like to take the field in front of the Oklahoma State faithful. Even an estimated crowd of 13,000 made a huge impact on the North Texas transfer.

“It was surreal,” he said. “We averaged probably 22,000 in attendance last year. And I think we got that today. So to know that this can be a place that comes around football so much, I’m excited for it.”

Oklahoma State had a huge head start this offseason, considering Morris brought almost every one of his assistants from last year’s team, which was knocking on the doors of a College Football Playoff bid, with him to Stillwater.

Following his unofficial first game inside Boone Pickens Stadium, Morris praised players like Wesloski for getting the Cowboys through the spring.

“Bringing in 22 guys with us that knew what we expected, that could help set the culture in the weight room, that knew the verbiage, that knew the playbook, knew the calls,” Morris said, detailing their impact. “Those are like having extra coaches out there for us.”

That, more than anything else, has been Wesloski’s aim this spring to step up and make an impact as a leader.

“I’ve grown a lot in the leadership phase, I’d like to say,” Wesloski said. “I’ve been able to bring people, bring people up with me.

“There’s a lot of guys in this room. It’s a new defense for a lot of people. There’s a lot of intricacies. It’s really simple, but in order to be an elite defense, there’s a couple things that got to go together, and you got to play well. The safeties got to be in tune with what the D-line is doing. So with that, just bringing all three groups together, hey, this is how we got to work together. This is what’s going on front of you. Here’s how we’re going to play this. So we want to bring people together and grow as a leader, something I’m pretty proud I’ve done so far.”

Despite his emphasis on leadership, the linebacker said it’s nothing new for him.

“I’ve always been in the leadership position because I’m smart,” he said. “I know what the defense is. This is the biggest leadership position I have been in.”

It’s not just the seniority and his familiarity with the defensive calls that are different this spring. Wesloski has always preferred to lead by example and give guys some advice in a more one-on-one setting.

That changed since he began wearing orange. On Tuesday, ahead of the spring game. The Cowboys’ defense hadn’t lived up to its standards in a recent closed scrimmage with the offense.

“So Tuesday practice came around,” Wesloski said. “That first group went out there. I stopped everybody in the huddle and said, ‘Hey, take an extra step all day. Finish your plays. Leave no doubt that you made that tackle.’

“And we tackled, and we won the day on Tuesday. It was really, it wasn’t close because we dominated the line of scrimmage and we tackled every play.”

There was a tangible example of something he wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing in the past.

“That’s some growth,” Wesloski said. “I’ve never been stopping a whole group. I’ll grab a guy here, guy there. That’s definitely a step I’ve taken. And it’s something I do almost every day. I challenge my group, I’m with the ones group. I challenge my group every day, find something to be better at today. Be very intentful about that. It’s something I do, personally. I think it’s helped my game a lot.”

Wesloski elaborated on how he approaches all of his practices in a way that felt familiar, if not rehearsed. Almost like he’s delivered a similar breakdown to several of his teammates.

“What I try to do is I try to pick one thing every day,” Wesloski said. “My footwork today. It could be my hands the next day. It’s my striking the day after. I pick one thing every day, and I get really good at that. It just helps me build on myself.”

PFB+ Sale: ⁠PFB+ subscriptions are 25% off when using this link

OSU Bullets

• Steve Lutz added the No. 35 player in the 2026 recruiting class yesterday – the Pokes are now a top-five class in 2026 (PFB)

With the addition of Anthony Felesi, Steve Lutz’s 2026 recruiting class ranks fourth nationally, per 247Sports. pic.twitter.com/8YrLogjBD5

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) April 20, 2026

• Cowboy Baseball takes on Wichita State at home tonight at 6pm (OKState.com)

• Super interesting – Eric Morris explains what’s the same and what’s different from what he does and what Mike Leach taught him:

“We want to be able to run the football more than what (Mike) Leach did,” Morris told Dave Hunziker last week. “Now, the way we teach our passing game and the reads and the progressions and how we teach the quarterbacks is all from the stuff that I’ve learned from Mike years and years ago. Now, it might look a little different. We’re not as stagnant as Mike was. We run more formations and more motions and bunches and stacks, but ultimately they’re the same plays.” [PFB]

• Drew Mestemaker is embracing being the face of Oklahoma State Football (PFB)

• The Cowboys bought Hauss a solid ride with NIL funding:

Hauss Hejny still rocking OSU plates 👀 pic.twitter.com/7MSusyRWSa

— OKSTProbs (@OKSTProbs) April 20, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• A website that helps you pick the right movie

• Ranking the best free restaurant breads in America (loved the Lamberts made the list)

A simulation – but this would be amazing.

First sim with the OFFICIAL lottery odds. We can’t let OKC do this. pic.twitter.com/P0cTvopiyM

— Tankathon.com (@tankathon) April 20, 2026

Texas Tech has turned into a Big 12 powerhouse seemingly overnight, effectively taking the spot OSU forfeited as the wheels fell off the last two seasons — and then going a step further. If things continue that way for the Red Raiders, this matchup could provide a nice measuring stick for the Cowboys as they try to turn things around.

Let’s get into the matchup.

Be sure you check out the rest of our Spring Schedule Previews: Noncon | WVU | UCF | Houston | Colorado | Iowa State | Kansas State

Week 10: Texas Tech | Nov. 14 | Stillwater, Okla.

Series history: 24-25-3

Last meeting: It wasn’t pretty.

Texas Tech returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, forced a three-and-out on OSU’s first drive, blocked the punt and then scored a TD on the Red Raiders’ next drive. That’s about how it went for the Cowboys who were trounced 42-zip.

Tech in 2025: The Red Raiders are coming off a banner year which included their first 12-win season, their first Big 12 title and their first playoff berth. Tech hadn’t reached double digit wins since Mike Leach was running things, and this was just their second time to hit that mark since 1976.

Unlike when Leach was running things, the Red Raiders got their hardware in large part because of their ability to slow teams down. Texas Tech ranked third nationally in both scoring defense and total defense last year. They had talent only money can buy, especially on that side of the ball. Tech landed five defenders on the All-Big 12 first team with the trio of D-linemen in David Bailey, Romello Height and Lee Hunter and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, All-American Jacob Rodriguez.

Tech in 2026: Don’t expect the Red Raiders to take a step back in 2026. Head coach Joey McGuire continued to clean up in the portal this offseason, pulling in a group of linemen that includes Mateen Ibirogba, Trey White and Adam Trick to replenish his defense. And he brought in Cincy QB Brendan Sorsby to replace outgoing starter Behren Morton. Last year, Sorsby accounted for five total TDs against the Cowboys.

Needless to say, this turnaround doesn’t figure to be a flash in the pan. Tech still looks like the team to beat in flyover country.

Of note: Tech’s meteoric rise is inspirational for any program, but aspirational for the Cowboys. An estimated $55 million of NIL spending goes a long way, but the Cowboys are currently ranked 7th in team transfer portal rankings according to 247Sports, three spots above the Red Raiders. I’m not ready to pick the Pokes to take the Big 12 this year, but it will be interesting to see how quickly the program can rebound and Tech has provided quite the blueprint.

In the midst of portal madness, Steve Lutz has landed another freshman.

Four-star 2026 prospect Anthony Felesi announced his commitment to Oklahoma State on Monday. Listed at 6-foot-5, Felesi is the No. 35 player in the 2026 class, per 247Sports. He had signed with Pitt before decommitting in April. He also took visits to USC, UCLA, Louisville and Gonzaga.

 

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Playing with Utah Prep, Felesi led the EYBL Scholastic League in scoring as a senior, averaging 21.6 points a game. He also averaged 6.5 boards (seventh in the league) and 2.2 steals (third) a contest.

Lutz has been big on high-motor guys from the high school ranks with the likes of Benjamin Ahmed and Latrell Allmond. Felesi fits into that mold. Here’s a snip what 247Sports’ Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote about Felesi from an evaluation last summer:

“The bottom line is that Felesi already impacts winning on both ends of the floor with his motor, competitiveness, and physical tools, and has the potential to keep improving with the progression of his guard skills.” [247Sports]

Felesi’s commitment moves OSU’s four-man 2026 class to the top of the Big 12 standings, per 247Sports. The Cowboys were in second behind Kansas. It also moves the class up to No. 4 nationally. It makes four four-star prospects in Lutz’s class, as Felesi joins Allmond (No. 24), Jalen Montonati (No. 98) and Parker Robinson (No. 130).

The Cowboys have also added three players via the transfer portal this offseason in Luka Bogavac (North Carolina), Kashie Natt (Sam Houston) and Jacob Walker (Sam Houston).

As of now, the Cowboys have 10 confirmed players of 15 on next season’s roster, as returners Kanye Clary, Ahmed and Ryan Crotty join the incoming crop.

His offenses were part of an evolution of the sport, an evolution that first started at the college level before even the NFL was using more spread concepts. Gundy was sitting on equipment trunks drawing up offensive plays while the defense he was also in charge of was on the field.

But if you examined Gundy on the day to day, you’d know there was a good mix of old-school beliefs in there, too.

A former college quarterback, Gundy enjoyed controlling the ball on the ground — a fact evident by all the talent he produced at running back like Doak Walker winner Ollie Gordon or 2019 national rushing leader Chuba Hubbard. He’d constantly tell stories about and praise Bill Snyder, preaching special teams, discipline and toughness.

But the game continues to change. Gundy wasn’t the quick enough in adapting to the NIL era. When Eric Morris was hired at Oklahoma State, it felt like a huge shift — like OSU was had gone from old school to new school. But in a spring of examining Morris running the OSU program, there’s some old school there, too.

“I think one of the most important ingredients to building a culture is the weight room in my opinion,” Morris said after Saturday’s spring game. “It’s always been that way and I think just back to the longevity of the guys before us and Coach [Rob] Glass was such an instrumental part of that, right? And the toughness and grittiness and talking to former players, like that was real here. So, us bringing coach [Bryan] Kegans, who’s a former offensive lineman, teammate of mine and has the grittiness and the attitude to be able to still hold the kids accountable and discipline when needed.

“We’re all in this thing together. We have early morning weight lifts with the guys right now, and if you’re on time and they’re late, they have to pay some pretty heavy consequences. Even I think this era of obviously the financial piece of it, the transfer portal, some coaches have gone backwards and gotten a little bit softer on kids, and honestly, I’ve probably gone the other way and a little bit harder and saying, ‘Hey, you have an obligation to this program, to this school, to your teammates and we’re gonna run this thing and it’s gonna be a pretty tight ship.’”

So, that sounds rather old school, but how about this Morris quote from April 1:

“ROI (return on investment) is like a real thing in college football,” Morris said on April 1. “And you know these guys, you got to look at us as an investment because we are investing in these guys. At the end of the day, when these Saturdays come in the fall, we need our money to be on the field.”

It doesn’t get much more new school than that.

Although the means of roster-building and player acquisition have changed, there are aspects in building a good football team that remain the same. No matter how much money a player is making, football is a disciplined, team game. This point was probably best explained by Florida State defensive line transfer James Williams after the spring game.

“We live in a microwave culture,” Williams said. “Everybody wants change immediately versus over time and it’s affecting everything that we do, not just in sports but in culture as well. I think we’ve adapted to that. We’re a really close, tight-knit group and we’ve been like that from the beginning. We knew what it would take with 80 new people.”

Morris’ mix of old and new isn’t just in the off-the-field preparation either.

One of his biggest mentor was Mike Leach, who Morris played under. Like with Gundy, Leach was an offensive innovator, a spread mastermind. Over the years, defenses have figured out ways to at least slow down that offensive firepower, but the gist of the system still works.

“We want to be able to run the football more than what (Mike) Leach did,” Morris told Dave Hunziker last week. “Now, the way we teach our passing game and the reads and the progressions and how we teach the quarterbacks is all from the stuff that I’ve learned from Mike years and years ago. Now, it might look a little different. We’re not as stagnant as Mike was. We run more formations and more motions and bunches and stacks, but ultimately they’re the same plays.”

So, while OSU has taken a step into the modern age of college football with Morris’ hiring, the program isn’t abandoning tried and true aspects that make a successful football team regardless of the era.

But he rarely sounds like that guy.

“I feel like I’m just a normal guy that plays football,” Mestemaker said on Saturday.

If not for a few drops by one of his go-to receivers, his passing day would have looked even better. Instead, he finished only 13-of-20 for 260 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

His humility carried over into the discussion of his lone mistake of the day, which happened to come on his very first throw.

“I think it went good,” he said. “Obviously, first play, not how you drew it up. But that’s just what happens when you’ve got a good defense on the other side, they’ll make plays, too. I’m glad they’re on our team.”

Throughout the spring, several of his long-time North Texas teammates who made the transfer alongside Mestemaker praised his ability to remain the same guy he always was, even after the former high school backup turned into one of the portal’s top players a few months ago.

Although Mestemaker got a taste of what was to come when he took pictures with fans at the Iowa State wrestling dual earlier this year, he has continued to be impressed with what it means to be Oklahoma State’s QB1.

“One, the support, everywhere you go,” Mestemaker said. “I’ll go into Walmart to get dinner for the day, and you’ve got people saying, ‘Good luck this year,’ or whatever.

“And it’s just awesome to feel that support everywhere you go. You’ve got eyes on you everywhere, so you have to build up that image everywhere you go, but I think it’s good for the school and the amount of support we have around here.”

While he’s mostly enjoyed the attention, Mestemaker said it does take getting used to and still feels weird for him at times.

Following Saturday’s spring game in front of an estimated crowd of 13,000, Mestemaker said it was awesome to get a taste of what is to come during the season when Boone Pickens is packed.

Just another way his life has changed since he arrived in Stillwater.

“It’s definitely been crazy,” Mestemaker said. “It’s been different than North Texas, that’s for sure. But it’s the life you dream of as a kid, and it’s what you work for every day. So, it’s been awesome.”

Oklahoma State picked up a commitment from Iowa State transfer Audi Crooks on Sunday night. A two-time All-American, Crooks was considered the top player in the portal. All of a sudden, it’s gone from, “What is happening in Stillwater?” in a negative connotation to “What is happening in Stillwater?” as in I can’t wait for next season.

On March 16, the Cowgirls fell to eventual champ UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.  OSU finished Year 4 of the Jacie Hoyt Era 24-10. It was a good, promising season. It was a year that the program could build off of. … But then the portal opened.

The Exodus

Already having lost key contributors Micah Gray and Haleigh Timmer to graduation, OSU would go on to lose Jadyn Wooten (12.8 PPG), Achol Akot (12.4), Amari Whiting (9.6), Lena Girardi (7.8) and others to the portal. All that was left was Stailee Heard.

It felt like a matter of, “Ah, shucks, it looks like the program just doesn’t have the support it needs in this modern era.” … But then names started coming in.

Incoming

It started with the addition of Division-II Player of the Year Talexa Weeter. Weeter averaged 27.5 points a game at Fort Hays State last season while shooting 40% from 3. She put up 46 points in a D-II NCAA Tournament game.

Then came Ellie Brueggemann, a Lindenwood transfer returning to her home state after averaging 14 points while shooting 44% from 3. She finished tied for 11th nationally with 96 3-point makes.

LA Sneed was the next to commit. Sneed was a five-star prospect who spent her freshman season at Utah. She finished averaging 6.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game.

The trio of Weeter, Brueggemann and Sneed provided a solid start to the portal additions for Hoyt, but then stuff really started taking off.

Next came Liv McGill, who CBS Sports tabbed as the No. 2 player in the portal behind only Crooks. McGill was an All-SEC First Team selection as a sophomore this past season, averaging 22.5 points, 6.1 boards, 6.3 assists and 2.6 steals a game. She was probably the most credentialed basketball player OSU’s men’s or women’s team had ever landed out of the portal, but she’d hold that distinguishment for less than a week.

On Friday, OSU added Rutgers transfer Nene Ndiaye, who averaged 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds a game last season while shooting 42% from deep.

Then late Sunday night, word broke that Crooks was in after three seasons at Iowa State where she averaged 22.8 points and 7.7 rebounds a game, earning All-American honors the past two seasons. She’s scored at least 40 points in five games. She’s scored at least 30 in 11. It’d be like if the men’s team landed Darryn Peterson from Kansas. It’d be like if the football team took one of Texas Tech’s edge rushers from last season.

So recapping the past seven paragraphs, OSU has added three players who averaged north of 20 points a game last season (sure, one was at the D-II level). The Cowgirls have added three players who shot 40% or better from 3 last season. OSU has added 32.8 rebounds and 17.4 assist a game.

Don’t Forget About Heard

All of these players add to who is the overall best player of the Hoyt Era to this point: Stailee Heard.

Heard is entering her third season with the program, and she’s been stuffing the stat sheet since she got in from Sapulpa. Here’s where Heard ranks on various OSU career lists entering her senior season:

Points — 15th (1,328)
Rebounds — 14th (649)
Assists — 20th (219)
Steals — T13th (159)
Double-doubles — T12th (18)

She’s probably going to finish in the top 10 in all of those categories (apart from maybe assists) by the time next season ends. She’ll go down as an all-time Cowgirl, and now she has the most talented team around her she ever has.

What Is Possible?

Not since the 2013-14 season have the Cowgirls made it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, but given the roster Hoyt is building, that’s a streak that could certainly come to an end.

Iowa State has been in the Top 10 of the AP Poll the past two seasons with Crooks. Both of those seasons have ended in first-round exits, but Crooks didn’t have a McGill or Heard to play off of.

And all of this talent gets put into Hoyt’s offense. The Cowgirls averaged 81.1 points a game this past season — the highest averaged in the program’s history. What does that look like with even more talent, with the 3-point shooting of Heard, Weeter and Brueggemann clearing space for like likes of Crooks down low and McGill driving the paint?

What started as an offseason of disappointment that a talented team didn’t stay together has quickly turned into Hoyt gathering Infinity Stones and putting together what has to be one of the more talented teams the OSU program has ever had.

OSU Bullets

• This is impressive – Cowgirl Basketball added the top player in the transfer portal (PFB)

• Softball clinched a series win over traditional power Arizona, but the Pokes dropped Sunday’s outing to league-leading Kansas (PFB)

• Bill Haisten talked about the missed opportunity to have the OSU spring game broadcast on YouTube (TulsaWorld)

• ICYMI – ten thoughts from Saturday’s spring game in Stillwater (PFB)

• 21-year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing: 

𝟎𝟒.𝟏𝟗.𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟓

Today, we pause to honor those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever by the Oklahoma City bombing.#WeRemember pic.twitter.com/GCIEiPMuHr

— Oklahoma State Athletics (@OSUAthletics) April 19, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Fun concept – when your kids ask for a phone, get them a landline

• 22-minute video on Great Britain’s (former) massive empire

• Ten of America’s best small towns

Late Sunday night, On3’s Talia Goodman reported that Iowa State star Audi Crooks committed to Oklahoma State.

Hoyt has been nothing but complimentary of Crooks in the past, describing her as “one of the best players” in the country earlier this year. CBS Sports ranks her at the top option in the transfer portal which gives the Cowgirls both of the top two portal players in the nation.

Somehow that might be underselling her. Crooks is a three-time unanimous first-team selection in the Big 12 and was named an AP Second Team All-American (2026), AP Third Team All-American (2025) and AP Honorable Mention All-American (2024) in her last three seasons.

“We are thrilled with the addition of Audi,” Hoyt said in OSU’s release. “She has been one of the country’s most dominant scorers the last few years and to think she will be in a Cowgirl uniform feels surreal. She has elite size and strength paired with elite hands and touch that allow her to be an automatic bucket around the rim. The last three years I’ve watched team after team strategize and game plan around stopping her and almost all have failed miserably,” Hoyt said.

 “Getting to know Audi in the recruiting process was truly a joy. She has the personality and intangibles that make you love her and want to root for her immediately. I know she will immediately become a fan favorite and fit right in to Stillwater. She is incredibly motivated in her senior year to evolve and expand her game. She came here to grow and just like some of her teammates who stayed or came from the portal, she has courage to blaze her own path and pursue what can be a historical season for us.”

She finished this season No. 2 nationally in points per game with 25.8 while shooting 64.9% from the floor which also ranked second nationally.

Crooks finished with 12 double-doubles this season alone, bringing her career total to 30.

The former Iowa State star is the sixth player OSU has landed in the portal this offseason joining Rutgers breakout Nene Ndiaye, No. 2 portal prospect Liv McGill, D-II Player of the Year Talexa Weeter, sharpshooter Ellie Brueggemann and former five-star prospect LA Sneed.

The Cowboys had a couple chances to topple the Big 12’s top team, but the Jayhawks instead moved to 22-0 when leading after six.

Oklahoma State fell to Kansas 9-6, dropping the finale and the weekend series on Sunday.

The Cowboys and Jayhawks traded off runs in the first three innings, starting with the Pokes. Then Alex Conover added a two-RBI single in the fourth to push the Pokes up 4-1.

RISP machine, @AlexConover36 #GoPokes https://t.co/SWt4IHEWFT pic.twitter.com/JE7LisvaPh

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 19, 2026

But Kansas poured it on in the fifth, and that made the difference.

Cade Baldrige pulled KU within 4-2 with a ground-out RBI before Dariel Osoria’s grand slam put the Jayhawks up 6-4.

GRAND. SLAM. 💥💥💥@DarielOsoria_23 smashes a grand slam to give the Jayhawks the lead!

TOP 5 | Kansas 6, Oklahoma State 4 pic.twitter.com/ccyq6Ho8Mc

— Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball) April 19, 2026

Both teams went scoreless in the sixth, but the Cowboys at least attempted to put the Jayhawks’ streak to the test.

With the Pokes down two in the bottom of the eighth, Garrett Shull reached with one out and then stole second on a wild pitch. But KU closer Boede Rahe struck out Danny Wallace before retiring Alex Conover (the tying run) on a fly-out to center. Rahe got the save for the Jayhawks, allowing just one run in two 1/3 innings.

The Cowboys employed five different pitchers to try to facilitate the rally, but Blake Drew took the L, moving to 0-1 on the year.

Jake Kennedy came in to pitch to start the ninth but started off giving up consecutive walks. That set up a two-run double by Jordan Bach push KU’s lead to 9-5 with just one out.

The Cowboys went to the bottom of the ninth down four but Brock Thompson walked and then advanced to second on a defensive indifference before Kollin Ritchie gave the home crowd some life with an RBI double to make it 9-6. Ritchie advance to third with just one out to make things a bit more interesting, but Rahe struck out the last two Cowboys swinging to end the game and the series.

With the loss, the Cowboys fall to 24-16 overall and 8-10 in conference play. Next up, they host Wichita State for a midweek match at 6 p.m. Tuesday at O’Brate Stadium.

STILLWATER — The Cowgirls put together a late two-out rally to earn a series win against Arizona and keep their hosting hopes alive.

Oklahoma State beat Arizona 7-5 on Sunday in Cowgirl Stadium. OSU’s winning runs came in the fifth when Audrey Schneidmiller homered to left. The two-run shot was her third of the season.

Turn up that AUD-io 📢#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/AJmLoWjHD9

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 19, 2026

There was a big delay following the home run after the Arizona dugout wanted the umpires to take a look at whether someone from the dugout touched Schneidmiller before she touched home plate. The umpires had to crack a rulebook out. Gajewski said after the game he’d have argued for the call, too, if the roles were reversed, but the first instance is just a warning.

An Arizona error put them in some trouble in that inning. Tia Warsop was the at-bat before Schneidmiller. She bunted and was going to beat the throw to first, but then that ball ended in the right-field corner thanks to a skied throw, allowing the speedy Warsop to scoot all the way to third.

After throwing 293 pitches in a three-day span, Ruby Meylan earned a day off on Saturday. But she was back to throwing complete games on Sunday.

In 116 pitches, Meylan allowed the five runs (four earned) on six hits while walking one and striking out four

She took a line drive off her throwing hand in the seventh inning and was clearly in some pain. She tossed her glove to the ground and trotted toward the OSU dugout. You could hear a pin drop the in stadium as OSU’s staff attended to her, but she got back in the circle, threw a couple warmup pitches and gave a thumbs up to a nice cheer.

“Saw the season flashing in front of me just real quick,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said. “But when I saw her, the way she was moving, I was like, ‘OK, she’s able to at least move it,’ and she was able to do some things. …

“They felt right away it was OK. It was just gonna be a little sore.”

The game started with an exchange of haymakers.

Arizona plated four in the top of the first coming off an RBI single, a two-RBI double and a sac bunt.

It was enough to make you wonder if the Cowgirls were set for a similar fate from Saturday’s game, but they turned around and tied it up in the bottom of the inning.

Claire Timm had a leadoff bunt single before Karli Godwin drew a walk and Rosie Davis singled to load the bases. That brought up Lexi McDonald who doubled to left center, scoring a pair. She was pumped on second, hyping up her dugout.

Lexi “RBI Double” McDonald gettin’ us goin’ 💪#GoPokes | @leximac_1 pic.twitter.com/hQu3g0Evaf

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 19, 2026

That brought up Amanda Hasler who pulled a ball down the third-base line that actually hit off the bag and spilled into left field, scoring Davis.

Mando doin’ Mando things 🤝#GoPokes | @amandahasler3 https://t.co/Ha5hyGU0GE pic.twitter.com/I3A5g6oqtf

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 19, 2026

Warsop then grounded into a double play, but McDonald was able to score from third and tie it up.

After that early outburst from both squads, no one scored again until the fourth when Timm hit a sac fly to score Warsop, giving the Cowgirls a 5-4 lead, but the Wildcats quickly responded with a two-out RBI double in the top of the fifth to tie it back up.

Warsop continued her hot streak, going 2-for-3 at the dish with two runs scored and an RBI. In the past four games (one against OU and three against Arizona), Warsop is 8-for-14 (.571) with three runs scored and five RBIs.

It’s win No. 30 for the Cowgirls, as they are 30-12 and 11-7 in Big 12 play. OSU entered the day at No. 19 in the RPI. RPI isn’t a one-for-one telling of who 16 NCAA Regional hosts will be, but it’s a solid data point to show that OSU is right there on the edge.

It’s another big week upcoming as OSU will go to Texas (No. 2 in RPI) on Wednesday before staying down in the Lone Star State for a three-game series against Baylor (No. 46 in the RPI).

“I wish I could take a breath, but we got Texas next — and then Baylor,” Gajewski said. “There’s no rest for the weary, but it feels good. I’m gonna sleep good tonight, I can tell you that. I didn’t sleep great last night. My little one woke up about 4 a.m., and then I was a little anxious. I already knew I was gonna come in a little early today. I’m tired, too, to be honest. But I’m gonna enjoy this with my family, and I’m gonna go mow. So that’ll be awesome. Just let my brain kind of decompress.

“But I’m thrilled with these kids. And I’m really happy — our staff. Our staff is grinding, and they’re doing some good things. I thought the way we’re playing, the way we’re shifting and doing things, it’s paying off.”

Kenny Gajewski’s Postgame News Conference

OSU Bullets

• The Cowboys’ Spring Game is in the books, and it was a success — in the way you can consider such things. Here are 10 Thoughts on the exhibition from Marshall Scott. [PFB]

• While you can’t always hang a lot on these events, it did nothing to dampen the excitement around incoming receiver Chris Barnes. [PFB]

• Bill Haisten on how Eric Morris has already restored the OSU brand. [Tulsa World]

• This from Eric Morris on his “Pistol Pete” mustache was great. 

“… Obviously, it’s not a great mustache. I realize that. My wife has promised me that we’ll have to shave this thing off after the spring game. It’s caused a little bit of ruckus at the house. My 5-year-old loves it, and my wife hates it.” [PFB]

• Check out these highlights from the game if you weren’t able to make it out.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights from today’s @CowboyFB Spring Game. #OKState @NewsOn6 @NEWS9 pic.twitter.com/bXHPwwKpjH

— Scott Pfeil (@scottpfeil) April 19, 2026

• The Cowboys split their first two games with Kansas. [PFB]

• One day after a walk-off win, the Cowgirls got run-ruled by Zona. [PFB]

Non-OSU Bullets

• A comprehensive NBA Playoffs Preview as the postseason gets underway. [The Ringer]

• Principal Kirk Moore (hero) got a nice welcome at Pauls Valley Prom. 

Principal Kirk Moore, who tackled the school shooter, walked into prom a few days later to a huge celebration from the students and was named prom king. pic.twitter.com/qGOpkm0Aq9

— Dudes Posting Their W’s (@DudespostingWs) April 18, 2026

The Cowboys were up 6-1 when Friday’s game was suspended due to weather, and they were able to finish that game off in a similar fashion Saturday afternoon. But the Jayhawks flipped the script on them in the evening.

The rubber match is set for Sunday afternoon in O’Brate Stadium, but let’s take a look at how each game played out.

Game 1: OSU 13, Kansas 2

BOXSCORE

The Cowboys racked up five home runs over two calendar days to finish the opener an inning early.

Brock Thompson answered a first-inning solo home run by Kansas’ Cade Baldridge with a two-run homer of his own in the bottom of the opening frame. Then he got some friends to chip in in the second.

Thompson and Garrett Shull each had solo deep balls in the second, and Alex Conover had a two-run bomb. That’s when Mother Nature cooled the Cowboys down up 6-1.

When things resumed on Saturday, the Jayhawks kicked things off with a solo home run by Jordan Bach in the top of the third.

OSU added a run each in the sixth and seventh to extend the lead to 8-2, and then they were able to get out of it early with a walk-off eighth.

Aidan Meola drilled a two-RBI double to left center to make it 10-2 and threaten the run rule. And a threat was all Campbell Smithwick needed. He sent a three-run bomb out over right field to end it.

SOUP WALKS IT OFF AGAIN ‼️

Campbell Smithwick’s third walk-off home run this season#GoPokes | @campbellrsoup pic.twitter.com/T5q6OqxxPU

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 18, 2026

Ethan Lund got the start on the mound for OSU and pitched three innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out seven. Stormy Rhodes got the win with five innings’ work, allowing just two hits, a walk and striking out four. He allowed zero runs.

Game 2: Kansas 13, OSU 3

BOXSCORE

The Jayhawks flipped the script (and the scoreboard) on the Pokes in Game 2. But it wasn’t without some defense from the Pokes.

Just your average 9-6-2-5-4 double play 🤠#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/jeUySwreLc

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 18, 2026

After both teams went scoreless through two, the Jayhawks went up 2-0 in the third and then 4-0 in the top of the fourth.

Aidan Meola answered with a three-run homer to left field in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4-3.

Aidan Meola Bringing some fireworks of his own 🎆#GoPokes | @aidanmeola1 pic.twitter.com/nsCrhapLUK

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) April 18, 2026

Unfortunately for OSU, the Cowboys were shut down by KU starter Dominic Voegele after that. He finished with 15 strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the Jayhawks answered with three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and then three and two each in the final two innings to take a 13-3 decision.

Mario Pesca got the start for OSU, falling to 4-3. He allowed eight hits and seven runs while walking four and striking out five. Jake Kennedy spelled Pesca but lasted just one inning. Zane Burns pitched three 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on six hits, and Bryce LeBlanc came for the final 2/3 inning.

The Cowboys head into Game 3 at 24-15 and 8-9 in Big 12 play. But with a win on Sunday, they can pick up their third Big 12 series of the season. Opening pitch is at 1 p.m. Sunday at O’Brate Stadium.

Oklahoma State held its spring game, the first since Morris was hired in December. The offense beat the defense 42-33 in the alternatively scored contest. Here are the Top 5 quotes he gave from the OSU weight room after the game. You can watch his news conference below.

1. On ‘Super Explosive’ Chris Barnes

Wake Forest transfer receiver Chris Barnes was the MVP of the day.

The 5-foot-7 speedster caught four passes for 141 yards and a touchdown, with that TD being a 97-yard go-route from Drew Mestemaker. Despite being shorter in stature, Barnes is playing on the outside with guys like Miles Coleman and Wyatt Young manning the slot.

Morris said when they landed Barnes, he didn’t know how much time he’d spend on the outside, but Morris noted Saturday that he’s looking forward to moving a weapon like Barnes around.

“Super explosive, obviously, really good in the return game and any way we can find ways to put the ball in his hands,” Morris said. “So, he’ll be a guy we start moving around when we start game-planning for people. He’s been a little better on the outside with his stature than I thought and has really tracked the ball well on the deep stuff. Obviously, continuing to find ways to get off of press coverage with a really good long corner out there will be something. He doesn’t have quite the length. 

“He’s been a little bit better than I expected. Then obviously having Miles (Coleman) and Wyatt (Young) in the slot, and them two being so dynamic, when we put it all together we’re just trying to put our best football players on the field, and he’s definitely one of them.”

2. O-Line Update

The reason the Cowboys didn’t play a traditional game for the spring game was a lack of healthy linemen.

The starting group that went out with Drew Mestemaker featured:

LT — Desmond Magiya (North Texas)
LG — Johnny Dickson III (North Texas)
C — Tyler Mercer (Kansas)
RG — Joseph Hanson (Coastal Carolina)
RT — Jacob Sexton (Oklahoma)

That’s a full group of transfers, but Morris said some of the guys who had to miss Saturday’s game will be involved come the fall.

“I think the ones have been really good,” Morris said. “We have three tackles that are out right now that we anticipate are going to be key contributors to us. And so with Braydon Nelson getting a little banged up, he should be back. And then Ashton Lepo for precautionary reasons didn’t go today. And so those are guys that we think will probably be starting rotation.

“But I thought the five there, and then, you know, we got to continue to develop depth right now. I think that that’s something we’re seeing in the transfer portal era, is, how do you keep the backups and keep developing kids behind them. And so it was good today. We’ll have to go back and assess how the two group did. Like, obviously, our ones moved the ball a lot better than our two did today. And so, so yeah, we continue to develop that. But then getting those three tackles back is gonna be huge for us.”

3. Morris’ ‘Pistol Pete Mustache’

Maggie Morris is apparently not a fan of what’s happening on Eric’s upper lip.

Morris explained the new mustache he’s been rocking and notes that it’ll be gone soon.

“So my wife’s not happy at all about the mustache right now,” Morris said. “My 5-year-old, he wanted me to grow a Pistol Pete mustache. Obviously, it’s not a great mustache. I realize that. My wife has promised me that we’ll have to shave this thing off after the spring game. It’s caused a little bit of ruckus at the house. My 5-year-old loves it, and my wife hates it.”

4. Morris Says No to Section 231

Boone Pickens Stadium’s Section 231 (later dubbed Section 2 No-Shirty 1) captured the imagination of the country last year, as some down-on-their-luck Cowboy fans took the fun into their own hands and ripped their shirts off and started waving them above their heads as the Cowboys continued to lose last season.

While it was fun in its time, Morris is ready to move on from that after it broke out a bit Saturday.

“I do kind of want to get rid of the no-shirt thing, spinning, at some point,” Morris said.  “It ran its course in my opinion. There’s some people up there doing it, but we’re going to winning too many damn games and not be something that somebody can be on TV and make fun of us for something like (that). That is in my opinion something that I would like to push out at some point.”

5. ‘It’s Been Surreal for Me Really Every Morning’

Morris was asked if it was a surreal day for him given his rapid come-up as a head coach. His answer was too good not to share.

“It’s been surreal for me really every morning when I walk in,” Morris said. “My office looks over Boone Pickens Stadium. I make it a point every morning to go open the blinds and look and just realize my responsibility is to make this place great again and for the people that love this place. I don’t take that lightly and it’s a great reminder every single day.”

A day after retiring the Wildcats in walk-off fashion the Cowgirls got run-ruled.

No. 21 Oklahoma State fell to No. 16 Arizona 9-1 in five innings. The loss ends a three-game winning streak for the Cowgirls, including a midweek win over No. 1 Oklahoma.

After getting let down in dramatic fashion in the series opener on Friday, the Wildcats came out swinging. Arizona scored four runs in the first, three in the second and two in the third innings behind 12for–24 batting.

Arizona’s Regan Shockey (3-for-4) and Trice Sereniti (2-for-3) both rank in the top 8 in the Big 12 in batting average, and they showed why. They were involved in four of the Wildcats’ nine runs, including a single by Sereniti which facilitated Shockey scoring off an OSU error for the first run of the game. Shockey would end with two RBIs for the Cats, as would Tayler Biehl. Six Arizona players would drive a run in on Sunday.

RyLee Crandall got the start in the circle for OSU and fell to 6-5 on the season. In two innings, she allowed nine hits and seven earned runs. She walked one and didn’t log a strike out.

Preslee Downing pitched the final three innings allowing three hits and two earned runs and a walk.

With the loss, the Cowgirls fall to 29-12 on the season and 10-7 in Big 12 play.

Saturday’s game set a program home record with 2,093 attendees, breaking the previous record of 2,043 set earlier this season against Nebraska. It should be quite the show in Game 3. The series rubber match will take place at 11 a.m. Sunday in Cowgirl Stadium.

Here are some of the best photos from Saturday’s Spring Game. You can peruse the entire album here.

Oklahoma State closed its spring practice schedule with a spring game for fans to enjoy. The offense beat the defense 42-33 on a scoring system that was difficult to get a grasp of. Here are 10 thoughts on the day.

1. Chris Barnes Is Going To Be a Lot of Fun

It seems like most years the Player of the Spring Game is someone who doesn’t necessarily contribute a ton during the regular season, but Saturday just shoveled more coal into the steam engine that is the Chris Barnes hype train.

Barnes showcased his elite speed with a 97-yard catch and run on a go route from Drew Mestemaker. It was evident right when he caught the ball that no one was going to catch the 5-foot-7 Barnes, who recorded a 10.29 100-meters in high school.

Barnes finished the day with four catches for 141 yards and the touchdown. He had another big play before the long TD, where he caught an in-breaking route before cutting it back to the outside and outrunning a few more guys.

Tyler wrote a more in-depth piece on the speedster here.

2. Mestemaker’s Day Starts Poorly, Ends Solidly

Drew Mestemaker and Eric Morris drew up a shot play to christen their Boone Pickens Stadium debut … it didn’t go well.

Mestemaker heaved a deep post route — ala Mason Rudolph, who was in attendance Saturday — downfield on the opening play from scrimmage. Returning safety Cameron Epps jumped in front of the would-be receiver, though, and intercepted the pass.

But that was as rough as it got for the reigning national leader in passing yards. He finished the day 13-for-20 with 260 yards and three touchdowns. The three TDs went to who we’ll refer to as OSU’s Big 3 in the receiving room: Barnes, Justin Bowick and Wyatt Young.

“I think it went good,” Mestemaker said of his day. “Obviously, first play, not how you drew it up, but I mean, that’s just what happens when you got a good defense on the other side — they’ll make plays, too. I’m glad they’re on our team, but I think it went pretty good today.”

3. The Other QBs

The three quarterbacks not named Drew Mestemaker combined for 141 yards and a touchdown:

Broderick Vehrs (freshman) — 7-for-7, 70 yards
Grant Jordan (UMass) — 4-for-8, 57 yards
Luke Tepas (freshman) — 5-for-8, 14 yards, 1 TD

“I think Brodie has done a really nice job, just thinking the kid should still be in high school right now,” Morris said. “Probably has the strongest arm on our team. Can really whip it. Didn’t get a buncha great opportunities today to really showcase that, but really happy with where those guys are right now.”

4. RB2 Still a Mystery

With all the new bodies, there are points of intrigue up and down the roster, but who carries the rock behind Caleb Hawkins seems to be up in the air.

Hawkins scored the days’ lone rushing touchdown, finishing with five carries for 18 yards, including the 1-yard scoring run. Here’s how the rest of the running backs finished:

Tre Page III (Tarleton State) — five carries, 45 yards
William Mason (UCO) — six carries, 21 yards
Dennis Moody III (North Texas) — six carries, 18 yards
Ayo Adeyi (James Madison) — five carries, nine yards
KD Jones (Jenks) — one carry, eight yards

Page was the standout of Saturday, breaking off a big run and nearly beating everyone to the corner and going all the way. That speed could play well off the downhill style of Hawkins, but it sounds like this is a battle that will continue into the summer and fall.

“Running backs been a little bit by a committee,” Morris said. “We’re trying to figure out, ‘Hey, who’s gonna help carry the load with Caleb. So, it’s been fun to watch Moody come out and have some really good practices. It’s been good to see William Mason out there getting some tough yards. Tre Page is super explosive.”

5. Mestemaker and Young Connect for their First Boone Pickens Stadium Touchdown

Mestemaker and Wyatt Young were a combination that struck fear into defenses in the American last season, and on Saturday they connected for their first touchdown in Boone Pickens Stadium.

It came on a post route late in the day in what might’ve been Mestemaker’s best pass of the afternoon over the heads of a pair of defenders.

if perfect perfect was a pass @DrewMestemaker ➡️ @wyatttyoung pic.twitter.com/YDBMdoXu4z

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) April 18, 2026

It wasn’t the cleanest of days for North Texas’ transfer receiver, as he had a few drops and finished with two catches for 45 yards. The other catch came shortly before the touchdown. But while it might’ve not been his best day, the fact that he caught 70 balls for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns last season with the same quarterback and play-caller means he’ll probably be alright.

6. The O-Line

The Cowboys are dealing with some injuries along the offensive line this spring, which was the major reason this wasn’t a traditional game.

The starting group Saturday was the following:

LT — Desmond Magiya (North Texas)
LG — Johnny Dickson III (North Texas)
C — Tyler Mercer (Kansas)
RG — Joseph Hanson (Coastal Carolina)
RT — Jacob Sexton (Oklahoma)

I’d expect Braydon Nelson to play a role come the fall, as he was North Texas’ starting left tackle last season. OSU has also been without Michigan State transfer Ashton Lepo this spring.

7. Jaleel Johnson Looked Good

Sacks are tricky in a spring game because you get one by breathing moderately hard on a quarterback, but we credited returning edge rusher Jaleel Johnson with a pair on Saturday, finishing tied for the lead with four tackles.

Johnson is one of (if not the) most productive returners, having made 49 tackles and three sacks in a Cowboy uniform. He enters his redshirt senior season listed at 6-foot-4, 270 pounds after playing in just four games last season before injury.

It felt like he was due for a big breakout year last season before literally everything went wrong for he and the Cowboys. Paired back up with Greg Richmond, who recruited Johnson to Stillwater, perhaps he is set up to have a big senior season.

8. The Format Was Messy, but Competitive

This is a total first-world problem, but the media was left to its own devices in terms of keeping stats. That paired with the funky format made for a hectic press box.

When the scrimmage ended, the offense won 42-33. Getting to that point was quite a journey.

The defense jumped out to an early lead thanks to that Epps pick. Then after the second-string offense had its opening possession, the defense led 8-2 and you got the feeling that the scoring numbers could’ve been weighed in the defense’s favor.

From there, though, the offense started to roll. After Mestemaker completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Justin Bowick that tied it at 8, the offense didn’t look back aside from when the Cowboys did a few two-minute drills in which they took away some of the offenses points to make them have to play catch up.

It sort of felt like I was a British person watching American football for the first time with everything being worth a seemingly random allotment of points, but it was fun nonetheless.

All that is to say the format was hard to keep up with, but it was one of the more competitive OSU spring games I can remember in that there was a score being kept and contact was happening.

9. This Reserve Linebacker Was Laying the Lumber

I didn’t know the name Tom Watts coming into Saturday, but late in the festivities, the sophomore NEO transfer linebacker was flying around.

He finished with four tackles, tying for the lead with the likes of Ethan Wesloski, LaDainian Fields and Jaleel Johnson, all guys who ought to contribute come the fall.

There was one tackle in particular late where he flew down and flicked the hit stick on a ball carrier in what was the biggest piece of contact of the day.

Watts is a walk-on who played his high school ball at Bishop McGuinness. With NEO last season, he played in 10 games and recorded 14 tackles.

10. Fresh Energy

The sun has set on the first spring of the Eric Morris Era, and it was a breath of fresh air.

This isn’t a knock on the previous regime, one that brought successes to Oklahoma State that the program could’ve never imagined. But all spring — whether it was the portions of practices media were allowed into or Saturday’s spring game — there was a sense of renewed energy that was much needed. Especially after the last two years.

It was hard to tell how stale things had gotten until you could see the fresh energy.

None of this means anything unless the Cowboys are better on the field, but at the very least, this doesn’t feel like the same program that struggled so mightily the past two seasons.

Unofficial Stats

Head coach Eric Morris didn’t expect Barnes to dominate outside. Neither did quarterback Drew Mestemaker.

To be fair to them, Barnes didn’t dominate during Saturday’s scrimmage. He quite literally ran away with the whole thing to the tune of 141 yards and a touchdown on four receptions.

“I mean, that speed,” Morris said. “Everybody saw it running down the sideline and backed up, and a great read by Drew putting it on the money. … I just got to find a way to get the ball in those guys’ hands in space.”

Morris was describing Barnes’ 97-yard touchdown, and the other player he referenced was receiver Miles Coleman, who finished with a respectable, but ultimately distant second, total of 57 yards from scrimmage.

To be fair to both the Cowboys’ head coach and starting quarterback, Barnes hasn’t been known as an outside threat throughout his college career.

He played 66% of his snaps in college at the slot. Even Barnes was surprised when Cowboy coaches moved him outside this spring.

“(But) I’m not going to back down from it just because I’m a smaller receiver,” Barnes said. “But like I said, I got the skill sets to go out there and do what I gotta do.”

Mestemaker said it didn’t take long for Barnes to cement his place.

“Coming into the year, I thought he’d be playing slot receiver, and it was like first or second day he made some crazy catches on the outside,” Mestemaker said. “And I was like, this guy can play the outside and make plays out there. So I think he can play anywhere.”

Barnes is a tougher critic when asked how his spring started with OSU’s new QB1.

“During the spring, we started off, kinda not rough, but like we had to get used to each other,” Barnes said. “He had to get used to my speed sometimes. Sometimes I had to get used to his arm, like I said today, we just connected.”

What Barnes showed on Saturday has been happening behind closed doors against some of OSU’s top defenders this spring.

“I feel like I’ve developed the techniques to win versus press,” Barnes said. “When I was at slot, man (would be) playing about 10 yards off me, you basically getting free release every time.”

The receiver said the hardest part about making the adjustments has been winning the one-on-ones.

“It’s not really a secret. … It all starts with the pre-snap,” Barnes said. “Like you got to get a read of the defense and know, like, okay, I need to do this. Like you have to develop a plan.”

That plan starts with identifying how the corner is matching up on him and if they are pressing. Are the safeties in two-high or one? Which defender has the flat?

Once Barnes answers all those questions, the play tends to result in what roughly 13,000 Oklahoma State fans saw firsthand on Saturday.

For those who didn’t make the trip out this time, Morris promises Barnes will have plenty of highlight-worthy moments inside Boone Pickens this fall.

“He’ll be a guy we start moving around when we start game planning for people,” Morris said. “He’s been a little better on the outside with his stature than I thought and has really tracked the ball well on the deep stuff.”

The event will get going at 4 p.m. in Boone Pickens Stadium. With no stream or radio coverage of the game, we’ll do our best to keep you updated from here, providing updates after every series. So, keep refreshing.

If you haven’t been keeping up, it’s formatted offense vs. defense with the following scoring system:

How the Offense Scores

Touchdown = 6 points
PAT = 1 point
2-point conversion = 2 points
Field goal = 3 points
Gain of 25+ yards = 2 points

How the Defense Scores

Forced punt = 4 points
Forced missed field goal = 1 point
Three-and-out = 4 points
Takeaway = 7 points

The first team offense starts the day with a shot down field, but returner Cameron Epps picks off Drew Mestemaker’s pass, giving the defense a lead.

Score: Defense 7, Offense 0

UMass transfer Grant Jordan took the second series at quarterback. The drive ended in a 51-yard field goal attempts, which Sam Keltner missed wide left.

Ayo Adeyi ahd a gain of 25+ yards, giving the offense a pair of points. The defense gets a point for the missed field goal.

Score: Defense 8, Offense 2

Mestemaker is back in and leads the Cowboys down the field for a touchdown, completing a 26-yard pass to Illinois transfer Justin Bowick for a touchdown. The drive also featured a nice catch and run from Wake Forest transfer Chris Barnes.

you didn’t have to do it to ’em like that @justinbowickjr 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/bcbmemDDOQ

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) April 18, 2026

Now PAT happened.

Score: Defense 8, Offense 8

Freshman Broderick Vehrs leads a drive into the defense’s territory, but the offense fails on a fourth-down conversion. Vehrs hit Israel Polk for a 30+-yard gain.

Mestemaker hits Barnes on a go route for a 97-yard touchdown on the first play of the next series, giving the offense a lead with the double dip in points.

Score: Offense 16, Defense 12

The first-string offense started the next drive in defensive territory and were able to put together a drive that ended with Caleb Hawkins hammering it into the end zone from two yards out.

Score: Offense 22, Defense 12

The second-team offense got the ball at the defense’s 25 and was unable to go anywhere. Keltner hit a 45-yard field goal.

Score: Offense 25, Defense 12

After a kickoff exhibition, the offense ran a two-minute drill that ended in a 33-yard field goal from Keltner.

The score seems meaningless at this point. They’re moving it around as they please, it seems.

Mestemaker hits Wyatt Young for a 38-yard touchdown. Young hadn’t made much of an impact on the game until that drive, when he caught a pair of passes.

Freshmen Luke Tepas and Jabarie Thornton connect for a touchdown after a long drive from the reserve offense. The drive’s biggest play was a big run from Tarleton transfer running back Tre Page.

The scrimmage ends with the offense winning 42-33. Sorry this live blog was a little all over the place, the format was a little messy. More coverage on the day to come.

Three Thoughts

WALK IT OFF COWGIRLS 🤠

No. 21 @cowgirlsb gets the 8-7 (10 inn.) game one upset win over No. 16 Arizona!#NCAASoftball x 🎥 ESPN+pic.twitter.com/AssnAx24P1 — NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) April 18, 2026

Two Quotes

Playoff Pokes 🤠 pic.twitter.com/YKRqbA1OY7

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) April 17, 2026

One Question

Non-OSU Bullets

The Cowgirls probably have some work to do to get into the top 16 in order to host an NCAA Regional, but over the past few days, they’ve been putting in the work required.

Oklahoma State opened its series against No. 16 Arizona with an 8-7 win in Cowgirl Stadium. This comes after OSU knocked off top-ranked Oklahoma on Wednesday in Oklahoma City.

Friday’s game was an all-timer, going 10 innings and lasting four hours and 40 minutes. It featured an early lightning delay before they were somehow able to squeeze all 10 innings in before a storm rolls in from the north.

Tia Warsop finally put an end to the festivities in the bottom of the 10th, singling to right with the bases loaded. It continues a stretch of Warsop showing up in big moments after she went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored in Bedlam.

IT’S ALWAYS TIA TIME IN STILLY ⏰#GoPokes | @tia_warsop https://t.co/hX4lhT1RM5 pic.twitter.com/iAHrdm1S58

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 18, 2026

Someone give Ruby Meylan a rest.

It was another complete game for the Cowgirl ace. The All-American threw 160 (!!!) pitches. That number is crazy enough on its own, but it’s even more crazy given the fact she threw 133 pitches in Bedlam two days ago.

She finished Friday having given up the seven runs (five earned) on 10 hits while walking one and striking out five. All the runs she gave up gave in the fourth inning or later. She had to be tired.

The Cowgirl offense gave their ace an early cushion.

Claire Timm started the bottom of the first inning with a leadoff home run, her sixth round-tripper of the season.

Lexi McDonald scored on a passed ball later in the inning, and then Warsop singled up the middle to score Amanda Hasler after Hasler doubled in her first at-bat.

OSU’s lead moved to 4-0 in the second when Rosie Davis got a ball through the right side, sending freshman outfielder Jayelle Austin home.

The Cowgirls scored again in the third when Hasler hit a leadoff home run, her 11th of the year.

Sound the horn y’all 📢

Amanda extends to lead to five!#GoPokes | @amandahasler3 https://t.co/V2i46GOlRE pic.twitter.com/kI6iIHpgst

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 17, 2026

That’s when the Wildcats started to mount a comeback, scoring their first run in the fourth inning and adding two in the fifth and another in the sixth.

OSU made it 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth with a Davis single, but then a two-run home run in the seventh from Arizona tied it back up.

The Cowgirls almost ended it in the seventh, but Audrey Schneidmiller was thrown out at the plate to force extras.

Arizona took a lead in the eighth off a solo home run. But then Timm uno reverse carded the Cats with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the eighth to tie it again, her second home run of the game and seventh of the year to set up Warsop’s walk off.

THE TIMM REAPER!#GoPokes https://t.co/nJSgJv5TnK pic.twitter.com/VrinxljkAI

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) April 18, 2026

It’s a good start to the series for the Cowgirls, but you’d have rather not had Meylan go 160 pitches into a Friday start. Game 2 of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday in Cowgirl Stadium.