MattBob's Baseball Report-Baylor

Fourteenth-ranked Oklahoma State completed a sweep of Baylor on Sunday to take over the standings atop the Big 12. The Cowboys began the weekend a little weary of the chance of rain hindering their chances to complete a series with Baylor, and ended the weekend making it rain runs down on their opponent.

Torrential downpours Friday meant that the Cowboys would play a doubleheader on Saturday on a field with large amounts of standing water. In a theme that would repeat itself throughout the weekend, the Bears got to the starting pitcher for a few runs and then the Cowboy bats took control of the game and shut the door. Game one would end with the Cowboys run-ruling Baylor 15-5. Aided by many mental errors by the now last place Bears, OSU batters would hit five home runs.

In the second game of the doubleheader the story was much the same. The Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to see the Mangini hit a three-run bomb in the fourth and never look back. The Bears narrowed the lead in the eighth until Jordy Mercer hit a grand slam to crush their chances of a comeback.

With the series win already intact, the Sunday game became about maintaining ground on Texas, which had already swept Baylor this season, and impressing the folks watching on TV. Andy Oliver started on the mound and did not impress anyone as the Bears hit him hard. He ended up leaving in the first inning after allowing five earned runs. Once again the Cowboys would battle back and regain the lead, completing the sweep with a 10-5 win.

The starting pitching for the Pokes in this series was horrific and is something they will need to see marked improvement in on Thursday when facing Nebraska, who has very solid pitching. In three starts, the starters combined for just 7 2/3 innings, allowing 12 of Baylor’s 16 earned runs.

Jordy Mercer has always been known as a slash player, as a shortstop/reliever. However, Saturday, Mercer closed out two Cowboy wins without ever stepping foot on the mound. In game one it was Mercer who hit the two-run home run that sealed the Cowboys' 10-run lead to run-rule Baylor. Mercer’s grand slam in the nightcap slammed the door on the Baylor comeback. Not bad for a kid that has only been facing live pitching for two weeks.

The series most valuable player goes to Rebel Ridling, a player that has been getting clutch two-out RBIs all season long. In game one of the series, Rebel collected three hits in five at-bats, including two home runs in his first two trips to the plate. His highlight day came on Sunday with the television cameras on him. Rebel went 4-for-4 for the day.

Keanon Simon, the veteran leader, lead-off man, and centerfielder, was pulled in Sunday’s game after being a little shook up after crashing into the wall. The good news is the initial injury report is that there is nothing seriously wrong with Keanon.

Ironically the biggest help this weekend for the Cowboys came from the boys in Norman, who beat Texas. With the loss Texas allowed Oklahoma State to move into sole possession of first in the Big 12 with a conference record of 5-1, improving their overall record to 22-6. Oklahoma State is 13-2 in the friendly confines of Allie P .Reynold Stadium.

Frank Anderson does not currently have a mid-week game scheduled and likely will not add one as the team will have a shorter turn around this week before playing Nebraska on Thursday. The Thursday through Saturday series is a departure from the normal Big 12 rule to accommodate those teams wishing to observe Easter festivities next Sunday.