WSU vs Ok State: To host or not to host?

By Tristan Threlkeld - May 15, 2007

This game is being billed as whoever the winner is will get the chance to host an NCAA Regional. To me I don't care about that. I am just glad I get the chance to see a stellar game between two highly ranked and very talented teams. Yes the winner will move up in the eyes of the hands that be to get the shot at hosting a regional, but the shear magnitude and quality this game will bring is just exciting.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys traveled to Wichita, Ks to face a very talented Shockers team. The Shockers are a little different this year than years past. The Shockers boast the second best pitching staff in the nation with a 2.68 team ERA. The Shockers offense isn't so bad either. The Shox boast a team batting average of .302, they are led by Damon Sublett who is batting .358 with 4 HR and 38 RBI. The Cowboys may not have the stellar pitching the Shockers have, but the Cowboys have the bats to bury the pitchers in a hurry. The Shockers are not so hot with the bats. The Shox have played 59 games this season and they have only scored in the first inning in 16 of those games. The Cowboys are batting .331 as a team and have 75 homers, which is good for 3rd in the nation. Homeruns are not the only thing the Cowboys can do well hitting. The Cowboys have 387 RBIs, a .546 Slugging percentage, and a .418 On Base percentage.

Side notes:
Oklahoma State leads the overall series 48-29 and lead the series in Wichita 21-12.
OSU won the last meeeting in April of 2006, 9-4.
The Shockers are better on the road than at home according to the Shockers radio crew of Mike Kennedy & Terry Elliot. The Shockers are not so good in night games either. They are 14-10 in night games and 29-6 in day games, that means 10 of the 16 losses for the Shockers have come from night games, which should go well for Ok State.
WSU is also 7-8 in one-run games.
For Ok State, they are 31-0 when leading after six innings.
Ty Wright has a 27-game hitting streak.
The Cowboys order 1-7 is batting .317 or better and are led by Ty Wright who is batting .434