High (after)Noon Highlights (2/15): It’s #baseballszn

It’s high (after)noon...

Carson McCusker:

Heartland College Sports has been detailing their top-25 returners to the Big 12 this season. Coming in at No.16 is Oklahoma State’s own Carson McCusker. The kid is good.

One of every seven at-bats produced an extra base hit. This is a man whose .271 overall average became .314 against Big 12 competition. He’s a beast and he can drive the baseball to parts unknown. Additionally, he scored 14 runs and brought in 11 more. His conference slugging percentage is .643.[Heartland College Sports}

Catching up with Carson Teel:

The Stillwater News Press got to catch up with former SHS and Oklahoma State pitcher Carson Teel and see what he’s been doing since he graduated last year.

The long bus rides, living in hotels, hoping to find a host family to live with are something former Oklahoma State pitcher and Stillwater High standout Carson Teel is living that “Bull Durham” life now.

“Travel is the worse, it’s absolutely terrible,” Teel said in an interview this week with The Stillwater News press. “Luckily we had a good bus, our bus wasn’t too bad last year. But you have a lot of time to yourself – we had eight-hour or 10-hour bus rides.”

He recalled one time leaving West Virginia after getting a quick bite to eat following a game and arrived back in Auburn, New York, home of the Auburn Doubledays – the Class A Short Season team he was playing for – with the sun already up the next day. He had just enough time to grab breakfast and a four-hour break before reporting to the ball field.

“It’s close to the movie, but there are some things that are a lot nicer now than what it used to be back then,” Teel said. “But they take care of us, we’re never in a bad spot. They do a really good job for us.”

It’s all been worth it for Teel, though. {Stillwater Newspress}

What advantages will come with O’Brate Stadium?:

The O’Colly’s Wade Haugen wrote about what will come with the opening of Oklahoma State’s new baseball facility.

At Washington Street and McElroy Road, a large, steel structure sits. O’Brate Stadium, named after Cecil O’Brate, who donated $35 million to the project, will open in 2020 and be the new home of the Cowboys.

OSU coach Josh Holliday said he has enjoyed seeing the changes to the new ballpark, even driving by it as many as three times a day during winter break.

“The construction on the ballpark has been something fun to follow,” Holliday said. “It is one of those things coming to work and going home at night, you peek at it because it is exciting. It is just one of the things going on, but it certainly doesn’t change your focus from what you’re trying to do now. It’s exciting to see that thing go up, my gosh, to see images and drawings then to see it take shape it is fascinating.” {O’Colly]

That’s all for today folks! Have a great weekend and be sure to follow as the Cowboys take on UTRGV tonight at 7 p.m.