High Noon Highlights(3/15): Andrew Heaney helps OSU pitching staff, Yor Anei’s future is bright

It’s high noon...

Andrew Heaney helps Oklahoma State pitching staff:

Thanks to a generous donation from a former Oklahoma State pitcher, the Oklahoma State pitching staff is working with technology that is used in the MLB. It’s paying off for them as they were able to win a game in Dodgers stadium over the weekend.

OSU beat Michigan at Dodger Stadium as part of this past weekend’s trip to Los Angeles. As one of 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, the Dodgers’ home features MLB’s Statcast technology, which provides various advanced metrics for pitchers, batters and fielders. Measurements for pitchers such as release height, precise velocity and pitch spin rate are available, as are exit velocity and launch angle for batters and catch probably and arm strength for fielders.

A pitcher who plays his home games up Interstate 5 from Dodger Stadium — and used to play them at Allie P. — has helped bring similar technology to Stillwater. Last spring, Los Angeles Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney, the 2012 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year while at OSU, donated a TrackMan system, the same product MLB uses for Statcast, to the program. The system is affixed behind home plate at Allie P. {The Oklahoman}

The future is bright for Yor Anei:

Despite Oklahoma State’s loss to TCU on Wednesday, Yor Anei had a fantastic performance to cap what has been a fantastic year for the freshman forward. Mark Cooper wrote about Anei’s game and how one sequence could have become Oklahoma State legend had the outcome of the game been different.

TCU’s Kouat Noi caught a lob pass beneath the basket with less than 90 seconds to play Wednesday night. He thought he could muscle the basketball into the hoop.

Anei blocked his shot from behind, recording his seventh of the game and 85th of the season.

Nine seconds later, after Lindy Waters missed a 3-pointer to take the lead, Anei ripped down an offensive rebound.

Twenty seconds later, Anei set a screen for Waters, rolled and caught a pass for a game-tying layup.

“He’s growing to become a stud,” Cameron McGriff said.

The Cowboys lost 73-70, so the 30 seconds in which Anei owned the game might be forgotten by next year. But the four games Anei played in March won’t be as he works toward turning it into a complete sophomore year.

Anei finished the Big 12 Tournament game with 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks. Those numbers are extraordinary for a college freshman whose only high-major offer came from OSU. {Tulsa World}

Rogers role in the Big 12 wrestling tournament:

Despite not actually wrestling in the tournament, Chandler Rogers made an impact for the Cowboys during the Big 12 Tournament this past weekend. The Stillwater Newpress’ Jason Elmquist wrote about what Rogers did for his team.

When his replacement suffered a defeat at the hands of the eventual conference champion on Saturday, according to Cowboy coach John Smith, it was Rogers who set the younger Smith back on the path that would lead him to getting the fifth and final automatic qualifier for the national tournament.

“He’s a class kid. He probably helped Joe kind of refocus after that first loss,” the Cowboy coach said Saturday night. “It’s a teammate.”

That was the type of impact the senior had on the entire team it would seem.

Rogers was at the heart of Oklahoma State’s dominant weekend in which the program had six individual champions – including three first-time Big 12 champions.

Late Saturday night, he was seen helping redshirt freshman Kaden Gfeller loosen up minutes for Gfeller’s first appearance in the conference semifinals. Gfeller would coast to a 7-2 decision to punch a ticket to the finals – where he would win closely contested 6-5 decision after Rogers once again prepared Gfeller during the 30 minutes of warmups on the mat before the finals. { Stillwater Newspress}

Justice Hill to Dallas?:

Inside the Star wrote a draft profile on former Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill. Here’s what they had to say about him.

Justice Hill has three years of production and consistency as the primary running back at Oklahoma State, but probably projects better as a change of pace back in the NFL. He is an electric playmaker anytime he has the ball in his hands and was surprisingly durable throughout his college career for a RB his size.

Hill possesses good vision, allowing his blocks to set up before he makes his cuts. Shows a strong cutback ability. Possesses light nimble feet and a jump cut that helps him sidestep defenders. Is elusive in the open field with enough wiggle to make would be tacklers miss in one-on-one situations. Shows good burst and speed to pick up chunk yardage. Good contact balance. {Inside the Star}

That’s all for today. Have a great weekend. We’ll be back on Monday with more highlights.