Claremore Daily Progress

Sports

February 15, 2013

BASEBALL: Pokes hope to fill hole left by Heaney

JASON ELMQUIST CNHI News Services

STILLWATER — There is no way to replace a first-round draft pick in any sport, let alone in college baseball.



But the Oklahoma State University pitching staff will attempt to at least try to find a way to fill the hole left by Andrew Heaney, a left-handed ace who won Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year honors last season before being selected by the Miami Marlins with the ninth overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft.



“I’ve seen a lot of really good progress. I don’t think you replace Andrew Heaney, you just hope pitchers throughout your staff elevate their own games, individually,” first-year coach Josh Holliday said.



Heaney isn’t the only pitcher having to be replaced during Holliday’s first head coaching gig at his alma mater. The Cowboys must find a way to make up for the loss of a combined 24 victories registered by pitchers no longer on the roster.



The top returning starter on the mound for OSU is Randy McCurry, who also doubles as a utility player. McCurry had a 3.34 ERA last season with a 4-3 record in 12 starts — the second-most of any Cowboy pitcher behind Heaney.



The biggest obstacle, however, may not necessarily be getting the same production as Heaney, but at least the similar amount of work. Heaney threw more than double the innings of any returning pitcher for OSU with 118.1 innings pitched — including six complete games. McCurry registered just 67.1 innings and junior Vince Wheeland, who started in nine games and had an ERA of 4.04 with just a 2-1 record, is the only other Cowboy besides Heaney to pitch a complete game last year.



“You hope that over the staff there’s quality innings that are absorbed by other guys,” Holliday said. “Could one person do that? Never. Andrew was maybe the best pitcher in college baseball last year, was just dominant when you look at his numbers.



“So you try to develop your staff where six or seven guys absorb 10 or 12 of his innings and give you quality outings. I think that process is well underway.”



One player that will be called upon to help fill the hole left by the Friday starter will be sophomore Jason Hursch, who was a sixth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010. After going 1-1 with a 2.73 in 10 appearances as a freshman, the right-hander missed last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.



“(Pitching coach) Rob Walton has helped a ton and has helped all our pitchers,” Hursch said. “Heaney will be hard to replace, but we definitely have the pitching staff to do it, I believe.”



The Cowboys will begin the process with their pitchers Friday when they open the season on the road at No. 21 New Mexico. The squads will face off in a three-game series, with Friday's game time scheduled for 6 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. start Saturday and a 2 p.m. first pitch Sunday.

Text Only
Sports
  • DSC_9471web.jpg Howe, Whatley shine at OU Showcase

    Claremore High School seniors Bryce Howe and Matt Whatley caught the eyes of several NCAA Division I and JUCO scouts Friday in Norman.
    Howe and Whatley, as well as Claremore’s Cole Weiesnbach and Cameron Smith, competed with the Bearcats — a competitive baseball team coached by Jenks’ Jeff Owens — at the University of Oklahoma Showcase.

    June 15, 2013 2 Photos

  • DSC_0119web.jpg ‘Staying close to home’

    Home is where the heart is.
    Claremore graduate Isaac Hollihan loves playing baseball and takes his academics pretty serious.
    For the next four years, Hollihan will continue his baseball career a short distance from his Claremore residence at Rogers State University.

    June 13, 2013 2 Photos

  • ORU announces soccer coaching changes

    With the recent resignation of longtime ORU men’s soccer coach Steve Hayes, the ORU athletics department has named Ryan Bush as the new head coach for the men’s soccer team, while Roger Bush will take over as the head coach for the women’s soccer team.

    June 17, 2013

  • ORU men's basketball to compete in Cancun Challenge

    Tournament officials announced the pairings for the 2013 Men’s Cancun Challenge, played at the Aventura Palace resort near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

    June 17, 2013

  • Turang signs pro softball contract with Akron Racers

    Brianna Turang became the third member of Oklahoma’s senior class to join the National Pro Fastpitch ranks this week as she agreed to terms with the Akron Racers, it was announced Tuesday.

    June 17, 2013

  • OU's Ricketts wins Honda Sports Award

    Keilani Ricketts added to her already stellar resume on Thursday by winning the Honda Sports Award for softball for the second year in a row and becoming a finalist for the 2013 Honda Cup, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards announced.

    June 17, 2013

  • OU releases 2013 women's soccer schedule

    Head coach Matt Potter and University of Oklahoma Vice President/Athletics Director Joe Castiglione announced the 2013 soccer schedule on Thursday.

    June 17, 2013

  • OU men's basketball schedules European Tour

    The University of Oklahoma men's basketball team will travel to Europe this summer as part of a 10-day trip in which it will play games against international competition in preparation for the 2013-14 season.

    June 17, 2013

  • OSU releases 2013 women's soccer schedule

    Oklahoma State released its 2013 women's soccer schedule today, a scheduled highlighted by matches against nine opponents that made the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship last season, including two who played in the College Cup.

    June 17, 2013

  • Tony Allen to host Basketball Skills Academy in Stillwater

    Former Cowboy and current Memphis Grizzly Tony Allen will be hosting the Grit & Grind Basketball Skills Academy, July 29-31, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. It is one of three camps the NBA player will be hosting this summer.

    June 17, 2013