As a college baseball proficient, Josh Holliday knows the trajectory of a team’s season is in constant flux. 

Preseason favorites reach thuds near the midway point of a season, while under-the-radar ball clubs get hot late. Prospects hidden in the depth chart early on surge at unexpected times to cement themselves within the lineup. Concurrently, the strenuous nature of a 56- to 58-game regular season makes injuries to key pieces prevalent. 

As Oklahoma State (12-4) enters Big 12 play, it will be without ace left-hander Hudson Barrett for its series opener against UCF (9-6), which begins Friday at 5 p.m. at John Euliano Ballpark. Barrett exited OSU’s series opener against Gardner-Webb on March 6 after only 1 2/3 innings pitching, and arm soreness was cited as the immediate reasoning. Two days later, following the series finale, Holliday clarified postgame that a time table for his return was unknown. 

Abrupt additions to the injured list are never ideal. Yet, they’re commonplace within the sport. It's nothing new for Holliday, now in his 14th season at the helm. But how Holliday and pitching coach Blake Hawksworth navigate the starting rotation with Barrett’s absence will likely determine how OSU’s season transpires. 

“We’ve played some good games already this season against good teams,” Holliday said. “Going into conference play, it’s an extension of what we’ve been preparing for.

“The game doesn’t change. It’s the same game, right? It’s how we handle the challenges of those games.”

That now includes navigating a pitching plan without a marquee arm. 

Oklahoma State starting pitcher Hudson Barrett (36) fires in a pitch in the third inning against Arkansas on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys are expected to be without their ace left-hander for some time after he suffered an injury to his pitching army on March 4 against Gardner-Webb, according to coach Josh Holliday. – Photo by Luke Tolbert

Moving forward, Holliday said the Cowboys will be reliant on prospect development. Specifically within the bullpen. 

“The growth of our bullpen and the growth of everyone involved is a continual thing,” Holliday said. “No matter where you’re at in the season, every single day is a focus on growth.”

On Wednesday, Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball reported Barrett's prognosis was "better than previously thought." So, Holliday and OSU delegates alike might be able to exhale, at least for the time being.

Still, the question of who will fill in for Barrett remains.

Sophomore lefty Ethan Lund is likely to slot into the Day 1 role. And given his efficiency so far — 1.74 ERA, a national fifth-best 40 strikeouts and a .141 opponent batting average — OSU likely wouldn't endure a noteworthy drop-off with its Friday production.

Veteran right-hander Mario Pesca will likely move to the Day 2 slot. But what about Sundays?

First, there's sophomore right-hander Noah Wech. Through seven appearances, Wech boasts a 0.63 ERA, to go with 16 strikeouts and a .128 opponent batting average. He's served as the Cowboys' closer thus far, but has starting experience from a season ago. Most notably, during a six-inning, five-strikeout, shutout ball against Duke in last season's Athens Regional championship game.

Next, there's right-hander Kai Fyke. A hefty junior college transfer, who looks the part of a Power Four starter. He's showcased more of a pitch-to-contact style this season, but has the fastball velocity and stuff to post high strikeout totals. Through five appearances, Fyke holds a 5.52 ERA with six strikeouts and a .328 opponent batting average, though, those numbers should improve over time. Fyke logged a 2.07 ERA with 72 strikeouts as a sophomore at Arizona Central Community College.

Then there's two-way prospect TP Wentworth. The Clemson transfer has been OSU's primary right fielder, but has also made three relief appearances on the mound, donning a 3.60 ERA with a .333 opponent batting average. Holliday has raved about the right-hander's progression since the fall, so it might not be too far-fetched to anticipate Wentworth slotting into that last spot within the starting rotation.

Other options within the bullpen exist. Which gives Holliday and Hawksworth more leeway to work with over the coming weeks.

But the Cowboys have been battle tested already.

On Opening Weekend, OSU faced a gauntlet of a slate against Arkansas, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt at the Shriners Children's College Showdown. Two weeks ago when OSU hosted Sam Houston State in a three-game home series, a multitude of key prospects were in and out of the lineup due to a flu outbreak within the team. Younger players were forced to emerge and establish themselves prematurely, which they did.

For Cowboys' Catcher Campbell Smithwick, it makes the circumstances surrounding OSU's series at UCF all the less daunting.

“A lot of teams say it, that they’re a close-knit group, but we really are,” Smithwick said. “It’s just a bunch of friends. We’re tight and if somebody goes down, it hurts us all. 

“We’ll get the pitching situation figured out. Hopefully we can get Hudson back soon. But with the guys we have right now, I couldn’t ask for a better group to go to battle with.”

The uncertainty surrounding Barrett’s absence means opportunities will emerge elsewhere within the pitching staff. For some of OSU's bullpen arms, that could mean stepping into unfamiliar roles or handling high-leverage innings earlier than expected.

Holliday has seen such progression before. The same pitchers being tasked with greater responsibilities once experienced similar growing pains earlier in their collegiate careers. Difficult lessons were learned before they eventually evolved into reliable contributors within the pitching staff.

Holliday said he hopes that will be a silver lining to come out of this scenario. Regardless of when Barrett makes his return to the starting rotation, the Cowboys will ideally have established more depth. And in turn, they'll reap the rewards down the stretch.

“We’ve got a handful of arms that are getting their lessons learned,” Holliday said. “A lot of the college game is teaching lessons to us right now. Sometimes they’re pretty painful to learn. There was a time last year when an Ethan Lund and a Stormy Rhodes and a Noah Wech as true freshmen learned some of those same lessons. And now those kids have grown, and now as sophomores, they’re providing stability, leadership and they’re pitching in leverage situations. If you’re gonna have younger players, you’re gonna have to grow with them sometimes.”

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