Five-fun first sparks Cowboys’ offensive avalanche in 13-2 run-rule win at GCU

As the classic baseball adage goes, “I could time your fastball with a calendar.”

There likely weren’t any calendars in the visitor’s dugout. Nonetheless, several fastballs were thrown to Oklahoma State hitters. And the Cowboys timed them quite well. Plenty of them.

A five-run top of the first was all OSU needed to earn a 13-2 run-rule win in seven innings against Grand Canyon on Sunday at GCU Ballpark. The Cowboys (4-3) launched three home runs and tallied 12 hits. That finalized a 40-run, 54-hit weekend, after the Cowboys were held to only three runs and eight hits over their first two games on Opening Weekend. 

And most notably, it clinched OSU a pivotal series victory on the road after dropping the series opener Thursday. 

Here are three takeaways from the game.

Meola finalizes stellar weekend

A handful of Cowboys had a prolific series at the plate, but few greater than third baseman Aidan Meola.

In the top of the first, Meola ignited OSU’s offensive onslaught with an RBI-single through the 4-3 gap. By the end of the frame, the Cowboys posted a five-run frame, and a lead it wouldn’t come close to giving up.

But three innings later, Meola went for the jugular. On a full count, Meola unloaded on a hanging slider from GCU starter Nicholas Robb, launching it over the left field wall for a grand slam — OSU’s first since March 9, 2025 against Illinois State — to break it open. And the Cowboys plated four combined runs in the sixth and seventh to conclude their scoring.

Meola finished the day 2-for-4 with 5 RBI, pioneering the Cowboys to a series-clinching victory. But his weekend was holistically stellar, too.

Overall, Meola hit 8-for-19 (.421) with four homers and 12 RBI against the Lopes. He elevated his batting average to a .321 clip after Sunday, which ranks third on OSU’s roster. His four home runs rank second, only behind Kollin Ritchie.

After missing most of last season due to a shoulder injury — which Meola underwent surgery from — this weekend had to have felt good for the fifth-year senior. And if anything, Sunday might be an indication of Meola nearing full strength.

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Lund dazzles in second start

While OSU’s offense provided a cushion, Ethan Lund kept the Lopes’ (2-5) offense at bay.

In his second start of the season.

Through two innings, the sophomore left-hander had already struck out three. That total swiftly ballooned to six through five, as Lund allowed only two hits and two runs in that span. And while he did surrender five walks, he made timely pitches to stifle the Lopes’ hitters in critical at-bats. That was exemplified no better than the bottom of the fourth, when Lund froze GCU’s Griffin Cameron with a fastball on the outside corner of the strike zone, stranding two runners in scoring position.

Veteran southpaw Brennan Phillips relieved Lund in the sixth, working around a one-out walk to keep the score as is. Shortly after, freshmen Kyle Pearcy and Drew Winslow shut the door in the bottom of the seventh to finalize OSU’s run-rule win. 

The strikeouts have come with relative ease for Lund through two weeks. He has totaled 14 strikeouts thus far, eclipsing his 13 from a season ago. The swing-and-miss stuff has been noticeable. His stellar mixture of four-seam fastball and slider has often kept opposing hitters on the edge, as Lund has showcased potential of being an option as an ace arm for the Cowboys in the future.

Simultaneously, walks have been a recurrent issue. He’s allowed 11 free passes this season, and has been fortunate those haven’t turned into opposing runs.

From a silver lining standpoint, however, the upside is apparent. It’s important to note Lund dealt with injuries throughout his freshman season and finally reached full strength late in fall camp. pitch command will only improve as the season progresses. When it does, the Cowboys will have a bonafide high-end arm to cap off their starting pitching rotation. 

Ritchie’s home run barrage continues

Ritchie bombs are back. 

OSU’s junior center fielder launched three home runs through four games against the Lopes. The highlight? A seventh-inning solo blast in the bottom of the seventh in the series finale to put the Cowboys in run-rule territory.

Ahead of Opening Weekend, Ritchie headlined OSU’s lineup after a stellar outing in last year’s Athens Regional. Immense draft buzz came tethered to his profile heading into the season. So far, he’s lived up to such expectations.

The weekend elevated his home run total to a team-leading five. And with home series against Sam Houston State and Gardner-Webb lingering ahead of the Cowboys’ Big 12 opener at UCF in three weeks, Ritchie has a plethora of other opportunities to balloon that long-ball total even further.