OSU's star center fielder ranks third nationally in home runs but was left off midseason All-American lists as the Cowboys strengthen their regional bid
Josh Holliday wasn't coy with his opinion toward the national perception of Kollin Ritchie.
On April 1, D1Baseball released its midseason All-American lists, neither of which featured Ritchie. Which prompted the Oklahoma State coach to share his two cents on the matter after Friday's series opener against Cincinnati.
"I hope people are enjoying watching Kollin Ritchie, and I'm shocked at how little appreciation there is for the season that he's having," Holliday said Friday. "Not that any of that crap matters, but how that guy is not a — what, I guess we have midseason All-American lists now, we make up stuff all the time now. You're telling me that kid is not one of the (best players in college baseball)?"
The junior slugger has been a catalyst within OSU's offense midway through the season. He entered the year carrying immense MLB Draft buzz after a prolific outing in last year's Athens Regional, and has only lived up to that hype.
OSU clinched a pivotal series sweep of Cincinnati with a 10-4 win Sunday at O'Brate Stadium. The Cowboys outscored the Bearcats (21-13, 4-8 Big 12) 33-16 on the weekend, where Ritchie was a prevalent offensive catalyst.
Through 31 games played, Ritchie ranks third nationally in home runs (19) and eighth in runs batted in (48). He ranks second on the roster among everyday starters with a .317 batting average.
Normally, such statistics would clear All-American qualifications. But offense is at an all-time best in modern college baseball, and while Ritchie has been stellar, other prospects have taken the spotlight by storm.
Still, Holliday backed his star center fielder. And his teammates only echoed such sentiments.
"He's such a good hitter," OSU sophomore right-hander Jake Kennedy said. "He just sees the ball so well and he gets his pitches and he makes good swings. And he's confident. Like you know when Ritchie is up to bat, yeah, he's coming up there to do damage. But at the same time, just how well he sees the ball, that's the biggest thing for him. He gets his pitches and he doesn't really miss."
Ritchie still holds a plethora of opportunities to enhance his numbers. Should he continue his current offensive trend, it's likely he will bring home All-American honors by season's end.
"Cincinnati's first baseman (Quinton Coats) is awfully good, and he's got 20 home runs, and Kollin (Ritchie) has 18 or 19, right?" Holliday said. "I hope people are paying attention. That's a lot. So, he's having one heck of a year."
A message from Visit Stillwater
Orange Power Weekend is coming to America's friendliest college town — packed with the Remember the 10 run, the spring football game, OSU Big 12 baseball, and softball. Put on your brightest orange and cheer on the Cowboys, then stick around for Calf Fry, Red Dirt concerts, and downtown arts festivals.
That sweep of Cincinnati only helped Ritchie's case — and OSU's.
OSU's RPI — a composite ranking used by the NCAA selection committee to evaluate teams for postseason consideration — sits at 42 after its win Sunday.
That likely puts the Cowboys (21-11, 6-6 Big 12) firmly in territory for an at-large bid once regional play rolls around. More opportunities to bolster that ranking loom, starting next weekend on the road against Kansas State (20-12, 5-7 Big 12).
What matters most is OSU's record against Quad 1 and Quad 2 foes.
The Cowboys boast a 6-2 record against Quad 2 opponents, but their 2-7 clip in Quad 1 games is uninspiring. However, if they can finish the season with a .400 winning percentage against such opponents, OSU should carry an RPI ranking that puts it comfortably in the Field of 64.
While those elements are important, Holliday often preaches a more reserved approach to his players — focusing on the present and not entertaining external factors.
"Just taking it one day at a time," Holliday said. "That's all you can do, right? If you look too far ahead or let any other factors conflict with you and your rhythm or routine, bad things will happen. But it's up to us to take it one day at a time, one game at a time and one pitch at a time. If we can do that, good things will come."
The foundation of that postseason push was built this weekend at O'Brate Stadium, where Holliday's pitching staff executed a blueprint designed around one name.
That name? Quinton Coats — the brawny 6-foot-3 Cincinnati first baseman who struck fear into opposing coaches with his uncanny power at the plate and renowned pedigree as a mistake hitter.
Holliday, Oklahoma State's head coach, had established a gauge of Coats a season prior when the Cowboys clashed with Cincinnati on the road in April 2025, where the Bearcats won two of three contests. But that was the Freshman All-Big 12 version of Coats.
This version — seasoned, stockier, and a more versatile hitter — is more lethal, which Holliday knew. And his Big 12-leading 20 home runs, .357 batting average and 1.339 OPS were merely jewels in the crown to his prolific sophomore campaign.
So, Holliday and pitching coach Blake Hawksworth game-planned accordingly.
"We definitely circled his name on the sheet and said, 'Hey, this is a guy that you better control,'" Holliday said. "Because he's had his way with teams so far this year."
OSU's sweep of Cincinnati was a product of a balanced offensive attack, timely hits and stellar pitching over the latter two games, and OSU's ability to keep Coats at bay throughout was a substantial factor in the final outcome.
Coats was limited to a 2-for-13 (.154) clip through the three contests. He struck out a combined seven times on the weekend, and perhaps most importantly, was held to no home runs in that span for only the second time this season. That was finalized with an 0-for-4, two-strikeout outing at the plate Sunday.
So, what did Holliday and Hawksworth's game plan involve? A larger dose of pitches outside the strike zone. More emphasis on offspeed pitches and breaking balls starting inside and breaking outward.
In turn, Coats bit, and the Cowboys reaped their rewards afterward. It came without ace left-hander Hudson Barrett in the starting rotation, whom Holliday said will likely miss extensive time after exacerbating an arm injury two weeks ago. And it came at the hand of a multitude of young, inexperienced arms who cemented themselves as viable options down the stretch.
Holliday acknowledged the vitality behind his team carrying such momentum into its upcoming road series at Kansas State, which begins April 10 at 6 p.m. at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan. Sure, the Cowboys strengthened their postseason resume with a statement sweep, but more work remains to be done — well before Holliday's group nears safe territory for an at-large regional bid come May. And the road ahead only becomes more dire with Kansas, TCU and Arizona State still lingering on the schedule.
But for now, at least, Holliday said he finds solace in his pitching staff's ability to neutralize one of college baseball's most lethal hitters.
"He's a very advanced, what I call a classic split-rhythm hitter," Holliday said. "He hits the fastball in one mode and the breaking ball in the other mode. He has absolutely pulverized bad breaking balls this year and he's on fastballs and hits in his approach to hammer them to right field. If you back up an offspeed pitch and leave it over the middle of the plate, he'll hit it a mile to left field. He's kind of got you covered on both sides of the plate. So, unless you're able to get some pitches in on him and above his barrel, you're in big trouble.
"Fortunately, our guys were able to execute and we pitched to him tough. And I'm sure he'd tell you that we pitched him tough."
The pitching staff wasn't the only group that delivered. At the plate, junior left fielder Alex Conover had a weekend to remember.
Alex Conover's four-hit outing Saturday was notable, but it headlined an overall stellar weekend for the junior left fielder.
Conover logged a hit Sunday, finalizing a 6-for-10 outing at the plate on the weekend. He tallied only one RBI, but his specialty came through small ball — leading off frames with walks or singles that often evolved into crooked offensive innings.
Holliday has often called Conover a "catalyst" within OSU's lineup, and rightfully so.
He leads the Cowboys with a .347 batting average, having recorded a hit in eight of his last nine appearances. He's been an efficient leadoff hitter throughout the season and has seized the role of a "spark plug," according to his head coach. And as the lineup continues to gel and the offense finds its footing, Conover's hot hand will only pay dividends down the road.
"He's having a great year, isn't he?" Holliday said. "He's been a good catalyst for our lineup so far this season. His approach is better this year, he's seeing the ball better, everything about him is just better than it was last year. And I think you're seeing that translate and sort of resonate with the rest of the kids."