Ritchie Etches His Name in OSU Lore — Walk-Off Homer Caps Three-Homer Night Against TCU

Amid the final stages of a tie game, Josh Holliday's mental state is often a polar opposite of other spectators in the ballpark.

While players lean over the dugout rails, shouting words of encouragement toward the batter, Holliday, OSU's 14th-year coach, remains stone-cold, laser-focused on the present. Constantly replaying the contest's past events in his head while weighing the likelihood of hypotheticals and what might ensue down the stretch.

So, when Kollin Ritchie strode to home plate with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning of OSU's eventual 7-6 series-opening win against TCU on Friday at O'Brate Stadium, Holliday stayed true to his usual tendencies. Not a thought of Ritchie's three hits and two home runs leading up to the at-bat crossed his mind. Only the what-ifs contingent upon its outcome.

Thus, one recurrent thought raced through Holliday's mind.

"We need something good to happen here," Holliday said. "I'm thinking about just moves that might happen behind his at-bat, just in case he gets on (base), and then how those things could correspond so that, if they present themselves, (I'm) not caught off guard."

As for Ritchie's mindset?

"I was just trying to tell myself to stay as confident as possible," Ritchie said. "Like I'd done everything leading up to that at-bat to be confident in myself. Just (telling myself not to) speed myself up or have that fast heart rate that everyone gets in those moments.

"Just focus on the moment and stay as confident as possible."

Two pitches later, both mindsets dissolved into pure jubilation.

The moment he unloaded on an elevated fastball from TCU right-hander Nate Sterns, the crowd erupted. Euphoria flowed through the orange-permeated venue as Ritchie watched the ball clear the right-field concourse.

Ballgame.

And The Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb On Me" echoing through the ballpark sound system was merely an added bonus for Ritchie.

He took a moment to admire his work before embarking on his coveted trot around the basepaths. His teammates, snaking around home plate, awaited him in celebration.

Friday wasn't an isolated instance for the junior slugger. It has been a recurring sight over the course of the season — a testament to the blend of strength and bat-to-ball skill that makes him one of college baseball's premier mistake hitters.

"He's uniquely strong — that's real strong," Holliday said. "He was like that when he got here. He got like that his senior year of high school. He became a man two years before most kids. A lot of guys, by the time they're sophomores, start to get man strength. By his senior year (at Atoka), he was man strong."

The Cowboys (29-17, 12-10 Big 12) struck first in the bottom of the first off a one-out, two-RBI double from third baseman Aidan Meola. Shortly after came the first of Ritchie's trio of homers to make it 3-0 OSU.

Meanwhile, sophomore left-hander Ethan Lund dazzled early in his outing.

Through three innings, he struck out seven — pushing him past the century mark in strikeouts this season — while retiring nine of his first 10 batters faced. His steady mixture of four-seam fastball, cutter, and slider drew ugly swings and frequent chases from TCU batters as the game was firmly in Lund's grasp.

Then came the middle innings.

TCU center fielder Chase Brunson cut into the deficit with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth. One inning later, catcher Nolan Traeger gave the Horned Frogs (29-16, 13-9 Big 12) the lead with a three-run moonshot to the right-field concourse.

Lund finished with 10 strikeouts but allowed five runs on five hits and five walks across 4⅔ innings. His early exit prematurely exposed OSU's bullpen. Shortly after, Brady Dallimore greeted OSU reliever Noah Wech with a two-out bomb of his own to make it 6-3 TCU.

The two teams traded blows over the ensuing frames. A two-run rally in the bottom of the fifth pulled OSU within one, trimming TCU's lead to 6-5 — where it stood heading into the seventh inning.

Enter Ritchie.

His second homer — a game-tying, opposite-field solo blast in the seventh — marked his 24th of the season, passing former slugger Nolan Schubart for the most in an OSU season since 2000. Two innings later came his third — his team-leading 25th of the season — further cementing his heroics.

"Big-time moment for a big-time player," Holliday said. "Couldn't have happened to a more fitting player."

Rather than embracing his late-game heroics, Ritchie — 4-for-4, three home runs, three RBI — viewed the moment through a team lens.

ADVERTISEMENT

A message from Visit Stillwater
While you’re in town for Graduation, the Special Olympics Oklahoma Summer Games, or one of the many events at the Payne County Expo Center, be sure to explore Stillwater’s one-of-a-kind boutiques, local restaurants, and must-see attractions in America’s Friendliest College Town!

View Events

The 2026 season has been anything but smooth sailing for the Cowboys. Injuries to key players have mounted, and untimely offensive lulls have plagued prominent lineup members. In turn, growing pains have surfaced throughout. Head-scratching series losses to BYU and Kansas State flood the early portion of Big 12 play with mounting questions about the team's ceiling.

In recent weeks, however, OSU has looked the part of a postseason ballclub.

A week ago in a dominant road series sweep of Texas Tech. Most recently, in a regional-caliber contest that played down to the wire.

All of it, Ritchie said, highlights the team's progression over the season's course.

"I think tonight showed a little bit of growth in us," Ritchie said. "I feel like early in the season, we might have let that get to us late and maybe not have been able to close it out. So, it just shows the work we've put in and the growth we've had as a team."

Throughout the season, Holliday has commended Ritchie for his clutch tendencies. Ones he has often referred to as "overlooked" and "unsung" on the national stage. After Friday, he is slashing .322/.439/.833, and is tied for third nationally in home runs.

Now, such tendencies might be too difficult to further ignore.

Ritchie's third home run of the game came in walk-off fashion. Concurrently, it etched him into OSU baseball lore.

In a program built on a legacy of big moments, such swings amount to more than just a thrilling win. Ritchie's walk-off blast was a defining moment that could shape the team's trajectory down the stretch of the regular season. For a group still developing and searching for a late-season spark, it highlighted such progress made in recent weeks.

Above all else, it shed light upon the rising star anchored in the middle of OSU's lineup. A proven commodity who is all too familiar with delivering such moments, and a country-strong slugger producing at the sport's highest level for his home-state team.

"When you play baseball at OSU, to do anything, you've got to be pretty good because the dudes before us set a standard I'm not sure anyone will ever touch," Holliday said. "Whether it's what Pete (Incaviglia) did, or what Robin (Ventura) did, or what the guys on this wall did, or what many, many others did, that's our history. We cherish it. So, we celebrate when somebody does something special.

"When it mattered most, Kollin stepped up and said, 'I've got this,' and he called game. That's what good players do."