2025 Fall College Baseball Reset: Oklahoma State

One year after a 42-win campaign, the 2025 Oklahoma State Cowboys won only 30 games. OK State squeaked into the NCAA Tournament and won two games in Athens. However, the Cowboys were unable to get by Duke. Heading into 2026, Oklahoma State will have a different-looking roster, albeit one loaded with talent.

The Returnees

Oklahoma State lost significant talent to the pros this past summer. Nolan Schubart, who hit 59 home runs across three seasons in Stillwater, was drafted in the third round by the Guardians this past July. Cleveland also took Harrison Bodendorf (10th round), who struck out 102 last season after coming over from the University of Hawaii.

Sean Youngerman, another transfer from 2024-25, was taken in the fourth round by the Phillies.

The Cowboys’ pitching staff, as a result, will look different — and yet similar, as well. Junior Hunter Watkins, who struck out 70 over 64 frames last season in his sophomore campaign. Watkins was part of that deep transfer class from last summer, as he came from Grand Canyon. The 6’9” righty continued to impress in the Cape, as Watkins struck out 20 over 18 frames.

Soft-tossing righty Mario Pesca, another one of those transfers from 2024-25, is back for 2026. Pesca, who came from St. John’s (NY), was second in innings thrown last year behind Bodendorf.

As for the rest of the pitching stuff, Oklahoma State returned sophomores Ethan Lund, Noah Wech, and Matthew Brown, all of whom received plenty of work out of the bullpen in 2025.

The offense, meanwhile, will get back Colin Brueggemann for his senior campaign. Brueggemann has been one of the Cowboys’ best home run threats over the last two years, as he cracked 29 between 2024 and 2025.

The left-handed hitting Brueggemann is one of several notable returns. Also back are Alex Conover, as well as 2025 regulars Brock Thompson and Kollin Ritchie. Ritchie, a 19th-round pick by the Orioles three years ago, hit 14 home runs with the Cowboys but had troubles in the Cape this past summer. The 21-year-old hit four home runs. However, he struck out 23 times in 17 games.

Garrett Shull, a high-end recruit from 2024-25, is back for his sophomore campaign. Shull hit .314 in the Appalachian League this past summer.

Additionally, Avery Ortiz, who played only 17 games last season, is back.

The Newcomers

Starting with the transfers, perhaps the most notable addition, as far as face value is concerned, was former UC Santa Barbara pitcher Hudson Barrett. Barret, a redshirt junior, pitched in only five games between 2024 and 2025 but was exceptional in his freshman year three years ago. The 21-year-old struck out 82 over 61 frames with the Gauchos.

Barrett struck out six over four in the California Collegiate League this past summer.

The Cowboys also landed T.P. Wentworth, a big recruit for Clemson two summers ago. Wentworth hit just .220/.350/.280 in limited time with Clemson during his freshman year last spring. The 20-year-old made up for it with six home runs and 17 total extra-base hits in the Northwoods League.

Oklahoma State also landed junior catcher Campbell Smithwick from Ole Miss. Smithwick slashed .282/.410/.464 across 40 games with the Rebels last spring.

As for the freshmen, there are plenty of them on Josh Holliday’s roster. Sixteen to be exact.

Among the notables are Parker Jennings and Remo Indomenico. Indomenico flashed a ton of athleticism in high school showcases, as he can run and hit the ball hard. Jennings, meanwhile, flashed a mid-90s fastball in high school.

Summary

Despite not advancing past the Regionals over the last few years, Oklahoma State has regularly fielded a competitive roster. And, their program has produced significant pro talent, a testament to the recruiting and development work done in Stillwater.

The Cowboys have a strong roster to compete for a Big 12 title. However, what will be fun to watch is to see whether OK State’s young freshmen and sophomores can take that next step to replace the lost talent from 2025.