Oklahoma State’s Hudson Barrett dazzles with 10 Ks in pitching duel against Sam Houston’s ace, securing 5-1 series-opening win
STILLWATER, Okla. — In a Friday evening matchup at O’Brate Stadium in Stillwater, the Oklahoma State Cowboys secured a 5-1 victory over the Sam Houston State Bearkats, extending their winning streak to five games.
The February 27, 2026, contest marked the opening game of a three-game weekend series, showcasing dominant pitching from both sides early on before OSU’s bats came alive in the later innings. With the win, Oklahoma State improved to 6-3 on the young season, while Sam Houston dropped to 4-5.
The game was a pitcher’s duel for much of the evening, highlighted by standout performances from the starters.
Oklahoma State’s junior left-hander Hudson Barrett delivered a career-best outing, tossing 7.0 innings while allowing just two hits, one unearned run, one walk, and striking out 10 batters.
Barrett, who improved to 2-1 on the year, retired the first seven batters he faced and navigated early threats with poise. In the third inning, he stranded a runner on second after a Bearkats error, inducing two flyouts to escape unscathed. He struck out the side in the sixth and notched his 10th punchout in the seventh, showcasing a sharp mix of pitches that kept Sam Houston’s hitters off balance.
Barrett exited after starting the eighth, where defensive miscues loaded the bases, but his effort set the tone for OSU’s success.
Relieving Barrett, right-hander Noah Wech closed out the game with 2.0 scoreless innings, though he allowed the Bearkats’ lone run to score on a wild pitch in the eighth. Wech struck out four, walked one, and gave up no hits, providing a strong finish despite the minor blemish.
On the other side, Sam Houston State’s starting right-hander Ryan Peterson matched Barrett’s intensity for five innings, setting a career high with 11 strikeouts while surrendering three hits, one earned run, and two walks.
Peterson (0-2) faced the minimum through the first two frames and struck out four straight after issuing walks in the third. His most clutch moment came in the fifth, when he stranded the bases loaded with back-to-back strikeouts of Alex Conover and Brock Thompson, preventing a potential breakout.
Despite the impressive outing, Peterson took the loss as OSU capitalized later.
Sam Houston’s bullpen struggled to contain the Cowboys. Jonathan Anders pitched 1.0 inning, allowing one hit and one earned run. Zak Johnson followed with 0.2 innings, giving up two hits and two earned runs while striking out two. Cooper Harris threw 0.1 innings, yielding one hit and one earned run. Noah Kendrick finished with 1.0 scoreless inning, allowing no hits and striking out one.
Offensively, Oklahoma State managed seven hits compared to Sam Houston’s two, but the Cowboys committed three errors while the Bearkats had one.
OSU’s key plays broke open what had been a tight game. In the bottom of the third, Evan Saunders and Terrance Bowen drew walks, and Brady Francisco laid down a sacrifice bunt to load the bases. Conover then grounded out to short, plating Saunders for the game’s first run and a 1-0 lead.
The fifth inning saw another OSU threat, with singles from Saunders, Bowen, and Francisco loading the bases again with one out. Peterson, however, fanned Conover and Thompson to escape jam free.
The Cowboys finally pulled away in the sixth when designated hitter Sebastian Norman launched a solo home run to left-center, his second of the season, making it 2-0.
The decisive blow came in the seventh. Francisco singled, Conover followed with a single, and Thompson crushed a three-run homer to right-center, his first of the year, driving in both runners and extending the lead to 5-0.
Sam Houston responded in the eighth, capitalizing on OSU errors. Ty Marthiljohni reached on an error to lead off, Blake Brown reached on another miscue, and Jeric Curtis walked to load the bases. A wild pitch from Wech scored Marthiljohni for the Bearkats’ only run, but Wech struck out Hunter Alvord and Nathan Fink to limit the damage at 5-1.
Notable defensive plays included Alvord stealing two bases for Sam Houston, while Conover swiped one for OSU.
The Bearkats’ offense was stifled overall, with Alvord and Sean Bazmore accounting for their two hits. OSU’s Thompson led the way with three RBIs, and Norman added one.
This win continues Oklahoma State’s strong homestand, where they’ve outscored opponents in recent games. Sam Houston, coming off a midweek loss to Houston, showed talent on the mound but couldn’t generate enough offense against Barrett’s dominance.
The series continues this weekend at O’Brate Stadium. Game two is set for Saturday, February 28, at 1:00 p.m. CT, with Sam Houston’s right-hander Tyler Ryden (1-1, 2.89 ERA) facing OSU’s left-hander Ethan Lund (1-0, 2.08 ERA).
The finale wraps up on Sunday, March 1, at 1:00 p.m. CT, pitting Bearkats left-hander Kade Townsend (0-0, 3.86 ERA) against Cowboys right-hander Jake Kennedy (1-0, 1.23 ERA).
Both remaining games will be streamed on ESPN+.