Baseball 1/31/2018 3:58:00 PM

Stars look to return to NAIA World Series

14 seniors aim to lift OCU to championship level

Oklahoma City University brings back a group with the ability, experience and tools to return to the NAIA World Series.
The Stars' focus on returning to the program's long-held values led to a breakthrough year in 2017. Oklahoma City made its first World Series appearance since 2012, reached 50 wins for the first time since 2010 and captured the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships.
With a senior-laden roster and many veterans of last year's dramatic run to a tie for third place in the NAIA World Series, OCU holds the third spot in the preseason NAIA baseball ratings. The Stars open the season 2 p.m. Friday against Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) at Jim Wade Stadium. Watch the game on OCU's Stretch Portal. Single games cost $7.95 to watch, while a season pass costs $59.95.
"I'm excited about seeing if we can build upon what we started last year," said Oklahoma City coach Denney Crabaugh, who has led OCU to a 1,402-436-2 record and 13 World Series appearances in 29 years at the helm. "Last year's team had this motto of 'Getting it Back' – getting back to the Series, getting back to the way we do things over the years. We made it to the Series. Now we got a lot of those guys back, a good core back. This year it's like, 'Get it done.' We got it back, now it's time to get it done, and that means going up to Lewiston again and bringing back a championship."
Many of this year's seniors including Garrett Foster, Joe Lytle and Matt Young helped show the way for last year's team. Shaun Corso's 10th-inning double lifted the Stars to the NAIA Championship Opening Round title and a World Series berth.
The Stars had one Major League Baseball draftee from last year's team, pitcher Roberto Delgado. Oklahoma City boasts of college baseball's winningest program since 1991 with 1,336 wins.
"Last year we brought in a good recruiting class," Crabaugh said. "The returners were great as far as leadership was concerned. Getting back to the things, the work ethic, the attitude and the swagger, and the guys who came in bought into it. It was really special to see it happen again. They performed as a team. They really had a mission and a sense of purpose."
A more in-depth look at the team:

Returners

Foster, Lytle and Young are all four-year veterans of OCU's program. Foster, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., provided OCU with a .361 average, seven home runs, 50 runs driven in and seven stolen bases, while Lytle, a senior from Yukon, Okla., posted a .395 average, two homers and 46 RBIs last year.
Corso, a senior from Lancaster, Pa., hit .389 with eight homers and 62 RBIs, while Lane Milligan, a senior from Binger, Okla., carried a .405 average with five homers and 26 RBIs. Another key offensive cog figures to be Branden Grieger, a senior from Simi Valley, Calif.
"Those were mainstays last year," Crabaugh said of those seniors. "They pretty much played every ball game. Those guys are going to carry the load for us. They have a good mix of speed, average, power. We're looking forward to those guys being the core of our offense."
Hunter Aguirre, a senior from Oklahoma City, provided OCU with highlight plays in the outield and at the plate with his .308 average, six homers and 40 RBIs. Caleb Davis (three stolen bases), Seth Jones (four RBIs) and Dillon Goddard (redshirted last year) add depth.
Young, a senior right-hander from Glendora, Calif., went 10-3 with a 3.03 earned run average and 125 strikeouts in 101 innings. He expects to lead the Stars pitching staff once again. Craig Knoche, a 6-foot-9 senior righty from Tempe, Ariz., turned in an 8-0 record, 2.63 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 51.1 innings.
Bryce Milligan and Tyler Milligan played major roles in the OCU bullpen in 2017. Bryce Milligan, a sophomore righty from Blanchard, Okla., was 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA, while Tyler Milligan, a senior right-hander from Binger, Okla., led the team with six saves while going 1-1 with a 4.29 ERA.
"On the mound, we have Matt Young coming back," Crabaugh said. "He's been our No. 1 guy for a couple of years."
J.R. Holloway (4.43 ERA), Kolin Marley (1-0 record) and Garrett Pike (1-1 record) give options in the bullpen. Tanner Andrews (2-0, one save) and Ricky Parra (4-2, 3.15 ERA in 2016) come back stronger than before.
"We have some guys back who have the experience and the talent to do some good things for us," Crabaugh said. "When you're sitting there as a coach telling the team this is what it takes to get to Lewiston, there wasn't a whole lot of guys on the team, very few if any, who had been there or played there. Now with all the guys coming back from last year's team with that experience of going to the national tournament, they can say, guys, this is what we need to do. That makes them a little hungrier, too, knowing that we were right there."

Newcomers

Elliott Cary, Jacob Chappell, Daniel Costello and Quinton Walbergh come to OCU looking to make a major impact offensively.
Cary, a senior from Niceville, Fla., had a .233 average, four doubles, a triple and 11 RBIs for Oregon State last year and has been previously drafted in the 32nd round of the MLB Draft. Chappell, a senior from Guthrie, Okla., picked up two triples and three RBIs for last year's Big 12 championship team and contributed to three NCAA Tournament teams at Oklahoma State. Chappell made the Big 12 all-freshman team.
Costello, a senior from Edmond, Okla., compiled a .285 average, three homers, 27 RBIs and five steals for last year's Southeast Missouri squad. Walbergh, a junior from Edmond, Okla., recorded a .260 average, two homers and nine RBIs for Oklahoma in 2017.
Blaze Hastings and Miguel Figueroa are the Stars' additions to the pitching staff. Hastings, a senior right-hander from Edmond, Okla., accumulated a 3.37 ERA and eight strikeouts in 10.2 innings last year at Southeast Missouri. Figueroa, a junior righty from Tucson, Ariz., had three wins, a 3.56 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 68.1 innings for Pima (Ariz.) in 2017.
Caleb Evans, Daxton Marley and Evan Maun are projected to redshirt in 2018.

OCU will take on two top 10-ranked teams, Bellevue (Neb.) and Oklahoma Wesleyan, in non-conference play. The Stars will contend with two top-25 squads, Texas Wesleyan and USAO, in league play.
"It's the attitude," Crabaugh said. "They're continuing that attitude of, hey, we're Oklahoma City University. This is how we go about things, the work ethic, the swagger, our thought processes. That's carried on from last year. I think that's going to carry us a long way."

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#23 Hunter Aguirre: OF/LHP; 6' 0"; Senior; L/L

#26 Tanner Andrews: RHP; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#2 Shaun Corso: INF; 6' 3"; Senior; R/R

#14 Caleb Davis: OF; 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R

#4 Garrett Foster: INF; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#30 Dillon Goddard: INF; 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman; L/R

#6 Branden Grieger: INF; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#33 J.R. Holloway: RHP; 6' 4"; Senior; R/R

#17 Seth Jones: C; 6' 0"; Sophomore; R/R

#36 Craig Knoche: RHP; 6' 9"; Senior; R/R

#11 Joe Lytle: C/INF; 6' 0"; Senior; L/R

#29 Kolin Marley: RHP; 6' 3"; Sophomore; R/R

Players Mentioned

#23 Hunter Aguirre
: 6' 0"; Senior; L/L
: OF/LHP

#26 Tanner Andrews
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#2 Shaun Corso
: 6' 3"; Senior; R/R
: INF

#14 Caleb Davis
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#4 Garrett Foster
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: INF

#30 Dillon Goddard
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman; L/R
: INF

#6 Branden Grieger
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: INF

#33 J.R. Holloway
: 6' 4"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#17 Seth Jones
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; R/R
: C

#36 Craig Knoche
: 6' 9"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#11 Joe Lytle
: 6' 0"; Senior; L/R
: C/INF

#29 Kolin Marley
: 6' 3"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP