The Oklahoma State Cowboys have a 2026 lineup headlined by Avery Ortiz and Colin Brueggemann. These two key hitters had solid 2025 seasons and will play a big role for the Cowboys this upcoming season.
Ortiz Battled Through an Injury-Plagued 2025 Season
In 2025, Ortiz was looking to improve upon his previous freshman season with Oklahoma State in 2024.
He was able to play in just 14 games last season due to an undisclosed injury he had. Despite that, he put up solid hitting numbers.
Ortiz had a .283 batting average, three home runs, and six RBIs in 46 total at-bats.
One of his best performances came against the Binghamton Bearcats in the 2025 Athens regional during the NCAA Tournament.
In an elimination game, the Oklahoma State infielder had two hits, which were a double and a home run. Those two hits led to three RBI, and Ortiz also scored two runs himself.
He played a major role in the Cowboys winning the game 13-5 as they stayed alive in the NCAA Tournament.
Oklahoma State then battled all the way to the Athens regional final before losing to the Duke Blue Devils.
Brueggemann Brings Experience after Great 2025 Season
Brueggemann is now a senior at Oklahoma State after a spectacular junior season he put together in 2025.
The towering first baseman had a .303 batting average, 11 doubles, 15 home runs, and 54 RBIs.
He was second on Oklahoma State in all three of those statistical categories last season.
Brueggemann’s best hitting performance last season came against the UT Arlington Mavericks on February 23. He reached a season-high in hits with four. Two of those hits were a double and a home run. The first baseman also had four RBIs and scored three runs in Oklahoma State’s 19-4 win over the Mavericks.
Brueggemann was also a strong first baseman who rarely made mistakes. He had a .995 fielding percentage paired with just two errors. This was much improved from 2024, when he had seven errors.
Oklahoma State to Begin 2026 in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown
The Oklahoma State Cowboys will begin the 2026 season in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown. The invitational event will take place February 13-15 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, which is the home of the Texas Rangers in Major League Baseball.
On February 13, Oklahoma State will play the Arkansas Razorbacks at 8 p.m. EST. Then, on February 14, they will play the Oklahoma Sooners at 4 p.m. EST. The Cowboys’ final game of the 2026 Shriners Children’s College Showdown will be against the Vanderbilt Commodores on February 15. That game will be at 11:30 a.m. EST.
NCAA news: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTOS: AP | Brandon Wade
