Good morning Pokes! Trust. Chemistry. Focus.

All three of those word were commonly used by the Cowboys during yesterday’s Big 12 Media Days appearance as they head into the 2023 season.

Wanna know what the players are thinking? How the offseason was? We’ve got you covered!

What else is stirring in today’s edition of the Brew? Check it out!

🏈 Media Day Rewind
🏀 Cade The Commander
🎾 Serving Up Aces
🤠 And so much more!

🎧 OSU MAX PODCASTS

If anyone knows what goes on inside the locker room when there are skeptics heading into an OSU football season, it’s our guys Deion and Clint.

In a brand new episode of the Old Pokes Show, the fellas breakdown some of the Preseason Big 12 selections and predictions and talk about how the Cowboys mentality heading into a season when they are being doubted.

A discussion on another slew of Cowboys being taken in the MLB Draft and much more are on the docket for this week’s episode.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Locked and Loaded. Coming off a 17th straight Bowl appearance last fall, the Cowboys are locked and loaded to make noise in 2023.

Coach Gundy and the OSU players spent Big 12 Media Days looking ahead towards the upcoming season, learning from last year and building the chemistry and culture in the Cowboy locker room in the ever-changing landscape of college football.

Here what the players had to say at Big 12 Media Day in the first batch of plenty special content from OSU Max this week.

Collin Oliver Press Conference

Brennan Presley Conference

Korie Black Press Conference

Preston Wilson Press Conference

🔼 “Leader is an understatement for that guy.” Anytime you draw a quote like that from your peers, you’re making an impact, no matter the situation.

Former OSU All-American Cade Cunningham may have lost his second NBA season due to injury, but his impact in the Detroit Pistons locker room was felt all season long.

NBA.com had an in-depth look at Cunningham’s effect on the Pistons this past season.

🔼 Serving Up Some Aces. The OSU tennis teams served up plenty of aces this past spring. Not just on the court, but in the classroom as well.

10 student-athletes (five Cowboys, five Cowgirls) were named ITA Scholar Athletes for the 2022-23 academic year.

On the women’s side, Alana Wolfberg, Martina Zerulo, Ayumi Miyamoto, Kristina Novak and Lucas Peyre were all recognized. Those five make it a total of 68 earning the achievement in program history.

The men’s team was represented by Alessio Basile, Isaac Becroft, Alex Garcia, Carl Roothman and Sammr Raina.

Additionally, both the men’s and women’s programs were recognized as All-Academic Team. The women earned the accolade for the eighth consecutive year.

🔼 Flexin’ The Six Pack. No, we’re not talking about the trips to the beach this summer.

We’re talking about the six Cowboys that were drafted in this year’s MLB Draft over the past three days. It marks the sixth time in the past nine seasons that OSU has had six or more players selected.

In 11 seasons under head coach Josh Holliday, OSU has now had 64 MLB Draft picks, 27 of those going in the first 10 rounds.

OSU had five players selected on day two of the MLB draft (rounds 4-10) on Monday, and a sixth go on the final day (Tuesday).

Jauron Watts-Brown (Round 3, Blue Jays), Nolan McLean (Round 3, Mets), Roc Riggio (Round 4, Yankees), Marcus Brown (Round 5 - Nationals), Brian Hendry (Round 10, Yankees) and Isaac Stebens (Round 16 - Red Sox) all got the call of a lifetime this week.

Watts-Brown joined the Cowboys this past spring after two years at Long Beach State. He led the Big 12 in strikeouts (124) and strikeout rate (13.6). He posted double-digit strikeouts four times this spring, including 13 on two occasions.

McLean was drafted for the second straight year as one of the more intriguing two-way prospects in the country. At the plate, he hit nine HRs and drove in 29 RBIs in 124 at-bats, while on the mound, he tossed 30.0 innings, striking out 34 and holding an ERA of 3.30.

In two seasons at second base, Riggio was a standout in the Big 12, posting a .316 average of the past two years, while posting a .438 on-base percentage, hitting 29 HRs, 31 doubles and 108 RBIs.

Brown was a two-time All-Big 12 honoree, piling up a .302 average in three seasons, racking up 27 doubles, 13 HRs, and 74 RBIs.

After three seasons at St. John’s, Hendry came to Stillwater and provided a versatile power arm to the Cowboys arsenal. He appeared in 16 games, five of which were starts, piling up 36.2 innings of work, striking out 51 times and walking just 14.

Stebens was outstanding out of the pen for OSU, making 28 appearances with a 4-1 record and 2.24 ERA. He tossed 64.1 innings, allowing just 49 hits, while striking out 89 and opponents only hit .212 against the right-hander.

🏈 COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: 51 DAYS

Growing up only 70 miles away, Stillwater has become a second home to rising junior, #51 Bo Hardy.

Hardy joined the program in the fall of 2020 as a preferred walk-on after a standout high school career at Piedmont, where he racked up nearly 240 tackles and 11 sacks in his final two seasons.

Last season, the LB made his collegiate debut, playing in nine games, mostly on special teams, and recording four tackles.

Three times during his career he’s been named Scout Team Member of the week and this fall, he looks to climb the depth chart and make an impact on the defensive unit.

🤔 COWBOY TRIVIA

Earlier this week, the OSU equestrian program released its 2023-24 slate and its quest to return to the national championship.

Last season, the Cowgirls reached the national semifinals during the attempt to repeat after taking home the 2022 NCEA National Championship.

That title added to a longstanding tradition of success that has dated back to the formation of the program back in 2000.

How many national championships has the program won since 2000?

Got a guess? Think you might have it?

Scroll on down to the bottom of this email for the answer!

🎥 OSU MAX

Over 70 former Cowboys have played in the MLB.
Seven of those have played 12 or more seasons.
Only four of those have 200+ HRs and 650+ RBIs.

Pete Incaviglia is one of those names. He is one of the biggest names in college baseball history and is etched all over the NCAA and Oklahoma State record books.

Just a day after so many Cowboys achieved their dream through the MLB draft, we flashback to a sit down with Pete a few years back with the Voice of the Cowboys, Dave Hunziker.

This is an awesome look back with one of the greatest to ever wear the Orange and Black.

🎥 OSU Face-to-Face: Pete Incaviglia

📬 STICK WITH US

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🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Six.

The 2022 NCEA National Championship followed the 2000 IHSA Western National Championship, the 2003, 2004 and 2006 Varsity Western National Championships and the 2013 NCEA Western National Championship.

Not too shabby. Not too shabby at all.

Have a great Thursday Pokes!