After sweeping their home-opening series with UT-Arlington, Cowboy baseball headed back to Texas and into the gauntlet of a very challenging non-conference slate. The Pokes, ranked as high as 16th in the various college baseball polls, started off with a mid-week win over Abilene Christian. They then headed to Houston for the Astros Foundation College Classic at Daikin Park.

The Classic's schedule set up as an all SEC challenge for the Cowboys.

On Friday afternoon, they dropped a 5-2 loss to a top five Tennessee Volunteer squad that is ranked No. 1 in the most recent USA Today Coaches Poll and in the top 5 of the rest.

Saturday, it was former Big 12 foe Texas A&M. The Aggies are ranked first in four of the college baseball polls and second in the other. The Cowboys rode a strong start from left-handed pitcher Harrison Bodendorf en route to a 4-0 blanking of the Aggies. Bodendorf move to 3-0 on the season with the big win.

The weekend wrapped up with a Sunday afternoon tilt with No. 15 Mississippi State. Nolan Schubart homered for the first time in 2025 and went 2-for-4 with three RBI to pace the Pokes offensively. Righty Hunter Watkins (2-0) picked up the win in five innings of work where he gave up just two earned runs. The Cowboys held off a late MSU surge to take a 9-7 win that moved OSU to 6-4 on the young season.

It is worth noting that Bodendorf left the Saturday game with some arm discomfort. Head coach Josh Holliday did not have an update on the hurler's status when asked on Saturday.

The Cowboys will host Winthrop for a two-game midweek set, with 4:00 first pitches on Tuesday and Wednesday. They will stay at O'Brate Stadium over the weekend, hosting Illinois State for a 3-game tilt on Friday (6:00), Saturday (6:00) and Sunday (1:00).