OKLAHOMA CITY – Michael Neustifter stood at third base and tossed his black batting helmet to the grass on his right side.
His orange-and-white cleats were planted at the base he defended in every inning of the game. It was also the spot he aimed to reach when West Virginia threw him out in the eighth inning, eliminating the Oklahoma State baseball team’s opportunity to drive in the tying run.
The Cowboys fell to the Mountaineers 8-5 in the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday at Bricktown Ballpark.
The situation was hauntingly familiar to second-seeded OSU.