Holliday And Brown To Be Inducted Into Cowboy Baseball Hall Of Fame

A former outfield great and a legendary coach make up the Cowboy Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2016.

Corey Brown, who starred for OSU from 2005-07, and Tom Holliday, who served as an assistant coach and head coach with the program for over 25 years, will be inducted into the Cowboy Baseball Hall of Fame during the OSU First Pitch Banquet in January.

A five-person committee selected the hall of fame inductees. The panel evaluated candidates based on their accomplishments at both Oklahoma State and the professional baseball level, paying special attention to those who were All-Americans, first-round draft picks and had Major League Baseball careers or who hold a significant position in the OSU record books.

Brown and Holliday will become the 48th and 49th members of the Cowboy Baseball Hall of Fame.

“We’re excited to recognize and honor two great Cowboys; it’s so much fun to celebrate the careers and contributions of those who have helped make OSU baseball one of the most historic programs in college baseball,” said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. “Our banquet has become an awesome connection of past and present energy that leaves our players and fan base energized for the upcoming season. The careers of Corey and Tom speak for themselves, and we can’t wait to embrace them and have them back on campus.”

• Corey Brown, OF, Tampa, Fla. (2005-07) – Brown joined the OSU program in 2005 and enjoyed enormous success during his three seasons in a Cowboy uniform.

The left-handed hitting Brown left his name prominent throughout the OSU record books as he ranks third all time in triples (17), eighth in walks (152) and slugging percentage (.691), ninth in home runs (48) and 10th in total bases (427).

“Corey Brown was a game changer, a multi-dimensional player who could beat you in many different ways,” Holliday said. “His offensive numbers really stand out — he is one of the best offensive players to play here in the last 15 years. We are talking about a young man who was an All-American, a first-round draft choice and a Major League Baseball player. Corey had a significant impact on our program with three big-time seasons as a Cowboy, and he left an impressive legacy.”

In 2005, Brown was named the Big 12 Conference Freshman Player of the Year and a Freshman All-American after hitting a team-high .360 and leading the Cowboys with 44 walks, six triples and eight stolen bases. He also smashed 13 home runs and collected 46 RBIs.

A three-time All-Big 12 performer, including a first teamer in 2005 and 2007, Brown was also a two-time All-American, earning honors as both a sophomore and junior.

In his second OSU season, Brown hit .347 and again slugged 13 homers to go along with 13 doubles, six triples, 14 stolen bases and 40 RBIs.

Brown capped his OSU career as a junior in 2007 when he hit .335 with a team-high 22 round trippers, 23 steals and .736 slugging percentage as he helped lead OSU to an NCAA Super Regional. His performance, which also included 15 doubles, five triples and 71 RBIs, earned him All-America honors from the ABCA, Baseball America and the NCBWA.

A first-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, Brown has played 39 games in parts of four big league seasons with the Nationals and Red Sox. Brown spent his ninth professional season in 2015 with the Triple A Durham Bulls.

Brown’s Career Stats at OSU: 175 games, .346 BA, 48 HR, 157 RBIs, 35 doubles, 17 triples, 45 SB, .691 SLG%

• Tom Holliday, Assistant Coach/Head Coach, Uniontown, Pa. (1978-2003) – Holliday spent over two decades in Stillwater helping build OSU into a national power, first as an assistant coach then as the program’s head coach.

In his 26 seasons with the Cowboys, Holliday helped coach 21 NCAA Tournament teams and was a part of 11 College World Series teams.

“Tom Holliday’s impact on this program is visible all over the place,” Holliday said. “He was responsible for the recruitment of the greatest players in program history, was instrumental in the 1980s decade of dominance and led the program into the Big 12 Conference and our last trip to Omaha.

“Our current coaching staff and program are part of the Cowboy Baseball family he helped grow, with Rob Walton and myself having been part of the baseball culture he helped develop. We appreciate the hundreds of players’ lives he touched during his 26 seasons — he demonstrated a love and loyalty to Oklahoma State rarely seen in coaching.”

Holliday began his OSU career in 1978, joining head coach Gary Ward’s staff as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator after having been part of a national championship team and coaching staff at Arizona State in 1977.

The direction of that duo led a meteoric rise of the OSU program as it became a national powerhouse. The Cowboys made their first CWS appearance of the Ward/Holliday era in 1981, which marked the first of seven consecutive berths in Omaha.

OSU also reeled off an incredible 16-straight Big Eight Conference championships from 1981-1996, an NCAA-record streak that still stands.

In his 19 years as an OSU assistant, Holliday recruited and helped develop some of the greatest players in college baseball history, including the likes of College Baseball Hall of Famers Pete Incaviglia and Robin Ventura.

Following Ward’s retirement in 1996, Holliday took over the OSU program and spent seven seasons as head coach, compiling a 281-150 record and leading the Cowboys to four NCAA tourney appearances.

In 1999, Holliday’s Cowboys went 46-21 and advanced to the College World Series for the 19th time in school history. That ’99 appearance marks OSU’s last time in the CWS.

Holliday has continued to be successful as an assistant coach following his time in Stillwater. He served as pitching coach at Texas from 2004-06, helping the Longhorns to a national title in 2005.

Following his stint at UT, Holliday served on the coaching staffs at North Carolina State and Auburn.

Holliday’s Career Stats at OSU: 1,698-691 record in 38 years as a college assistant and head coach, 17 College World Series appearances with four different schools, two national championships

OSU baseball fans wanting to help celebrate the hall of fame careers of Brown and Holliday, as well as share the excitement of the current club for the upcoming season, can purchase tickets for the annual First Pitch Banquet online here. Tickets are limited, and each of the previous three First Pitch Banquets sold out.

Additionally, Cowboy baseball will be hosting an alumni event following the banquet, and all former players and staff are encouraged to attend.