How Oklahoma State pitcher Ben Abram rediscovered his confidence after transfer from OU

STILLWATER — A few weeks ago, Oklahoma State pitcher Ben Abram stepped into Rob Walton’s laboratory. 

OK, not really a laboratory. But the famed pitching coach’s office is where struggling pitchers are often reshaped.

Abram — a transfer from Bedlam rival OU — felt like he was a mess on the mound. So, he sat down in Walton’s office.

They spent the next 90 minutes or so watching film.

Some was of Abram, both good and bad. Most was of a MLB pitcher — Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, José Fernández and Mark Buehrle, to name a few — looking for any kind of similarities.

“He just breaks it down to milliseconds in the delivery,” Abram said. “Honestly, it’s amazing. I’ve never seen somebody do that.”

Then the lab moved to the bullpen at O’Brate Stadium.

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There, Abram threw pitch after pitch under the watchful eye of Walton until things got better.

“It’s just a constant deal trying to find a way to get better,” Abram said.

It paid off in a big way.

As the No. 17-ranked Cowboys open a huge series against red-hot No. 21 Texas — winner of 15 straight games — on Friday, Abram has turned into OSU’s workhorse and steadying presence on the mound.

The 6-foot-8, 262-pound right-hander from Canada has won his last four starts, including each Saturday of Big 12 play as he’s steadily improved.

“I love his determination,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said. “I love his maturity. I love how serious he takes this. I love the loyalty that he’s put on display, even in a very short amount of time since he’s been here.

“I very much believe in him. He needed to feel that and he feels that here.”

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To get to this point, Abram first had to fail after a promising start to his career.

He did that last season at OU, posting a 9.41 ERA in 22 innings of relief. He had a 6.43 ERA out of the bullpen the season before. He was far from the pitcher that was a selection for the Big 12 All-Freshman team in 2019.

Abram’s confidence was gone. 

“I tried to fight through it but didn’t really feel like I was getting the help I needed,” Abram said. “And I didn’t have the confidence.”

So, Abram hit the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility. 

Holliday always respected Abram’s presence and competitiveness on the mound. It was a natural fit.

But even after having a good fall, there were big struggles.

Abram’s first three appearances with the Cowboys this spring were out of the bullpen. He struggled against Vanderbilt and Loyola Marymount.

“The first couple of outings I had were pretty brutal,” Abram said, “almost a flashback to last year, and that whole season was just brutal for me.”

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In the film and bullpen sessions with Walton, Abram said he worked to fix his arm slot to make it repeatable with each pitch.

He followed that with six solid innings in a win over Arizona State. Then he took off from there.

In the past two weeks, he struck out 16 batters and allowed five runs over 12 ⅓ innings. 

He allowed four in last weekend’s start against Baylor, tiring in the seventh. He left after punching out a career-best 10 batters and showing his fiery presence with each big moment.

A pump fist. A scream. A strut.

“I know that I’m going to compete harder than the guys on the other side,” Abram said.

All key elements he rediscovered in the past month.

“I like what he brings to the mound with his presence,” Holliday said. “I like it when he goes out there and pitches for us. I just like his vibe. I think there’s good energy about who he is as a pitcher.”

OSU vs. Texas

WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: O'Brate Stadium in Stillwater

STREAMING: ESPN+