Bedlam baseball mania took over the state this weekend.
Ditto for “The Q&A.”
Oklahoma State standout Jordy Mercer had so much good stuff to say that we couldn’t fit it all in the newspaper. You can check him out on my Page 2 from Saturday or read “The Q&A” with the shortstop/pitcher in its entirety here:
Jenni Carlson: You had a heck of a Bedlam series last year. Favorite memory?
Jordy Mercer: Just the excitement. I remember that every year. Playing in front of 13,000 fans, man, it’s unbelievable. A lot of people don’t realize it until you’re on the field. Being able to see that … is just exciting. The excitement of Bedlam is unbelievable.
JC: When do you start to sense that?
JM: Monday, Tuesday when the media starts talking about it, it gets you thinking about it. Then when you first step into Tulsa … just seeing those crazy fans yelling for their university, it’s unbelievable.
JC: College baseball is often an afterthought for folks in Oklahoma until Bedlam. Is that good or bad?
JM: It’s kind of disappointing to tell you the truth. College baseball is fun to watch. It’s a team game, and the higher you get … a lot of it’s individual stuff. In the college sport, you rally around your teammates and you come together. People get to see that in Bedlam, and that’s why they become attracted to Bedlam because it’s a grind. Everybody on the team has got to come through with something.
JC: You came through last year. Sunny Golloway dubbed you “The Sooner Killer.” Did that name stick?
JM: Well, my teammates joke around with me sometimes. When Bedlam starts up, my teammates call me that. It’s pretty fun, though.
JC: There are worse things to be called.
JM: No doubt about it.
JC: You grew up in state. What did you know of Bedlam as a kid?
JM: It’s the best in Oklahoma. Since I’ve been 8 years old, 10 years old, I’ve been coming to these games. I kept telling myself I wanted to be one of those players one day playing in front of these fans. It’s an honor I get to. There’s nothing that gets better than Bedlam baseball.
JC: So many guys on your team are Oklahomans. Does that add to the hype?
JM: I think so. Having so many guys from Oklahoma, they’re familiar with the Bedlam series. We’ve been telling guys who aren’t from Oklahoma how big a series this is and how much fun it is.
JC: End the debate — what sport is best in Bedlam?
JM: Oh, no doubt. Baseball.
JC: Dumb question, right?
JM: That was an easy question, for sure. It’s just two teams fighting for three games. I’ve been to basketball games, and those are tremendous, too, but playing in a baseball game and fighting for wins … by the time Sunday rolls around, everyone on our team is going to be worn out. You’ve just got to grind it for three days straight.
JC: Bonus Bedlam — thumbs up or thumbs down?
JM: I think it’s thumbs up. I think it would be a great idea to play one at
JC: True or false — Oklahoma State’s good enough to get to Omaha this year?
JM: Absolutely true. I think we’re more of a team this year. I don’t think we’re as talented as we were last year. I personally don’t think that — we were loaded last year — but there’s something about this team that we rally around each other.
JC: Have you ever been to Omaha?
JM: I never have. I want to.
JC: Maybe an all-expense paid trip?
JM: Yeah. I watched it every year on TV. It’s just something really special.
JC: What’s better — hitting a homer or getting that last out of a game?
JM: That’s a tough one. Hitting that home run to go ahead is a special feeling. But also in the ninth having the ball on the mound and getting the last out is something really special, too. People try to imagine how it’s like, but nobody can imagine. It’s just an amazing feeling when you get that last out or get that home run.
JC: You’re now the career saves leader at OSU. What does that mean to you?
JM: It’s a great honor for sure. Looking through the book the other day at all the saves leaders, and there’s a great group of names there. Just to be on it with those names and atop that list is amazing. When I first came here, I didn’t even know I was going to pitch. That’s a really amazing part of the story, too.
JC: Tell me that part of the story.
JM: He saw me in high school and summer leagues, and he knew I could pitch, but he wanted for sure for me to play shortstop. One day in the fall of my freshman year, he just said, “You wanna throw?” I said, “Sure.” I went out there and threw really well, I guess. Plus, we didn’t have a closer either. We had a lot of relievers and a lot of starters. We really never had a closer. He threw me out there, and I stuck at that position ever since.
JC: It’s a different mentality to be a closer.
JM: It’s more mental than anything. I definitely don’t have the best stuff on the team. Not even close. It’s just a different mental aspect of getting three outs and every pitch has got to count. It’s just one of those things that you have to turn the switch right when you get on the mound because it’s time to go to work. You’ve just got to get three outs and get your job done.
JC: So, are you a better pitcher or infielder?
JM: I think I’m a better field player. I don’t know if people would agree with me … but I’ve always had a passion for playing shortstop. I love playing every day and being in every play.
JC: You were named an academic All-American recently. True or false — you’re the smartest guy on the team?
JM: That’s false for sure.
JC: Really?
JM: Yes. We have two pre-med guys that they could probably cure cancer in a couple years they’re so smart.
JC: One more true-false. Jordy Mercer will be a Cowboy next season.
JM: Wow.
JC: Loaded question, right?
JM: That’s tough. You know, it just depends on what the draft is, how it works out. I really can’t answer that. I’m just in a wait-and-see mode. That’s been one of my dreams, to play pro baseball, and I do want to get started on that. But I also want to see what my fourth year can do for me. I’m just going to wait and see what happens.