Report: Oklahoma State hiring Oregon pitching coach Blake Hawksworth for same position

Oklahoma State baseball is hiring Blake Hawksworth as its next pitching coach, according to D1 Baseball’s Kendall Rogers. He spent the past two seasons holding the same position for the Oregon Ducks.

He had been on the Oregon coaching since July 2023. Before joining Mark Wasikowski’s staff, he also worked on staff at Cal State Fullerton, Grand Canyon and UC Irvine. In total, he’s coached 10 all-conference pitchers including three in 2025. Both Grayson Grinsell and Seth Mattox earned first-team All Big Ten honors this past season.

Before his coaching career, Hawksworth was selected in the 28th round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made his big-league debut in 2009.

Hawksworth is set to replace longtime coach Rob Walton, who had been with the coaching staff since 2013. He announced his retirement last month before the end of the Cowboys’ season. He pitched four seasons with the Cowboys during his playing career.

“Rob and I have been side by side since day one,” OSU head coach Josh Holliday said in a press release. “What an amazing ride it has been the past 13 seasons working together at our alma mater with the players and staff to put Cowboy Baseball back among the very best. Rob’s passion for Oklahoma State – both as a hall of fame player in the 1980s and his contributions as a coach the past 13 years – make him one of the most significant figures in our rich baseball history.

“… “We have had some of the best pitching staffs in the country during Rob’s time and the individual development alongside the team success that our pitchers experienced was simply fantastic. He will forever be celebrated inside these walls and I’m going to miss him dearly. What a competitor, teacher, and friend. His family is also a huge part of ours. We can’t thank Rob and Michelle, Davis, Donovan and Cassie enough for coming to Stillwater and making this home!”

Oklahoma State finished the 2025 season with a 30-25 record, including a 15-12 mark against Big 12 competition. The Cowboys split the four games they played, defeating both Binghamton and regional host Georgia. However, they lost to Duke twice during the weekend.

The Cowboys will look to improve on their finish to the 2025 season by bouncing back with a big offseason. That begins with the addition of their new pitching coach, Blake Hawksworth.