Baseball hosts Abilene Christian in Monday matinee

BYU baseball will take on Abilene Christian in an 11 a.m. Monday matchup at Miller Park before heading to Miami for a weekend series with the Hurricanes.

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PROVO, Utah — BYU baseball will take on Abilene Christian on Monday, April 29, in an 11 a.m. matchup at Miller Park before heading to Miami for a weekend series with the Hurricanes. 

Abilene Christian (27-17) at BYU (16-24) | Miller Park | Provo, UT
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Tuesday, April 29 at 11 a.m.  Big 12 Now on ESPN+ BYU Radio 107.9/BYU Radio App Follow Here

WEEK ELEVEN REVIEW

Before falling at No. 19 Oklahoma State (5-17, 5-11, 5-12) in a weekend series April 25-26, the Cougars came from behind to defeat rival Utah in a thrilling 5-4 walk-off win on April 23 at Miller Park. Designated hitter Kuhio Aloy notched his second game-winning RBI over the Utes this season with a walk-off single that brought home Ryker Schow and broke the 4-4 deadlock. Shortstop Brock Watkins helped bring BYU back from a 4-2 deficit with a pair of doubles and an RBI of his own.

The Tuesday win over Utah gave the Cougars their first season sweep of the rivalry series since 2003 and their first set of back-to-back seasons with winning records against the Utes since 2015-16. BYU closer Stone Cushing took the win versus Utah and was named the following morning to the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List. Cushing co-leads the Big 12 with seven saves on the season in 20 appearances. 

Despite a 1-3 record for the week, freshmen Aloy, Schow and Crew McChesney continue to post promising performances for the Cougars. Aloy holds a team-leading 34 RBI with 20 runs on 40 hits, seven doubles and six homers. Schow not only scored the game-winning run versus Utah but has recorded at least one run in seven of the last nine games. McChesney notched his first-career homer and two RBI in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader in Stillwater.

KNOW THE FOE

ABILENE CHRISTIAN (27-17): Monday marks the first all-time meeting between BYU and Abilene Christian across all sports. The Wildcats are led by sixth-year head coach Rick McCarty (161-125) and finished fifth in the WAC a season ago following a 35-24 (16-14) campaign. Abilene Christian entered 2024 picked to finish fourth in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll and is currently in third with a 14-7 record.

The Wildcats arrive in Provo to play their fourth game in as many days following a sweep at Utah Tech (10-3, 9-4, 9-7) April 26-28. ACU’s last losses came in a doubleheader at Cal Baptist (5-16, 4-12) on April 19. BYU joins TCU, Texas Tech, Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma State as the seventh Big 12 opponent on the Wildcats’ schedule. ACU is 2-5 versus the Big 12 in 2024, with wins over TCU (8-3) in Abilene on April 16 and at Baylor (6-4) on Feb. 28. 

Preseason All-WAC outfielder Miller Ladusau leads the Wildcats with 45 runs scored while utility player Gino D'Alessio leads the team in batting (.387) and RBI (49).  ACU’s pitching staff is headlined by two six-win hurlers in Brett Lanman (6-1, 2.68 ERA) and Iain Campa (6-2, 3.58 ERA).