PROVO, Utah (Nov. 30, 2021) — BYU baseball head coach Mike Littlewood today announced the Cougars’ 2022 signing class that includes standout players from Hawaii and Utah.
“This is a special class. Not only are they excellent baseball players, but they are even better people,” said Littlewood. “This class will lay the foundation for us as we transition into the Big XII Conference. It has a great mix of talented arms and athletic position players that will help our program attain new heights.”
Joining the Cougars from the Aloha state is Keoni Painter of Kamehameha Schools in Kula, Maui. The eight standouts from Utah includes transfer Mason Olson from College of Southern Idaho, who previously prepped at Spanish Fork High School. He is joined by current Spanish Fork Dons standouts Zac Dart and Easton Romero. Other high school teammate duos joining BYU include Riverton’s Parker Goff of Herriman and Sam Beck of Riverton.
The Cougars also signed two from southern Utah in Santa Clara’s Luke Anderson of Snow Canyon High School and Payton Gubler of Deseret Hills High School in St. George. Rounding out the recruiting class is Easton Jones of Lehi, who prepped at American Fork High School.
“There are so many great players in the state of Utah in the 2022 class, and we are so excited the majority of them chose to come to BYU,” said Littlewood. “All of the guys come from very successful high school programs and have played travel baseball together over the past few years. Every single one of them are uber competitive, they get along, love to be at the field and maybe most importantly they want to be at BYU. They are the type of guys we want here.”
Luke Anderson
OF | 5-10 • 170 | Santa Clara, Utah | Snow Canyon HS
- 2021 First-Team All-Region 9
- 2021 4A First-Team All-State
- 2021 4A State Champions
- USSSA Tournament MVP
- Perfect Game WWBA MVP
“We are very excited about Luke. He is a super-toolsy outfielder that can really hit. He brings the leadership qualities and grit that will make our program better from day-one on our campus. Luke helped lead Snow Canyon to the 4A State Championship last year.”
Sam Beck
RHP/INF | 5-9 • 160 | Riverton, Utah | Riverton HS
- 2021 17U WWBA West National Championship Most Valuable Pitcher
- 2021 6A First-Team All-State
- 2021 6A Region 3 MVP
- 2021 6A First-Team All-Region 3
- 2021 Preseason Underclass All-American
- 2020 6A State Champion Runner-Up
- 2020 Perfect Game 16U West Select WWBA Champions
- Three-Time Varsity Letterman
“Sam is a gifted two-way player from Riverton High School. He really competes on the mound and has plus secondary stuff. Sam reminds our staff a lot of former Cougar Easton Walker. Sam is a fast-twitch athlete that profiles primarily at second base but has the ability to play any infield position.”
Zac Dart
RHP | 6-1 • 180 | Spanish Fork, Utah | Spanish Fork HS
- 2021 Utah 5A Player of the Year
- 2021 Utah 5A State Champions
- 2021 All-Valley Offensive MVP
- 2020 All-Valley football quarterback
“Zac is a righthanded pitcher from Spanish Fork High School that is a bulldog on the mound. He can really pitch and competes like crazy. He was phenomenal on the mound last year leading his team to the 5A State Championship.”
Parker Goff
C | 5-11 • 175 | Herriman, Utah | Riverton High HS
- 2021 6A Second-Team All-State
- 2021 6A Region 3 Champions
- 2020 6A Region 3 Champions
- 2020 6A State Champion Runner-Up
“Parker is a catcher from Riverton High School. He is a very mature kid who plays above his years. Parker has a great understanding of the game, has tremendous work ethic and does a great job controlling the game from the catching position. I feel like Parker will be a very good Division 1 player and a great asset to our program.”
Payton Gubler
RHP/INF | 5-10 • 185 | St. George Utah| Desert Hills HS
- 2021 4A First-Team All-State
- 2021 4A First-Team Region 9
- 2019 4A State Champions
- Deseret Hills Leadership Award
“Payton is a two-way talent. We believe he can have a huge impact as a dual guy. Payton sits 92-94 miles an hour on the mound with a plus slider. Payton has an opportunity to be a legitimate two-way player, as he is a plus defender on the infield and has the tools to be a very scary hitter. I believe he will make an impact the day he steps on our campus.”
Easton Jones
3B | 6-3 • 205| Lehi, Utah| American Fork HS
- 2021 6A State Champions
- 2021 6A Honorable Mention All-State
- 2020 6A State Champions
“Easton is a blue-collar kid that has gotten better and better every year and will continue that trend. He is a third baseman from American Fork High School who he can flat out hit. Easton was a big key to American Fork winning the 6A State Championship last year and will be a mainstay in the middle of their lineup again this year. If Easton develops the way I foresee, he will become an all-conference type player.”
Mason Olson
LHP | 5-10 • 165 | Spanish Fork, Utah | College of Southern Idaho
- 2021 Appeared in a team-high 16 games for Southern Idaho
- Started eight games for the Eagles with a 4-2 record
- 2019 Utah 4A Region 9 Champions
- 2019 Utah 4A Honorable Mention All-State
- 2018 Utah 4A Region 9 Champions
“Mason is just a gamer. He is College of Southern Idaho’s No. 1, and he really competes on the mound. We have loved him since his prep days at Spanish Fork High School. He will bring much needed experience and swagger to our program. We need more guys like Mason in our program.”
Keoni Painter
LHP/OF | 5-11 • 170 | Kula, Hawaii | Kamehameha Schools Maui
- 2020 & 2021 Maui Interscholastic League Baseball seasons canceled due to Covid
- 2021 Won two Perfect Game tournaments with Hawaii Elite
“Keoni is a two-way standout from Hawaii. He reminds our staff a lot of current Cougar outfielder Mitch McIntyre. Keoni is a crafty left-handed pitcher and a super athletic outfielder who is rated the top outfielder in the state of Hawaii. He will bring some of the Island toughness to our team.”
Easton Romero
Catcher/OF | 6-12 • 195 | Spanish Fork, Utah | Spanish Fork HS
- 2021 5A State Champion
- 2021 5A Playoff MVP
- 2021 5A First-Team All-State
- USA baseball National champion
- NSHSS award
“Easton is a big physical catcher/outfielder from Spanish Fork High School. He is very athletic and can play all over the field. He’s a left-handed hitter that has huge power upside. He put on an absolute show in the State Tournament last year helping his team to a 5A State Championship. We are excited to have him in the middle of our lineup someday soon.”
