Baseball to open Big 12 home slate with weekend series versus Houston

BYU baseball will host its Big 12 home-opener versus Houston March 14-16 at Miller Park.

Crew Robinson 2024 BSB vs WVU G3Crew Robinson 2024 BSB vs WVU G3

Photo by Jacob Farrar

PROVO, Utah — BYU baseball will host its Big 12 home-opener versus Houston March 14-16 at Miller Park.

Houston (11-4, 3-0) at BYU (7-7, 1-2) | Miller Park | Provo, UT
Game Dates & Times (MDT) Watch Listen Live Stats
Thursday, March 14 at 6 p.m.  Big 12 Now on ESPN+ BYU Radio 107.9/BYU Radio App Follow Here
Friday, March 15 at 6 p.m. Big 12 Now on ESPN+ BYU Radio 107.9/BYU Radio App Follow Here
Saturday, March 16 at 11:30 a.m. Big 12 Now on ESPN+ BYU Radio 107.9/BYU Radio App Follow Here

BYU in Week Four

The Cougars went 2-2 on their recent four-game road trip with a 6-4 victory at UNLV on March 5 and their first Big 12 win in game one of a doubleheader at West Virginia on March 8. BYU is now 7-7 and 1-2 in conference play. 

BYU’s pitching staff was key to the win over West Virginia with Bryce Robison striking out four batters and allowing just one earned run in 6.1 innings on the way to his second win of the season and 24th of his career. Robison enters the week now tied with Jeff Dusek (1970-72) for seventh all-time at BYU in career wins. 

Mason Olson continued his clutch pitching for the Cougars and recorded the save against the Mountaineers. Olson leads the Big 12 in appearances (nine) and ERA (0.51). The lefty senior from Spanish Fork, Utah is 1-0 on the season holding opponents to .185 batting average, one earned run and 23 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. 

BYU’s pitching staff ranks fourth in the Big 12 with a combined season ERA of 3.76. A pitching duel is in the works for the weekend as Houston arrives in Provo with a league-leading 3.42 ERA. Houston’s Antoine Jean ranks second only to Olson with an ERA of 0.95.

Third baseman Easton Jones enters week five batting a team-high .360 with seven runs on 18 hits, including four doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI. True freshman designated hitter Kuhio Aloy leads the team with 11 RBI and is tied with first baseman Cooper Vest for a team-high four homers.

Know the Foe

HOUSTON (11-4, 3-0): Thursday marks the first all-time meeting between BYU and Houston. The Cougars in red are led by 14-year head coach Todd Whitting (418-310-1). Whitting led Houston to five American Athletic Conference Championships and has previously faced BYU 26 times while an assistant coach at TCU (2004-10).

Houston finished second at 36-23 (17-6) in its final run through the AAC in 2023. UH was picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 this season and is led by 2023 All-AAC first team utility player Justin Murray who hit .462 with 16 runs and 16 RBI last season. 

Houston enters the week the winners of five straight. Following a 3-1 loss to No. 9 Vanderbilt on March 2, the Cougars beat Louisiana and Sam Houston prior to a Big 12 opening sweep of Baylor (4-3, 8-0, 3-2). Houston and Oklahoma were the only two teams in the league to go 3-0 in week one of Big 12 play. The weekend visit to Provo will also be Houston’s first road games of the 2024 season.