SPOKANE, Wash. — BYU captured its first series sweep of the 2025 baseball season with a commanding 17-8 win over Gonzaga on Saturday at Steve Hertz Field. The Cougars scored in double digits in all three games, rolling up 40 runs (10-13-17) in the three-game series.
Led by Crew McChesney and Ryder Robinson who each drove in four runs, BYU (7-4) scored 17 runs on 14 hits on Saturday, including nine extra base hits, while Gonzaga (2-7) had eight runs on 14 hits.
“I was proud of how our guys battled, especially after getting down three runs early,” said BYU head coach Trent Pratt. “They answered right back with two runs in the second, then exploded for 11 in the fourth. We hit a lot of balls hard including a couple of home runs that opened the floodgates. Our defense was also very good again today.”
BYU Highlights
• Crew McChesney: 3-4, 4 RBI, 2 Runs, 3 2B
• Ryder Robinson: 2-6, 4 RBI, 2 Runs, HR, 2B
• Brock Watkins: 2-4, RBI, 2 Runs
• Garrison Sumner: 6.0 IP, 7 Hit, 4 Runs, Win
Game Summary
Gonzaga jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning with three runs on three hits combined with a hit batter to lead 3-0.
BYU responded with two runs in the second to cut the Zags lead to 3-2. Following a Luke Anderson walk to open the inning, Bryker Hurdsman homered over the right-center wall to pull BYU within a run.
After a scoreless third inning by both teams, BYU blew the game wide open in the top of the fourth with 11 runs on eight hits and three walks for a commanding 13-3 lead. The offensive attack included home runs by Brock Walkins and Robinson, two doubles by McChesney, a double by Robinson and a single by Tate Gambill, his first of the season. In all, the Cougars sent 15 hitters to the plate. All nine offensive players scored at least once in the inning.
Meanwhile, BYU junior starter Garrison Sumner (2-0) surrendered just two hits over four innings to protect the Cougar lead. On the day, the junior righty from Eagle Mountain, Utah, went six innings, scattering seven hits while striking out two for the win.
“Garrison really settled in after that first inning and pitched well,” said Pratt. “He pounded the strike zone and didn’t give up any walks. He posted four-straight zeros on the scoreboard and gave the offence a chance get us back in the game.”
The Cougars picked up a run in the sixth on a double to left center by McChesney that scored Watkins for a 14-3 advantage. Gonzaga answered with a run in the sixth, one more in the seventh and three in the eighth to cut the BYU advantage to 14-8.
Reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, Cooper Vest, put an explanation point on the game and series with a three-run bomb over the wall in right-center that scored Robinson and Ryker Schow for a final score of 17-8.
The three-game sweep is the first for BYU in Spokane since 2015. The 40 runs scored is the second most runs ever in a three-game series with Gonzaga. The highest total was 47 in 1983, a season where BYU was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
BYU heads back to Provo for its season home opener with Stetson on Wednesday, March 5 at Miller Park. The four-game series with the Hatters is scheduled for March 5-8. All four games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ as well as BYU Radio.