SERIES PREVIEW. BYU is currently 16-14 on the year, 4-8 in Big 12 play and 11-8 on the road. The Cougars are coming off a runaway win over Utah Tech that included 19 runs off 14 hits with four home runs.
BYU is 5-6 in its last 11 games, which includes Big 12 weekend series with Cincinnati (2-1), West Virginia (1-2) and TCU (0-3), as well as midweek wins at Oral Roberts (1-0) and Utah Tech (1-0). Over the past two weeks, the Cougar offense has exploded for 85 runs in eight games, for an average of 10.6 runs per game.
The Cougars enter the Utah series having won or tied six of the nine series on the year, including Fresno State (2-2), CSUN (2-1), Gonzaga (3-0), Stetson (3-1), Cincinnati (2-1) and Utah Tech (1-1).
CONFERNECE LEADERS. As a team, BYU is top four in the Big 12 in doubles (T2nd with Utah, 73) and RBI (5th, 230). Defensively the Cougars are T3 in the conference in throwing out runners (10) and fourth in fielding percentage (.976).
OFFENSIVE LEADERS. BYU first baseman Cooper Vest continues to lead the Cougars in several offensive categories and is among the top 10 in the Big 12 in home runs (4th, 11), runs scored (T5th, 35), total bases (T7th, 79), RBI (T8th, 36) and hit by pitch (2nd,12). The week two Big 12 Player of the Week is also top five in the conference defensively in double plays (T3, 22) and putouts (4th, 254). Vest is hitting .283 and leads BYU in six offensive categories including runs (35), triples (2), home runs (11), total bases (79), slugging (.658) and hit by pitch (12). He is also second in triples (8) and RBI (36).
BYU outfielder Hurdsman has the ninth-best batting average in the Big 12 (.386) and is leading BYU in average, doubles (10), stolen bases (7) and is second in runs (32), hits (39), slugging (.614) and on base percentage (.462).
Outfielder Luke Anderson is fourth in the Big 12 in RBI (37) and leads the Cougars in RBI and hits (41) and is tied for second in average (.333) and total bases (66). Anderson has also played three different positions for the Cougars in 2025, manning left field, right field and second base while posting a .985 fielding percentage with 57 put outs, seven assists and one double play. Second baseman Brock Watkins is second on the team in average (.333), home runs (8) and total bases (66). He is also third in hits (36), RBI (29) and slugging (.611).
ON THE HILL. Game-one starter Payton Gubler has a 3-2 record and is sixth in the Big 12 in innings pitched with 42 (5.25 innings per outing). The sophomore righty is holding opposing hitters to a .248 average. Gubler leads the BYU staff in innings pitched and is tied with Garrison Sumner in strikeouts (30). Game-two starter Jaden Harris is 1-3 with 33 innings and 20 strikeouts over eight starts. The game-three starter for the Utah series will be determined later.
OUT OF THE PEN. The Cougars top four mid-relievers have combined for 44 appearances and 53.2 innings with a 6-1 record and two saves. Left hander Justis Reiser has 12 appearances with 18.0 innings in relief and is holding opponents to a .200 average while striking out 18 for a 3-0 record with one save. Righty Jake Porter has appeared in eight games, logging 11.1 innings with a 2.38 ERA while holding opponents to a .244 batting average. Left-hander Nolan Ficklin is 2-1 on the year and has logged 11.1 innings in 13 relief appearances with seven strikeouts while holding batters to a .273 average. Fellow lefty Ashton Johnson has logged 13.0 innings over 11 appearances with 16 strikeouts and a 1-0 record.
CLOSE THE DOOR. BYU preseason first-team All-American closer Stone Cushing has two saves, a win and nine strikeouts in 11.2 innings. He currently has 12 career saves, good for fourth all-time at BYU. The righty is just three saves behind Mason Marshall (2012, 15-17) and Ryan Hancock (1991-93), who are tied for second with 15. Career saves leader Reid McLaughlin (2019-22) holds the BYU record with 22. Cushing's 12 career saves leads all active Big 12 pitchers and is 16th nationally.
SERIES HISTORY. BYU and Utah will meet for the 381st time on Thursday and the first time as conference foes since a 7-6 Cougar win in Provo on April 19, 2011. The last conference series between the two rivals came in a Mountain West series March 17-19, 2011 in Salt Lake City with BYU dropping two of three (2-3, 10-8, 6-15).
With records dating back to 1948, the Cougars hold the all-time series lead 251-128-1, including 116-66-1 when playing up north. In 2024, BYU earned its first season sweep of the Utes since 2003 and first time winning the rivalry series in consecutive seasons since 2015-2016.
Both Cougar wins over Utah came with late-game heroics in 2024. BYU used a two-out, walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Utes, 5-4, at Miller Park in the last rivalry game on April 23, 2024. Vest went 2-for-3 with three runs, an RBI and a home run as the Cougars rode a four-run eighth to a 7-3 win over Utah at Smith’s Ballpark on April 9, 2024.
SO LONG, SMITH'S BALLPARK. This weekend marks the 67th-69th and final installments in rivalry history held at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City. BYU leads the series 36-30 in games played at the downtown venue. The Cougars and Utes first met at then Franklin Quest Field on April 20, 1994; a game Utah won 9-8. BYU won its first game over Utah at the ballpark, 4-3, on May 2, 1994. The Utes will begin play at new Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark in 2026.
KNOW THE FOE. Utah enters the weekend series with BYU at 13-16 (2-10 Big 12) and is 2-4 at home. The Utes are 2-10 in their last ten games, which includes weekend series with Oklahoma State (2-1), ASU (0-3), West Virginia (0-3) and a midweek loss at Utah Tech (0-1).
Following a seventh-place finish (33-22, 16-14) in its final Pac-12 season, Utah and fourth-year head coach Gary Henderson entered 2025 picked 12th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll.
Infielder Core Jackson powers the Ute lineup with team-leading numbers in batting average (.398), runs scored (34), home runs (7) and RBI (26). Jackson also ranks top-5 in the Big 12 in hits (47) and total bases (81). Jackson and infielder Austen Roellig co-lead Utah with 11 doubles-apiece. This weekend’s matchup features two of the top teams in the conference in doubles with both the Cougars and the Utes boasting 73 a-piece on the season.
The Utah pitching staff is led by starter Colter McAnelly. The sophomore righty leads the Big 12 in innings pitched with 53.2 on the season and 6.71 per game. McAnelly is also among the league’s best in batting average allowed (.200), strikeouts (60) and ERA (3.02).
