HUNTSVILLE, Texas--A come-from-behind victory of 17-8 got BYU's baseball team off to a good start Thursday over Sam Houston State.

For the fourth time in eight years, BYU Coach Vance Law has started out the season with a victory.

"I'm really proud of how we came out the first day, said Law. "We didn't panic. We maintained good composure and had outstanding offensive execution. All around it was a very good start. (Steve) Parker got a couple clutch at bats, Leon (Johnson) was awesome, and the whole team played well."

Designated hitter and transfer Mike McKeever gave the Cougars their final lead in the sixth with a two-run single to centerfield, making the score 10-8, after overcoming a 2-0 start in the second. BYU took a 4-2 lead in the third when Jonathan Cluff singled in Leon Johnson, followed by Kasey Ko's two-run double, then RBI single by Steve Parker.

Transfer Leon Johnson was five-for-six on the evening, including two of three in stolen bases. Freshman Parker hit a pair of doubles and had a three-run homer in the eighth with two runs.

Matt Jensen replaced Jesse Craig on the mound in the fifth to pick up the victory for the Cougars. Jensen, a senior like Craig, gave up only two hits in four innings of relief.

The two teams square off again Friday afternoon when Texan sophomore southpaw Jake Wortham takes the mound for the Cougars.

Brigham Young at Sam Houston St
Feb 08, 2007 at Huntsville, TX (Don Sanders Stadium)
Brigham Young 17 (1-0)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
JOHNSON, Leon cf.........  6  3  5  0   0  0  3  0   0
CLUFF, Jonathan rf.......  5  2  1  2   1  1  2  0   0
WALTON, Kent 2b..........  6  4  3  1   0  0  1  3   0
NAKAYAMA, Apana lf.......  5  2  2  0   1  1  0  0   1
MC KEEVER, Mike dh.......  5  1  1  2   1  3  0  0   2
 JOHNSON, Jason pr.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
KO, Kasey 1b.............  4  2  2  3   1  0 10  0   0
PARKER, Steve 3b.........  5  1  5  6   1  0  1  2   0
MUSSO, J.T. c............  6  0  0  0   0  2  7  2   5
VARGAS, Dan ss...........  3  2  1  0   2  0  2  4   1
CRAIG, Jesse p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0
 JENSEN, Matt p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 BARNES, Clayton p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 45 17 20 14   7  7 27 12   9
Sam Houston St 8 (0-1)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Holzbach cf..............  5  0  1  1   0  1  1  2   2
Mann 2b..................  4  1  2  0   1  0  2  2   2
Verbick dh...............  5  1  1  2   0  1  0  0   0
Boggs 3b.................  2  1  0  0   3  1  1  2   1
Krailo 1b................  5  2  4  0   0  0  8  0   0
Sebek lf.................  4  0  0  0   0  2  2  0   2
Stein rf.................  3  1  1  3   1  0  1  0   0
 Cook cf.................  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
Pugh c...................  4  2  1  0   1  0  9  4   2
Warren ss................  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Fry ss..................  3  0  1  2   0  1  1  0   0
Gray p...................  0  0  0  0   0  0  2  3   0
 Spaugh p................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Rainwater p.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 Baker p.................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 37  8 12  8   6  7 27 14   9
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 004 105 034 - 17 20  2
Sam Houston St...... 024 002 000 -  8 12  2
-------------------------------------------
E - WALTON 2; Mann; Boggs. DP - BYU 1; SHSU 1. LOB - BYU 9; SHSU 9. 2B - KO;
PARKER 2; Mann; Fry. HR - PARKER; Verbick. SH - Sebek. SF - KO.
SB - JOHNSON, L. 2; CLUFF. CS - JOHNSON, L.; CLUFF; Stein.
Brigham Young          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
CRAIG, Jesse........  4.0  9  6  5  3  2 20 24
JENSEN, Matt........  4.0  2  2  2  2  3 13 15
BARNES, Clayton.....  1.0  1  0  0  1  2  4  5
Sam Houston St         IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Gray................  4.0  9  5  5  1  2 21 22
Spaugh..............  1.1  4  5  5  2  2  8 10
Rainwater...........  2.2  5  3  3  1  2 11 12
Baker...............  1.0  2  4  2  3  1  5  9
Win - JENSEN (1-0).  Loss - Gray (0-1).  Save - None.
WP - CRAIG 2; Gray. BK - CRAIG; Spaugh. PB - Pugh 2.
Umpires - HP: Thomas Marshall  1B: Steve Danin  2B: Ivan Studges
Start: 6:30 pm   Time: 3:18   Attendance: 408
Game: SHU1
Brigham Young starters: 14/cf JOHNSON, L.; 8/rf CLUFF; 9/2b WALTON; 24/lf NAKAYAMA;
33/dh MC KEEVER; 22/1b KO; 5/3b PARKER; 10/c MUSSO; 13/ss VARGAS; 35/p CRAIG;
Sam Houston St starters: 5/cf Holzbach; 32/2b Mann; 28/dh Verbick; 24/3b Boggs;
21/1b Krailo; 3/lf Sebek; 11/rf Stein; 25/c Pugh; 8/ss Warren; 4/p Gray;
Brigham Young 1st - JOHNSON, L. flied out to lf. CLUFF reached on an error by
3b. CLUFF stole second. WALTON flied out to p. NAKAYAMA walked. MC KEEVER struck out
swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Sam Houston St 1st - Holzbach grounded out to ss. Mann doubled to left field.
Verbick struck out looking. Boggs popped up to 3b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Brigham Young 2nd - KO grounded out to p unassisted. PARKER doubled to
center field. MUSSO out at first p to 2b to 3b, reached on a fielder's choice;
PARKER out on the play. VARGAS flied out to lf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Sam Houston St 2nd - Krailo singled to right field. Sebek grounded out to p,
SAC; Krailo advanced to second. Krailo advanced to third on a wild pitch. Stein
grounded out to ss, RBI; Krailo scored. Pugh singled to left field. Warren singled;
Pugh advanced to third on an error by 2b. Holzbach singled to center field, RBI;
Warren advanced to second; Pugh scored, unearned. Fry to ss for Warren. Mann
grounded out to ss. 2 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young 3rd - JOHNSON, L. singled to left field. JOHNSON, L. stole
second. JOHNSON, L. advanced to third on a wild pitch. CLUFF singled to shortstop,
RBI; JOHNSON, L. scored. CLUFF out at second c to ss, caught stealing. WALTON
singled to shortstop. NAKAYAMA singled to right field; WALTON advanced to second. MC
KEEVER struck out swinging. KO doubled to right field, 2 RBI; NAKAYAMA scored;
WALTON scored. PARKER singled to center field, RBI; KO scored. MUSSO flied out
to 1b. 4 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Sam Houston St 3rd - Holzbach to ss. Stein to cf. Fry to rf. Verbick grounded
out to c. Boggs walked. Krailo singled to center field; Boggs advanced to second.
Sebek grounded out to 3b; Krailo advanced to second; Boggs advanced to third. Stein
singled, 2 RBI; Krailo scored; Boggs scored. Stein advanced to second on a balk.
Pugh walked; Stein advanced to third on a wild pitch. Fry doubled, 2 RBI; Pugh
scored; Stein scored. Holzbach struck out looking. 4 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Brigham Young 4th - VARGAS singled to left field. JOHNSON, L. singled to
right field; VARGAS advanced to third. JOHNSON, L. stole second. CLUFF grounded out
to ss, RBI; JOHNSON, L. advanced to third; VARGAS scored. WALTON out at first p to c
to 3b to c, reached on a fielder's choice; JOHNSON, L. out on the play. WALTON
advanced to second. NAKAYAMA grounded out to p. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Sam Houston St 4th - Mann flied out to rf. Verbick flied out to rf. Boggs
walked. Krailo singled to center field; Boggs advanced to second. Sebek lined out to
p. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young 5th - Spaugh to p for Gray. MC KEEVER struck out, out at first
c to 1b. KO singled to right field. PARKER walked; KO advanced to second.
MUSSO hit into double play 3b to 2b to 1b; PARKER out on the play. 0 runs,
1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Sam Houston St 5th - JENSEN to p for CRAIG. Stein walked. Pugh grounded out
to 2b; Stein advanced to second. Fry popped up to ss. Holzbach flied out to cf. 0
runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young 6th - VARGAS walked. JOHNSON, L. singled, bunt; VARGAS advanced
to second. CLUFF reached on a fielder's choice, bunt; JOHNSON, L. advanced to
second; VARGAS advanced to third. WALTON singled to center field, RBI; CLUFF
advanced to second; JOHNSON, L. advanced to third; VARGAS scored. NAKAYAMA struck
out swinging. WALTON advanced to second on a balk; CLUFF advanced to third on a
balk; JOHNSON, L. scored on a balk. MC KEEVER singled to center field, 2 RBI; WALTON
scored; CLUFF scored. Rainwater to p for Spaugh. KO flied out to ss. PARKER
doubled to center field, RBI; MC KEEVER scored. MUSSO struck out swinging. 5
runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Sam Houston St 6th - Mann singled to left field. Verbick homered, 2 RBI; Mann
scored. Boggs struck out swinging. Krailo flied out to cf. Sebek struck out
swinging. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young 7th - VARGAS fouled out to 1b. JOHNSON, L. singled to right
field. JOHNSON, L. failed pickoff attempt. JOHNSON, L. out at second c to 2b, caught
stealing. CLUFF struck out looking. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Sam Houston St 7th - Stein reached on an error by 2b. Pugh flied out to cf.
Stein out at second c to ss, caught stealing. Fry struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0
hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young 8th - WALTON singled to shortstop. NAKAYAMA singled to center
field; WALTON advanced to third. MC KEEVER popped up to c. NAKAYAMA out at first p
to 1b, picked off. KO walked. PARKER homered, 3 RBI; KO scored; WALTON scored.
MUSSO popped up to 1b. 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Sam Houston St 8th - Holzbach grounded out to 3b. Mann walked. Verbick hit
into double play ss to 2b to 1b; Mann out on the play. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors,
0 LOB.
Brigham Young 9th - Baker to p for Rainwater. VARGAS walked. JOHNSON, L.
singled to center field; VARGAS advanced to second. JOHNSON, L. advanced to second
on a passed ball; VARGAS advanced to third on a passed ball. CLUFF walked. WALTON
out at first ss to c, reached on a fielder's choice; CLUFF advanced to second;
JOHNSON, L. advanced to third; VARGAS out on the play. NAKAYAMA reached on an error
by 2b; WALTON advanced to second; CLUFF advanced to third; JOHNSON, L. scored,
unearned. NAKAYAMA advanced to second on a passed ball; WALTON advanced to third on
a passed ball; CLUFF scored on a passed ball. MC KEEVER walked. JOHNSON, J. pinch
ran for MC KEEVER. KO flied out to cf, SF, RBI; NAKAYAMA advanced to third; WALTON
scored, unearned. PARKER singled to center field, RBI; JOHNSON, J. advanced to
second; NAKAYAMA scored. MUSSO struck out swinging. 4 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 2
LOB.
Sam Houston St 9th - BARNES to p for JENSEN. Boggs walked. Krailo singled to
left field; Boggs advanced to second. Sebek struck out looking. Cook to cf for
Stein. Cook struck out looking. Pugh grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors,
2 LOB.

Three games at Huntsville, Texas provide the season opener for BYU baseball as it plays Sam Houston State, starting on Thursday.

Thursday's game will be under the lights as Cougar senior Jesse Craig (7-7, 4.70) takes the mound. The Cougars will have their first workout outdoors on Wednesday evening under the lights at "The Yard," Baseball USA's facility in Houston. All previous practices this season have been inside at BYU's Indoor Practice Facility.

Prior to that practice, the Cougars are hopeful of a tour to NASA's Johnson Space Center.

"Our pitching is deeper than before, we have Apana Nakayama returning to anchor our hitters and we have several newcomers who have a lot of speed," said BYU Coach Vance Law, now in his eight-year at the Cougar helm.

Behind Craig, the Cougars will start sophomore pitchers Jake Wortham (0-0, 3.49) and Jordan Muir Jordan Muir (6-0, 3.97), in Friday and Saturday afternoon's games, respectively Wortham, a southpaw, is one of five with Texas ties on this year's team, and Muir was a freshman All-America last season.

Besides Craig, who was selected pre-season All-Mountain West Conference by Baseball America magazine, the Cougars return only two other starters from last season, sophomores Kent Walton and Kasey Ko. Walton has moved to second base as the Cougars have more speed in the outfield with transfer Leon Johnson and freshman Jonathan Cluff, expected to start in center and right fields. Nakayama, who was named pre-season All-MWC by the league coaches, is scheduled start in left field.

BYU was 33-28 last year, while SHSU posted a 23-31 record in 2006.

The series also is the season opener for the Bearkats, under the first-year leadership of Coach Mark Johnson, who used to be at Texas A & M, and brought three Aggies with him and also has transfers from LSU and Missouri. SHSU has made several appearances in the NCAA Regionals and won the NAIA title in 1963. BYU beat the Bearkats in their only meeting in 1991, 8-6.

Thursday's game will be broadcast live on the Internet. All of this week's games will have live stats. This is the first of two trips to Texas for the Cougars, who will log more than 8,500 miles traveling this season to places like Oregon, Kansas and a tournament in Tennessee.

Following the three-game series at Sam Houston State, BYU flies next week to Portland, Ore., for a two-game series against the University of Portland.

BYU's home season begins on March 1 against Northern Colorado.

For more information on BYU's baseball team for this week, click on the PDF link at the top of this page.