Return to California facing Broncos

Now at the .500 mark overall for the third time this season, BYU’s baseball team hopes to do the same with its record in the West Coast Conference.

BYU [14-14 overall and 2-4 in the WCC]  returns to California this week to face Santa Clara (8-18, 0-6).  With the three-game series starting on Thursday, the Cougars could go above the .500 mark in league play on the heels of a 2-1 record last week against Pepperdine in Provo.

“It’s a confidence thing,  you play well and that can’t hurt going into Santa Clara,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said after an 8-0 victory over Utah Valley University earlier this week.

Pitcher Desmond Poulson (3-0, 1.83), who threw two complete games last month, gets the start again to open the series on Thursday versus the Broncos at  6 p.m. PDT. Fellow junior right-hander Adam Miller (1-5, 6.14)  starts for BYU on Friday at  6 p.m.  Saturday afternoon’s starter is TBA for both squads.

For the third consecutive week BYU leads the nation in double plays, with an average of turning 1.48 a game.

Following the three-game series at Santa Clara, BYU returns home to host Washington State on Monday morning, Utah on Tuesday night and Portland in a three-game series. All of these games plus this weekend’s series at Santa Clara will be broadcast live on KOVO Radio 960 AM.