Cougars to face Sun Devils in three-game series

PROVO, Utah — After splitting the first four games of the 2022 baseball season at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida, BYU will take on Arizona State in a three-game series at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Feb. 24-26. 

All three games on Thursday (6:30 p.m. MST), Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.) will be broadcast live on the BYU Sports Network via BYUcougars.com, BYU Cougars App and 107.5 FM in the local Utah market. The games will also be broadcast digitally on Pac-12 Networks Live.

SNOWBIRD RECAP. BYU is coming off back-to-back wins at the Snowbird Classic, including a 9-6 win over Ohio State on Monday and a 3-2 victory over Marshall on Saturday night. The Cougars dropped the first two games of the tournament to Marshall (6-3) on Saturday afternoon and Indiana State (3-2) Friday.

SUN DEVILS. ASU is also on a two-game winning streak, having defeated Nevada on Tuesday and taking two of three from Dixie State over the weekend (3-1, 6-7, 17-8). 

PROJECTED STARTERS. Taking the hill for game one against ASU is righthanded sophomore Jack Sterner, who led the Cougars in starts (14) in 2021 and was second in Ks (50), third in innings pitched (56.2) and fourth in ERA (3.81). Sterner went 4.2 innings in the season opener against Indiana State, striking out five while allowing two runs.

The rest of the starting rotation includes righties Janzen Keisel, a freshman from Gunnison, Utah, and Nate Dahle, a junior transfer from Southern Idaho. Keisel surrendered just one hit and struck out 10 batters over six innings against Marshall on Saturday to record his first BYU victory. Dahle pitched three innings against Marshall, giving up four hits while striking out five.

OTHERS ON THE HILL. The Cougars appear to have one of the deepest pitching staffs in recent history. Last season BYU posted a team ERA of 4.24 with a young staff that also recorded the best strikeout to walk ratio since 1967 at 2.36 (410-158).

Sterner (3.81, 1-2) and closer Reid McLaughlin (2.04, 3-1, 6 saves) anchor a returning staff that also features right handers Bryce Robison (3.78, 7-2), Ayden Callahan (0.87, 0-0) and Carter Smith (4.17, 2 saves), as well as sophomore lefties Cooper McKeehan (5.68, 2-1), Cy Nielson (7.75, 3-3) and Boston Mabeus (4.71, 2-3).

OFFENSIVE RETURNEES. BYU returns the majority of its offensive production from 2021, including Collegiate Baseball News Freshman All-American and WCC Co-Freshman of the Year Andrew Pintar, who led the Cougars in batting average (.333), hits (63), runs (41), total bases (105), slugging percentage (.556) and was top 10 in WCC play in 10 offensive categories.

Pintar is joined by two other All-WCC honorees in centerfielder Mitch McIntyre and right fielder Cole Gambill. McIntyre is a two-time All-WCC honoree who started all 50 games in 2021, hitting .318 with 39 RBI, 14 doubles, three triples and four home runs. Gambill also played in all 50 games last year, hitting .268 with 13 doubles, 11 home runs and 38 RBI. 

RETURNING VETERANS. Other returning position players with plenty of game experience from the 2021 squad include senior leftfielder Hayden Leatham; juniors Josh Cowden (outfield), Jacob Wilk (infield), Austin Deming (infield), Ryan Sepede (outfield) and Jacob Rogers; as well as sophomores Brock Watkins (infield) and Cooper Vest (outfield).

NEW FACES. Two incoming freshmen from Magnolia Heights High School in Mississippi will likely be in the lineup through the 2022 season. Collin Reuter, an ABCA/Rawlings High School All-American catcher and teammate Ozzie Pratt, a Perfect Game All-American infielder, have been impressive in fall camp. They are joined by several transfers, including infielders Alex Sardina (UNLV) and Max Harper (Patrick Henry CC), outfielder Dawson Hall (USU Eastern) and catcher Chase Peterson (Salt Lake CC).