Diamond Deseret Duel At Stake

Standings, bragging rights and pride are on the line this week as BYU's baseball team hosts Utah in the only three games the teams have during the regular season.

On Thursday BYU, now 16-19 overall and 4-8 in the Mountain West Conference, hosts the Utes at 6:30 p.m. Friday's contest starts at 6 p.m., because it is the only game of the three to be televised live by BYUtv. Saturday's tilt starts at 1 p.m.

Utah brings an 18-16 overall record and a 6-6 league mark into the series. In addition to MWC standings, at stake is the baseball portion of the Deseret First Duel. While BYU has claimed the overall Duel with its insurmountable 40-14 lead, the Cougars are hoping to defend the baseball portion of that Duel which they have won the past two years.

"This is a big series and we need to get back on track again and play the way which we are capable," said BYU coach Vance Law.

Law has tweaked BYU's pitching rotation for the series. Sophomore Matthew Neil (3-4, 5.81) will be the Cougars' first pitcher in the rotation. The game two starter has changed to freshman lefty Mark Anderson (1-0, 6.08). Saturday's starter will be freshman Chris Capper (2-0, 5.31).

BYU reliever David McKnight is graduating this week in recreation management. Others graduating this week include former players J.T. Musso, Collin Fanning and Kiko Hermosillo. McKnight is one of 45 players named to the midseason watch list for the sixth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award.

For more infomation please see the multi-page PDF document at the top of this page.

Deseret First Duel
Standings to Date
BYU                   44
Utah                  15.5
BYU Points Thus Far
Women's Soccer         6
Football              10
Women's Basketball    10
Men's Basketball      10
Women's Swimming       1
Softball               3
Men's Baseball         3
Men's Tennis           1
Utah Points Thus Far
Women's Volleyball      6
Men's Swimming          1
Women's Gymnastics      6
Women's Tennis          1
Men's Baseball          1.5
Contests Remaining
Softball                1.5
Deseret First Duel Prior Years
2007-08 BYU  (BYU won baseball 38-26 in runs, series tied 2-2)
2008-09 Utah (BYU won baseball, 5 games to 1)
2009-10 BYU (BYU won baseball, 2 games to 1)