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BYU baseball has surprised many by climbing to a fourth-place tie in the Big 12, despite being predicted to finish 13th. The Cougars are currently 19-16 overall and face No. 23 Arizona State in a three-game series starting Thursday.
BYU pitcher Ethan Zufall (33) delivers a pitch during an NCAA baseball game against Utah held at America First Ballpark in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Straight up hill.
That is the path the BYU baseball team has been on since the second the Cougars joined the Big 12. Opposition has been stiff, injuries have been frequent, and expectations from around the conference have been low — even this year BYU was picked to finish 13th among the 14 teams.
Yet, as mid-April arrives, the Cougars (19-16, 8-7) are raising a few eyebrows as they rise in the standings, now up to a fourth-place tie in the Big 12 and just one game back of No. 23 Arizona State (26-12, 9-6). The Cougars and Sun Devils open a three-game series at Miller Park on Thursday (1 p.m, ESPN+).
BYU is riding a season-best five-game win streak, and the Cougars are fresh off their first series sweep at Houston. During the run, BYU outscored its opponents a combined 29-10.
“We are pitching really good, throwing a lot of strikes, walking less people. That’s the biggest thing,” said BYU coach Trent Pratt. During the streak, Cougar pitchers have struck out 38 batters and walked 21.
“Someone different every game has stepped up. On the offensive side, a lot of guys have had big games for us to win.”
Granted, Utah Valley, Houston and Lamar are a far cry from Big 12 leaders Kansas, West Virginia and UCF, but for a program needing a pick-me-up, this spring surge is providing an emotional boost.
Progress has been slow, but steady. BYU won seven Big 12 games in their debut season in 2024. Last year, the Cougars won 10 games and earned the final spot in the Big 12 Tournament where they stunned Arizona State 2-0 in the first round.
So far in 2026, with new pitching coach Adrian Dinckle managing the arms, BYU has already claimed more conference series wins (Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, Houston) than it did last season (Cincinnati and Texas Tech).
“I feel like we are getting better every year, but there is still a lot of work ahead,” Pratt said. “We need to finish strong.”
Among the eyebrow raisers is right fielder Tua Wolfgramm. The junior from Pleasant Grove was put into the lineup a few weeks ago for the injured Bryker Hurdsman.
BYU baseball currently has a record of 19-16 overall and 8-7 in the Big 12.
Despite being picked to finish 13th in the Big 12, BYU baseball is currently tied for fourth place in the standings.
BYU baseball will face No. 23 Arizona State in a three-game series starting Thursday at Miller Park.
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Wolfgramm was listed eighth in the batting order but with his .294 average, including two home runs, a triple and five doubles, Pratt moved him up to fifth, and with his speed and glovework in the field, the fifth-year head coach can’t take him out of the lineup.
Sophomore Keoni Painter is another head turner, playing center field for the injured Crew McChesney. On the day McChesney went out with a hamstring strain on March 28, Painter entered the game and hit the first walk-off home run of his life to beat Oklahoma State, 5-4.
BYU outfielder Keoni Painter (2) celebrates after successfully making it to third base beside Utah infielder Daniel Arambula (21) during a game held at America First Ballpark in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
BYU’s season also mirrors Easton Jones. The senior third baseman from American Fork has nearly doubled his RBI total (29) from last year (15) and the Cougars still have 19 games remaining before the conference tournament.
Pitching has been a hodgepodge of smoke and mirrors with bullpen guys (Justice Reiser and Cayson Bell) starting games and the ear-marked preseason starters (Garrison Sumner and Nate Gray) now coming out of the pen. Dinkel’s all-hands-on-deck approach to BYU’s pitching might look different, but it’s working.
“We know they are a good team, but we’ve played other good teams. I don’t want to make it bigger than it is. We’ve got to go play good baseball and if we do that, we have a chance to win the series.”
BYU coach Trent Pratt on the Arizona State Sun Devils
“We know they are a good team, but we’ve played other good teams. I don’t want to make it bigger than it is. We’ve got to go play good baseball and if we do that, we have a chance to win the series.”
“We are landing more secondary pitches for strikes. They aren’t just fast balls,” Pratt said. “That’s been the biggest thing. (Adrian) has done a good job developing guys with extra pitches.”
Last April in Tempe, Arizona State roasted the Cougars on three-straight nights. The Sun Devils outscored BYU by a combined 36-13. During the series finale, Arizona State set a program record with six home runs in the second inning.
Returning to Provo for the first time since 2019, the Sun Devils will not only face a confident group of Cougars, but also much different weather as rain and cooler temperatures are in the forecast.
For BYU, the Arizona State series provides a measuring stick for how far the Cougars have come in their third year in the Big 12 and how far they still have to go.
“Yeah, a little bit,” said Pratt. “We know they are a good team, but we’ve played other good teams. I don’t want to make it bigger than it is. We’ve got to go play good baseball and if we do that, we have a chance to win the series.”
BYU head coach Trent Pratt cheers his players on during a game against Utah held at America First Ballpark in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.