1 / 3

BYU's Bryker Hurdsman takes a swing during a Big 12 baseball game against Kansas at Miller Field on Thursday, March 28, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

2 / 3

BYU shortstop Chipper Beck throws to first during a Big 12 baseball game against Kansas at Miller Park on Thursday, March 28, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

3 / 3

BYU's Luke Anderson slides into second base with a double during a Big 12 baseball game against Kansas at Miller Field on Thursday, March 28, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

❮ ❯

The BYU baseball team is in a funk.

The Cougars got drilled by Kansas on Thursday at Miller Field 11-1 in Game 1 of a three-game Big 12 Conference series.

Combined with losses to Texas Tech (twice) and Utah Valley, BYU has been outscored 40-15 in its past four games.

Not a lot went right for the Cougars in Thursday’s loss to Kansas, but going 0-for-20 with runners on base was probably the biggest problem.

“That’s an incredible stat,” BYU coach Trent Pratt said as he stared at the box score.

Jayhawks starter Reese Dutton deserves a lot of credit in the win. The senior right hander struck out 12 and allowed just one earned run in eight innings of work. Dutton (6-1, 2.12 ERA) has won his past six starts.

The Cougars got their leadoff hitter on base in six of the nine innings but were unable to move them any further.

“Our plan against the guy (Dutton) was we needed to set up middle-in because he throws a ton of sliders and if it starts up there, then we need to swing,” Pratt said. “We did a bad job of taking a lot of those sliders and then swinging at the ones that started off the plate. The hard part is we did a good job with no one on base or leading off an inning. We did a good job of executing that plan. When things don’t go our way, we’ve got to be able to fight through it and be better and we didn’t do a good job of that today.”

Jake English hit a two-run homer for Kansas in the first inning and RBI hits from Coller Cranford and Michael Brooks gave the visitors a quick 4-0 lead.

Luke Anderson doubled for BYU to lead off the bottom of the first and the Cougars eventually loaded the bases with one out. But Bryker Hurdsman flew out to center field to end the threat.

Hurdsman eventually got the Cougars on the scoreboard by opening the bottom of the fourth with a blast over the center field wall, but the home team still trailed 5-1.

That would be the extent of BYU’s scoring. The Jayhawks pounded out 14 hits, including six doubles and three home runs off three Cougar pitchers to hand Ben Hansen (3-3) the loss.

The game was delayed for 45 minutes in the top of the ninth due to lighting. Upon the return to the field, John Nett clubbed a solo home run for an 8-1 Kansas lead.

“It’s both ways,” Pratt said. “I’m never gonna blame it on the kids. If they aren’t executing, then we (the coaches) have to do something different too. And then hey, we got to do something different to if it’s not happening and we got to teach it better find a different way to help them out and teach it. They know how to do it. We’ve done it and remembering Hey, like you’ve done this before and you’ve been successful. It’s got to get back to that, You have to flush this game. It’s over. There’s nothing we can do about it now. We need to come back and be hungry and ready to go tomorrow.”

Anderson finished 2 for 5 (11-12 overall, 4-6 Big 12) but the Cougars struck out 13 times. Nine BYU hitters struck out at least once, with four players striking out two times each.

English (3 for 5, three runs, a double, a home run and three RBI) and Michael Brooks (3 for 5, a home run and three RBI) did most of the damaged for Kansas (13-10, 5-5), which has won the opener of six straight series, four in Big 12 play.

Due to incoming bad weather, BYU and Kansas play a doubleheader on Friday, with Game 1 beginning at 12:30 p.m. MT.

Like I said, this one’s over,” Pratt concluded. “We’ll learn from it. And then we’ve got to get back to basics and play a lot better tomorrow.”

Newsletter