BYU baseball edged Utah 9-8 on Tuesday evening at Miller Park to even the season series.

“We talk a lot about being relentless,” BYU head coach Trent Pratt said. “They have taken that to heart and done a great job. We need to do the same thing this weekend.”

The Cougars (21-26) scored nine runs on 10 hits, highlighted by freshman Matt Hansen’s first career home run. Utah (24-26) collected 12 hits and an error, plating eight runs.

BYU jumped out to a 7-2 lead after three innings, but Utah chipped away, outscoring the Cougars 6-2 over the final six frames. With the tying run 90 feet away in the top of the ninth, Rockwell Lybbert earned his first career save, while Noah Ficklin picked up the win.

The Cougars and Utes split their season series for the first time since 2019.

In the bottom of the first, Tate Gambill drew a walk, Ryder Robinson was hit by a pitch and Anderson singled to right to load the bases. Hurdsman was thrown four balls and Gambill was pushed home for the opening score.

With a full count in the bottom of the second, Hansen led off the inning hitting his first career home run. BYU led 2-0 after two frames.

The Utes evened the score in the top of the third with a pair of hits, but the Cougars responded with a five-run outburst in the bottom half. With two outs, Hurdsman singled to right, Brock Watkins followed with a single to right center and Crew McChesney drew a walk to load the bases. Hansen then walked, bringing in Hurdsman, before Erickson delivered a bases-clearing double to left, scoring Watkins, McChesney, and Hansen. Gambill reached on a bunt, and an error on the play allowed Erickson to cross the plate, giving BYU a 7-2 lead after three innings.

After a scoreless fourth inning, Utah chipped away at the deficit with a two-run homer in the top of the fifth and added another run on a two-out single in the sixth, cutting the Cougars’ lead to two. BYU quickly responded in the bottom of the sixth, as Ryder Robinson and Anderson each singled before Cooper Vest drove in Robinson. Anderson then stole home, pushing the Cougars’ lead to 9-5.

The Utes added a run in the seventh on two hits but came up empty in the eighth, thanks in part to a diving foul ball catch by Ryker Schow.

Utah hit a two-run homer to start the ninth, cutting the lead to one, but the Cougars held on for a 9-8 win, ending the game on a strikeout and a Lybbert save.

BYU opens a three-game home series against Texas Tech from May 15-17 at Miller Park. Game 1 is set for Thursday, May 15 at 6 p.m. MT. All three games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and BYU Radio.

BYU men’s golf surges into lead at Reno Regional

RENO, Nev. – BYU men’s golf holds the team lead at 5-under par through 30 holes after play was suspended due to darkness Tuesday night in the NCAA Reno Regional at Montreux Golf and Country Club.

Peter Kim is tied for second individually at 3-under. He leads all players with 11 birdies, including three in a row on holes 15, 16 and 17 in the second round. Kim also leads the field in par-4 scoring, averaging 3.72 per hole.

“The guys have embraced the weather,” Director of Golf Todd Miller said. “We have had snow, sleet, rain, snow and unplayable winds. The first round, the team played smart golf in high winds. When the wind died down, the guys started making putts from everywhere. It was a long, incredible day of golf. I’m happy for the guys. We need to play another solid round tomorrow and finish this thing off.”

No. 9 Virginia sits one stroke behind BYU in second place. No. 4 Texas is in third at even par, while Mississippi State and California round out the top five.

Senior Cole Ponich is 2-under and tied for sixth. He recorded four birdies in the first round and ranks second in par-3 scoring with an average of 2.86.

Zac Jones is tied for 10th with seven birdies through two rounds. Simon Kwon is tied for 19th at 2-over, and Tyson Shelley is tied for 57th.

BYU leads all teams with 35 birdies and also ranks first in par-5 scoring with a 4.78 average.

UVU’s Huddleston among leaders at Reno Regional

Utah Valley sophomore Dane Huddleston is tied for second place at 3-under-par with four holes remaining in his second round at the NCAA Reno Regional, as play was once again suspended due to darkness Tuesday evening at Montreux Golf & Country Club.

After only completing eight holes on Monday due to a seven-hour wind delay, Huddleston returned Tuesday morning and closed out his opening round with a flawless stretch of nine holes, carding a 1-under-par 71 to begin the tournament. He then opened round two with birdies on holes 10 and 13–his starting nine for the day–to move to 2-under early in the round.

Huddleston added another birdie on the front side and now sits at 3-under-par through 32 holes, tied for second place with three other players and just three shots back of the current individual leader.

“I’m really proud of the way Dane handled everything today,” said Utah Valley head coach Chris Curran. “Between the delays, snow, and darkness–it was a long day, and he stayed completely locked in. He’s in a great position heading into the final stretch.”

Tuesday’s round was delayed in the morning due to snow on the course, pushing back tee times and once again forcing players to race the setting sun. Huddleston was one of many players unable to finish the second round, which will resume Wednesday morning.

Huddleston, the 2024-25 WAC Golfer of the Year, is one of five individuals competing at the regional alongside 14 teams. To advance to the NCAA Championships, he must finish as the lowest-scoring individual not on one of the five advancing teams. The NCAA Championships will be held May 23-28 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.