After posting a 10-5 record to open the 2025 season, the BYU baseball team turns its attention to the Big 12.

The Cougars open league play at home with a three-game series against UCF. Game 1 is set for Thursday with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. MDT. Game 2 of the series is slated for Friday at 3 p.m., with Game 3 at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 15.

All three games of the BYU-UCF series will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and will also be available on the BYU Radio app and simulcast in the Utah County market on 107.9 FM.

BYU (10-5, 0-0) is coming off a 3-1 series win over Stetson last week. After dropping game one of the series to the Hatters 6-5, BYU swept the rest of the series with scores of 10-2, 5-4 and 7-5.

Since splitting the opening series of the year at Fresno State (2-2), the Cougars have won three straight series, including two on the road at CSUN (2-1) and Gonzaga (3-0), before winning the first home series over Stetson (3-1). BYU has now won eight of its last 10 games.

BYU is top four in the Big 12 in several statistical categories including, home runs (25), doubles (40), total bases (272) and slugging (.501). Defensively the Cougars are top four in assists (145) and runners caught stealing (6).

First baseman Cooper Vest continues to lead the Cougars in several offensive categories and is among the top 10 in the Big 12 in total bases (2nd, 46), home runs (T-4th, 5) and RBI (6th, 19). The week two Big 12 Co-Player of the Week leads BYU in runs (18), doubles (8), triples (1), home runs (5), RBI (19) and total bases (46).

BYU’s weekend starters are 6-1 on the year and have combined for 57.0 innings in 12 starts. Game 1 starter Payton Gubler is 3-1 and tied for third in the conference in wins. The sophomore righty is holding opposing hitters to a .179 average, good for eighth in the Big 12. Gubler leads the BYU staff in innings pitched (24) and strike outs (19).

Game 2 starter Jaden Harris is 1-0 with 15.2 innings and 10 strikeouts over four starts. He is holding opposing hitters to an average of .259. Series finale starter Garrison Sumner is 2-0 with wins over Gonzaga and Fresno State. He has 11 strikeouts in 17.1 innings and holding opposing hitters to an average of .235.

BYU did not face UCF and TCU in its first season in the league in 2024. As such, the Cougars’ and Knights’ meeting in Provo this weekend marks the first ever between the two baseball clubs. A week after Stetson’s visit to Miller Park, UCF becomes just the second ever Floridian baseball team to play a game in Provo.

SCOUTING REPORT

In his first season as UCF head coach, Rich Wallace led his team to a 37-21 record and 2024 NCAA Tournament berth. The Knights finished 14-15 and eighth in the Big 12 before defeating Alabama and Stetson in the Tallahassee Regional. UCF was eventually eliminated from 2024 postseason play by host Florida State.

The Knights hold a 12-3 record heading into their midweek matchup with Miami March 11. In its last three-game series, UCF rolled up a combined 43 runs in a sweep (17-1, 18-3, 8-0) of Monmouth March 7-9. Despite losses to Bryant (3-5), FAU (3-4) and South Florida (3-13), the Knights’ 2025 season is thus far highlighted by a 13-3 upset of No. 6 Florida in Orlando on March 4.

Picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 in 2025, UCF currently leads the league in nine offensive categories, including batting (.356), runs scored (147), hits (182), RBI (133) and on base percentage (.465). Infielder Edian Espinal enters the week batting a team-leading .553 while both he and outfielder Andrew Williamson power the Knight offense, slugging north of .760. Williamson also leads UCF with 22 RBI and five homers on the year.

Defensively, the Knights top the Big 12 in ERA (2.45) and runs allowed (46). The UCF pitching staff features Preseason All-Big 12 selections in Dom Stagliano and Dominic Castellano. A lefty reliever, Castellano holds a season ERA of 1.50 with 18 strikeouts in five appearances and an early 2-0 record. The Knights’ Wiley Hartley has three wins in four appearances with a 1.25 ERA and 19 strikeouts.

The UCF-BYU matchup features two of the top three teams in the league in total bases. With 273 total bases through 15 games, BYU ranks third in the Big 12 – just behind the Knights’ 281. The two offenses rank on opposite ends of the conference in doubles. BYU is tied for second in the Big 12 and 12th nationally with 40 doubles while UCF ranks last in the league with 25.