WICHITA, Kan. — BYU baseball used a five-run eighth inning to put away Wichita State in a 9-2 win on Tuesday afternoon at Eck Stadium.

With the win in Wichita, BYU moves to 23-23, 15-13 on the road and has its sixth consecutive midweek victory.

The Cougars led from start to finish and held a 4-1 lead at the top of the eighth before piling on five insurance runs on three hits and an error for a 9-1 lead three outs later.

BYU’s nine runs came on 13 hits with 11 singles, a double and home run as late-season emergent batters Tate Gambill and Chipper Beck led the way. Gambill led off the game with his first homer of the season while extending his team-long 15-game hitting and 19-game reached base streaks. Beck continued a seven-game hitting streak while recording his 12th RBI in just 10 hits this season.

“Tate and Chipper have been ready to play when other guys have gone down,” BYU head coach Trent Pratt said. “That’s what team baseball is all about.”

BYU finished the day 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position while an error-free Cougar defense held the Shockers to 2-for-8. Six BYU pitchers combined to allow two runs on nine hits and record nine strikeouts to three walks. Jaden Harris earned the win for BYU with two-and-a-third scoreless innings.

“I hope we learn from today and can take it into the weekend,” Pratt said. “We have to keep getting better at throwing strikes.”

BYU makes the trip up I-35 to Lawrence for its weekend Big 12 series with Kansas May 8-10 at Hoglund Ballpark. Follow the Cougars as they face the Jayhawks with each game available on ESPN+ and BYU Radio.

Reports: Cougar men’s hoops to add UC Riverside guard

It appears the best way to make the BYU men’s basketball roster is to have played against them in the Marriott Center.

A few days ago the Cougars signed Tyler Mrus, a 6-foot-7 shooting guard who scored 17 points against BYU in the MC last November while playing for Idaho. On Wednesday, CBS Sports College Insider Jon Rothstein broke the news that UC Riverside guard Nate Pickens has pledged to play in Provo. Pickens, a 6-3 guard, scored 18 points in an 86-80 loss to BYU on Nov. 8.

Last season, Pickens averaged 9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Highlanders while shooting 39% from the 3-point line.

BYU softball earns Big 12 accolades

IRVING, Texas — BYU softball’s Ilove’a Brittingham, Lindy Milkowski and Lily Owens each received All-Big 12 honors, the conference announced on Wednesday morning.

The trio were named to the All-Big 12 First Team with Brittingham also tabbed the league’s Freshman of the Year to go along with an All-Freshman Team nod.

The Cougars were one of eight teams represented on the 18-player first team and one of just four with multiple student-athletes placed on the team.

Milkowski led the Big 12 with 12 home runs in conference play and had the league’s second-highest slugging percentage (.851) against conference opponents. Behind the dish, she caught 17 runners stealing, which led the league and ranks No. 11 nationally.

A product of Olathe, Kansas, this is the second first-team all-conference nod of Milkowski’s career. The catcher previously earned First Team All-OVC in 2022 while playing at Eastern Illinois.

Owens finished with BYU’s second-highest batting average (.367) while leading the team in on-base percentage (.470), runs scored (47) and stolen bases (5). Averaging a run per game, she paced the Big 12 in the category.

Hailing from Chino Hills, California, this is the first all-conference honor of Owens’ career. She was named to the NFCA All-Midwest Region First Team last season.

Isaac Davis signs with UVU men’s hoops

Utah Valley University men’s basketball head coach Todd Phillips has announced the signing of Isaac Davis, a 6-foot-6 forward who spent last season at Utah State and prepped at Hillcrest High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

“Isaac is an outstanding big who brings both physicality and athleticism to the floor,” said Phillips. “He’s going to be a problem down low with his combination of size and quickness. He was part of a high-level program last year and is ready for his time to shine. We’re excited to have him join our culture and contribute to our continued success.”

Davis originally committed to Mark Pope and BYU back in November of 2023.

Davis appeared in 18 games during his freshman season at Utah State, shooting an efficient 66.7 percent from the field (10-for-15) and 80.0 percent from the free throw line (16-of-20). He averaged 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in just under six minutes per contest and totaled 36 points, 23 rebounds, and four assists on the year.

A three-star recruit and the top prospect in the state of Idaho according to 247Sports.com, Davis enjoyed a decorated high school career at Hillcrest. He led the Knights to three consecutive Idaho Class 4A state championship game appearances, winning back-to-back titles as a sophomore and junior before finishing as runner-up as a senior. As a senior, Davis averaged 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while leading Hillcrest to a 19-7 record and a perfect 10-0 mark in conference play. In the 2024 state title game, he posted 23 points and 13 rebounds.

The year prior, he led the team to a 25-1 record and a second straight 4A title, averaging 17.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and earning top defensive player honors during the state tournament. Davis was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2022 state tournament after recording double-doubles of 18 points and 15 rebounds in the championship and 23 points and 15 rebounds in the semifinals. He was named the Post Register All-Area Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons and earned all-state honors in all three years as a starter.

Utah tops UVU baseball 8-2

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah defeated Utah Valley 8-2 on Tuesday night at Smith’s Ballpark. It was UVU’s final visit to the ballpark before Utah (18-25) moves to their new ballpark on campus next season. UVU (27-22) was led by Jayden Smith who finished 3-for-5 in the contest.

Wayland Crane made the start for the Wolverines and went the first inning. He gave up a single in the first, but the UVU defense worked an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to retire the Utes. Nate Bach gave Utah Valley a 2-0 lead in the second inning when he launched a home run over the left field fence for his 25th career home run to place him at No. 6 all-time at UVU.

The Utes came back and scored eight unanswered runs to take an 8-2 lead in the game. Smith finished 2-for-4 in the contest with a pair of singles, including an infield single in the fifth inning to advance Luke Iverson, who reached base for the 47th consecutive game this season. He finished 1-for-4 with a triple in the seventh inning. Utah Valley had baserunners in the late innings, with Landon Frei working a walk with two outs in the eighth inning. He finished the game 1-for-3 with a single in the fourth inning in his return to Smith’s Ballpark, where he played infield for three years to start his collegiate career.

Dominic Longo II singled for his second hit of the game to put runners on the corners, but UVU did not get a run across. In the ninth inning, Joseph Barnhardt reached on a fielding error to start the inning, but a pair of fielder’s choices got it down to the final out. Smith’s final hit of the game came with two outs in the ninth inning. George Albrecht tossed 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing no hits, and adding a strikeout. Jacob Beltran added 1 2/3, Ray Hernandez and Carter Krosky being the final two pitchers of the night, and each tossed scoreless frames.

The Wolverines will host Sacramento State for a three-game series this weekend, beginning on Friday, May 9, at 6:00 p.m. MT. The games will continue on Saturday, May 10, at 4:00 p.m. MT before the year’s final home game on Sunday, May 11, at 1:00 p.m. MT.