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2024 Fall Report: BYU
Fall Report Mike Rooney - December 17, 2024

In this era of conference transitions and realignment, changing leagues with a young team often goes poorly. That was exactly the case for the Cougs in 2004. BYU’s 7-23 Big 12 record reflected the rigors of this very strong baseball conference [...]

The Position Players

Junior Parker Goff checks a lot of boxes at catcher. With an .897 OPS through 64 career games, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound righthanded hitter is an offensive contributor who plays solid defense across the board. His .444 on-base percentage was second on the team last season. There is excitement around true freshman catcher Ridge Erickson as well. The 5-foot-11 righthanded hitter is an advanced defender and he looks ready to play right away.

At first base, 5YR SR Cooper Vest returns with an .898 OPS over 526 career plate appearances. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound lefthanded hitter tore up the WCC in 2023, hitting .359 with a .613 slugging percentage. Vest, who can also play the outfield, has battled injuries in his career but when right, this is an experienced, middle-of-the-order bat who makes this team go.

Transfer Ryder Robinson (TCU) was a high-profile recruit out of high school and the Utah native’s return home was big for BYU. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound switch-hitter was named the 2023 Utah Player of the Year by Prep Baseball, and he won the shortstop job for the Cougs this fall. Robinson struggled (.215/.316/.302) at TCU but his considerable talent earned him 181 plate appearances in his true freshman season. He will likely hit second or third this spring. At third base, slugger Easton Jones has continued to grow his game year after year. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound righthanded hitter led the 2024 club with 14 home runs, hitting .274 with a .908 OPS. Jones’ game includes the swing-and-miss (29.8% strikeout rate) typical of a power-hitter of his ilk, but it is a trade you’ll make all day. The junior plays hard and opponents must account for his tremendous power [...]

The Pitching Staff

3YR SO Payton Gubler (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) is an undersized righthander whose strike-throwing lends itself to a starting role. Gubler (0-0, 6.35 ERA) made seven starts a year ago and he averaged more than a punchout per inning in his 28.1 innings. A low-90s fastball leads a three-pitch mix and his slider has been the best out pitch. Transfer Jaden Harris (Utah) has been an inconsistent performer in his career (7-8, 7.55 ERA in 24 career starts) but the talent has never been in question. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound righthander shows outstanding feel for spin, including a mid-80s slider with a 43% whiff rate. Harris’ below average command has been the main culprit, leading to 73 walks in 124 career innings plus a .320 BAA. His ability to find another level in his final college season would be a boon for this pitching staff.

6-foot-3 junior Garrison Sumner is in the starting mix after a stellar 2024 season at Salt Lake CC where he ranked fourth nationally with a 1.82 ERA over 13 starts. Sumner is a low-90s righthander and he began his career as a reliever at Utah in 2023. Another key to this staff will be the return of two power-armed redshirt freshmen. Maddax Peck and Cayson Bell could pitch in various roles and their arm strength adds another dimension to this staff. Peck is an athletic righthander who attacks from an over-the-top slot and the heater has velocity and ride. He was a nationally ranked recruit out of local powerhouse Bingham High School. Bell is a 6-foot-1 righthander with a loose arm and a banger of a slider. The hope is that he will be ready to go sometime around March. Senior Jake Porter returns to the Cougs’ bullpen after an excellent 2024 season: 2-0, 4.50 ERA, and 30.0 IP over 22 appearances. Porter is an uber-veteran with an effective sinker-slider mix [...]