By Brent Johnson
The BYU baseball team hopes to continue its hot play as it takes to the road for an important series with San Diego State this weekend.
BYU has won their last three series, going 7-2 during that stretch.
The Cougars (21-26, 11-10 Mountain West Conference) look to close the gap on conference leader UNLV as they hit the road for the last time. The Cougars play an unusual mid-week conference series due to San Diego State”s graduation. Games are scheduled for tonight, Thursday, and Friday (May 12-14). All games are slated to start at 7 p.m. (MDT).
One of the reasons for BYU”s recent success is the hot bat of sophomore shortstop Brandon Taylor. Taylor”s efforts against New Mexico were good enough to earn him conference player of the week honors. Taylor batted at an impressive .600 while blasting three home runs and netting 10 RBI. Taylor now leads the conference in home runs (11), and is one of only six players batting over .400 in conference play.
“[BYU catcher] Adam Wilkes always tells me that I should go out there and just hit my pitch,” Taylor said. “That”s kind of what I did.”
Taylor said he hopes to continue his strong hitting as his squad heads to San Diego.
“We hope to go out there [San Diego] and get a sweep,” Taylor said.
Taylor hasn”t been the only Cougar on fire as of late. Center fielder Ryan Chambers is currently riding a team-best 10-game hitting streak. Kevin Bills, filling in for injured Kory Knell (concussion), broke out against New Mexico, going 5-for-12 with two home runs and five runs scored.
The BYU bullpen has also been keeping the Cougars close late into games. As a unit, the bullpen gave up only three earned runs in 13 innings of work against the Lobos.
“When one guy goes out there and does the job,” BYU pitcher Bryce Burger said, “it kind of leaks through. Everyone wants to throw that good.”
The Cougars can expect to face stiff competition from the Aztecs (27-26, 14-8 MWC), who are making a late season push for the top spot in the conference. San Diego State has closed the gap on UNLV to a game and a half after taking two of three from the Rebels.
BYU is also fighting for conference positioning as the season winds down. The Cougars are currently in fourth place, four games behind the Rebels with nine games left to play.
BYU head coach Vance Law said he is happy with the way the Cougars have been playing lately, and he hopes his team continues to play the way he feels they can.
“It”s important that we play with the same kind of confidence at San Diego,” Law said Saturday. “I just want to play well, and with the same intensity.”
After returning home from San Diego, the Cougars return to Provo to play three consecutive doubleheaders against Air Force.
