The BYU baseball team once again took to the road this past weekend hoping to bring home the win, but instead was dealt a pair of losses causing the Cougars to fall to a 5-6 record.
The team played a three-game series this weekend against UC Irvine. The Anteaters took the first game 8-1 with the Cougars winning the second game on Friday 6-1. The Anteaters came to play on Saturday clinching the game, and the series with a 9-2 victory over the Cougars.
“Right now it’s the offense that is struggling, and we are trying to address that as best as we can,” coach Vance Law said in a press release. “We are pressing at the plate, trying to get too much done in one at bat. I have confidence we will turn it around and get on a roll.”
In the second game of the series both Tanner Chauncey and Brock Whitney had outstanding games, giving the Cougars the easy 6-2 victory over the Anteaters.
“Tanner continues to impress with his at bats,” Law said. 'Brock Whitney's big two-out RBI were pluses for us. Any time you get two-out RBI, it can really help us win games. Good pitching, defense and timely hitting are a formula we’ve been looking for.”
Saturday's game proved too much to handle for the Cougars culminating in a 9-2 loss to the Anteaters. UC Irvine dominated BYU offensively gaining a lot of momentum in the first few innings creating a gap which the Cougars ultimately couldn't come back from. Pitching for the Cougars also seemed to be a struggle.
“It all boils down to pitching,” Law said. “You can’t defend walks or hit batters. Contrast that with their pitcher was throwing strikes and only walked one batter.”
The Cougars will have to bounce back quickly as the team has traveled to Omaha, Neb., where the Cougars will face off against Nebraska-Omaha this afternoon and and then another game on Tuesday against Creighton.
'We played Creighton last year and they are a good team,' said Stephen Wells, a senior outfielder from Kenmore, Wash. 'We split one and one with Creighton last year and I am not to sure about Nebraska-Omaha, we haven't played them before, but they are a good team and I am excited to get a chance to play them.
Even with the loss against UC Irvine the team is excited to continue on the road.
'We are excited to play in Omaha, especially at TD Ameritrade Park,' said Adam Miller a right-handed pitcher from Yucaipa, Calif. 'This is where they have the College World Series, it is pretty intense and will be a great experience for us.'
The Cougars play Nebraska-Omaha today at 2 p.m. CDT and will play Creighton Tuesday at 6 p.m. CDT.