BYU baseball is a little more than halfway through its season. While there have been ups and downs, the team has shown promise of making a strong run to finish.
As of April 15, the Cougars are 19–16, 8–7 in the Big 12 Conference. They have played better on the road (12–10) than they have at home (5–6). This is not surprising, as many of their road games have been in warmer locations than Provo. It can be difficult to play baseball in cold weather.
Star Ezra McNaughton has been consistent all season. He is hitting .375 with 10 home runs. His improvement from the 2025 season is impressive. In 21 games played last year, he hit just .135. This year, he has started all 35 games, and his on-base plus slugging (OPS) is above 1.000.
Crew McChesney is also hitting above .300 with six homers and Easton Jones is not far behind at .291 with 10 home runs. 14 of the team’s 15 batters are hitting over .200.
BYU’s traditionally mediocre pitching staff looks significantly better this season. Nate Gray has a 5.13 ERA and won three games in the last eight days. Garrison Sumner, who was drafted by the Red Sox last year but chose to return to school, has a 6.69 ERA and is throwing in the upper 90s.
Sumner's ERA has improved from last season’s 8.32, when he was pitching in the low 90s. Opposing batters are hitting .278 against the pitching staff, which is respectable for Division I competition.
There is still a lot of baseball left to play. Last season, BYU played about .500 baseball in the second half. With the improved defensive and offensive performances, expectations are high for a strong finish.