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BYU baseball finds success by going back to basics

By Brady Parkin

Jun 18, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; General image before the games in the 2016 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 18, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; General image before the games in the 2016 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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BYU baseball started things off slowly, but returning to Miller Park in Provo seems to be just the right medicine for the sluggish Cougars.

After a rough 4-7 start to the season, BYU baseball has found success at home. Even though the Cougars successful matchup with UC Santa Barbara was only one weekend (four games), Coach Mike Littlewood’s refocusing on the basics seems to be working… at least for now.

BYU baseball goes back to basics

In a recent BYU Sports Nation podcast, head coach Mike Littlewood explained that he felt his team was lacking in the focus and was “underachieving.” Although he applauds his offense for putting initial pressure on opponents, he knows that there are a lot of aspects of the game that need to be fine tuned.

The little aspects.

The biggest concern for the Cougars is timely hitting. The offense has been producing and putting good pressure on the opposition thus far, but getting hits at the right time in the game will elevate the consistent pressure the Cougars are looking for.

The second concern mentioned was leadership. With the loss of Eric Urry and others last season, players such as Brady Corless and Brock Hale need to step up and lead the team on the field.

Coach Littlewood mentioned these concerns Friday morning after the first game in the four game series with UC Santa Barbara. That first game was a loss.

Cougars turn it around

Following Coach Littlewood’s comments on BYU Sports Nation’s podcast, the Cougars completed the UCSB series with three consecutive wins.

In game two of the series, Daniel Schneemann energized BYU baseball with a walk-off homerun. That energy kept the Cougars rolling through game three that same night. The Cougars rolled over the Gouchos 17-3.

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The Cougars finished the series with yet another win. This win can bre credited to the “timely hitting” of Daniel Schneemann (again) and Brock Hale who cut into the lead that UCSB had and starting a Cougar comeback that would lead to the win. Their 14-8 win has BYU flirting with a .500 winning percentage.

Future Implications for BYU baseball

If BYU baseball can keep its focus like it did against UC Santa Barbara, the Cougars should continue to see wins. The energy is there. The talent is there. The potential is there. It is acceptable to think that this team could eclipse last year’s successful 37-17 record.

One big test comes this week as the UConn Huskies visit Miller Park in Provo for a three game series.

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