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BYU Athletics: Here’s our Cougar Christmas wish list

By Shaun Gordon

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 03: Brigham Young Cougars mascot Cosmo the Cougar performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament against the San Diego Toreros at the Orleans Arena on March 3, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-79. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 03: Brigham Young Cougars mascot Cosmo the Cougar performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament against the San Diego Toreros at the Orleans Arena on March 3, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-79. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – JUNE 24: Home plate and the batters box are seen before the interleague game between the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park on June 23, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 24: Home plate and the batters box are seen before the interleague game between the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park on June 23, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images) /

BYU Baseball: A Bounceback Season

There’s no way to look at the 2018 season as anything but a disappointment for BYU Baseball. They were picked to finish first in the West Coast Conference, and instead finished last.

The Cougars finished 22-28, including an 11-16 conference record. A decade ago that type of record wouldn’t surprise anybody, but the program has made significant steps forward under manager Mike Littlewood.

BYU had solid seasons in both 2016 and 2017, fighting for the WCC title in both seasons and making the NCAA Tournament in 2017, but the wheels fell off last season.

2019 is a chance for Littlewood and the team to prove that last season was a fluke rather than a downward trend.

Fortunately, they have the perfect role models to follow – BYU Women’s Soccer.

In 2017 the soccer team struggled to a losing season after high expectations, and they entered 2018 expected to finish in the middle of the conference pack.

Instead they won the WCC, cracked the Top 25, and made the NCAA Tournament.

Now the baseball team doesn’t have to do any of those three things to prove they’ve put a miserable 2018 season behind them. All they need to do is finish with a winning record and compete at the top of the conference. Anything more than that is icing on the cake.

And that’s very doable. They bring back three of their best hitters in Brock Hale, Keaton Kringlen, and Brian Hsu. Plus they’ll have a good trio of arms to use as the foundation of a strong pitching staff in Drew Zimmerman, Jordan Wood, and Alex Perron.

The talent and experience will be there for a turnaround, now they just need Santa to help them put it all together.

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