Lawless Republic
Fansided

BYU Sports: Player Highlight – Brock Hale

By Caleb Leming

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 05: A detail of giant NCAA logo is seen outside of the stadium on the practice day prior to the NCAA Men's Final Four at the Georgia Dome on April 5, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 05: A detail of giant NCAA logo is seen outside of the stadium on the practice day prior to the NCAA Men's Final Four at the Georgia Dome on April 5, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
BYU Sports Baseball. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
BYU Sports Baseball. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

This week’s player highlight turns to the diamond where one player is sticking out while leading the Bat Cats to a great start.

For a college baseball player, being able to call a season where you hit .342 with 8 home runs and 31 runs batted in a “down year” would be quite the accomplishment.

But that is the case for BYU Baseball’s Right Field Brock Hale. Hale, a senior from Mesa, Arizona, has been one of BYU’s top players each of the past three seasons, and making positive impacts to the team during his freshman year.

In 2018, Hale led the Cougar offense in batting average (.342), hits 67), home runs (8), RBI (31), runs (40), total bases (108), runs (40), slugging percentage (.551), on-base percentage (.425) and stolen bases (7). He did all this while only committing one error in the field. His performance led him to an All-WCC First Team Award.

Keep in mind that I mentioned this could be considered a down year for Hale. It is safe to say that Hale is as close to a five-tool player that the BYU offense has seen in recent memory.

In his Sophomore season of 2017, Hale hit a ridiculous .395 with 12 home runs and 48 RBI. His batting average finished him fifth best in the entire NCAA, and he helped lead BYU to an appearance in the NCAA tournament. That season, Hale earned All-WCC Tournament Team and All-WCC Honorable Mention. If you want a consistent guy at the plate, look no further than Brock Hale.

This year, in the young 2019 season, Hale is hitting .262 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI in 17 games. If history is on his side, BYU should be able to get more production out of their star right fielder as they look to find the success they had in their 2017 season.

One mystery surrounds Brock Hale: why was he not selected in last season’s MLB Draft. Last year, just before the draft, Head Coach Mike Littlewood called him “the one given guy I think will get drafted” on the BYU team. However, two other Cougars (Daniel Schneemann and David Clawson) were selected instead of Hale.

Hale has said that in the past, it could have been knee injuries that may have been the reason he was not selected. He still has his senior season to show scouts and teams that he has what it takes to be selected in this year’s draft in June.

Overall, if you want to see an extremely talented baseball player trying to live his dreams, go watch Brock Hale this season for the Cougars, you won’t be disappointed.

Home/BYU Cougars