Near-perfect night gives Utah its 1st win of the season over BYU
Every once in a while, everything goes right for the University of Utah baseball team. It hasn’t been often this season, but it was the case Friday night as Jake Long, Jet Gilliam and Blake Eckerle hit home runs as the Utes whipped the BYU Cougars 8-1 in a Big 12 Conference game. Payton Riske allowed just four hits in five innings on the mound, and Demitri Diamant took advantage of several fine defensive plays as Utah salvaged the second game of the three-game series at Miller Park.
Utah Utes outfielder Jet Gilliam (53) rounds the bases after hammering a homerun as BYU and Utah play at the Miller Park Complex in Provo on Friday, May 1, 2026. Utah won 8-1. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Every once in a while, everything goes right for the University of Utah baseball team.
It hasn’t been often this season, but it was the case Friday night as Jake Long, Jet Gilliam and Blake Eckerle hit home runs as the Utes whipped the BYU Cougars 8-1 in a Big 12 Conference game. Payton Riske allowed just four hits in five innings on the mound, and Demitri Diamant took advantage of several fine defensive plays as Utah salvaged the second game of the three-game series at Miller Park. The final contest is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.
m. Both teams need the win to improve their chances of making the upcoming Big 12 tournament, which starts May 19 in Surprise, Ariz. The league takes the top 12 of its 16 teams and both the Utes and Cougars are close to earning a bid — but want more.
Utah coach Gary Henderson was feeling much better after the Utes’ 15-hit attack Friday ended a four-game losing streak. He said it had been a while since he felt like “everything went right” for his team. “Certainly not in league play,” he said.
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