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Provo • There was a time a couple decades ago when BYU was a national college baseball power, routinely making postseason play and producing major leaguers such as Wally Joyner, Rick Aguilera, Cory Snyder, Jack Morris, Dane Iorg and Vance Law.
The Cougars have been mostly mediocre the past 15 years, however. They haven't played in the NCAA Tournament since 2002, and were a combined 82-77 the first three years of coach Mike Littlewood's tenure.
But this year's team, off to the best start in school history at 23-4, might be on its way to changing that. The program is undergoing a revival — on the field and in the stands at Larry H. Miller Field, where record crowds are watching the Cougars play an exciting, high-scoring brand of baseball in Littlewood's fourth season.
Picked to finish fifth in the West Coast Conference, the Cougars (7-2) are atop the league standings heading into this weekend's three-game home series with perennial power San Diego, which is 15-0 against BYU in league games since 2012, and 17-1 overall.
"If we want to take first in this league, we have to win the series, especially at home," Littlewood said Monday after the Cougars suffered their fourth loss, an 11-5 setback to Arizona, when they were resting their best pitchers for the weekend.
"History speaks for itself: we haven't played well against San Diego," Littlewood said. "But the gap is closing, and this is a year that I really believe we can win the series here."
Although BYU hasn't played the most difficult of schedules, the national college baseball experts are starting to take notice. The Cougars are ranked 19th in the USA Today/Coaches Poll and 22nd in both the writers poll (NCBWA) and Collegiate Baseball's poll.
The website D1baseball.com released its midseason field of 64 projections for the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday, and has BYU hosting a regional in Provo. That's heady stuff for a program that hasn't been able to return to its glory years of the '70s and '80s.
"It is a nice feather in our cap, but we are not going to rest on our laurels of being ranked," Littlewood said after BYU beat Utah 6-0 in the first of three matchups between the rivals this season. "It is nice to be playing well, but whether we are 8-8, 10-7 or whatever we are, it is nice to be playing well with guys who want to go out and compete every game."
Few saw this start coming, but freshman Keaton Kringlen says he did.
"We expected it," said the right fielder from Cedar City's Canyon View High. "We knew we had a great team, and that we would be doing this. … We just have great team chemistry. We like each other. We pick each other up. That's the biggest thing for us."
That's why the Cougars weren't moping after their bullpen faltered and their bats went silent in the Arizona loss. Staff ace Michael Rucker (6-0, 2.14 earned run average) set the Wildcats down in order in the first inning before being pulled and will get the start Thursday against the Toreros (16-15).
"We have a lot of character on this team," Littlewood said. "We will come out Thursday the same way we have the previous games we've played. We are a resilient team that is going to compete every day."
It is also a very explosive team that is putting up some impressive offensive numbers.
They are second in the nation in batting average (.336) and third in scoring, averaging 9.1 runs per game. BYU is third in slugging percentage (.525), fourth in doubles per game (2.65) and sixth in total runs scored (241).
Leading the way is slugger Colton Shaver, a Jordan High product from Riverton who is fourth in the country with a .464 batting average and sixth with an .835 slugging average. Shaver leads the club with seven homers, after hitting 14 round-trippers in a sensational freshman season last year.
With preseason Freshman of the Year candidate Kyle Dean — perhaps the biggest recruit program history — missing the past 11 games with a stress reaction in his back, Kringlen has hit four homers, matching teammates Dean, Bronson Larsen and Eric Urry in that category.
Brock Hale (.483), Tanner Chauncey (.391), Brennon Lund (.383), Nate Favero (.345) and Brennon Anderson (.340) are also having outstanding offensive seasons, and shortstop Hayden Nielsen anchors one of the WCC's best defenses.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU offense's NCAA rankings
Batting average • No. 2 (.336)
Scoring • No. 3 (9.1)
Slugging percentage • No. 3 (.525)
Doubles/game • No. 4 (2.65)
Runs scored • No. 6 (241) —
San Diego at No. 19 BYU
P At Larry H. Miller Field, Provo
Thursday • 6 p.m. (BYUtv)
Friday • 6 p.m. (The W.tv)
Saturday • 1 p.m. (BYUtv)
Records • San Diego 16-15, 4-5 WCC; BYU 23-4, 7-2
Radio • All games broadcast live on ESPN 960 AM