BYU Cougars: 2026 Season Preview
Two years into the Big 12 and the Cougars are still searching for a foothold. Trent Pratt inherited a program with no conference infrastructure in the power leagues and a .500 record tells the story — BYU can compete on individual nights but cannot sustain it over a Big 12 weekend. Year 3 is about building the kind of depth that turns close losses into series wins.
The Program
2025 Season Results
Season Highlights
Split midweek series with Utah Valley and Utah Tech to stay above .500
Colton Shaver hit .312 with 8 HR as the primary run producer
Zach Owens posted a 3.58 ERA as the Friday starter
Won a series at Kansas State in April for biggest Big 12 road moment
Stole 54 bases as a team — speed remains the program identity
2026 Roster Breakdown
Key returnees and transfer portal additions
Key Returnees
Colton Shaver
OF · Sr.Best bat in the program. Carried the offense for stretches of 2025 and is the one hitter Big 12 pitchers circle on the scouting report.
Zach Owens
RHP · Jr.Friday night arm with a plus curveball. Competes well against top lineups — needs more run support to turn quality starts into wins.
Porter Brown
C · Jr.Solid receiver who controls the running game. His bat improved throughout 2025 and Pratt needs that trend to continue.
Mack Bagley
SS · So.Young shortstop with above-average speed and range. Raw with the bat but his defense keeps him in the lineup every day.
Trey Ammons
LHP · Jr.Left-handed starter who battles deep into games. Slider is his best pitch — needs to locate the fastball more consistently to handle Big 12 lineups.
Transfer Portal Additions
Carter Jensen
INF/C · Jr.Versatile bat from a Big 12 program. Can catch or play a corner. Adds immediate depth to the middle of the order.
Austin Krob
LHP · R-Sr.Experienced lefty arm from a Big 12 contender. Knows the conference hitters. Could slide into the Saturday or Sunday start.
Drew Deussen
RHP · Jr.Bullpen arm with a power slider. Pitched well in the Big West and now tests himself against Big 12 bats.
Jake Dukart
OF · Jr.Pac-12 outfielder who adds a left-handed bat and defensive range. Fills a gap in the outfield depth chart.
Pitching Staff Analysis
The Headline
Zach Owens (5-5, 3.58 ERA, 78 K) is a legitimate Friday starter who can compete with any lineup in the conference. The issue is not the top of the rotation — it is what follows. BYU allowed a .278 opponent batting average in 2025, and that number has to shrink if the Cougars want to climb out of the Big 12 basement.
The Rotation
Trey Ammons (4.21 ERA) has the stuff for a Saturday start but his command wavers under pressure. Austin Krob (from Texas Tech, 3.89 ERA) is the most impactful portal addition — a lefty who has pitched in Big 12 series and knows the tempo. The Sunday slot is an open competition that will define the weekend ceiling.
The Depth
The bullpen was overworked in 2025 because starters could not go deep. Drew Deussen (from Cal Poly, 2.94 ERA) adds a legitimate late-inning option with swing-and-miss stuff. If the rotation can consistently go six innings, the bullpen math changes. If not, it is another year of high-wire relief work.
Lineup Analysis
The Engine
Colton Shaver (.312, 8 HR) is the one hitter who can carry a game. He hits for average, drives the ball, and is the only bat in the lineup that forces opposing pitchers to pitch carefully. Everything in the BYU offense flows through what Shaver does in the middle of the order.
The Middle
Carter Jensen (from Kansas State, .271, 5 HR) adds a proven Big 12 bat behind Shaver. Porter Brown (.268, 4 HR) is improving at the plate. The middle of the order has enough to compete — but it lacks the depth to survive a cold streak from any one hitter.
The Supporting Cast
Mack Bagley (.254, 18 SB) is a speed weapon at the top of the lineup but needs to get on base more. Jake Dukart (from Oregon State) adds a left-handed bat in the outfield. The bottom third of the order will determine whether BYU can string together enough runs to support the pitching.
2026 Schedule Highlights
Scouting Verdict
20–80 scouting scale
BSI Projection
BYU is still in the early innings of a Big 12 build. Trent Pratt has a legitimate Friday starter in Owens, a lineup anchor in Shaver, and some useful portal additions — but the overall depth is not there yet. The Cougars will compete in individual games and steal a series here or there, but sustained success against the top half of this conference requires more pitching depth and more lineup production from the 5-through-9 hitters. The trajectory matters more than the record right now, and Pratt needs to show progress in Year 3.