BYU Baseball Upsets No. 5 Seed Arizona State To Open Big 12 Tournament
May 21, 2025, 11:53 AM | Updated: May 22, 2025, 10:53 am
BYU Baseball LHP Ashton Johnson helped BYU pitch a shutout against Arizona State in the 2025 Big 12 Tournament. (Olivia Taylor/BYU Photo)
(Olivia Taylor/BYU Photo)
BYU baseball is moving on in the Big 12 Tournament.
On Wednesday, the Cougars got the 2025 Big 12 Baseball Tournament started in Arlington, Texas, with an upset win over No. 5 seed Arizona State in the single-elimination event.
Big win for BYU Baseball in the Big 12 Tournament. ⚾
No. 12 BYU upsets No. 5 Arizona State, 2-0.
Cougars shut out the high-powered Sun Devils.
BYU's LHPs Justis Reiser and Justis Johnson pitched an excellent game.
ASU didn't have a runner in scoring position until the…
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) May 21, 2025
BYU Baseball takes down Arizona State, 2-0
No. 12 seed BYU took down ASU 2-0 in first-round action in an early morning game with a first pitch at 9 a.m. (CDT).
The win is BYU’s first postseason victory since 2017, when they were members of the West Coast Conference.
BYU’s pitching was excellent in the win. The Sun Devils entered the first-round matchup leading the Big 12 in batting average, runs, and hits, but that didn’t matter as BYU pitched a shutout with a pair of left-handed pitchers.
DON'T CALL IT AN UPSET ‼️@BYUBaseball posts a shutout en route to its first Big 12 Baseball Championship victory.
The Cougs take on No. 4-seed @ArizonaBaseball in the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship Quarterfinals tomorrow at 9 a.m. CT.#Big12BSB | @Phillips66Gas pic.twitter.com/zlk8jFDKKK
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 21, 2025
It was the first time this season that Arizona State was shut out.
“I didn’t think a shoutout was on anyone’s bingo card against that team,” BYU Baseball head coach Trent Pratt said after the win on the BYU Sports Network.
BYU’s pitching was excellent against the high-powered ASU offense
BYU’s starter Justis Reiser pitched four innings, then Ashton Johnson closed out the game in the final five innings. Reiser and Johnson combined for two strikeouts, and more importantly, had zero walks.
BYU had 113 total pitches to ASU’s staff, which had 200 pitches.
The pitching was brilliant for BYU on a day when the Cougars’ bats had numerous opportunities to build their lead.
BYU was 1-of-13 with runners in scoring position. Arizona State was only 0-for-1 with RISP. ASU only reached second base in the bottom of the 8th.
BYU’s lone hit with RISP was in the top of the second when Crew McChesney doubled to right center to bring Keoni Painter in for the run.
The first run of the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship belongs to @BYUBaseball courtesy of a Crew McChesney RBI double 👏#Big12BSB | @Phillips66Gas pic.twitter.com/afuVnFdWwZ
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 21, 2025
The Cougars tacked on another run in the top of the fifth when Bryker Hurdsman was walked with bases loaded to give BYU a 2-0 lead.
ASU’s pitchers walked BYU eight times on Wednesday, and Sun Devil pitchers hit three Cougars.
The victory improves BYU’s overall record to 28-26 this season.
Moving on in the Big 12 Tournament
BYU will be back in action tomorrow in the Quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament. They will take on the No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats with the first pitch at 8 a.m. (MDT)/9 a.m. (CDT) on ESPN+.
“We’ve just got to keep going. That’s the thing, it’s a relentless group, man, they love each other and play hard. That’s the type of culture we’re trying to build. These guys are buying in,” Pratt said. “We get one more Thursday together. That’s all we’re trying to do.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
