A rehashed theme, a WSU athletics program is starting its final Pac-12 season. This time, it’s WSU baseball (7-4), who are set to face Utah (9-3) in a three-game series at home Friday–Sunday. 

The Cougs recently took two of three against Rhode Island, including a doubleheader sweep, while outsourcing their opposition 30-17. 

“Anytime you win a home series, any series, it’s a good weekend,” head coach Nathan Choate said on the WSU podcast. “All in all, proud of the effort by our guys this weekend.” 

Utah also had a three-game series featuring a doubleheader, winning two of three over the weekend against Cal Poly. 

Utah also played on Tuesday, losing 5-2 to Santa Clara on the road. The team managed just four hits. 

Both programs lost their most recent game, with Utah losing two straight games. While immediate recent success has not been there, the Utes sported a nine-game winning streak from Feb. 17 to March 3. 

WSU has had early success, but their longest streak of the young season is a three-game streak over three separate programs, including a win over then-No. 24 Kentucky. 

Since 2009, the Utes and Cougs have been evenly matched, with WSU winning 19 times and Utah winning 20 games. In that same stretch, the Cougs are 10-9 at home and neither team has won more than four consecutive matchups, that is, unless the Utes manage to win the first two games of the upcoming series.

In the three-game set in Utah last season, the Cougs got swept despite never losing by more than three runs and scoring double-digit runs in two of three games. 

This year’s team has improved mightily at the plate all around. After a team batting average of .292 in 2023 and a team OPS of .864, the Cougs have improved their numbers to .312 and .900, respectively, to start the new season. 

Part of that success has been the new “tap-in” approach. 

When a player reaches a two-strike count, they turn to the dugout and, with a closed fist, tap the logo on their helmet, signaling to their teammates they are “tapped in.” 

“You are giving your at-bat and now it is now for the team. Personal thoughts go out the window, and at that point, it’s, ‘I’m going to battle. I’m going to be tough with two strikes,’” third baseman Cole Cramer said. 

Players to watch: 

Grant Taylor, one of the keys to the Coug’s early 2024 success, struggled last season in Salt Lake City. Pitching in just 1.0 inning, he gave up seven earned runs and walked four batters, his worst start of the season. 

Beginning the 2024 season, he has the lowest ERA among starting pitchers at 3.38 over 16.0 innings. He threw 5.0 innings over two separate days against Rhode Island, giving up just one hit, hitting one batter and striking out a combined seven. 

After pitching the first inning before the weather delay Friday, Taylor made his scheduled start Sunday but got pulled after 4.0 innings despite not giving up a hit, a decision that had been made prior to the game’s first pitch due to his scheduled start Friday against the Utes. 

“I had already made the decision that he was going to be under 40 pitches or 4.0 innings, whichever came first,” Choate said. “I think some people were scratching their heads when he hadn’t given up any hits and we pulled him, but that decision was made before that game even started.” 

Against a ranked Kentucky team, he threw 6.0 innings while giving up just one run and one hit, starting the season as an extremely improved version of himself. 

Connor Wilford has also started the season on a strong note. In all three starts, he’s gone exactly 6.0 innings. Against Kansas and Rhode Island, he gave up four runs each, but in his first start of the season, he kept Utah Tech from scoring. 

In terms of the lineup, just about everyone from one through nine is a player to watch for to be the best of the series, with several starting off with impressive stat lines. 

Jacob Morrow – .520/.625/.680, 1.305 OPS, two extra-base hits, 17 total bases 

Nate Swarts – .385/.467/.769, 1.236 OPS, seven extra-base hits, 30 total bases 

Cole Cramer – .348/.400/.630, 1.030 OPS, nine extra-base hits, 29 total bases 

Alan Shibley – .313/.411/.646, 1.057 OPS, nine extra-base hits, 31 total bases 

Casen Taggart – .341/.391/.610, 1.001 OPS, five extra-base hits, 25 total bases