Patient relief: Stone Cushing's long road from Salem to Provo paying off for BYU baseball

PROVO — Collin Reuter was having a lot of fun with his three home runs in the final game of BYU baseball's three-game series at Texas, but Stone Cushing knew he had to lock it down over the weekend.

Nothing he hasn't done before.

The 5-foot-10 right-hander from Salem was among the best coming out of the bullpen in the Big 12, so when the Longhorns scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh of Saturday's Big 12 rubber match, Cushing didn't panic.

The junior locked down the final two innings, surrendering three hits and two runs in the final 3.1 innings to earn his seventh save of the season that leads the conference and ties for fifth nationally as BYU took its first road series of Big 12 play at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas.

But that's not the moment a legend was born. Cushing has been doing this all year, even since the Utah County native signed with BYU after two years at the College of Southern Idaho.

"We had a few games where we struggled a bit against Kansas, and we came together as a team and had to figure some stuff out," Cushing told KSL.com. "I think we figured out what we needed to figure out against Texas; we took one, lost one in a nail-biter, and then went out and did our thing in the last game where Collin Reuter hit three home runs and carried us. The pitching staff held one of the best offenses in the country to almost nothing, and I think it helped the morale to hopefully get some key wins down the stretch now."

With a 13-15 record and 6-9 mark in their first season in the Big 12, the Cougars will open a three-game, midweek series Tuesday against archrival Utah. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City.

With Cushing on the mound, BYU has been as tough to hit as anyone.

The former 5A first-team all-state pitcher and Region 8 MVP in 2021 boasts a 2.92 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 13 games this season, allowing four earned runs with 21 strikeouts in 112.1 innings pitched.

The junior is tied for fifth in the country in saves, and his seven saves ties UCF's Chase Centala for the most in the Big 12.

"He's ultra competitive, and he wants to win. He has really good stuff," BYU coach Trent Pratt said. "He's got a fastball up to 95, and he can throw a slider whenever he wants. He's just built differently. You don't have to say a whole lot to get him going. … He's always amped up and always wants the ball. That's what you want in guys who come in when you have a lead. Someone might get us, but it's not for lack of effort. They've been lights out for us all year, and when Stone gets a save opportunity, he slams the door for us."

Rated among the best conferences in the country in college baseball, the Big 12 has been everything Cushing and his teammates could have hoped — or dreamed — of prior to the season. The Cougars (13-15) have competed well at times, but are also 6-9 in league play ahead of this weekend's home series against Baylor (13-18, 5-7 Big 12).

Then there's Cushing, who originally came to BYU as a starter after hurling 41 strikeouts in 27.1 innings over 16 games in 2022 at CSI. Moved to the bullpen, he's been just what the Cougars needed during his first season in Provo.

He just wants to win, and BYU — a school he dreamed of attending since he came to a youth baseball camp in Provo, but didn't get the offer he hoped out of high school just 16 miles away — has now given him that chance on a staff that runs deep, including his former CSI teammate Mason Olson.

"I had to be patient. So I went to CSI, played my two years, and grinded," Cushing said. "Being patient in my career has been the one thing that has gotten me to the point I am. I haven't tried to do anything to change my game too much. I've just worked as hard as I can to be the player I want to be, and I had to be patient."

He wasn't an overnight success. But that patience has made Cushing who he is — and right now, that's among the best in Division I college baseball.

"I didn't commit until my senior year, and committed to a JUCO," he said. "But I was patient until I got my opportunity. There's a place for everybody to play. if you work hard, the cream rises to the top."

Cushing's story is also one of impact, and BYU's bullpen has showcased impact — even when the hype of the starting lineup and the blaring walk-out music isn't for you.

"They want the ball every single day," Pratt said. "I think that's the biggest thing: they want the ball, and they throw really good stuff. But the competitiveness and the fire in them; our team believes in them. I believe in them, and everyone believes in what they can do. Hopefully they can keep doing what they're doing and keep showing that."

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