Chip away: Cougars slug 4 homers in 2nd win over Utah Valley in a week

OREM — BYU baseball made the five-mile drive Monday night along University Parkway to start the week against in-state rival Utah Valley, and the Cougars brought their hit sticks.

Crew McChesney went 3-for-4 with four runs scored and a home run, and BYU pounded out six of its 15 hits for extra bases en route to a 15-7 win over the Wolverines in front of 2,408 fans at UCCU Ballpark.

Chipper Beck hit 3-for-6 with two homers and four RBI for the Cougars (20-18), who upended a two-game losing skid after dropping two in Big 12 play to then-No. 22 Arizona over the weekend.

Not bad for the No. 9 hitter.

"I've been able to hit a lot of balls hard, and just right at people lately," said Beck, the two-time all-state honoree at Lone Peak who hit .370 with 28 RBI and six home runs two years ago at Salt Lake Community College. "I knew they'd start falling if I kept putting good swings on it.

"But that also just speaks to the team," he added. "This team's stacked with a lot of good hitters on it. They're really focused, disciplined, and worried about the process and getting our work in every day at the field, making sure we're getting our work in every day at the field."

Beck hasn't been playing much in 2025, head coach Trent Pratt admits. But the .250 hitter in seven games with 12 at-bats more than doubled his RBI output showed just how deep the BatCats can run on a team with four .300 hitters or better as well as Cooper Vest at .299 and McChesney at .287.

"Whenever his name is called, he's ready," Pratt said. "I'm proud of him and what he's done tonight. He did kind of spark us a little bit."

Beck hit two of four home runs on the evening for the Cougars, who also got dingers from McChesney and Vest. They also left 12 runners stranded before jumping back into Big 12 play, where BYU is 6-12 ahead of a road series at Arizona State.

"Winning always helps. Winning is hard, and people don't realize that sometimes. Winning midweek games are hard, too. You're throwing guys who haven't thrown a lot on both times, and winning gives you a little more belief."

Luke Iverson ripped a leadoff solo shot over the left-field fence for Utah Valley to help the Wolverines tie the game at 2-2 after the first inning.

But McChesney and Beck homered from back-to-back positions during a five-run second inning, and Beck added a two-run shot during a three-run third that lifted the Cougars to a 10-2 lead.

Landon Frei pulled back a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth for the Wolverines (25-16), whose bats went all-but quiet after scoring two runs in the first. Utah Valley loaded the bases twice with two outs in the fourth and fifth, but struck out looking both times.

Mason Strong plated two more with a homer in the sixth. But Brock Hurdsman drove in two more with a bases-loaded single to help the Cougars pull away for good in the seventh.

DJ Massey went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI, and also plated another run on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the seventh for the Wolverines, who have dropped five of their last six games including last week's 9-3 loss in Provo and two of a three-game series to Tarleton State — their first lost series in WAC play.

Cougar Cooke added a home run as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth for Utah Valley, which hit four of its eight hits outside the park.

BYU opens its three-game series Thursday at Arizona State (7:30 p.m. MDT, ESPN+) after sweeping its two-game season set with the Wolverines.

"These in-state games are really important to us," Beck said. "We try to protect our home turf; it's big, and I hope it trampolines us into the weekend, to go get a series win down in Tempe."

Utah Valley will try to rebound Tuesday when it hosts in-state rival Utah at UCCU Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT on ESPN+.

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