Completed Event: Baseball versus No. 11 seed Kansas State on May 19, 2026 , Loss , 5, to, 9
Final Score
Baseball
5
vs No. 11 seed Kansas State
9
The University of Utah Athletics
2011 Season Preview: Infield and Outfield
2/15/2011 12:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 15, 2011
Over the next two days, UtahUtes.com will preview the upcoming baseball season. We start today with the infielders and outfielders, followed by the catchers and pitchers tomorrow.
The 2011 Utah baseball team will look to combine youth with experience to have a strong final season in the Mountain West Conference.
The Utes return a solid core of players, including 2010 first-team junior All-America catcher C.J. Cron, three-year senior starter Michael Beltran, and all-conference senior pitcher Rick Anton. Utah is also excited about a solid class of newcomers that will be expected to make an immediate impact.
"Our team naturally revolves around C.J., and the ability that he brings to us offensively and defensively," Utah head coach Bill Kinneberg said. "No matter if he is playing catcher or first base, he is one of the better players in the country and that is going to help us win a lot of games this year.
Utah has a difficult schedule ahead with series against Cal, Arkansas, TCU and UAB. The Utes will also play in the prestigious Houston College Classic against powerhouses Texas A&M, Baylor and Kentucky. Also on the schedule is an exhibition game against the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees.
Infield
In the infield, the Utes return a solid core in Beltran, Cron, and Mark Moorman but have a tough task in replacing all-conference third-baseman Nick Kuroczko as well as two-year starter Tyler Yagi, who is on an LDS mission.
Beltran has started all three seasons at shortstop, but will look to move to second base for his senior season. He finished second on the team last year with a .338 batting average and led the MWC in stolen bases (16).
Cron and Moorman switched off regularly at first base last year, and will continue that rotation again this season. Moorman hit .241 in 37 games for Utah last year.
Newcomer James Brooks will move into the shortstop position. At Cochise College last season, Brooks was an all-region selection after leading the conference in runs scored and finishing second in hits.
At third base, freshman Trey Nielsen has quickly made an impact and looks to take over the starting role. The all-state selection out of Skyline High School hit .444 his senior season with 10 home runs.
Another freshman, Cory Hunt, will be looking to earn playing time in his first season as a backup in the infield. Hunt hit .453 with 11 doubles his senior year at Jordan High School, earning all-state honors. Senior Trent Johnson, who pitched in three games last year for Utah, will also play a role in the infield.
Outfield
The Utes lose all three starting outfielders from last season. Six different players will be fighting for time in the outfield. All six of them will see playing time as the season begins.
The most experienced returning player is junior Gavin Green, who started 15 games last year in the outfield during times when other players were injured. He hit .317 in 20 games for Utah.
 Gavin Green started 15 games in the outfield last season.  | |
A pair of newcomers who have been impressive early on are freshman Josh Alexander and junior transfer Shaun Cooper. Alexander, a 19th-round draft pick from last season, was an All-American in high school after hitting .518 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI as a senior. Cooper attended Arizona as a freshman in 2009 before spending last year at Pima College. He was an all-region player at Pima with a .330 batting average, 18 stolen bases and 44 RBI.
Junior Tyson Gonzalez sat out last season after an injury, but has been praised for his defensive ability. Gonzalez played at Salt Lake CC from 2006-07 before an LDS mission. He hit .286 with 18 stolen bases in 2007 for SLCC.
Senior Austin Shackelford also has experience, starting six games in the outfield last year. Another player who returns from a mission is sophomore Tyler Relf, who started 24 games his freshman year in 2008.
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