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
Position Breakdown: Infield
2/7/2019 9:41 AM | Baseball
Three of Four Starters Return in the Infield
The start of baseball season is Friday, February 15 as Bill Kinneberg enters his 16th season as the head coach at Utah.
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After taking a look at the outfield earlier in the week, now it's time to look at infield.
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Three of the four starters from the infield are back this year led by second baseman Oliver Dunn as well as Rykker Tom and Matt Richardson.
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Dunn earned 2018 honorable mention All-Pac 12 honors after hitting .319 and finishing with four home runs and 31 RBI. He enters his junior season having started 104 games in his first two seasons with the Utes.
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"Oliver is setup to have a really, really good year," Kinneberg said. "He's been swinging it really well and is an all-around good player that could be a pretty good draft pick this year as well."
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Dunn helped the Wareham Gatemen win the 2018 Cape Cod Baseball League Championship last summer.
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Tom enters his redshirt sophomore season after starting 54 games a season ago at third. He hit .298 with a .754 OPS while finishing third on the team with 29 RBI.
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Heading into the season, there is a battle playing out at short stop between Matt Richardson and Chase Fernlund. Richardson started 48 games in 2018 as a freshman. He hit .236 and finished with 23 RBI.
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Fernlund is a junior college transfer from Feather City College and is originally from Baker City, Oregon. In high school, he was a three-time state champ and was named 4A State Baseball Player of the Year as well as First Team All-State honors. At Feather River, he was named to the GCG All-Academic Team as well as the GVC Second Team All-Conference after hitting .337 and scoring 44 runs as well as knocking in 39 RBI.
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Shea Kramer filled in behind the plate in 2018, but has made the switch to first base for 2019. He got good playing experience starting in 31 games and seeing action in 37. He hit .225 with 20 RBI. A freshman has also emerged at first base in Christian Almanza. He will get some time at first as well.Â
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"Shea at first is going to develop into a very good first basemen, but he's being challenged by a freshman Christan Almanza who will see some time early in the year as a DH left handed power hitter," Kinneberg said. "We look forward to seeing him as a hitter. He's got to improve some defensively, but he has a chance to be a really good division I player."
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Almanza is from Stockton, California. He was named Tri City Athletic League Most Valuable Offensive Player as a junior at St. Mary's HS after leading the league with a .467 batting average.
Overall, this group combined to start in 188 games last season, so they will carry that playing experience with them into to 2019.
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After taking a look at the outfield earlier in the week, now it's time to look at infield.
Â
Three of the four starters from the infield are back this year led by second baseman Oliver Dunn as well as Rykker Tom and Matt Richardson.
Â
Dunn earned 2018 honorable mention All-Pac 12 honors after hitting .319 and finishing with four home runs and 31 RBI. He enters his junior season having started 104 games in his first two seasons with the Utes.
Â
"Oliver is setup to have a really, really good year," Kinneberg said. "He's been swinging it really well and is an all-around good player that could be a pretty good draft pick this year as well."
Â
Dunn helped the Wareham Gatemen win the 2018 Cape Cod Baseball League Championship last summer.
Â
Tom enters his redshirt sophomore season after starting 54 games a season ago at third. He hit .298 with a .754 OPS while finishing third on the team with 29 RBI.
Â
Heading into the season, there is a battle playing out at short stop between Matt Richardson and Chase Fernlund. Richardson started 48 games in 2018 as a freshman. He hit .236 and finished with 23 RBI.
Â
Fernlund is a junior college transfer from Feather City College and is originally from Baker City, Oregon. In high school, he was a three-time state champ and was named 4A State Baseball Player of the Year as well as First Team All-State honors. At Feather River, he was named to the GCG All-Academic Team as well as the GVC Second Team All-Conference after hitting .337 and scoring 44 runs as well as knocking in 39 RBI.
Â
Shea Kramer filled in behind the plate in 2018, but has made the switch to first base for 2019. He got good playing experience starting in 31 games and seeing action in 37. He hit .225 with 20 RBI. A freshman has also emerged at first base in Christian Almanza. He will get some time at first as well.Â
Â
"Shea at first is going to develop into a very good first basemen, but he's being challenged by a freshman Christan Almanza who will see some time early in the year as a DH left handed power hitter," Kinneberg said. "We look forward to seeing him as a hitter. He's got to improve some defensively, but he has a chance to be a really good division I player."
Â
Almanza is from Stockton, California. He was named Tri City Athletic League Most Valuable Offensive Player as a junior at St. Mary's HS after leading the league with a .467 batting average.
Overall, this group combined to start in 188 games last season, so they will carry that playing experience with them into to 2019.
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