Upcoming Event: Baseball versus Vanderbilt on October 10, 2025 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Baseball
vs Vanderbilt
Sunday, February 16
Malibu, Calif.
2 p.m.
University of Utah
3-0
10
at
4
Pepperdine
0-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Utah
3
4
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
10
16
2
Pepperdine
0
0
1
0
0
3
0
0
0
4
6
1
Utah Baseball Secures Series Victory at Pepperdine
2/16/2025 8:56 PM | Baseball
Utes pick up 10-4 win and look for four-game sweep on Monday
MALIBU, Calif. – Six members of the Utah baseball team had multiple hits as the Utes secured a series victory over Pepperdine with a 10-4 win on Sunday at Eddy D. Field Stadium. Utah can go for the four-game sweep on Monday afternoon.
Merit Jones (1-0) made his first start of the season, delivering six innings of four-run ball on five hits and two walks, while striking out five Waves. Freshman Easton Jones made his collegiate debut to relieve Merit Jones, earning a save with a three-inning performance.
Easton Jones allowed just a base hit in his outing while striking out three.
Core Jackson was 3-for-6 with an RBI, two stolen bases and two runs scored, extending his hitting streak to 11 games dating back to last season. Cameron Gurney was 3-for-4 as well before exiting the game due to injury.
Gurney, Jake Long and Santino Panaro all doubled.
Utah's hot bats resulted in crooked numbers going on the scoreboard early for the Utes. Jackson kick-started the club in the first inning with a first-pitch single, before stealing second and scoring on a two-run double from Gurney that plated Tyler Quinn as well. Gurney himself would later score on a groundout from Long for a 3-0 Utah lead.
Merit Jones worked around a pair of first inning walks to get Utah back to the bats, and the Utes picked up where they left off. After Derek Smith walked to load the bases and turn the lineup over, Matt Flaharty grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Kaden Carpenter to score. Santino Panaro would eventually score on a wild pitch before Jackson sent a base knock up the middle, plating Flaharty.
Still with one out, Jackson stole second base and was able to take third on the play as a result of a wild pitch. Gurney then put a single through the right side to bring him home and swell the Utes' lead to 7-0.
In the fourth, Utah tacked on three more thanks to some timely hitting. A pair of one-out base hits set the stage for Long to single to center field for an RBI. Gurney scored again--this time via an Austen Roellig groundout. Two batters later, Panaro smacked an 0-1 pitch down the left field line on a ball that was ruled foul, but overturned to an RBI double upon official review.
Pepperdine got three runs back in its half of the sixth inning, using a pair of two-out singles to set up a three-run homer as the score moved to its final line of 10-4.
Easton Jones tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning, then worked around an error in the eighth to leave the Utes just three outs away from the win. After a one-out single in the ninth, he induced a 5-4-3 double play to wrap up the ballgame.
Next Up
Utah will look to secure the four-game series sweep on Monday with first pitch at 1 p.m. MT inside Eddy D. Field Stadium.
Follow Utah Baseball
Follow Utah baseball on social media (@utahbaseball).
Merit Jones (1-0) made his first start of the season, delivering six innings of four-run ball on five hits and two walks, while striking out five Waves. Freshman Easton Jones made his collegiate debut to relieve Merit Jones, earning a save with a three-inning performance.
Easton Jones allowed just a base hit in his outing while striking out three.
Core Jackson was 3-for-6 with an RBI, two stolen bases and two runs scored, extending his hitting streak to 11 games dating back to last season. Cameron Gurney was 3-for-4 as well before exiting the game due to injury.
Gurney, Jake Long and Santino Panaro all doubled.
Utah's hot bats resulted in crooked numbers going on the scoreboard early for the Utes. Jackson kick-started the club in the first inning with a first-pitch single, before stealing second and scoring on a two-run double from Gurney that plated Tyler Quinn as well. Gurney himself would later score on a groundout from Long for a 3-0 Utah lead.
Merit Jones worked around a pair of first inning walks to get Utah back to the bats, and the Utes picked up where they left off. After Derek Smith walked to load the bases and turn the lineup over, Matt Flaharty grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Kaden Carpenter to score. Santino Panaro would eventually score on a wild pitch before Jackson sent a base knock up the middle, plating Flaharty.
Still with one out, Jackson stole second base and was able to take third on the play as a result of a wild pitch. Gurney then put a single through the right side to bring him home and swell the Utes' lead to 7-0.
In the fourth, Utah tacked on three more thanks to some timely hitting. A pair of one-out base hits set the stage for Long to single to center field for an RBI. Gurney scored again--this time via an Austen Roellig groundout. Two batters later, Panaro smacked an 0-1 pitch down the left field line on a ball that was ruled foul, but overturned to an RBI double upon official review.
Pepperdine got three runs back in its half of the sixth inning, using a pair of two-out singles to set up a three-run homer as the score moved to its final line of 10-4.
Easton Jones tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning, then worked around an error in the eighth to leave the Utes just three outs away from the win. After a one-out single in the ninth, he induced a 5-4-3 double play to wrap up the ballgame.
Next Up
Utah will look to secure the four-game series sweep on Monday with first pitch at 1 p.m. MT inside Eddy D. Field Stadium.
Follow Utah Baseball
Follow Utah baseball on social media (@utahbaseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jones, Merit (1-0)
L: Stewart, Dylan (0-1)
S: Jones, Easton (1)
Batting:
2B: Gurney, Cameron 1 ; Long, Jake 1 ; Panaro, Santino 1
RBI: Flaharty, Matt 1 ; Jackson, Core 1 ; Gurney, Cameron 3 ; Long, Jake 2 ; Roellig, Austen 1 ; Panaro, Santino 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Flaharty, Matt 1 ; Jackson, Core 2 ; Quinn, Tyler 2 ; Gurney, Cameron 2 ; Long, Jake 1 ; Carpenter, Kaden 1 ; Panaro, Santino 1
SB: Flaharty, Matt 1 ; Jackson, Core 2
CS: Jackson, Core 1
HBP: Flaharty, Matt 1 ; Carpenter, Kaden 1
Batting:
HR: Nunez, Julian 1 ; Buckner, Finley 1
RBI: Nunez, Julian 1 ; Buckner, Finley 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Nunez, Julian 1 ; Bernal, Max 1 ; Conley, Cam 1 ; Buckner, Finley 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballProgress check at Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark
Tuesday, August 12
Seven New Inductees to Join Utah Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2025
Monday, July 28
Utah Baseball's Core Jackson | Player Feature
Friday, May 16
University of Utah Athletics - A Storied History
Friday, August 02