SALT LAKE CITY – In a fitting way to open the home schedule at Smith's Ballpark,
Colter McAnelly tied the Utah baseball program record with 12 strikeouts as the Utes shut out Oklahoma State 11-0 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game Big 12 Conference series.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Utah (12-8, 1-3 Big 12), which belted out 14 hits on the night. On the flip side, McAnelly held the Cowboys to just five hits and three walks in his eight-inning start. He became the seventh player in recorded program history to strike out 12 batters and the first since Brett Brocoff did it in 2018.
It was the most strikeouts by a pitcher in Big 12 play this season.
Lucas Boesen relieved McAnelly (2-1) and tossed a 1-2-3 ninth.
Meanwhile, it was a team effort at the plate and defensively too for the Utes. Everyone in the lineup reached base safely and seven players had at least one hit; five had multi-hit performances. It was keyed by
Derek Smith's two-homer night that gave him six RBIs.
Austen Roellig drove in four runs as well, helped by a two-run double in the seventh inning.
Matt Flaharty extended his hitting streak to nine straight games.
Tyler Quinn, Roellig and
Santino Panaro each doubled.
Defensive highlights were aplenty throughout the game. Left fielder
Jake Long came up with a sliding catch in the first inning to help McAnelly work out of a leadoff double and Quinn also snared a line drive in the fifth inning with a runner on first; he tagged the bag for a double play. Right fielder
Kaden Carpenter came down with the final out of the ballgame, hustling into foul territory to track down a fly ball.
Both teams put men into scoring position early, but neither club could crack the run column until Smith's first homer in the fourth inning. Roellig led off with a single up the middle and
Cameron Gurney worked a walk before Smith turned on the 2-0 pitch and sent it onto the berm in left field for his second homer of the season. It gave Utah a 3-0 lead.
In the next inning, Quinn slapped a one-out double before Roellig sent a base hit up the middle to bring him home.
That 4-0 score remained until Utah added a six-spot in the seventh and batted around. Roellig had a double to the gap that plated Quinn and
Kaden Carpenter and three batters later, he scored on a two-bagger from Panaro for a 7-0 lead. Smith, the nine-hole hitter, followed him with his second blast of the night—this time off the light tower in left field.
Three base hits for Utah in the eighth were capped off by another RBI single for Roellig as
Core Jackson trotted home from third to bring the game to its final score of 11-0.
Next Up
Utah and the Cowboys will return to Smith's Ballpark for the middle game of this three-game series, with first pitch on Saturday set for 2 p.m. MT.
It'll be Community Heroes Day at the ballpark as the Utes recognize military members, first responders, healthcare workers and their families. In addition, the first 150 fans to enter the ballpark can pick up a free Under Armour beanie at the marketing table.
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Season and single-game tickets are on sale for the entirety of Utah's 2025 home schedule at Smith's Ballpark. Priced at $30, season tickets offer fans the best bargain breaking down to less than $2 per game, while single-game tickets are available at $10 for adults and $5 for youth.
Fans can contact the Utah Athletics Ticket Office via phone with questions at (801) 581-8849.
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