Y.'s youthful baseball team has high hopes

PROVO — In 2006, injuries and departures left a short-handed BYU baseball team starting as many as six freshmen on any given night.

While those freshmen adjusted to the brutal learning curve, the Cougars lost nine of their first 10 and the term "rebuilding year" was bandied about — until the team started winning.

That team recovered and went on to finish 33-28, second place in the Mountain West Conference.

With all that in mind, it's easy to see why head coach Vance Law isn't exactly sweating over this year's lineup, which is keeping the youth movement alive and well with two freshman, six sophomores and one senior starting on an ideal night.

"I think we're going to be an exciting team," Law said. "We've got a lot of speed, we've got an excellent pitching staff and I expect big things from us this year."

With that lineup, the team is off to a 3-2 start, and Law said he doesn't anticipate making any changes in the near future.

"If they play the way we think they're capable of playing, it will be pretty much those (young) guys," he said. "They're pretty talented but a little short on experience."

Highlighting the newcomers this year is junior college transfer Leon Johnson, a speedy sophomore center fielder who is hitting .381 as the leadoff man. Freshman third baseman Steve Parker has provided a big bat as well so far, starting all five games and leading the team in hitting with a .438 average.

Law is high on his young players but knows that the mental mistakes that come with youth are inevitable. To reduce those mistakes, he said practices have focused on putting players in every situation imaginable so nothing surprises them.

"They're hard workers," he said. "The inexperience part — they're going to make some mental mistakes once in a while, but you have to remind yourself that they haven't played as much."

With all the youth on board, the return of senior Apana Nakayama, who suffered a knee injury while playing in a summer league in Cape Cod in 2005, is all the more important. Coaches had hoped he would be able to return last season but held him out to ensure a full recovery.

Now, Nakayama is providing invaluable leadership to the team, Law said.