These BYU and Utah baseball players have earned All-Big 12 honors

As BYU and Utah prepare for their respective Big 12 baseball tournament games on Tuesday, six of their players have earned awards from the league. Utes left fielder Jake Long was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team, along with Cougars first baseman Ezra McNaughton and relief pitcher Ashton Johnson. Additionally, Utah second baseman Cal Miller, center fielder Jet Gilliam and Cameron Gurney received Honorable Mention honors. Miller was also selected to the All-Freshman Team, while Johnson was named Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. Utes made progress in second Big 12 season. Can they win in first-ever Big 12 tournament appearance? Long ranked as a top-10 batter within the conference, posting a .369 average with 11 home runs, 14 doubles and 56 runs batted in. In his first season with the Utes, Gilliam hit .393 in Big 12 play, drove in 36 runs and played stellar defense in center field. Gurney batted .357, reached base 46% of the time and had multiple hits in 20 contests. The freshman Miller had a .345 average and 20 extra-base hits in his first taste of collegiate competition, while also playing error-free defense against conference foes. Cougars complete best Big 12 campaign to date, ready for conference tournament Another accomplished Big 12 bat, McNaughton led BYU with a .342 average, 15 home runs, 16 doubles, 76 hits and 51 runs batted in. Johnson made 22 appearances on the mound, recording two wins, five saves, 45 strikeouts and a 4.24 earned run average. In the classroom, Johnson has earned a 3.80 grade point average as a neuroscience major. BYU will play Texas Tech Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. MDT in the Big 12 tournament’s first round, with Utah facing Kansas State immediately after at 9 p.m. The Big 12 tournament is being played in Surprise, Arizona.