How good is BYU in other sports?
 

I don't care THAT much about the silly Deseret First Duel, but I really know very little about how good BYU is in the remaining sports for the competition. We need five more points to win. I'll just assume a loss in the next women's gymnastics competition.

Anyway - what are our chances in the following events?

Men's Baseball (worth 1.5 points, 4 games, 3 @ Utah).
Men's Tennis (worth 1 point, 1 game @ BYU).
Women's Tennis (worth 1 point, 1 game @ Utah).
Women's Softball (worth 1.5 points, 4 games, 2 each).

our baseball team stinks. they were good in the 80s but they are awful now. don't know about ute baseball, or even if it exists.

I think "the duel" is lame. If BYU doesn't win said duel after sweeping the only 2 sports anybody cares about then the duel is done. If Utah had swept us in football/basketball and we won the duel I'd be embarrassed.

BYU = Holders of the Deseret First Duel trophy. 'Nuff said!

BYU's baseball team is not what it used to be, that is for certain. Nowadays, it's not as bad as you make it sound.

Yes, Utah has a baseball team. The difference between Utah and BYU baseball isn't much these days, but BYU is a bit better.

It's just too tough to have a consistently good baseball program in a cold weather state.

That's like winning the plastic trophy for athletic events at a family reunion.

BYU has a better baseball team than Utah but neither one is stellar. However BYU does compete for the conference crown every year.

I do pay some attention to "minor" sports, although only a little to tennis.

In tennis, there are quite a few teams in Division I - roughly comparable to basketball. So the top 25 is a pretty big deal, and being in the top 75 (75 teams are ranked each week during the season) might be considered roughly equivalent to the same RPI ranking in basketball. BYU's mens team has spent most of the past six years ranked in the 55 to 75 range - their best end of season ranking was 61st in 2003. This year, they were ranked earlier in the season (73rd on 2/12), but are unranked now. Utah usually doesn't get ranked, but for the past couple of years, they have been in about the same category as BYU. They were ranked 70th on 2/5, but aren't now. So I'd say it appears to be a toss-up. (TCU is probably the MWC power, and is traditionally in the top 50, sometimes top 20 or even top 10. SDSU and UNM are traditionally in the 40 to 70 range, and CSU/Wyo don't field teams.)

All nine schools field women's teams, but CSU and Wyo don't field men's teams. More title IX casualities, I suppose...

BYU's womens team is currently 52nd, while Utah is right behind them at 53rd so call it a toss-up as well. Over the past six years, BYU is usually in the 20 to 50 range (finished 26th last year), but this year's team hasn't done as well. Utah, on the other hand, is almost never ranked, but they must be having a good year.

More than you ever wanted to know about college tennis, I'm sure.

Note that for the first time in my life, I paid some attention to the baseball team last year. We had 2-3 draftable pitchers (pitching is tough to get to come to a cold-weather state), all in their senior years.

We did very well, and were within an inning of winning the tournament against nationally-respected TCU before we gave up a big final inning and lost by one run.


Anyway, I don't believe our pitching is nearly as good this year. But that's the extent of my knowledge. I have no idea how we did in comparison to Utah, however, as I definitely don't follow Utah in any of those sports.