Utes Win First Baseball Series of 2026 as Final Game Is Canceled by Weather

Utah baseball got it done in Fresno to start their 2026 campaign.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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In their opening series of the 2026 season, the Utah Utes took two of three games on the road against the reigning Fresno State Bulldogs, the defending champions of the Mountain West Conference, in Fresno. The Utes capitalized on early-season mistakes by the Bulldogs and never looked back, playing with confidence and control throughout the series.

Why it matters

Despite being picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference, the Utes showed flashes of potential on the road against the reigning Mountain West champions, which is never an easy task in college baseball.

The details

On Friday, Utah's outfielder Jake Long hit a first-inning home run to boost the Utes to an 8-3 win. Utes first baseman Cam Gurney and leadoff hitter Jet Gilliam had multi-hit games. On Saturday, Utah's four-run second inning proved to be enough in their nail-biting 5-4 win. The Utes' top three hitters in the lineup each turned in two-hit performances. On Sunday, Fresno State's nine-run first inning proved to be too much for Utah to overcome, despite a late rally, as the Utes lost 14-8.

  • The Utah Utes started their 2026 season on February 14, 2026.
  • The three-game series against Fresno State took place from February 14-16, 2026.
  • The final game of the series on February 16, 2026 was canceled due to weather.

The players

Jake Long

An outfielder for the Utah Utes who hit a first-inning home run in the Friday game.

Colter McAnelly

The ace pitcher for the Utah Utes who threw five innings of one-unearned-run ball in the Friday game.

Cam Gurney

The first baseman for the Utah Utes who had a strong series, including a 2-for-4 performance with a double, triple, two walks, and two runs scored in the Friday game.

Jet Gilliam

The leadoff hitter for the Utah Utes who also had a 2-for-4 game with a run and an RBI in the Friday game.

Anson McGorman

The starting pitcher for the Utah Utes in the Sunday game who struggled, recording just two outs before being lifted.

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What’s next

The Utah Utes will get a four-day break after the cancellation of their final game against Fresno State. Next up is a three-game road trip to San Diego for the Tony Gwynn Series, where they'll take on the San Diego Toreros, San Diego State Aztecs, and Creighton Blue Jays.

The takeaway

Despite being picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference, the Utah Utes showed they can compete on the road against the reigning Mountain West champions, winning two of three games in the series. This early-season success against a quality opponent should give the Utes confidence as they look to prove the doubters wrong in their first season in the Big 12.