LAWRENCE, Kansas (March 5, 2016)—Nate Favero’s two-run homer in the ninth inning allowed Mason Marshall to slam the the door shut Saturday in a 7-6 BYU baseball win at Kansas.

That victory gave the Cougars a three-game sweep over the Jayhawks (3-7), a dozen career saves for Marshall (second in Cougar records) and a 10-1 team record for the best start in school history.

Favero homered on the first pitch, sending the baseball off the scoreboard in right field as pinch-runner Court Iorg scooted across the plate. Colton Shaver, who batted 4-for-5 on the day, started that inning with a ground-rule double.

Marshall was the second reliever of the final inning, taking the mound with one out and Jayhawks on the corners. Marshall struck out Colby Wright on three “straight” pitches, then got his second batter to ground out to third base to preserve the win for reliever Keaton Cenatiempo (1-0).

“I couldn't be more proud of the way Keaton (Cenatiempo) threw this week, and Mason (Marshall) was lights out again today in a big time pressure situation,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. ““This team just won't quit. They believe they can win and will fight until the last bell.”

The Cougars spotted a 3-0 lead to Kansas and battled back three times for leads of 4-3, 5-4 and finally 7-6. Cenatiempo no-hit seven Jayhawks after replacing lefty Hayden Rogers in the seventh when the score favored Kansas, 6-5.

“Colton (Shaver) and Nate (Favero) really stepped up for us offensively, but everyone in the lineup put together great at bats throughout the game,” Littlewood said.

All the BYU starters collected at least one hit, but one of the bigger ones came in the fifth inning when Shaver belted a three-run homer on a 2-1 pitch. Shaver’s dinger, the second of the season, caused the Jayhawk centerfielder to give chase then watch it sail over the fence for BYU’s first lead of the game, 4-3.

Another came in the sixth when Eric Urry’s double bounded over the right field wall, preventing a second run from scoring as Brennon Anderson had to remain at third base with a 5-4 lead.

The Cougars return to Provo to open the home season with a 12-game stand, starting with Utah Valley on Tuesday at 6 p.m. That game will be streamed live over TheW.tv and through BYU radio and Sirius Satellite 143.

“This team is ready to come back home and open up at Miller Park in Tuesday,” Littlewood said. “Utah Valley is much improved from last year and we know we have our work cut out.” 

Extending the best start ever for BYU baseball is the goal as the 7-1 Cougars fly to Kansas for a three-game series starting Thursday.

West Coast Conference pitcher of the week Michael Rucker (2-0, 1.38) will start Thursday and Maverik Buffo (1-0, 1.93) will be on the mound Friday for the Cougars. Both games start at 3 p.m., CST.

BYU coach Mike Littlewood has not announced who will start Saturday’s game, which has now been moved up to 11 a.m., CST, due to the Kansas-Iowa State basketball game.

Kansas, 3-4, just finished its fourth game this week at the Big12/Pac12 Challenge tournament in Arizona with a 1-3 record. The three games for BYU at Kansas will be streamed online through ESPN3.

“Coach (Ritch) Price does a great job with his team and Kansas will be a very good team despite their 3-4 record,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “Our goal is to go to Kansas, continue playing solid baseball and finish off a tough three weeks of travel on a high note before coming back to Provo for a long stretch of games at home. “

The Cougars got off to a 6-0 start before losing the nightcap of a doubleheader at Samford.

Previous best starts by BYU baseball were 10-2 in 1988; 9-2 in 1980; 8-2 in 1984 and 1992; 7-2 in 1973, 1989 and 1990; 9-3 in 1969 and 1994; 8-3 in 1983, 1993 and 2007; and 7-3 in 1998. The 1990 and 1989 BYU teams also started with 10-3 and 12-3 records, respectively.

BYU is ranked No. 2 in the nation with 102 hits, with Cougar centerfielder Brennon Lund ranked No. 1 in the NCAA with his 19 hits.

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