BYU baseball: Coach Law will be done after Saturday's final game vs. Gonzaga

So that's how it ended. Officially, anyway.

A 13-1 loss Friday night to also-middling Gonzaga at Miller Field, and then shortly after BYU sent out a media release that Vance Law's tenure as the baseball team's head coach would be over.

His contract would not be renewed, in official terms.

The Cougars wrap up the year with a 1 p.m. start Saturday against GU.

BYU is 397-342-2 under Law since 2000, which looks and sounds about right. His teams tended to play around .500 ball, especially the last five seasons. Win one, lose one. The last time BYU made the NCAA Tournament, 2002, was also the last time they won a conference title (regular season or postseason).

BYU had decent hopes entering its first year in the West Coast Conference. It has been mostly strong showings for Cougar teams in their new league. It was pretty evident Law was being watched. He needed a strong season after a string of so-so springs.

But BYU fell to 10-13 and 22-26 overall. A three-game series in which it was swept in Provo by nationally ranked San Diego in early May showed just how far the program has fallen behind. Law's team was outscored 39-15.

True, BYU faced some injuries this year. And Law had to suspend three players in the middle of the season. But even at the May 2 point of that decision, right before the San Diego series started, BYU was an 18-18 team.

Law is easily one of the more well-known names in the coaching ranks at BYU. He had a major league career that included an All-Star nomination. P

But his success rate at BYU, especially over the last five years, simply did not fit in with the on-field winning culture that athletic director Tom Holmoe has insisted upon.

Baseball is arguably the most complicated sport at BYU. Mission service and a colder-weather climate can be difficult to manage. But also, there's the possibility of losing top-flight LDS talent because of the major-league rule that makes it easier to become a professional if players forego a Division-I career.

BYU, however, still had four all-Americans under Law. The overall scope of on-field player development was slim at best in recent years, especially if the major-league draft is an indication.

What certainly had to affect his case ? negatively, in fact ? was how well neighboring Utah Valley has played this year.

At one point the Wolverines won 32 consecutive games.

That included a 14-11 win May 1 against BYU.?

There will certainly be BYU fans, and administration, that figure UVU shouldn't be able to compete so favorably as it did with the Cougars in recent years. Both teams have excellent facilities, though BYU's inside track to an NCAA Tournament bid ?UVU's success in a very new Great West Conference may still not be afforded that chance ? should have given it an advantage.

It hasn't in recent years, however, and UVU's perceived over-achieving had to have Holmoe definitely feeling like BYU could be capable of more under new leadership.

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