A Season of Milestones
Jake Long, a junior outfielder who transferred to the University of Utah from California, was recently named to the 2026 ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region Second Team, a recognition that underscores his rapid rise in collegiate baseball.
Long’s impact went far beyond the honor roll; he started every one of Utah’s 51 games this season and helped the team post a .307 batting average, the highest the program has recorded since 2008. His consistency at the plate was highlighted by a 21-game hitting streak that stretched from late February through the end of March.
During that streak he logged a cycle against Kansas State on March 29, becoming only the third player in Utah history to achieve the feat and the first non-SEC player to do so this year. The performance contributed to a series of four straight home series victories at America First Ballpark, a run that culminated in a program-best 16 home wins.
Long’s statistical climb was equally impressive. He vaulted into the Big 12’s top ten in batting average, hits, hits per game and RBIs, and ranked among the conference leaders in slugging percentage, on-base percentage and doubles. His improvement across those metrics marked him as one of the Big 12’s most enhanced players from the previous season.
The outfielder’s contributions also placed him among a select group of Utah alumni who have earned All-Region honors in recent years, making him the third Ute in the past three seasons to receive that distinction. His rise reflects a broader resurgence of the program, which has seen its most successful home schedule in decades.