ARLINGTON, Texas — During the offseason, Justin Sterner is a regular attendee at BYU basketball games. And the ex-Cougar, now in his second season as a reliever with the A’s, admits it’s cool to see how much attention Cougar basketball is garnering with Egor Dëmin just completing an impressive rookie season in the NBA and AJ Dybantsa potentially being the No. 1 pick in the draft come June.
“It’s awesome. It’s fun to be a part of it,” Sterner said. “Getting to watch him (Dybantsa) play basketball at BYU, went to a few games (last season). My dad has three (season tickets), so pretty much any chance I got before spring training started, would go out there to the Marriott Center and watch them play. (I went to) a couple of the early ones and then some conference games. Big 12 basketball is awesome.”
And since the A’s will call Sacramento home for at least this season and next as their new ballpark in Las Vegas is being built, Sterner would love to see Dybantsa drafted by the crosstown Kings, who tied for the NBA’s fourth-worst record last season, so he wouldn’t have far to travel to support his fellow Cougar.
“It’s fun to watch people who are extremely skilled and talented like that,” Sterner said. “BYU is getting to a point now where sports and athletics are a huge part. It does a lot for the school, and it does a lot for the church, especially a guy like AJ, who is not a member of the church but represents BYU so well.”
“You can tell he’s got a good head on his shoulders and is just fun to watch. Fun to follow him. He would be a good pick by the Kings (if they have the No. 1 pick). Will probably come out to a couple of ballgames (if he ends up in Sacramento).
“It’s fun to have all sorts of people represented by BYU and I feel like I can give back to BYU whenever I can because it helped me so much,” he continued. “I’m sure he (Dybantsa) feels the same way. Obviously, Egor (Demin) is still a huge BYU fan, still represents them and has only good things to say. It’s really cool to be a part of that and to feel like I can be a little bit more of a fan of his going forward.”
Reppin’ the Y
Along with Daniel Schneemann — who, like Sterner, made his big-league debut in 2024 — he’s one of two BYU products currently in the major leagues; however, Sterner hopes to see that fraternity add some new members soon.
“There’s a few guys grinding in the minor leagues that are close. Spent a lot of time with them in the offseason because we’re all in Utah,” Sterner said. “It’s just cool. Schnee and I played together for one year. Again, it’s just fun to be able to represent BYU and feel like I’m a part of something bigger.
“BYU is getting to a point now where sports and athletics are a huge part. It does a lot for the school, and it does a lot for the church, especially a guy like AJ, who is not a member of the church but represents BYU so well.”
— A's pitcher Justin Sterner
“To know that there’s people that are cheering me on from Utah and BYU, it’s a special thing. BYU’s a special place, and to be able to represent the university and all the good things it stands for, it’s pretty cool.”
And even though they have both been in the show for multiple seasons now, Schneemann and Sterner have yet to face one another, something else which the affable righty hopes changes in 2026.
“The funny thing is we face each other a lot in the offseason. He knows what I’m going to throw him and I know what he’s going to be looking for,” Sterner said. “It’ll be a fun thing if it does get to happen. Hopefully that opportunity comes about because, yeah, it’d be pretty fun to face him.”
In 2024, he made two appearances for the Rays and that offseason was claimed by the A’s off waivers. Sterner made the A’s opening day roster last season, appearing in 59 games, including one as an opener, and finished 4-4 with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.
Now no longer officially a rookie, he has found his comfort zone in Year 2 as an Athletic.
Looking for balance
“A lot of growth (last year). The highs and lows of this game are just unforgiving, and the successes are so fun,” he said. “Trying to find that balance of being even-keeled, being the same person every day regardless of what happened the day before.
“We play so many games, so it’s good in a way where if you have a bad one, you can’t really hang onto it too long because you’ve got to be ready the next day,” he continued. “Just the growth and more comfort, knowing I’ve shown that I can be a good asset to a team. Knowing I belong is really good, the mental is a huge part of this game also, having confidence.
“You can’t really play the game as a fan. My first year, last year, a couple of guys came to the plate and I was like holy crap, I’m pitching to this guy. This year, there’s none of that. That’s gone, which is a good thing. Just trying to build, I want to be a part of this game as long as I can, so doing what I can every day to work hard and keep it going.”
A’s manager Mark Kotsay concurs that 2025 was a great growth year for Sterner and he has enjoyed seeing the BYU product progress from an unknown commodity to a now-trusted and integral piece of his bullpen going forward.
“Last year was a growth year, a good year,” Kotsay said. “There was a lot of growth in understanding what it takes to pitch out of a bullpen in the big leagues versus the minor leagues. This year, he’s gotten off to a pretty good start. Just a consistent guy who can go down and pitch multiple innings. He can come in with runners on and get out of jams, which he had a lot of success with last year. The biggest thing for Justin in our pen is just the confidence he’s built over the last year-plus.”
Cougar Nation
Regardless of whether it was his cup of coffee with the Rays, his time the A’s or his rise up the ladder in the Tampa Bay farm system, one thing which has never changed is the great support he’s always received from BYU fans across the country. “It’s awesome. It’s special because it’s not a common thing, just another thing about BYU that makes it so special is that fans are everywhere,” Sterner said.
“It’s always the best, to have those interactions. Had some cool ones recently, like where someone said, ‘It’s so cool that you served a mission; I’m going on mine in a couple months.’ That’s a cool thing. At the time I’m going on my mission, I’m doing it because I feel it’s the right thing to do, and now, I can be an example to younger kids that are hoping to do the same thing. It’s just a special thing.
“Obviously, the relationships that you build through BYU are forever because BYU fans are all so super passionate about the sports that they follow. Yeah, it’s just another great aspect about BYU.”
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.