Utah baseball players charged with felony for painting BYU sign

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- What was intended as a prank in the Utah-Brigham Young rivalry now has a group of Ute baseball players facing punishment much more severe than either school could dish out.
Painting red "U"s on the "Y" on the mountainside overlooking the BYU campus in Provo got the players charged with a felony. Defense attorneys are trying to get it reduced, but so far it's standing and a court hearing is scheduled for June 21.
"I'll be the first to admit we should be punished. There should have been something done," pitcher Ryan Breska said Thursday. "But a second-degree felony charge seems a little much."
Mischief charge
Breska, a reliever who graduated last month, and seven others are charged with second-degree felony mischief, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Breska was arrested May 10 when he went to pick up pictures taken as the "Y" was painted April 30, the night before the Utes wrapped up a three-game series at BYU.
"We did it in the hopes that it would be there for our next game on Saturday, just to add some fire to the rivalry -- not that it needs much," Breska said.
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