PROVO, Utah – After winning the 2018 West Coast Conference title on Saturday to secure the 2018 NCAA Regionals automatic bid, BYU softball will head to the Eugene Regional, starting with a matchup against Drake on Thursday.
"We are excited to be playing in the NCAA tournament again this season," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "Oregon has passionate fans and one of the best softball venues in the country. It’s a strong regional and will be a great test. We are ready."
The Cougars (35-20, 13-1 WCC) are making their 14th-consecutive NCAA Regionals appearance and 15th in program history. They won the WCC championship for the fifth-straight year and the 10th title in a row overall, spanning four different conferences.
The Eugene Regional will take place Thursday through Saturday and includes host-team No. 1 Oregon (47-7, 21-3), Albany (30-14, 13-4) and Drake (43-10, 24-1) in addition to BYU. A four-team, double-elimination tournament will take place at each of the 16 regional sites, with each winning team advancing to the Super Regionals.
In 2017, the Cougars played in the Salt Lake City Regional where they picked up wins over Mississippi State and Fordham but fell twice to No. 16/17 Utah.
BYU and Drake will play at 3:00 p.m. PDT. The game will be streamed on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app. The remaining schedule is as follows (all times PDT):
Thursday, May 17:
3:00 p.m. – BYU vs. Drake
5:30 p.m. – Oregon vs. Albany
Friday, May 18:
3:00 p.m. – Game 3 (winners from Thursday)
5:30 p.m. – Game 4 (losers from Thursday)
8:00 p.m. – Game 5 (Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser)
Saturday, May 20:
4:00 p.m. – Regional Final
6:30 p.m. – Regional Final Game 2 (if necessary)
LINKS OF NOTE
OPPONENTS OUTLOOK
Drake Bulldogs (43-10, 24-1 Missouri Valley Conference)
- The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 43-10 record, including a 24-1 record and conference title in the Missouri Valley Conference.
- BYU has a 2-0 series record against Drake, having beat the Bulldogs 2-1 in 2008 and 12-1 in 2004.
No. 1 Oregon Ducks (47-7, 21-3 Pac-12)
- The Ducks finished first in the Pac-12 with a 21-3 conference record and a 47-7 overall record.
- BYU has a 4-10 all-time series record against Oregon. The two teams last faced each other in the 2015 Eugene Regional as the Ducks won 8-0.
Albany Great Danes (30-14, 13-4 America East)
- The Great Danes finished the regular season with a 30-14 record, including a 14-3 record and first-place finish in the America East.
- BYU has never faced Albany.