IRVING, Texas — BYU softball's Huntyr Ava was named to the Big 12 Preseason All-Conference Team, the league announced on Thursday afternoon.
The first baseman out of Rosepark, Utah returns for a fifth and final year in Provo, coming off a 2023 season in which she was named West Coast Conference (WCC) Player of the Year, to the All-WCC First Team and NFCA All-Region Third Team.
Ava led the team last season with a .746 slugging percentage, 50 RBI and 16 home runs. She also recorded the team’s second-best batting average (.328) and tallied 44 hits, 26 runs scored, 20 walks drawn and eight doubles, recording a .429 on-base percentage and .995 fielding percentage.
2024 Big 12 Softball Preseason Team
Shaylon Govan, BU, INF, Jr.*
Huntyr Ava, BYU, 1B, Sr.
Sarah Willis, UCF, P/OF, Sr.
Turiya Coleman, UH, IF/C, Jr.
Milaysia Ochoa, ISU, OF, Sr.
Rylie Boone, OU, OF, Sr.
Alyssa Brito, OU, UTL, Sr.
Jayda Coleman, OU, OF, Sr.
Kinzie Hansen, OU, C, Sr.
Tiare Jennings, OU, INF, Sr.*
Kelly Maxwell, OU, P, R-Sr.
Nicole May, OU, P, Sr.
Lexi Kilfoyl, OSU, P, Gr.
Citlaly Gutierrez, UT, P, So.
Ashton Maloney, UT, OF, R-So.
Viviana Martinez, UT, SS/2B, So.
Mac Morgan, UT, P, Jr.
Mia Scott, UT, IF, Jr.*
Kailey Wyckoff, TTU, C/OF, So.
*Indicates unanimous selection
A tie created an extra position on the team. Players are sorted alphabetically by school.
The Big 12 released its preseason poll on Wednesday afternoon, with the Cougars picked to finish seventh out of 10 teams. BYU will open its 2024 campaign at the University of Hawaii's Paradise Classic. Conference play will commence on March 7 and run through May 5, before the league tournament is held in Oklahoma City from May 8-11.