PROVO, Utah — After consecutive weeks at home, BYU softball travels to Florida for a three-game set at UCF this week.
| BYU @ UCF | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Live Stream | Live Stats |
| Thursday, April 4 | 6 p.m. EDT | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| Friday, April 5 | 6 p.m. EDT | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
| Saturday, April 6 | Noon EDT | Big 12 Now on ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
Both new members of the Big 12 this season, the Cougars and Knights are tied for fifth in the conference entering their series.
Not just a new face to the league, UCF is also the only opponent this season that BYU head coach Gordon Eakin has yet to face in his 22-year career.
The Cougars’ road trip out east will also mark the return of BYU left fielder Maddie Bejarano to Orlando. She spent the first three years of her collegiate career with the Knights before transferring to Provo following the 2022 season.
After going 3-1 last week with a road win at Utah Tech and the program’s first Big 12 series win over Houston, earned in dramatic extra-inning walk-off grand slam fashion, BYU picked up another midweek run-rule victory over Utah Tech, this time at home.
The Cougars took an early 1-0 lead before finding themselves in a 4-1 hole after three and a half innings. Putting up a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth, fueled by Aleia Agbayani’s first home run of the season, BYU tied things up, before running away with it in the fifth.
Batting around the order and doing most of their damage with two outs, the Cougars received a two-home homer from Ailana Agbayani before a walk-off bases-clearing double by Lily Owens closed things out, 12-4.
The Agbayani sisters, Aleia and Ailana, combined to go 5-of-6 from the plate with two long bombs, a double and six RBI. Owens had a productive day at the plate as well, tallying three hits with one run scored.
As a team, BYU hit .500 in the game with four doubles, tying a season high, and drew three walks with two players reaching base after being hit by pitches. The Cougars upped their season batting average to .339 after Tuesday evening’s performance, which ranks third in league behind No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 4/5 Texas. BYU also has the third-lowest strikeout total (118) behind the same pair.
Now having won four of their last five games after two weeks in the state of Utah, and back-to-back home series’ in conference, the Cougars will hit the road again for their second Big 12 road trip of the season.
UCF Knights (18-15, 4-8 Big 12)
- The Knights swept a doubleheader against North Florida on Tuesday after winning their series at Texas Tech last week.
- This weekend's series will mark the first meeting between the two teams as BYU and UCF have never met in softball. The Cougars have a 9-0 record in competition against the Knights across Division I sports this season.
- BYU head coach Gordon Eakin is 218-135 (.618) on the road during his tenure and 266-75 (.780) in conference play while at the helm.
Following the Cougars' trip east, they will return to the state of Utah for a road midweek game at Utah Valley on Tuesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. MDT.