PROVO, Utah — BYU softball makes its annual trip to Palm Springs this week, with five games on deck at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
The Cougars, making their 19th appearance in 27 seasons, will play CSUN, Hawai'i, Long Beach State, Auburn and RV/No. 24 Washington at the tournament.
Held at Big League Dreams Sports Park, BYU's two Thursday games against the Matadors and Rainbow Wāhine will be on Des Moines Field, with Friday contests against LBSU at Pawtucket Field and the Tigers at Fenway Field before returning to Des Moines for its Saturday finale against the Huskies.
| Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Date | Time | Stream | Live Stats |
| CSUN | Thursday, Feb. 19 | 3 p.m. PT | FloCollege | StatBroadcast |
| Hawai'i | Thursday, Feb. 19 | 5:30 p.m. PT | FloCollege | StatBroadcast |
| Long Beach State | Friday, Feb. 20 | 3 p.m. PT | FloCollege | StatBroadcast |
| Auburn | Friday, Feb. 20 | 8 p.m. PT | FloCollege | StatBroadcast |
| RV/No. 24 Washington | Saturday, Feb. 21 | 3 p.m. PT | FloCollege | StatBroadcast |
Going 0-4 last week across a single game at Incarnate Word (9-7) and the Texas State State's Up Invitational, the Cougars dropped contests to the Bobcats and Razorbacks via run-rule, while falling to the Tigers, 7-0.
Lily Owens led the team with a .375 batting average and three runs scored on the week, one of three BYU batters to tally three hits in the Lone Star State. Miransa Mansfield (.333) and Maddie Udall-Woolley (.333) joined Owens in the .300s, with Hailey Shuler (.273) also turning in a trio of hits.
Freshman Rita Tavita posted a pair of doubles and a team-high two RBI across the four games, while Bre Townsend and Hailey Morrow both homered, the latter coming on a grand slam.
Jada Villegas, Kaysen Korth, Hailey Shuler, Rita Tavita and Gianna Mares each spent time in the circle for the Cougars, surrendering 41 hits, 37 runs (27 earned) and 18 walks while striking out 14.
BYU has three batters hitting .300 or better for the season in Shuler (.385), Morrow (.350) and Owens (.316). The trio have combined for 23 hits, 17 runs, eight RBI, three home runs and three doubles.
Heading into the week, the Cougars rank No. 82 nationally in double plays (3) and are represented individually by Owens' 1.33 walks per game, which ranks fifth in the country and leads the Big 12, to go along with Shuler's one save, good for No. 26 and second in the Conference.
Going .500 (24-24) at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic over its last 10 trips, BYU will face three teams that it saw in Palm Springs last year, and four that it had played over the last two seasons.
CSUN (1-7)
- The Cougars lead the all-time series with the Matadors, 6-2.
- CSUN beat BYU in last year's Mary Nutter contest, 6-2.
Hawai'i (5-3)
- The Cougars lead the all-time series with the Rainbow Wāhine, 18-2.
- BYU took last season's meeting in Palm Springs, 4-3.
Long Beach State (7-3)
- The Cougars trail LBSU in the all-time series, 7-5.
- Long Beach State beat BYU at Mary Nutter in 2024, 6-4.
Auburn (9-2)
- The Cougars lead the all-time series with the Tigers, 2-1.
- No. 2 Auburn took the last meeting, a 3-0 contest on Feb. 11, 2017 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Washington (7-3)
- The Cougars trail the Huskies in the all-time series, 10-4.
- BYU beat UW in Palm Springs last year, 3-1.
On Deck
The Cougars will head back to California next week to take part in Cal State Fullerton's Judi Garman Classic, beginning on Thursday, Feb. 26 at noon PT.