PROVO, Utah — BYU softball concluded year three in the Big 12 with an 18-33 (.353) overall record and 7-17 (.292) mark in conference play.
The Cougars, who finished 10th of 11 teams in the league, began their 2026 campaign in Clearwater, Florida for the NFCA Leadoff Classic, where they’d pick up one win, an 8-5 victory over Notre Dame.
After going 0-4 at Incarnate Word and in Texas State’s States Up Invitational, BYU got back in the win column with a pair of victories in Palm Springs, beating Hawai’i and Long Beach State at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
The Cougars then earned wins against California and LMU at Cal State Fullerton’s Judi Garman Classic to close out non-conference play.
Following a series sweep at the hands of No. 13/14 Arizona, BYU earned victories over Abilene Christian, Utah Tech and Omaha during their Big 12 bye week.
Resuming conference play, the Cougars' keynote win came at No. 23/21 Oklahoma State in their Stillwater series finale, 7-3, before taking game two against Kansas on a walk-off Danica Acosta home run, the first of her collegiate career.
After being swept by then-No. 2 and eventual national runner-up Texas Tech in Lubbock, BYU returned to Provo and picked up a sweep of its own, beating Houston by scores of 13-10, 10-6 and 10-9 in what would be the Cougars’ lone Big 12 series win of the year.
BYU took game two against Iowa State a week later thanks to a walk-off by Maddie Udall-Woolley. The Cougars later salvaged their series in Salt Lake City with a game three win at Utah before falling to No. 25 Arizona State, an eventual Super Regional team, to close out the year.
Finishing 10th in the Big 12, BYU did not qualify for the Big 12 Softball Tournament in Oklahoma City. All 11 teams made the tournament during the Cougars’ first two years in the conference, but only the top eight teams in the league qualified in 2026.
Following the year, senior infielder Miranda Mansfield and junior left-handed pitcher Gianna Mares were both named to the CSC Academic All-District Team for their work on the field and in the classroom.
Concluding the season with an RPI of 98 but strength of schedule at 28, BYU ranked No. 26 nationally in double plays per game (0.49) and No. 33 in total double plays (25).
On the individual side, Lily Owens was 51st in the country in sacrifice flies (5), Jada Villegas finished 60th nationwide in saves (3) and Mares was 67th in strikeouts per seven innings (6.8).
Graduating seven seniors in Kaysen Korth, Jaelynn Lambert, Mansfield, Hailey Morrow, Owens, Tristen Turlington and Udall-Woolley, the Cougars will return four positional starters and three pitchers next season as they look to return to the NCAA Tournament after five years away.