PROVO, Utah – Following a 4-1 showing last weekend, BYU softball returns to action against UC Santa Barbara, Maryland, No. 22 Texas A&M, Indiana and Oregon State Thursday through Saturday in Cathedral City, California.
The Cougars (6-4) will be tested this weekend in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic where three of the five opponents have winning records and two are either ranked or are receiving votes.
From the circle, McKenna Bull will lead the charge with her 6-1mark to go along with 43 strikeouts and a 2.63 ERA.
Junior Gordy Bravo leads BYU with an eight-game hitting streak to go along with five RBI, a .400 batting average and a .471 OBP from the leadoff spot. Fellow junior Coco Tauali’i is also hitting above .400 with a .429 average to go along with a .619 slugging percentage including four doubles on the year while sophomore McKenzie St. Clair is hitting a team-high .438 from the plate with a .542 OBP.
Recaps of the day’s action will be posted each day. Links to live stats and audio streaming will be available on the BYU softball schedule page.
UC Santa Barbara (Thurs. at 1 p.m. PST, Des Moines field)
The Gauchos are off to a 3-7 start with wins over Ole Miss, UTEP and Rutgers. Last time out they fell to Saint Mary’s 14-6. UCSB’s offense is powered by Jaqueline Hinojosa (.381 BA, .418 OBP), Arianna Palomares (.344 BA, 5 doubles, 6 RBI), Jenessa Jeppesen (.333 BA, 4 RBI) and Samantha Stark (.308 BA, 1 HR, 7 RBI). Ashley Ludlow (1-5, 5.29 ERA) and Alex Pingree (1-1, 5.40 ERA) have thrown the bulk of the innings with 32.1 and 28.1, respectively. The last meeting between the two teams was a 12-10 BYU loss in 2013.
Maryland (Thurs. at 6 p.m., Des Moines field)
The Terrapins are 6-4 on the season with a 3-2 mark in the second week of play. Standouts at the plate are Corey Schwartz (.361 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI) and Hannah Dewey (.464 BA, 4 doubles, .714 slug. pct.). Dewey has also contributed from the circle, throwing 23.1 innings and accumulating a 2-1 record with a 2.70 ERA. Kaitlyn Schmeiser has seen the bulk of the innings, pitching 42.2 with a 4-3 mark along with a 1.80 ERA. The Cougars last faced Maryland in 2002, taking the game 10-8.
Texas A&M (Fri. at 10 a.m., ASA/USA Wrigley field | 1150 AM The Zone)
The No. 22-ranked Aggies bring a 7-3 record into the tournament this weekend including wins over UCLA, Penn State and San Diego State. Texas A&M is led by Ashley Walters (.364 BA, 5 RBI, .462 OBP) and Cali Lanphear (.300, 6 RBI, .576 OBP) at the plate with pitcher Rachel Fox (4-2, 1.56 ERA) setting the pace from the circle with her four complete games and two shutouts.
Indiana (Sat. at 10 a.m., Mizuno Pawtucket field | Live Stats/Audio Stream)
The game against the Hoosiers will be the fourth meeting in BYU softball history with the Cougars 3-0 against the Hoosiers. Indiana is currently 2-8 with its two victories coming against San Diego and Utah Valley. The Hoosier offense features Michelle Huber (.433 BA, 1 HR, 7 RBI) and Shannon Cawley (.303 BA, 4 HR, 10 RBI). Pitchers Lora Olson (1-3, 4.85 ERA, 30.1 IP) and Miranda Tamayo (1-4, 5.80, 25.1 IP) have split time in the circle this season.
Oregon State (Sat. at 2:30 p.m., Des Moines field | Live Stats)
With an 8-3 record, the Beavers bring a 10-2 record all-time against the Cougars. Last meeting between the two was a 7-3 Oregon State win in 2013. Mikela Manewa (.464 BA, 7 RBI), Danni Gilmore (.368 BA, 2 HR, 6 RBI), Hannah Akamine (.360 BA, 1 HR, 10 RBI) and Sammi Noland (.355 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI) have fueled the offense this season. Beverly Miller has a 4-3 record from the circle, throwing 41 strikeouts over 44.0 innings with a 1.11 ERA.