BYU softball is set to begin its Big 12 conference schedule this week with a three-game series at No. 13/14 Arizona in Tucson. The Cougars, currently holding a 5-14 record, will face the Wildcats (17-5) for the first time since participating in Arizona’s Wildcat Invitational during the 2021 season.
The series will start on Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. MT, followed by games on Friday and Saturday. All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Last week, BYU competed at Cal State Fullerton’s Judi Garman Classic, where the team finished with two wins against Cal and LMU but suffered losses to Cal State Fullerton, Seattle, and No. 8/9 UCLA. During the tournament, BYU recorded a .298 batting average and managed their highest hit total against a Top 25 opponent with 14 hits versus UCLA, although they lost that game 13-8.
Danica Acosta and Ilove’a Brittingham led BYU hitters last week with a .462 average each. They were joined by Rita Tavita (.455), Lily Owens (.353), and Hailey Shuler (.308) as batters who surpassed the .300 mark over the weekend. The team hit four home runs in Fullerton; Brittingham had two homers against UCLA while Hailey Morrow and Owens each added one against Cal and LMU respectively.
In pitching performances, sophomore Hailey Shuler earned victories over both Cal and LMU, including a complete game with seven strikeouts against LMU—her career best. Shuler finished the week with a 3.34 ERA over four appearances totaling 14.2 innings pitched.
Collectively, BYU posted a team ERA of 5.91 through five games last week while striking out 27 batters in 32 innings but allowing 27 earned runs.
As they enter conference play, BYU leads the Big 12 in sacrifice bunts (4) and ranks third in strikeouts per seven innings (5.91). Individually, Shuler is tied for fifteenth nationally with two saves; Brittingham ranks thirty-first nationally for runners caught stealing (five); Owens is thirty-sixth in walks per game (0.84).
Historically, Arizona holds an advantage in the all-time series between these programs at 11-2. Last season’s matchup saw Arizona win two out of three games played in Provo—including an eight-run shutout perfect game—while BYU won the final contest of that series.
Arizona enters this week’s Big 12 opener on a five-game winning streak; four of their five losses have come against top-five ranked teams Oklahoma and Texas.
BYU head coach Gordon Eakin has compiled a record of two wins and nine losses against Arizona during his tenure.
After this opening conference series in Tucson, BYU will have a bye next week before hosting Abilene Christian on Tuesday and then traveling to St. George for matchups at Utah Tech’s Trailblazer Classic against Utah Tech and Omaha.
