Big week ahead for Cougars

PROVO, Utah – BYU softball will wrap up its three game series with Weber State Wednesday in Ogden, Utah, before traveling to Stockton, Calif., to take on Pacific in West Coast Conference play.

The Cougars and the Wildcats have split their first two meetings. Weber State came from behind to beat BYU 4-3 in St. George, Utah, during the opening game of the Red Desert Classic. The Cougars then beat Weber State 7-3 at home leading throughout the game.

BYU’s meeting with Pacific will be pivotal in deciding the eventual champion of the WCC. BYU currently leads the WCC with a .750 winning percentage in conference play while Pacific is tied for second with Saint Mary’s with a .667 winning percentage. The Cougars and the Tigers are the only two teams that have won every series in conference action.

BYU (24-21, 6-2 WCC)
After wrapping up their finals last week, the Cougars swept Loyola Marymount 13-5 and 8-1 in a Friday doubleheader. Rain cancelled the final game of the series on Saturday after BYU grabbed a 6-0 lead in the second inning.

Redshirt freshman Mercedes O’Connor led the team from the plate finishing with a .625 average with seven RBI, two runs, two singles, a double, a triple and a home run. She has now improved her season batting average to .300 in her 30 game appearances.

Tori Almond improved to 6-6 on the year with a win in the nightcap against Loyola Marymount. She pitched all seven innings and tied her season high with eight strike outs. She has a 2.37 ERA and 102 strikeouts this season.

Weber State (20-23, 2-9 Big Sky)
Weber State lost two home games against Sacramento State on Friday dropping to 20-23 on the year. After a successful start to their season, the Wildcats have struggled since beginning Big Sky play having lost 13 of their last 16.

Senior Brooke Silva is the top performer at the plate for the Wildcats with a .347 batting average while adding five home runs. Senior Jasmine Ioane leads the Wildcats with eight home runs and 36 RBI to go with her .314 batting average.

Junior MaCauley Flint is the ace in the circle for the Wildcats holding a 9-8 record with a 2.48 ERA and 138 strikeouts. Ioane adds a 5-6 record with a 3.87 ERA and 37 strikeouts. Senior Kylee Colvin is second on the team with 12 starts in her 21 appearances going 4-5 with a 5.83 ERA.

BYU Series Record vs. Weber St.
Overall Series Record: 2-1
BYU Record in Provo: 2-0
BYU Record in Ogden: 0-0
BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 0-1
BYU Record under Gordon Eakin: 2-1
Longest BYU Win Streak: 1 (2011, 2014)
Longest Weber State Win Streak: 1 (2014)
Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 8 (2011)
Largest Weber State Margin of Victory: 1 (2014)
Most Runs Scored by BYU: 9 (2011)
Most Runs Scored by Weber State: 4 (2014)

Pacific (20-25, 8-4 WCC)
Pacific hosted San Diego in a WCC showdown last week with both teams coming in tied for the top spot in the conference. After letting Saint Mary’s score four runs in the top of the seventh to drop the first game Saturday, the Tigers tightened the screws in the circle to beat the Toreros 2-0 in the nightcap and 3-1 on Sunday.

Senior Taylor Petty has a team high .371 batting average, eight doubles, a triple, 29 RBI and 29 walks. Senior Gabby Goyette adds a .329 average and is tied for a team-high eight stolen bases, while freshman Cassidy Gustafson leads the Tigers with four home runs.

Senior Tori Shepard leads the Tigers in the circle with a 3.45 ERA, an opponent batting average of .268 and 81 strikeouts. Junior Dani Bonnet has a team best 11-7 record in the circle with a 4.55 ERA and 73 strikeouts.

BYU Series Record vs. Pacific
Overall Series Record: 3-1
BYU Record in Provo: 1-0
BYU Record in Stockton: 0-0
BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 2-1
BYU Record under Gordon Eakin: 3-1
Longest BYU Win Streak: 2 (2010-Present)
Longest Pacific Win Streak: 1 (2010)
Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 8 (2004)
Largest Pacific Margin of Victory: 2 (2010)
Most Runs Scored by BYU: 8 (2004)
Most Runs Scored by Pacific: 4 (2010)