BYU softball to play in 2017 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

PROVO, Utah – BYU softball will participate in the 2017 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge with schools from the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12, as announced by Triple Crown Sports on Wednesday.

The Cougars will participate in the first of two sessions of the tournament from February 9-11, 2017. Auburn, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Washington will all participate in that first session as well. The Tigers, Sooners and Huskies are all in the top 10 in the most recent NCAA RPI rankings this season.

The tournament will start with games on Thursday, with the concluding games on Saturday afternoon. All teams will play each other once.

In 2015, the Cougars participated in the inaugural Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, winning all four games they played. BYU’s 7-5 win over Nevada was the first college softball game played outside of the United States.

The Cougars have a combined 7-15 overall record against the field. They most recently faced the Huskies in the 2014 NCAA regionals.

Teams and their fans will experience a fully renovated ballpark with new lights, and the stadium is barely a quarter of a mile from the beach. Check out the official release at the Triple Crown Sports website.

Quotes from participating coaches

“We are excited to return to Puerto Vallarta after playing in it in 2015," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "We are extremely excited to play against the high-level programs that are in the tournament. It will be a great challenge for our first tournament of the year.”

“Nebraska is excited to be going to Puerto Vallarta for many reasons,” said Nebraska coach Rhonda Revelle. “It’s the beauty of Puerto Vallarta, it’s going to give us outstanding competition, and we know that Triple Crown Sports only runs first-class events. We are thrilled they included us in this prestigious tournament.”

“It’s a thrill for our program to get this unique opportunity and to experience a different culture through softball,” said Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso. “It’s our first time ever leaving the country, and I’m so confident in the first-class approach of Triple Crown Sports that I never hesitated in committing to the trip. The field of teams is phenomenal, and we are so excited about kicking off our 2017 season in Puerto Vallarta.”