BYU Softball heads to Houston Feb. 26-28

PROVO -- The BYU women's softball team (5-3) is off to compete in the Hyatt Regency Cougar Classic in Houston, Texas on Feb. 26-28. This is BYU's third tournament of the season.

At the Houston tournament, BYU will play four teams they've never faced before, plus get a shot to even up the series to 1-1 with Houston.

The Cougars will face host school Houston (11-5), Villanova (2-4), Virginia (7-2), Mississippi State (13-4) and Pittsburgh (2-3) in the five-game tournament. The Cougars will look to keep alive their five-game winning streak on the road.

"We have great momentum going into the tournament," said BYU defense and recruiting coach Mindy Hanson. "The team is continually growing and starting to mesh. It will be a good measuring point for us."

The Cougars are coming off the Softball by the Beach Invitational where they defeated UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside and Loyola Marymount. The final two games of the tournament scheduled against Florida International and Central Florida were canceled due to heavy rain.

"I was pleased with the total team effort," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "We came out and competed very well and had a solid defensive performance."

Freshman Jennifer Whiteley will be returning to her hometown of Houston, Texas this week as BYU takes on five teams in the tournament. Whiteley is coming off a great weekend where she played solid and consistent at the Softball by the Beach Invitational. In the three games the team played, she hit 5-for-11 (.455), scored three runs and knocked in 3 RBI.

BYU All-Time Records vs. Opponents

Houston: 0-1

Villanova: marks the first match up

Virginia: marks the first match up

Mississippi State: marks the first match up

Pittsburg: marks the first match up

BYU Schedule at the Hyatt Regency Cougar Classic 
Feb. 26	 Houston	           6 p.m. (CT)	  5 p.m. (MT)
Feb. 27	 Villanova	        11 a.m. (CT)	 10 a.m. (MT)	
	        Virginia	          1 p.m. (CT)	 12 p.m. (MT)
Feb. 28	 Mississippi St.    9 a.m. (CT)	  8 a.m. (MT)
	        Pittsburgh	       11 a.m. (CT)	 10 a.m. (MT)