BYU hosts No. 3 Oregon

PROVO, Utah – BYU softball will host No. 3 Oregon in its home opener on Tuesday at 6 p.m. MDT at Gail Miller Field.

Oregon is the highest ranked opponent to visit Gail Miller Field. It will be the first time the Cougars host a ranked foe since then No. 15 Hawai’i visited on April 7, 2012. It is also the first time a ranked non-conference opponent has visited since No. 23 Pacific on April 22, 2004.

BYU (10-18, 0-0 WCC)
BYU traveled to Salt Lake City to play Utah in the Deseret First Duel and dropped a nine-inning 1-0 contest. Senior Tori Almond had one of her best outings, allowing only three hits and striking out seven until the final two at bats. The 8.1 innings pitched were a career high for Almond. Ashley Thompson was also successful with a double off the top of the center-field fence about 235 feet from home plate.

BYU is led from the plate by McKenzie St. Clair with a team high .321 batting average and four home runs. She also is third on the team with 17 RBIs. Gordy Bravo has been solid for the Cougars since returning from a hamstring injury, hitting .313.

Oregon (26-3, 3-0 Pac-12)
Oregon swept Utah in its opening Pac-12 series. BYU and Oregon faced each other two weeks ago in the Rainbow Wahine Classic with Oregon winning 3-2 in a close contest. Senior Courtney Ceo leads the Ducks with a .489 batting average to go with 23 runs and 17 RBIs. Senior Alexa Peterson leads the team with 34 RBIs and four home runs.

Sophomore Cheridan Hawkins is the primary pitcher and holds a 15-2 record with 171 strikeouts and a 0.99 ERA. She ranks eighth in the NCAA in strikeouts per seven innings with 10.6 and 10th in ERA.

BYU Series vs. Oregon
In their meeting two weeks ago, the Ducks built a 3-0 lead through four innings. The Cougars then began to battle back, scoring one run in the sixth after a bases-loaded wild pitch allowed Lacey Millett Hofstedt to score from third. BYU loaded the bases again in the bottom of the seventh and St. Clair drew a two-out walk to make it 3-2, but the Cougars were unable to plate the tying run.

Overall Series Record: 3-8
BYU Record in Provo: 0-0
BYU Record in Eugene: 0-6
BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 3-2
BYU Record under Gordon Eakin: 2-8
Longest BYU Win Streak: 1 (‘02, ‘10, ‘12)
Longest Oregon Win Streak: 4 ( 2012-Present)
Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 5 (2010)
Largest Oregon Margin of Victory: 8 (2005)
Most Runs Scored by BYU: 8 (2002)
Most Runs Scored by Oregon: 8 (2005)