Cougar teammates greet Huntyr Ava in entrance of the dugout after Ava’s house run throughout recreation towards Iowa State in Provo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. The Cougars open a three-game sequence at Pacific on Friday. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Cougar pitcher Chloe Temples pitches throughout recreation towards Iowa State in Provo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. Temples leads the workforce in strikeouts with 113 in 23 appearances. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
BYU gamers high-five within the dugout throughout recreation towards Iowa State in Provo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. BYU received 11-7 and might be heading to Pacific this weekend for a three-game set of WCC video games. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Like clockwork, the BYU Cougars softball program has reloaded and put collectively one other spectacular season.
Over the previous few years, the Cougars have fielded high quality squads, showing within the final 16 NCAA tournaments. With only a handful of video games left on its schedule, BYU is concentrated on ending the season robust with hopes of one other NCAA match berth.
BYU coach Gordon Eakin feels his roster is filled with expertise however has a tough time evaluating this workforce along with his former squads.
“It’s actually laborious for me to say how (this workforce) ranks,” he stated. “However this actually would rank up there with groups by way of expertise and effectiveness. Proper now, we’re on course to have our greatest win-loss file of any workforce at BYU.”
The Cougars haven't misplaced greater than three video games in a row this 12 months, compiling a powerful 35-10 file with simply over per week left within the season.
Nonetheless, the Cougars’ two straight losses to West Coast Convention foe Loyola Marymount could show to be extra deadly than the varsity’s three consecutive defeats in February. Each BYU and LMU entered the three-game weekend sequence in early April with untarnished convention information. After profitable the primary recreation over the Lions, the Cougars misplaced two straight, relinquishing their maintain on first place within the league standings — a place LMU has held ever since.
The losses marked the primary time BYU has dropped back-to-back convention video games since 2016. Since these two defeats final month, the Cougars have bounced again, profitable each subsequent recreation to tie the varsity’s longest profitable streak of the season at 10.
Regardless of the disappointing losses to the Lions, BYU remained optimistic. “Our aim is to be taught from our experiences daily on and off the sphere and to get higher daily,” Eakin stated.
“I like our resiliency on this workforce. … In sports activities, it’s actually essential to be resilient since you’re going to have the ups and downs. You’re going to have the failures that you just want to have the ability to handle and work by means of and bounce again. That’s actually the character of softball.”
The Cougars’ offense wanted to beat some struggles earlier within the season earlier than blossoming into what's now the twelfth finest scoring workforce within the nation.
Cougar pitcher Chloe Temples pitches throughout recreation towards Iowa State in Provo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. Temples leads the workforce in strikeouts with 113 in 23 appearances.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
“We went by means of a chilly streak in the course of the 12 months the place we simply weren’t scoring runs,” Eakin stated. “We simply stayed at it and continued to work laborious. We lastly began placing all of it collectively. We began having an offense that was one by means of 9 within the recreation, as a substitute of simply three or 4 hitters that had been doing OK.
“However we went by means of a chilly spell the place we didn’t rating quite a lot of runs. So once more, I feel it goes again to staying at it, working laborious, being resilient, overcoming these robust occasions. We are able to undoubtedly put runs on the board.”
Down the ultimate stretch of the season BYU will proceed to depend on its elite offense. Junior first baseman Huntyr Ava has led the Cougars’ offense with a .397 batting common to associate with 14 house runs and 45 RBI. BYU has obtained an identical output from sophomore outfielder Violet Zavodnik, who boasts a .386 batting common, 15 house runs, and 46 RBIs.
On the flip facet, the Cougars’ protection has been headed by senior pitcher Autumn Moffat-Korth and junior pitcher Chloe Temples. Moffat-Korth has appeared in 28 video games, getting the beginning 23 occasions — good for half the Cougars’ contests. She has compiled a 2.04 ERA to associate with 78 strikeouts. Temples leads the workforce in strikeouts with 113 in 23 appearances.
Eakin feels his workforce has carried out nicely this 12 months, however believes higher days are nonetheless forward. “We’ve performed fairly strong softball all through the season,” he stated. “I feel our greatest softball continues to be but to be performed. I feel we've got an opportunity at peaking on the proper time.”
BYU will look to succeed in its full potential and preserve its win streak going when it begins a three-game sequence at Pacific in a three-game starting Friday.
BYU gamers high-five within the dugout throughout recreation towards Iowa State in Provo on Saturday, March 26, 2022. BYU received 11-7 and might be heading to Pacific this weekend for a three-game set of WCC video games.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information